My Gas Mileage Sucks!

[gonzo]

my truck consistantly gets around 15.5 mpg. i read all these posts how people with the V8s are getting 16.5 - 19+ mpg, how is that possible? i would find it hard to believe that there is that much variance in mpg from vehilce to vehicle. of course driving habits and the amount of city vs. highway driving can account for some of the variance, but i am relatively conservative with the gas pedal and 60% of my driving is highway.

to make matters worse, a co-worker of mine has a gmc yukon (also with a V8) that averages over 20 mpg. he keeps meticulous records of his vehicles, i know that he is not exaggerating. i checked his vehicle specs and the truck is rated for 14-18 mpg, yet he gets great mileage. can some vehicles just be that much more efficient?

sorry, just had to vent.

 

[azskyrider]

I was at the local Border's book store over the weekend while my wife was shopping around. I happened to pick up a Consumer Reports Magazine that had some interesting information.

For each vehicle they had the Highway, combined, and City mileage posted. You would be surprised about some 6 cyl. and 4cyl gas mileage difference in pure city driving. The numbers were in the teens.

In the real world, the majority of drivers drive combine City/Highway so they experience an average but for those purely city driving the data was an eye opener to me. You might fall in this category.

My point is that the "numbers" will vary on driving conditions and personal driving preference. From the GX470 forum and in here it seems that 15-16 is about right. The AWD that is standard with the V8 is also robbing some MPG where as the V6 has the selectable 2wd to 4wd.

The FJ cruiser owners have experience this MPG difference as well since the manual version comes equipped with the AWD tranny compared the automatic selectable 2wd to 4wd mode. Engine being the same in both applications the Manual tend to be worse in MPG.

EDIT: I am comparing the 4x4 V8 to 4x4 V6. 2wd only V8 to a 4wd/AWD V8 will have different MPG.

 

[toybox]

my truck consistantly gets around 15.5 mpg. i read all these posts how people with the V8s are getting 16.5 - 19+ mpg, how is that possible? i would find it hard to believe that there is that much variance in mpg from vehilce to vehicle. of course driving habits and the amount of city vs. highway driving can account for some of the variance, but i am relatively conservative with the gas pedal and 60% of my driving is highway.

to make matters worse, a co-worker of mine has a gmc yukon (also with a V8) that averages over 20 mpg. he keeps meticulous records of his vehicles, i know that he is not exaggerating. i checked his vehicle specs and the truck is rated for 14-18 mpg, yet he gets great mileage. can some vehicles just be that much more efficient?

sorry, just had to vent.

I have a hard time believing the Chevy gets 20mpg, I'd have to prove it to myself to believe it.

Secondly, your mpg is good and on par with most people, I actually get around 14.5mpg. You really have to know what kind of driving these people are doing that claim higher mpg. All highway? Are they reading the dash read-out and believing it to be true? Are they guessing? Are they exagerating? Do they drive slow ass or are they driving fast and jumping out at lights?

You're getting exactly what the sticker said you'd get. What did you expect? If you want to get good mileage drive like an old lady and keep your tire pressure up, that is about all you can do.

 

[azskyrider]

more data

Here is another example. I have a Honda 4cyl Accord. I drive about 50/50 hwy and city driving and I receive about 28mpg. I took off for two weeks on vacation and let me sister borrow my car. When I got back she said that the Honda had some pretty bad MPG. Where she lives to her work is all City driving with stop and go traffic. Same car in the same town but with different driving patters. After doing the numbers she was averaging about 19 MPG. This number is in line with the consumer reports magazine data that I read over the weekend.

I should also mention weight. I have driven on the highway for 7 hours straight with just my wife and I. We averaged 32 MPG. The same trip taken with both of us. my sister and my mother with the extra luggage and I averaged 25 MPG. So weight can also play a role.

If your friend has the 2wd V8 Yukon then it would not be fair to compare it with an AWD/4WD 4runner V8.

Cheers,

 

[boston_kevin]

My wife's vehicle is a 2000 GMC Yukon, and we average about 16-17 with highway being around 19 mpg. It depends on the engine (5.3L for our Yukon) as there were 3 different engines available (4.8, 5.3 and 6.0) and the tires/tire pressure. Currently we have over 112,000 miles on the Yukon and that average is consistent over those miles.

The V8's (and V6's for that matter) that are consistently seeing great gas mileage keep the tires fully inflated (I run mine at 36-38 on my 4runner and 35 on the Yukon), and keep the speeds in the sweet spot (between 60 and 70 mph). Quick starts/stops also rob you of gas mileage.

Also - keep in mind that your buddy's Yukon is a part time 4WD system and yours is full time 4WD.

 

[a1b2c3cp]

FYI - '05 Limited V8 and I'm getting 18-19 mpg according to both the onboard readout and a couple of manual calcs after filling up. I'm not a lead foot, but I do drive 70+ on the highway a lot. I'd say my split is 70% highway, 30% city.

15.5 mpg sounds way too low. Shot in the dark: What grade of gas are you using? I know the 4Runners will burn all grades pretty well, but maybe regular grade gas gives a lot lower mpg??? I burn mostly premium grade as recommended (outch!) -- haven't ever measured my mpg with lower grades....

Oh yeah, one more thing -- I have the 2WD model. I could see where the 4WD/AWD models could get somewhat lower mpg...

-Craig

 

[toybox]

15.5 mpg sounds way too low.

Why is that way too low??? It is what was on the sticker when it was bought!! 15/17 mpg. Why would you reasonably expect to get more than the truck was rated to get?

Oh yeah, one more thing -- I have the 2WD model. I could see where the 4WD/AWD models could get somewhat lower mpg...

-Craig

Well that explains it, your in 2wd and not carrying all the extra weight of the 4wd system and doing 70% highway. Seeing that, 18-19mpg does not sound that special.

 

[nh00gts]

So far I am happy with the 17 mpg I get. Its basically all in town driving and 17mpg sounds good to me.

 

[OUTRNNR]

I've been getting around 17 mpg this summer with maybe 60/40 highway to city driving. I am an admitted lead foot, lots of WOT, 75+ on the highway, jumpy at stoplights etc. However, over the winter I could barely average 15 mpg.

I think the type of climate you live in has alot to do with it. The reason it is worse for me in the winter is because the very cold air is denser so it will effect my highway mileage, which I observed last winter. During the warm summer, the thin air is much less resistant on the 4Runner, hence my better mpg numbers.

Perhaps its because Virginia has a humid muggy climate as well as being near sea level (am I right here?). This will give you more power (requiring more fuel) and create more drag at at highway speeds (which it looks like you do a lot of). This may explain the discrepancy.

I don't know, is it inaccurate to say that people who live at high elevations get better fuel economy? Why not? If during the warm months the air is so much thinner that actually creates less drag at all speeds while limiting the amount of fuel burned due to the lower pressure/less density of O2 in the air. Is this valid? If I lived in Houston would I be averaging 14 mpg? Just a thought...

 

[GMZ]

I just got mine last week and got 19.05 actual mpg on my first tank of 87. 20.04 gal @ 381 mi. I drive 60/40 Hwy/city with a fair amount of traffic around the tunnels. I am still braking in so I have been varying my speeds every few miles, engine breaking, and keeping it in higher gear than neccessary so not to lug the engine, also no CC at all. Now with all that considered I am pleased. I have managed to beat the sticker mpg in actual mpg on my last 2 350 Z's and will do it with my 4 Runner also. Cant wait until I break it in so I can put the CC on 62 and see what I get Im keeping an Excel book on it so I can keep track as well.

 

[Jacobzky]

i recently tracked my mpg and got 16.9mpg driving with the AC on 80% of the time, and numerous times of idling while the AC on, while waitng for a parking spot at work. 50/50 city/highway driving, and drving no faster than 85mph and a few hard accelleration if it needs be.

227 miles traveled and fueled up 14 gals.
at 32psi tire pressure.


note: i will update this as i have increased tire pressure to 37psi, added K&N air filter, will drive conservatively :

 

[GMZ]

Oh yea, forgot to add I have the A/C on all the time!

 

[spyne]

I haven't graphed it yet, but since they started putting 10% ethanol in the gas around here my mileage has dropped. It's hard to tell how much, because at about the same time they changed the gas formula I started working from home. As a result most of my driving is now short trips of under 10 miles in suburban traffic, instead of mostly longer trips at 40-50 miles an hour with few stops.

My best guess is that I've lost 1-2 MPG as a result of the gas change, but can't document it for certain. Not to hijak the thread, but has anyone else noticed there mileage dropping off as a result of the gas formulation changes?

 

[Northof49]

I averaged low 20's in my V8 and also low teens. It all depends on conditions, driving habits, weight, etc. Drive around town flooring it everywhere and I'm sure I could make it average 9mpg.....drive only on flat highway and you could sqeeze 25 out of it. Obviously the truth lies somewhere in the middle.....which is right where you are.

Your neighbor is doing one of the following: calculating incorrectly, recording only highway, driving like a grandma.....or some combination thereof. No big mystery.

 

[Jeff Kleb]

Fuel Mileage

I haven't graphed it yet, but since they started putting 10% ethanol in the gas around here my mileage has dropped. It's hard to tell how much, because at about the same time they changed the gas formula I started working from home. As a result most of my driving is now short trips of under 10 miles in suburban traffic, instead of mostly longer trips at 40-50 miles an hour with few stops.

My best guess is that I've lost 1-2 MPG as a result of the gas change, but can't document it for certain. Not to hijak the thread, but has anyone else noticed there mileage dropping off as a result of the gas formulation changes?

As the weather here in VA got warmer this spring, I noticed a slight improvement in gas mileage - both in my 4Runner and my Sentra. However, they both are burning slightly more fuel since we have been required to use the ethanol-enhanced gasoline (beginning in the middle of May, I think).

The ethanol (grain alcohol) has a much higher octane rating than gasoline, but it has a lower BTU content. I plan to take a long trip across three states very soon, and will see if my mileage changes as a result of using different gasoline blends. Many places don't require 'reformulated' gasoline, so I might find something that burns a bit better than the "home brew" we put in the tank here.

Now perhaps my slightly decreased mileage could also be a result of using my A/C nearly 100% of the time. Even when the temps drop around here, the humidity is enough to drive you nuts. It gets so bad that your windows fog up unless you use the A/C - especially at 0400 or 0500 when I am driving into work.


Worst mileage recently: 15.7 mpg (80 percent city/20 percent highway)

Best mileage recently: 20.5 mpg (90 percent highway at 70+ mph/10 percent city - running errands)

2005 SR5; V6 with 4wd


P.S. The trip computer is off by about 1.2 to 1.7 miles per gallon. It is a bit on the optimistic side to say the least.
:bash:

 

[mswscco]

Last night, LA to Vegas, some stop and go but mostly highway at 70+ with:

7 people on board, luggage, full Yakima box on the roof, A/C the full time, Terra Grapplers at 60 PSI.

Computer shows 14.8 MPG and I calculated 12.5 at the fill up.

A little lower than I had expected, but will hopefully improve as we put more miles on the truck.

 

[charlier180]

my truck consistantly gets around 15.5 mpg. i read all these posts how people with the V8s are getting 16.5 - 19+ mpg, how is that possible? i would find it hard to believe that there is that much variance in mpg from vehilce to vehicle. of course driving habits and the amount of city vs. highway driving can account for some of the variance, but i am relatively conservative with the gas pedal and 60% of my driving is highway.

When I commute to work (17 miles roundtrip) the mileage works out to 50/50 city/highway. The mileage for those trips runs between 15-16 mpg (calculated). When I do highway trips of 300-400 miles the mileage runs between 19.5-20 mpg (calculated).

I avoid jack rabbit starts and sudden stops and try to keep the speed between 55-65 mph. I have found that my 4Runner gets it's best MPG around 55 mph although going that slow is not very practical or safe given the many impatient people on the road.

Towing my car trailer my 4Runner gets 9-10 mpg (calculated) on relatively flat terrain and 7-8 mpg (calculated) in the mountains.

My average MPG has been 16.0 / 12.79 / 16.73 for each of the three years I have owned my 4Runner. My cumulative MPG since purchase has been 14.06. As you probably have guessed year 2 involved a LOT of towing which brought the average down.

IMHO, 15.5 MPG is nothing to lose sleep over and is not that far off from the 16.0 and 16.73 figures I have gotten.

FYI, I use 87 octane fuel and run 40 psi in my tires.

 

[Atomic 4Runner]

My truck consistantly gets around 15.5 mpg. i read all these posts how people with the V8s are getting 16.5 - 19+ mpg, how is that possible?

I have an '06 Limited V-8 4X4, and I've tracked every drop of gas that has gone in it since I got it (had 2 miles on it at delivery). After 5,500 miles, my truck is averaging 17.2 mpg, and this includes off-road, interstate and trailering, but the majority of the mileage is suburban city traffic.

My lowest mileage was 14.5 mpg, and my best has been 20.1 mpg. Aggressive driving does reduce your fuel economy, and not enjoying the V-8 to it's maximum can improve your mileage. You just have to decide what kind of fuel economy you want to pay for, and drive accordingly.

 

[EDGE]

My truck averages 16mpg, foot to the floor driving, it's not the gas mileage that concerns me but the the electrical components that are falling apart

 

[GregGimbert]

2005 V8 Ft 4X4, avg 14.5. All city driving with a/c on. Not much of a lead foot nor do I putt it around. Just drive the thing. Oh yah, regular unleaded gas.