First tank of gas report

Tomorrow will be two weeks since I picked up my 2022 Trail Special Edition. I commute about 11 miles each way and have taken one highway trip that was about 25-30 miles or so each way plus some around town driving.

I have noticed while driving to/from work a couple days recently I have gotten over 18mpg. But obviously the average doesn’t reflect that.

 

stop and go, bad
70-75mph and over, bad
hard starts, bad
wind - bad

reset the gauge and wait at least 3000 miles - that engine needs a break-in period
check tire pressure and set it to what it says on the door sticker
this car is NOT fast, you will have to get used to it. if you are coming from a v8 truck or another faster car/suv, I have bad news for you
pucker up that asshole and pony up the cash for gas - this is your new reality
no, there is nothing wrong with the car; you purchased an ancient v6 dinosaur with a degenerate but solid-bullet-proof 5 speed tranny

 

Don't get your hopes too high. Although mine started out around 14+ early on, and went above 19 at times, it has remained around 19 for the last 3 years.

I turned off the dash display mpg readout 2 years ago.

 

Oh, this wasn’t a complaint! I knew what I was getting in to! Just sharing!

 

What cracks me up is that they even bother to put 60 mpg on the right side of that display...

 

How are you supposed to calculate MPG I have never done it. Because you don’t really know what empty is right? So how do you know get it down to a spot then fill it and keep mileage for next fill up?

 

No need to go to empty. Fill it to one click on the pump and reset trip odometer. The next time you fill up, take miles traveled since last fueling, and divide gallons.

It might help to use the same pump on the assumption that the fill click will happen around the same time.

 

Ya I can divide a wall for shadow boxes I should be able to handle it.

And ceiling beams.

 

If anything, your average fuel economy will get better as you get a few thousand miles on it.

I had no problem averaging over 18 miles per gallon when mine was basically stock. I even got well over 20 on several occasions when I wasn't in a hurry.

Welcome to the forum!

 

I'm always amazed when people say they got 18-20. The most perfect conditions must have happened. Or I must drive like a dick. Yeah its probably the latter. Carry on.

 

I average 17-18 MPG, and I drove almost 100% freeway. There is a lot of hills and a lot of wind.

 

I’m hoping I can squeeze out a little more economy once I can start to use cruise control. I’m still under 500 kms, just did it first fill up on Friday.

 

https://www.fuelly.com/

or just write down you mileage and number of gallons each time.

I find cruise is worse for the mpgs, the computer doesn’t prep for hills, such as the computer brakes at the bottom of a hill, where as for better mpgs, you should pick up speed and us the momentum to help climb back up. Staying a steady computer control speed will not improve mpgs.

 

I never reset mine since I purchased in December. I as well commute 10 miles or so to work everyday that’s my main driving. Mix of highway and casual street driving to get there. On the miles till empty screen I usually see 17.X and I don’t always drive easy. Took a few highway trips where I got 19.X going 80 mph. My long time average slowly went from 16.7 to 16.9. It doesn’t move up fast. At the first few fill ups I hand calculated my average to compare to the average on the tank fill up computer screen and was pretty dead on.

 

The most perfect conditions =

- no roof rack
- stock size tires
- <80 MPH, slower = better

I think your speed limits are too high in Texas for you to ever get good (for a 4Runner) mileage.

 

Same story...(copy and paste from previous post)

Realize how much newer mpg calculations are off. Not complaining about mpg, I'm only complaining about accuracy.
(Almost stock '21 TRD Pro, stock size tires no lift. Just sliders and skids.)
Average after refuel - 16.6mpg
Average after reset - 16.3mpg
Average per the pump - 17.1264827402 mpg (257miles / 15.006gal)
Range per the trip meter - 338 miles (257 = 81)
Range after refuel - 299 miles

 

We're completely stock at the moment, aside from the tires, and we drove about 6 hours yesterday after filling up. Half of the drive time was going about 35mph on gravel forest roads and the other half was around 60mph on county highways, and the display was showing 22.8mpg after a bit less than 1/2 tank was used. That's the highest I've seen since I've owned it.

On our trip to South Dakota in July we were a bit over 21mpg when we filled up each time, cruising at 80 for much of it. I'm not feathering the throttle or anything either, just accelerating somewhat briskly up to speed and then cruising.

I haven't done a manual calculation but based on the mileage estimate trend over time compared to actual distance driven, it seems quite accurate.

 

I also get more miles out of my tank vs what the computer says I will get after a full top off. Honestly can’t complain about mpg it’s what I expected if not better.

 

The 60 MPG is there for when you're coasting, downhill, in neutral, with a 40 MPH tail wind, with no one else in the 4R and a nearly empty gas tank. LOL!

 

And the eco indicator light…I’m sure it’s very good economy when the lights on at 85 mph @ 2500 rpm’s…

 

Mine hits 60 regularly when coasting downhill.

 

If you buy a 4600 pound suv and expect very good fuel economy you probably have other issues in life as well lol…in my eyes it is pretty good on gas, coming from someone used to 10 mpg winter and 12-13 mpg summer no matter what in my Tahoe lol. I bought mine because it still looks like a early 2000’s suv not like a cross over like the explorers and grand Cherokee’s. And for the price to luxury ratio

 

I don’t think anyone is expecting to get good fuel economy in terms of all SUVs makes. Everyone is searching to see if they can get the best for what they have. Under same circumstances, all variables equal, can we approach the best of our 4Runner peers. My goal is to minimize my total cost of ownership over 10 yrs as it relates maintenance and repairs … and blow that savings on mods .

But in all seriousness, if we could share our circumstances to help the group collectively, then why not? Frequency of oil changes, tire pressure, wheel weight (rim + tire), estimated weight, and any other variables we find useful.

 

Texas definitely hurts my mpg. I tried to go 60mph on the highway once and almost got shot. Plus around town for me its all accelerating and stoping. Never drive more than 45mph with many stops on every drive. Only time I'm on the highway is to go see my parents every weekend which is the only reason I get 15ish as opposed to 12.

 

I think this thread was opened about mpg accuracy issues not about poor mpg on a 4Runner;


Pic from OP & me-

 

I thought the OP's comment meant that he was getting 18 on his work commute, but not on average. There's nothing in the post about actual hand calculated mileage.

It's odd that your computer is so inaccurate. I find mine to be very close. I always calculate it myself, though.

 

Yeah, I've noticed this only on my 21' TRD Pro. I'm not sure if the new headunit + instrument cluster have a different way of calculating mpg vs the previous versions that are pretty closer to real mpg.

 

It kinda sucks that you can't count on it. The one in my '03 was way off sometimes, but it's been pretty good on the '19. I'm sure they keep making adjustments to try to make it better.

Even though I'll always check my own, that still would bug me.

 

You can do this manually as folks have posted since this post... miles traveled divided by gallons required to re-fill to same level as before (1 click is is a good reference).

OR... you can download the free app "FUELLY". it does it all for you, just enter in the cost per gallon/total cost to fill up/and miles traveled and it keeps track of all the related data. Below is my total history since getting my 4Runner in December.

Also note the excursions... road trips and "mostly highway" tanks are in the 20+ range, stop-n-go, city driving, off-roading always in the 17-18 range. This history of 81 fill ups gives me an overall average of 19.5mpg.

 

Nice trace.