Winter MPG

[Dalko43]

I've researched a few threads and found some anecdotal feedback suggesting that I may have an answer to my question, but I did want to confirm that my specific situation matched up with what others have experienced.

To keep it brief,
Stock tire size, albeit not stock tire brand/make (a mild A/T tire)
No lift
No mods

Summer Driving: 50/50 city/highway. Did a lot of long road trips in addition to my daily commute. Saw on average 18-19 mpg. Could routinely hit 22-23mpg on pure highway trips. Hand calculated of course.

Winter Driving: 80/20 city/highway. Less trips, more daily commute. Average has gradually decreased and settled at about 16.5 mpg as the weather got colder.

Does this seem normal?

MPG has never been my top priority, otherwise I would have bought a Subaru or Honda. But going down 2-3 mpg just seemed a bit out of place to me.

 

[marshal]

winter blend fuel is 10% alcohol, as well it takes a significant amount of energy to heat that engine block up when its 10 degrees out vs 80.

if you notice, rolling around in sub freezing temperatures - your engine always runs a little cold. it can't make enough heat

 

[USKTog]

I've researched a few threads and found some anecdotal feedback suggesting that I may have an answer to my question, but I did want to confirm that my specific situation matched up with what others have experienced.

To keep it brief,
Stock tire size, albeit not stock tire brand/make (a mild A/T tire)
No lift
No mods

Summer Driving: 50/50 city/highway. Did a lot of long road trips in addition to my daily commute. Saw on average 18-19 mpg. Could routinely hit 22-23mpg on pure highway trips. Hand calculated of course.

Winter Driving: 80/20 city/highway. Less trips, more daily commute. Average has gradually decreased and settled at about 16.5 mpg as the weather got colder.

Does this seem normal?

MPG has never been my top priority, otherwise I would have bought a Subaru or Honda. But going down 2-3 mpg just seemed a bit out of place to me.

More city driving (stop, start, stop, start) and the routine "winter blend" of fuel = lower mpg!

If you were to do a full tank of pure highway driving, you may see a small decrease from Summer mpg, but city driving will kill fuel economy no matter what!

Here in metro Denver, there are so dang many stop lights that I will drive toll roads when I need to go from the north side to the south side, just to avoid all the damn stop / start / stop / start.

 

[Dalko43]

I agree with the posts above.

My question is really: do other 5th gen owners, who are stock or close to stock, see a similar dip in mpg during the winter?

I'm upstate NY by the way.

 

[Engineer]

Normal, aside from driving into headwind up a hill , cold weather and short start stop trips are the worse for MPG.

 

[marshal]

also consider that your normal idle is at around 550RPM, during winter your truck will automatically high idle to maintain heat - thats usually between 1100-1500RPM

thats quite a bit more fuel to keep everything rotating at that speed

 

[JayceeP]

Yes, I see a drop of 2MPG easily. Cold starts, heaters, wiper heaters, seat warmers, longer idles, winter fuel blend... It all adds up.

Mpg is a bit better if the 4Runner sat in the garage over night.... But still a drop from summer.

 

[Swacer]

I've researched a few threads and found some anecdotal feedback suggesting that I may have an answer to my question, but I did want to confirm that my specific situation matched up with what others have experienced.

To keep it brief,
Stock tire size, albeit not stock tire brand/make (a mild A/T tire)
No lift
No mods

Summer Driving: 50/50 city/highway. Did a lot of long road trips in addition to my daily commute. Saw on average 18-19 mpg. Could routinely hit 22-23mpg on pure highway trips. Hand calculated of course.

Winter Driving: 80/20 city/highway. Less trips, more daily commute. Average has gradually decreased and settled at about 16.5 mpg as the weather got colder.

Does this seem normal?

MPG has never been my top priority, otherwise I would have bought a Subaru or Honda. But going down 2-3 mpg just seemed a bit out of place to me.

Its very normal to have a 10-20% decrease in mpg during freezing conditions.

Cold air is more dense, so in order to keep the same A:F, that requires more fuel.

 

[ATOYOT4R]

Normal, mine is 100% stock and I avg. about 17mpg during the winter

 

[Blue15]

I agree with the posts above.

My question is really: do other 5th gen owners, who are stock or close to stock, see a similar dip in mpg during the winter?

I'm upstate NY by the way.

No extreme weather here, but I'm getting a less than 1/2 mpg drop with the winter gas.

 

[RoadDogT4R]

Normal, mine is 100% stock and I avg. about 17mpg during the winter

Exactly the same here, I drive a lot of back roads so my MPG is rarely above 18 but it's been pegged at 17 for the last month or so. I need to get remote start because I never have time to let my T4R property warm up before driving.

 

[msp]

I've researched a few threads and found some anecdotal feedback suggesting that I may have an answer to my question, but I did want to confirm that my specific situation matched up with what others have experienced.

To keep it brief,
Stock tire size, albeit not stock tire brand/make (a mild A/T tire)
No lift
No mods

Summer Driving: 50/50 city/highway. Did a lot of long road trips in addition to my daily commute. Saw on average 18-19 mpg. Could routinely hit 22-23mpg on pure highway trips. Hand calculated of course.

Winter Driving: 80/20 city/highway. Less trips, more daily commute. Average has gradually decreased and settled at about 16.5 mpg as the weather got colder.

Does this seem normal?

MPG has never been my top priority, otherwise I would have bought a Subaru or Honda. But going down 2-3 mpg just seemed a bit out of place to me.

Same 2-3 mpg drop. However, when it's below zero like it has been for the past couple of weeks, I'm around 14 mpg. Even using non-oxy.

 

[cyclist]

Yup, same drop with both '14 and '16.

 

[1engineer]

I've researched a few threads and found some anecdotal feedback suggesting that I may have an answer to my question, but I did want to confirm that my specific situation matched up with what others have experienced.

To keep it brief,
Stock tire size, albeit not stock tire brand/make (a mild A/T tire)
No lift
No mods

Summer Driving: 50/50 city/highway. Did a lot of long road trips in addition to my daily commute. Saw on average 18-19 mpg. Could routinely hit 22-23mpg on pure highway trips. Hand calculated of course.

Winter Driving: 80/20 city/highway. Less trips, more daily commute. Average has gradually decreased and settled at about 16.5 mpg as the weather got colder.

Does this seem normal?

MPG has never been my top priority, otherwise I would have bought a Subaru or Honda. But going down 2-3 mpg just seemed a bit out of place to me.

Here's a thread here http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/185205-easyandys-mpg-analysis-winter-gas-redux.html and along with the graphs it should answer most any question you guys could ever have on this subject.

 

[spawn]

Mine is bone stock and today i only averaged 16mph, 95% highway at cruising speed 70mph.

 

[USKTog]

Here's a thread here http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/185205-easyandys-mpg-analysis-winter-gas-redux.html and along with the graphs it should answer most any question you guys could ever have on this subject.

To follow along with your other thread, below is the graph of my MPG (hand calc'd using Road Trip iPhone app) from beginning of ownership (4mi on odo) thru now:


Notice how the MPG goes down, then back up...following the trend of worse MPG during winter months and better during summer months? :use:

Here are the overall stats:

 

[GG Allin]

I've only had mine for 2 weeks. It came with a full tank. Just filled it today. The first tank averaged only 11.5 mpg. I was certainly hoping it would do better than that. 230 miles on that tank and to took 20 gallons to fill it. No highway driving, all city and I ***** footed it most of the time. At least gas is cheap right now.

 

[Billy_R]

I agree with the posts above.

My question is really: do other 5th gen owners, who are stock or close to stock, see a similar dip in mpg during the winter?

I'm upstate NY by the way.

I'm also in Upstate NY and lose about 1.5 mpg in the winter. But I have to factor in starting my car up in the cold at times and driving in 4H more often. I do mostly city driving, probably 80/20 mix, so I get around 16.5 in the summer and 15.0 in the winter, I run 87 with 10% ethanol year round after I noticed it was less cost effective to pay for premium and receive less than 1 mpg increase. I track all fill up on my AVIC, which I find more accurate then the stock computer.

 

[Osmith]

I'll probably be the odd foot on the stool but I'm on stock size at2 2.5" lift full length rack sliders and I get 18 on average so far this winter and driving about 100 miles a day 75/25 hwy/city this is average for me during the teaching school year. During the summer wife and kiddos ride in the 4Runner everywhere and I have averaged between 18-20mpg

 

[vjack]

There are many factors that cause worse mileage in the winter:

- Increased aerodynamic drag due to denser cold air. Drag forces are about 10% greater at 15 ºF than they are at 70 ºF. (larger effect on highway than city).
- Tires are more likely to be under-inflated at cold temperatures.
- Cold oil reduces the efficiency of the engine (larger effect for short trips).
- People are more likely to idle their car (remote start and/or leaving the car running during errands).