Another MPG thread....

Golly, thanks. We’re lucky to have you.

 

What i have learned is going slower will result in better mpgs. Thank you!

 

^^ This.

My daily commute is 98% highway and 32-ish miles one way. I set the cruise control at 66MPH and can easily get 21MPG for the trip to the office (traffic is usually very light). The commute home usually nets me 19.5MPG (I encounter a lot more stop-n-go traffic on the way home).

Keeping it under 70MPH means I can easily get 20+mpg for the tank average. But if others want to drive 85mph, you know, because they're super important and MUST be at that place before everyone else.....then so be it. You do you.

 

Fellow old dudes will remember back to the 70’s when for a dozen years or so there was a federally mandated nationwide maximum speed limit of 55 mph. I remember reading in 1987 when the 55mph limit was finally rescinded that, counterintuitively, and aggregately speaking, it turned out that cars got better mileage at 65 mph than 55, that there was a sweet spot. I read this in Consumer reports or Popular Science or some such. I tried to find the article because it was so strange but I can’t. Maybe I just dreamed it and the obvious truth is that better mileage is achieved by driving more slowly.

 

See if you used Toyota extra moly moly mole moly oil you would get 92.7mpg.

 

55 mph is still the default and standard around here (NY/CT) even after rescinding it in the mid 90's. But some roads they boosted to 65 a few years ago, people still drive 55 though.

 

I just traded in my 2nd gen Tacoma for a 2020 OR and I'm loving the MPG! Much better than the Taco.

Edit: I tracked 61,437 miles in my Tacoma via the Fuelly app. My average was 14.1 mpg

 

I shouldn't have looked at the "estimated" range on all the specs. 368 city, 437 highway. My dash has never shown higher than 290 even with all highway driving. I've also never filled my tank over 19.5gal - it always kicks off around 18.xx except for once or twice. Only 7500mi on her. Hope it improves a bit. Granted I drive 75 (per GPS 76 per speedo) on all highways trips, and there's a lot of hills in New England. Even so, 280 ÷ 18 = 15.5. Ouch. 100% stock. 32psi cold.

 

I've been averaging 21-22 running 100% pure petrol. The only reason I have been checking it is because of the no additives fuel. 17-18 with winter blend crap.

 

Probably ethanol free.

Some claim to get better fuel economy on ethanol free.

I haven't noticed a difference in the few times I've run ethanol free regular. If it was an option near me, I might try it for a few tanks to get a better comparison.

 

OK then, explain the laws of physics as they apply to the velocity of a traveling 4Runner for everyone here who is not an engineer or physicist.

 

Should be slightly better, higher energy content. I've not tried it in the 4Runner but every other vehicle I've tested with returned about 7-8% better mpg over several tanks. It's gotten a lot harder to find around here the past few years.

 

I've forgotten more about physics than you've ever known then. Introductory physics classes barely touch the surface.

The reality is this: if you're at 70mph and traffic is moving at 85, you're the hazard whether you're doing the speed limit or not. And if traffic is moving at 85mph and you're at 100mph (in the proper car), you're still the hazard.

 

Same here. Especially because the only ethanol free I have nearby is premium.

Makes sense. I've never had a chance to run a few tanks of it and get a fair comparison. And, it seems like, when I do find ethanol free regular, it's more expensive than regular E10.

 

Pure petrol, no additives. Compared to summer blend , I get 1 to 2 mpg's better than gas with ethanol and the truck does seem to be a little more responsive. It's usually less than .30 a gallon more than regular.

 

Me personally, I don't pay attention to my MPG. I didn't buy a 4Runner for the MPG. When it gets low, I fill it up. Lifts, bigger/heavier tires, PSI, and fuel blends (winter vs summer) will all have an impact on the MPG your 4Runner is getting. It's still one of the best SUV's on the market today.

 

Ethanol has 30% less energy density vs. gasoline. E10 would reduce energy density by 3% so that's all you could expect in terms of mileage gains.

Ethanol free is available in my hood but it's priced 15% higher so the math doesn't work. For those driving older vehicles where the materials used in fuel systems are damaged by ethanol it would make sense for that reason alone.

 

I wish we could get ethanol free here for the boat, lawn mower, etc.

 

There's some WaWa's around here that sell ethanol free. My buddy runs it in his ATV. I never did in my 2011 Carbureted Polaris never had any issues, not planning on running in my 2024 EFI Polaris either.