What’s normal fuel economy on a newer 5th gen?

You must be down 30lbs by now

 

I tend to look for alternate routes that don't require using the interstate when I can. Our limit here is 70, though, so 65-70 isn't an issue as long as one stays in the proper lane.

When I drive to Florida, or anywhere that is a few hundred miles, I just deal with the shitty mileage. I can still get ~15 MPG at 80 in S4 on 295's, though.

 

True story, one less take out a week for me would make up a lot of $$$ towards a fuel fill up. I had one fuel efficient vehicle in my life, a 2000 grand am GT for my first vehicle when I was 16. after that 6 guzzlers (including the 4 runner). Nice fact to be used to these prices? I started driving in the 2008-2009 era when 87 octane hit over $4 a gallon while working minimum wage @ $7.15 a hour part time.

 

This post is old by now, but I'm just loving the convo, so I thought I'd throw my #s in just for fun. I drive a 2005 4WD Limited with the 4.0 v6 and almost 200k miles. I've got a 2" lift, and my winter tires are one size up. (Haven't replaced my summers yet, but they'll size up next year). With that 2" lift and bigger tires, I still average >20 mpg in the winter and around 21+ in the summer. As calculated by miles ÷ gallons. My lie-o-meter currently reads 21.8 with the winters still on, but it's probably closer to 21 or 20.8. Best I've done was 23.8 (calculated). On my annual Christmas drive across Utah to Cali, doing 85, my mpg drops to about 17-18.

I just love that my almost-20-year-old 4runner with a lift manages better fuel mileage than a brand new 5th Gen, or really a brand new anything comparable. And it'll probably rust out here in CO before it dies.

 

Just FYI, I log every tank on Fuelly, so I have real data, not the lie-o-meter in the instrument cluster. My Gen4 4Runner (V6) averaged 19.1 mpg and my Gen5 is averaging 19.2 mpg. So, same right foot, both vehicles stock (I don't do lifts and other crazy shit), and they're nearly identical in efficiency.

For the curious, my best tank in the 5th gen was a drive from Delaware to Rhode Island where I shockingly hit zero traffic in NYC or CT and got 23.9 mpg. I must have had a tailwind that day, because my next best tank (of 33 so far) is 21.7 mpg.

 

Lol, I just noticed I've never reset trip A since I bought it new.

 

Does the mileage do better or worse at higher RPM? Anyone know?

What is the hp/tq curve of the 4.0L ?

 

Best mileage is when the tranny is in 5th gear but at low rpm/lower speeds. For me that's when I'm driving good dirt roads at around 40 - 50 mph. If I get on pavement and start going much faster the mileage immediately drops. Also if I'm poking around on rougher dirt roads at slow speeds the mileage suffers.

 

Thanks. That's too bad. I know some vehicles are more efficient when the rpm/revs are a little higher because they are in a better part of the hp/tq curve. While they use less fuel at lower RPM, they are not moving/running efficiently. I was hoping the 4Runner was like that. My pickup gets better mileage at 80 than 60, go figure.

 

I average 12mpg in the summer and 10mpg in the winter thanks to remote start and 4WD. Smiles per gallon baby!

 

Been rolling around for ~6 months and so far...

Worst: 15.5 MPG (few hours of trail time)
Best: 21.8 MPG (taking it easy around 68-72 MPH Austin to Dallas with suburban traffic at the end)
Average: 17.8 MPG

Closer to 17 MPG average driven normally (for me) with moderate traffic and traffic lights, around 18 if I take extra care to drive gently in those conditions.

Just over 20 taking it easy in Texas Hill Country roads, around 19 for more normal 75 mph highway driving. Zipping around on the tollway though is around 18-19 depending on speed.

All calculated. Lately the math with Costco gas ($3.099/gallon) has been giving me around 17 cents/mile.

 

14-16 mpg mostly highway, paying the equivalent of $4.60 US a gallon:

 

In city it is lower than what EPA says, no more than 15. On highway it is higher than what EPA says, you can get 22 if you drive smart and conservative.
I am lifted with 34 inch KM3s and steel bumpers and I can still get 19 on the highway if I drive very conservatively. I am regeared to 4.88

 

@Yotaholic that's what I was wondering, because your tire size is ~10% taller but the gearing probably closer to 30%. Your RPM have to be higher than stock, but getting similar mpg means the engine must be working more efficiently at higher RPM, not less???

 

The thing doesn't downshift for every little thing anymore. It stays in gear on steep inclines with not much increase in rpm, and that does wonders for your gas mileage. I know my RPM is higher now, but it's always between 2500 and 3000, it doesn't scream in 4,000+ anymore. And off-road in 4Lo it just wants to crawl up.

 

Not much power low RPMs, these Toyota six cylinders make more power at higher RPM. That's why they downshift so much on the highway, they don't have enough low end to pull 5th gear on anything other than flat.

I think in the 4Runner, the engine has to work harder at higher speeds due to the aerodynamic inefficiencies, so that would negate any potential economy gains you would get by operating in the motor is ideal RPM range.

I also have a 2000 Firebird LS1 with an automatic and 2.73 rear end, it seems to be most efficient at 80 mph, where it's barely turning 2K RPM. Obviously it's much more aerodynamic than the 4Runner, and at that 2K RPM, it's probably making more torque than the 4.0 at its peak.

 

Wrangler is a perfect brick. But it has better gas mileage than our 4Runner thanks to the modern Pentastar, the better gearing and the phenomenal 8 spd ZF transmission. 5th gen 4Runner is just stuck in the late 90s

 

This thing is so freaking loud at cold start, like a rocket preparing to take off, pretty sure a quarter of gallon is gone in those 20 seconds.

 

The 6.4L Hemi takes 7 quarts of oil, our 4.0L takes 6.6, and Toyota's 5.7L takes 8.5 quarts of oil. Toyota motors have been kind of old school until now.

 

17.6 to 20 mpg

 

If fuel economy is at all a concern. This is not the car to buy. Whether you get 17 or 21mpg it’s a wash, they both are terrible numbers. Spoiler alert, you’ll never get 21 or even 20 for that matter (hardly!).

I average 15.8 and have a best of 19.6 MPG in 26k miles since new.

 

I used to get 19-23mpg in my stock Limited. 24mpg once, but quickly fades. With 33s I get 17-18mpg now. Haven't done long hwy yet. Don't expect much better now. Rides and drives like a truck with truck mileage now. I expected nothing less

 

Nerd alert, I've done a teensy bit of math over 35 fill-ups comparing calculated MPG versus the computer's estimate. (filling stopped at first stop, never did that TFL wait-30-seconds thing)

I omitted a few fill-ups where I failed to record the computer's estimate and those brought my overall true calculated average down to ~18.1 MPG. Number rounded to tenths as well after calculations.

Anyways my calculated average at the pump (with usable data) is 18.4 MPG.
The computer's estimate is 18.2 MPG, meaning the computer underestimates MPG by 0.3 on average in my specific use case.

Highest calculated MPG: 24.5 (Computer estimated 21.1, this was over ~100 miles so not a full tank, so it's more of an outlier)

Highest estimated MPG: 22.4 (Calculated 21.8)

Lowest calculated MPG: 15.5, which also corresponds to the lowest computer estimated MPG of 15.7)

The largest gaps in either direction were:

The computer estimating 3.4 MPG low. (24.5 calc vs 21.1 est)
The computer estimating 0.7 MPG high. (18.8 calc vs 19.5 est)

Removing the 24.5/21.1 MPG outlier makes the next largest underestimate become 0.9 MPG (18.9 calc vs 18.0 est // 20.5 calc vs 19.6 est).

The computer then underestimates MPG by 0.2 MPG on average.

I don't really have a big point to make here and I'm no actuary so take this with a grain of salt. 4Runner is stock. Though some folks here might find it neat.