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Your Daily Commute?

Discussion in '5th Gen 4Runners (2010-2024)' started by DC_7222, Feb 15, 2021.

  1. Feb 15, 2021 at 6:26 PM
    #1
    DC_7222

    DC_7222 [OP] New Member

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    For those of you that daily drive your 4Runner, what is your commute like? Mine is 45 miles round-trip on a rural (55 mph) highway.

    Still haven't purchased yet, and my rational side is screaming at me to forget the 4Runner for it's poor fuel economy... My fun side doesn't care though. : ) I'm thinking I'll fit in the 19-20 mpg category with the rural highway commute anyway, so not too shabby.

    Anyone else have a similar commute? How's your economy?
     
  2. Feb 15, 2021 at 6:32 PM
    #2
    PVT Pablo

    PVT Pablo

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    Kitsap County, WA
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    50 miles round trip daily. Do about 60-70 with 90% of that highway. 17 mpg's.

    I borrow my girlfriends Impreza whenever I can. Her commute is about 3 minutes from the house.
     
    DC_7222[OP] likes this.
  3. Feb 15, 2021 at 6:45 PM
    #3
    Tama1968

    Tama1968 New Member

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    Mine's 8.4 miles round-trip. Heat gets really toasty about the time I'm parking.
     
    y=mx+b likes this.
  4. Feb 15, 2021 at 6:50 PM
    #4
    Mtbpsych

    Mtbpsych New Member

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    20 mile round trip, 16.5mpg. I don’t feature the throttle either, it’s a truck.
     
  5. Feb 15, 2021 at 7:00 PM
    #5
    airforce03007

    airforce03007 New Member

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    Austin Texas
    Vehicle:
    21’ Venture
    Interior LED, Prinsu roof rack, LED exterior
    44 miles round trip.... 17 mpg... all highway at around 80 or so.... not bad at all... *80mph is Texas toll roads*
     
  6. Feb 15, 2021 at 7:07 PM
    #6
    Henry J

    Henry J Crap…crap crap crap crap…crap

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    0 daily but 296 one time a month.
     
  7. Feb 15, 2021 at 8:03 PM
    #7
    ElectroBoy

    ElectroBoy Ad astra

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    I’ve had three 4Runners for daily drivers since 1987. You just have to budget enough money for gas and maintenance, even if it means cutting back on other expenses. The way it makes economic sense in the long run is to get the vehicle you really want then hold onto it for 10+ years. Gotta have your priorities!
     
  8. Feb 15, 2021 at 8:26 PM
    #8
    TN_FunRunner

    TN_FunRunner New Member

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    W. TN
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    80 miles round trip. Mostly highway. 18.5 mpg right now.
     
  9. Feb 15, 2021 at 9:08 PM
    #9
    NotaTRD

    NotaTRD It’s my wife’s 4R, she just lets me drive it

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    Feel free to ask
    Less than 10 miles round trip daily.
     
  10. Feb 15, 2021 at 9:09 PM
    #10
    MountainMan

    MountainMan New Member

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    55 mph rural highway, 14.1 miles one way. 4 days a week. I average about 18 mpg with lift, roof rack, 33" tires. Was getting 20 mpg before all the mods.

    If you get a vehicle that averages 30 mpg, you will spend approximately $105 a month on fuel, commuting 900 miles per month. Your life will be boring, knowing you could be driving a 4Runner instead of the crossover metrosexual vehicle that gets 30 mpg.

    If you get the 4Runner, and average 20 mpg, then you will spend $157.50 per month on fuel, commuting 900 miles per month.

    Is it worth saving $52 a month in gas to drive a boring crossover mom wagon?
     
  11. Feb 16, 2021 at 5:06 AM
    #11
    mac1usa

    mac1usa New Member

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    Buy it and burn the fuel now and enjoy. Electric vehicles, more hybrids etal are coming faster than you think.

    Who knows where the fuel will come in 5 or ten years.

    I am changing my perspective since this pandemic. Screw it enjoy it now. Life is shorter than we think.

    You won’t look back after 10 years of driving and enjoying and say to yourself “damn I wish I didn’t buy that gas for the 4Runner”
     
    Thatbassguy, A&P and Henry J like this.
  12. Feb 16, 2021 at 5:14 AM
    #12
    DGP1961

    DGP1961 New Member

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    Work from home since last March thank you COVID - UGH (No I don't like it.) Requested my retirement numbers a few weeks ago very seriously considering it.
     
    Thatbassguy likes this.
  13. Feb 16, 2021 at 5:23 AM
    #13
    canadian.bacon

    canadian.bacon H9 halogen is the best led bulb

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    Snowland
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    Working from home, but otherwise I see it like it: looking at my previous experiences with other vehicles, the first major repair you will do outside the warranty period will offset all fuel savings from a smaller vehicle.
    We plan on getting an EV in 1-2 years anyway. Keeping the runner, we go camping a lot and I want a vehicle to fit my lifestyle as well.
     
  14. Feb 16, 2021 at 5:46 AM
    #14
    DC_7222

    DC_7222 [OP] New Member

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    I like everyone's attitude on this, and have also considered that this will probably be my last ICE vehicle. That's not a problem either, hybrid (and of course full electric) vehicles move! Toyota know how to make them reliable, too.
     
    Thatbassguy likes this.
  15. Feb 16, 2021 at 5:50 AM
    #15
    Agent_Outside

    Agent_Outside A Guy A Girl and A Trail

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    when it put it like that, it’s not worth the savings... but for normal people who don’t tie their sexuality/masculinity to the vehicle they drive it absolutely makes sense to save some money and increase fuel economy during the times you don’t need to utilize the extra utility.

    I drive my Highlander much more than my 4Runner, with a 70 mile round trip drive while I’m on this current project, it’s worth for a 5mpg gain.
     
    Thatbassguy likes this.
  16. Feb 16, 2021 at 9:03 AM
    #16
    MountainMan

    MountainMan New Member

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    Wow! Someone obviously is a bit sensitive about their masculinity, lol. Might want to lighten up a bit and stop looking for things to get offended by; life is too short to be miserable.
     
    Thatbassguy, POWERPLANTHOMER and A&P like this.
  17. Feb 16, 2021 at 9:25 AM
    #17
    Agent_Outside

    Agent_Outside A Guy A Girl and A Trail

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    You apparently, I’m the one perfectly ok with driving a Highlander ;)
     
  18. Feb 16, 2021 at 10:52 AM
    #18
    mousemeat

    mousemeat New Member

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    Memphis, TN.
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    upgraded suspension, large all terrain tires
    my 4 runner gets around 17 mpg...not bad...keeping i mind, it's old technology, and it's a truck...or SUV. If i wanted that monster gas saving....I would drive one of those type vehicles..but in any kind of lousy weather, especially snow, they are useless
     
  19. Feb 16, 2021 at 2:08 PM
    #19
    Bgdv1

    Bgdv1 New Member

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    Butler
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    Bilstein 5100's, AR wheels, 275 70 17 Cooper AT3, Airlift bags, Powerstop brakes/rotors, 12voltsolutions remote start, tinted windows.
    I drive 22 miles round trip, about 50/50 highway & country roads. Anyone boohooing about 4Runner mileage ought to have a Tundra setting in the garage beside it and fill that sucker up and look at its mileage !! Just filled it and 2- 5 gallon cans and was $130 for 89 octane mid grade gas. You really don't own either one and worry about gas mileage.
     
    4Runner fun and A&P like this.
  20. Feb 16, 2021 at 8:19 PM
    #20
    Trail Runnah

    Trail Runnah New Member

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    Mine is similar, 30 miles each way. About ten miles of 35-45 mph rural, then the rest 55-65mph highway. With stock tires and driving with a light foot, using cruise and staying under 70, I was able to get 21-22 pretty consistently. Now this was just my commute, if I used the 4R to run errands around town it would knock that down. I have another car that I used around town.

    I was getting the great mileage with the OE tire, P265/70/17 Dueler HT. Now I only make that commute twice a week, and my driving pattern has changed, and I was getting 20.5 pretty consistently.

    Then in late December, I got new tires, stock size P265/70/17 General Grabber ATX all terrains. Now I struggle to even break 18mpg. I babied it my last tank and was at 17.6.

    I'd say, get the vehicle you want. I never got a vehicle specifically for fuel economy, especially being I tend to spend so much time in them. I used to do this same commute in a lifted ZJ Grand Cherokee that struggled to get 16mpg, and a LS1 4th gen Firebird. Even my 07 Volvo XC70, which I DID partly choose over an SUV at that time in my life for fuel economy concerns, was comfy as hell but in reality barely did better than the 4Runner pre-tire swap.

    OR, if economy IS important, get the 4Runner, and pick up a Honda Fit or similar for 3k and put the miles on that. In a few years it'll prob pay for itself with the fuel savings. I actually thought of doing that, not so much for fuel savings, but to not put 18k meaningless commuting miles on my 4R every year. Covid as been great for that though, I went from putting almost 25k miles on in 2019 to barely 10k miles in 2020.
     
    POWERPLANTHOMER likes this.
  21. Feb 16, 2021 at 8:24 PM
    #21
    Trail Runnah

    Trail Runnah New Member

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    Really? I feel like this new work from home is one of the best things that every happened to me. I freaking LOVE it. I never knew how much I hated my commute, and how much of my life I wasted in the damn car, till I didn't have to do it every day. My mental health and work attitude has never been better. They have me going in 2 days a week now, and I dread them asking for more.

    Not to mention I get more work done at home. So much time wasters in the office, between chatty coworkers and having to walk across the damn building just to go to the restroom.
     
  22. Feb 16, 2021 at 8:28 PM
    #22
    mac1usa

    mac1usa New Member

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    Yes same here. I am more productive at home although with global economy I think most expect us to respond more quickly.

    I went from driving 8k per year to who knows last year less than 1,000 for sure.

    Hope to drive more this year in rig and go fishing
     
    catus and Trail Runnah like this.
  23. Feb 16, 2021 at 9:42 PM
    #23
    hghvlts

    hghvlts New Member

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    Roughly 95-100 miles round trip, 14-15 mpgs. Sad, but I lose a lot of mileage in LA traffic.
     
  24. Feb 17, 2021 at 2:25 AM
    #24
    Matt83

    Matt83 New Member

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    Only take it to work when it snows. I am 100 miles round trip and have a VW TDI for the commute, can't beat 650-700 miles per tank.
     
  25. Feb 17, 2021 at 4:21 AM
    #25
    ruiz4251

    ruiz4251 "but it was funny huh?"

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    ICON custom stage 6 3"; 33's; gobi rack; SSO bumper; SSO high clearance; Rigid lights; 10k X2o winch; AFe intake; brola cat back; tint; aftermarket sound; opor sliders; pedal commander, viper smart start mobile tracker, Canvasback Liner; Rago rear window molles; victory 4x4 center console molle; cbi front skid steel; cbi aluminum tran skid; rci fuel aluminum skid; rci dif skid; rago rear shock skids; rci lower link skids; tenton workshop shift knob; yoga shop grenade trans knob;alpha rex headlights; USR blacked out tails; USR turns to turns; blacked out sequential mirror turn
    1mile to groceries and back stop at for gas in the middle 12mpg lol JK
    Gas up when you need it don't get a vehicle based on that mpg if that's really a concern wait for 4Re (electric)
    My2c you do you boo lol
    But seriously 12mpg :(
     
  26. Feb 17, 2021 at 5:57 AM
    #26
    DGP1961

    DGP1961 New Member

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    Naw it's really not for me but that light I clearly see at the end of the tunnel is retirement so at this point I'm just like "whatever." If I was 30 again I wouldn't do this for another 30 years, working at home that is...
     
  27. Feb 17, 2021 at 9:09 AM
    #27
    MeefZah

    MeefZah ---

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    My wife was working on a rotor based 88 miles away and was driving that 3 days a week in her 4Runner; that was a bit costly... but it made sense due to condition of roads on her route, ability to sleep in the truck if roads got unexpectedly closed, and B-O-F safety from the shitheels that think they can drive twisty mountain roads. She's since moved to working at the local ER 5 miles away so it's not even an issue.

    Me, 10 miles of 2 lane and small (30k) city streets to get in 3 days a week.

    Rarely drive the 4Runner to work, but gas has nothing to do with it.

    Just rather be on this all the time...

    [​IMG]
     
    Bgdv1 and A&P like this.
  28. Feb 17, 2021 at 9:10 AM
    #28
    MeefZah

    MeefZah ---

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    You can just wear adult diapers at home and power through that shit!

    Literally
     
    Trail Runnah[QUOTED] likes this.
  29. Feb 17, 2021 at 9:16 AM
    #29
    Chris In Milwaukee

    Chris In Milwaukee New Member

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    30 miles round trip when I’m not working at home (for the last freaking year). All back roads, so it’s not highway economy. Best guess is around 16mpg. Still better than my Ram truck got. I just drive, man.
     
  30. Feb 17, 2021 at 4:02 PM
    #30
    Trail Runnah

    Trail Runnah New Member

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    I mean, my bathroom is literally 5 steps from my desk at home, but I guess that's an option too
     

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