Why is my gas mileage so low??

If there was an issue with the fuel delivery system, the ECU is smart enough to pick it up and throw a code. Don't waste the dealer's time calling them.

I'm on many automotive forums and routinely hear MPG complaints from those living the NY/NJ area. A few things to consider:

1) Winter fuel. Winter was introduced a few months. Due to the additives, winter fuel will account for around a 10% reduction in MPG alone.

2) Extended cold starts/warm up. Sub 50 temps will result in extended cold starts/warm up. An engine runs quite rich in these situations, especially if the vehicle spends it's life outside. Teamed with winter fuel, you can expect 15-20% lower fuel economy in the winter assuming most of your driving is more city than highway.

3) Short drives. If most of your drives are less than 10 miles, then MPGs take a huge hit, especially in the winter. The motor never fully warms up thus isn't at peak efficiency. Short drives are a MPG killer as well as a oil killer because the oil dilutes with fuel because of the cold starts and lack of oil getting up to operating temp to burn off the fuel. It takes at least 10 minutes of driving on a cold motor to get oil up to temp. Short drives are typically the main MPG killers in the NY/NJ.

4) New motor and differential. Freshly built motors have higher internal friction, especially at the piston ring. You can expect around a 5% mpg improvement once the motor and differentials break in.

5) Fuel quality in NY/NJ. Fuel sold in NY/NJ is heavily oxygenated to reduce air pollution. It's about as bad at "ACN" fuel used on the west coast. These fuels will see lower mpgs.

5) Fill back up, reset the mpg gauge, and use an entire tank of fuel and see what the number is. ALSO, take the miles driven on the tank and divide by the number of gallons added to get to full. That will give you the most accurate picture of mpg. My BMW M235 mpg calculator is within 0.5 mpg every time. My wife's 2020 ORP and son's 2016 Outback mpg calculators are off by 1-1.5 mpg (typically under reporting mpg).
 
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1) Winter fuel.
Interesting - did not know this was a thing. I'll add my new-car MPG experience, a change which might be attributed to one, or a combination of factors:

November - New York (winter fuel?) brand new engine = couldn't beat 19MPG on highway, while leaving area.

December - in Southern California, 3,000 miles later, and one ECU reset: 22-23mpg on the highway
 
What others have said.
- reset the mileage display.
- check tire pressure. Set to manufacturers recommendation (on the door/jam)
- parking brake off ("brake" light would be on)
- check that a brake or 4 aren't dragging.
- idle as little as possible. It may be cold in the car for a bit, but no need to warm the engine for 10 minutes.
- stop & go driving, hard acceleration and braking kill mileage.
Let us know what you find or what the dealer tells you.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
Yes reset your mpg dashboard calculator, and cruise on the highway have 55 Dash 60 for a while and see what it levels out at .
I’d be flipped out. Have the dealer check everything.
I just got 22.6 on a 4 hour trip. Speeds of 55-68-ish with a couple stops and about 30 minutes of town driving.
I got over 23 driving leisurely on a road trip recently.
Flat terrain. Easy accelerating mostly, Granny’s pass me...
That’s the computer readout.

2011
133,000 miles
Stock
 
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Similar story to mine...
I finally got less than 20 on a road trip with some off-road.
FWIW I regularly see 15-17mpg in Winter, especially if it’s only short tripping around town

Out of curiosity, what is that App? Seems like it could be useful for me...

Can u post a link to it?

Thanks!
 
That is something I find really odd. Why did it drop from 21 to 19mpg?


Basically the Government changed the way they calculate the MPG rating for a given vehicle. The MPG rating is now more realistic.
 
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How many miles? New engines take a couple thousand miles to get broken in and hit max efficiency.

That is darn low though...

I'm getting 20+ miles highway. Only have 1200 miles.

It's crazy. I'm watching this close and its forcing me to lay off the pedal to get the number up. I travel everyday about 35 miles to and from up and down hills and have a few stop lights along the way. Speed limit is between 60 and 50. Realistically I'm getting 17.5 but don't want to admit it.

Barely 1 mile better that my 2013 F150.

I knew that going in so not complaining.
 
That is something I find really odd. Why did it drop from 21 to 19mpg?

My 10 years experience with Japanese Design Engineers.......
They under promise and over deliver.
Very conservative with their claims.

It was a real pleasure working with these guys. No smoke up my ...
Always honest, from the heart.

I sold as an Independent Rep for Panasonic Cordless Tools. Now retired. Most folks don't know Panasonic even makes tools. It's a very small division compared to their total business, but its growing so they don't get rid of it. High end of low tech tooling i'll have to say. But they're close to AI regarding torque control.

The Toyota manufacturing system I'd say is, or at least was the Standard.

This is just one reason I bought a Jap car after being handcuffed as a salesman, calling on GM, Ford, Chrysler.

You really don't want to park in their lot with a one of these cars.

I'll see for my Xmas trip what I get on the highway. 150 total highway.
I'm thinking 20-22
 
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If there was an issue with the fuel delivery system, the ECU is smart enough to pick it up and throw a code. Don't waste the dealer's time calling them.

I'm on many automotive forums and routinely hear MPG complaints from those living the NY/NJ area. A few things to consider:

1) Winter fuel. Winter was introduced a few months. Due to the additives, winter fuel will account for around a 10% reduction in MPG alone.

2) Extended cold starts/warm up. Sub 50 temps will result in extended cold starts/warm up. An engine runs quite rich in these situations, especially if the vehicle spends it's life outside. Teamed with winter fuel, you can expect 15-20% lower fuel economy in the winter assuming most of your driving is more city than highway.

3) Short drives. If most of your drives are less than 10 miles, then MPGs take a huge hit, especially in the winter. The motor never fully warms up thus isn't at peak efficiency. Short drives are a MPG killer as well as a oil killer because the oil dilutes with fuel because of the cold starts and lack of oil getting up to operating temp to burn off the fuel. It takes at least 10 minutes of driving on a cold motor to get oil up to temp. Short drives are typically the main MPG killers in the NY/NJ.

4) New motor and differential. Freshly built motors have higher internal friction, especially at the piston ring. You can expect around a 5% mpg improvement once the motor and differentials break in.

5) Fuel quality in NY/NJ. Fuel sold in NY/NJ is heavily oxygenated to reduce air pollution. It's about as bad at "ACN" fuel used on the west coast. These fuels will see lower mpgs.

5) Fill back up, reset the mpg gauge, and use an entire tank of fuel and see what the number is. ALSO, take the miles driven on the tank and divide by the number of gallons added to get to full. That will give you the most accurate picture of mpg. My BMW M235 mpg calculator is within 0.5 mpg every time. My wife's 2020 ORP and son's 2016 Outback mpg calculators are off by 1-1.5 mpg (typically under reporting mpg).

Another one that many people don't consider is the increase in air density at lower temperatures. It's also not a linear phenomenon, so super cold temperatures can really wreck havoc on MPGs.
 
Update from the OP:

Ok - I called my local Dealer - He told me not to get my panties in a twist too much..... He's heard of this problem before ... And that 11-14 MPG isn't too uncommon with constant short-haul trips (my profile exactly) & with the constant stop & go driving of NYC ... He also claimed that gas here in the NYC-area is now all spiked with anti-coagulants / anti-freeze, and all sorts of other such crap to prevent freezing in our fuel lines... and that this worsens gas-mileage even more

He also said they won't really do an exhaustive fuel-line workover until at least 3000 miles on the Odometer ... So there ya have it

I will do a manual MPG count over my next 2 fill-ups and report back.

Thanks very much everyone for your fantastic input, advice, support, and encouragement

Greatly appreciated
 
My current tank with 100% city is 11.6. If I drive like a grandpa I could eek out 13-14 in the city. I would also have a bullet in my head.
 
This was my experience with my 2018 ORP as well...

While it slowly improved, it remains in the 16-18 mpg per tank zone most of the time...

19.5 average through 16k miles on mine. I've found it helps to add a bit more air than the 32 psi (cold) listed on the door. I'm using 36 front, 34 rear. Tires don't squeal going around corners at this pressure, but they do at 32.

At 32 psi my mpg drops to around 18...
 
From behind, or from the side? Haha.

I am right there with you. Who are these centenarians getting 20mpg? :D

I started off terrible when new. Now get 16mpg in the city. Tires are whatever the door jamb recommends. I rarely have a tank with significant highway mileage.
 
From behind, or from the side? Haha.

I am right there with you. Who are these centenarians getting 20mpg? :D

Stock I was averaging 16.
Added the TRD CAI - no change, maybe 0.1-0.2 increase
TRD exhaust - no change
URD MAF - I'm consistently hitting 17.5-17.8 - I also added sliders and started adding skids here.
Very conservative driving. Actually been passed a couple times on a two-lane because I was accelerating too slow from stop signs/traffic lights for the soccer moms late getting their kids to school.
 

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