I'm guessing 13 MPG is not normal for a 2015 4Runner

Hi, I have a mostly stock 2015 5th Gen Trail Premium 4WD 4Runner. I bought it used with 130k miles on it. It was a 1 owner So Cal vehicle. It has been serviced at the dealer every 5,000 miles. It currently runs good and shows no active codes when I connect it to my scanner (I'm not very good at understanding it). It says it's ready for emissions testing.
It has proper tire pressure, clean air filters, was recently tested and serviced before it was sold to me.
However, I'm only getting 13 MPG. My 4th gen usually got 18 MPG. I drive fairly gently but I do live in a somewhat hilly area. I keep it in 2WD and use regular Costco gas. I ran half a bottle of fuel injection cleaner through it but no change. I'd really like to improve my MPG as I live in California and gas is $5 per gallon.
Any thoughts?

 

13 does sound low for a stock 4R. Food for thought, my wife was buying gas at our local Costco because it was cheaper but after doing the math, she actually lost 2 mpg. She has since returned to the gas station we normally use and her gas mileage returned to normal.
She drives a Sequoia with a 5.7 liter.
I would try different gas for awhile and see if it improves. Sometimes cheaper isn’t always better.

Correction, the wife said she lost 3 mpg running Costco gas.

 

Calculating by computer or by hand? Make sure to do the latter at the pump to minimize error just in case you aren’t.

maybe the tires are a higher load rating which can knock an MPG or two off.

Does the vehicle coast as you’d expect in neutral?

 

Welcome from Wisconsin! There are a bunch of variables that come into play with fuel mileage, some of which are driving habits, maintenance(which you have under control), weather, which you have no control over. The Costco gas thing that is mentioned, is interesting, try switching to a different gas and see if that changes things. The hills you mention are a factor also. Like icebear said, do your mileage calculations by hand... always more accurate. Good luck.

 

welcome. As said above , many things go into mpgs. Mainly the things the driver can control like laying off the pedal, keep the tire pressures on point, find what gas works for your rig and daily drive, etc. And I'll third @icebear calculate it by hand. The mpg on the dash readout is close but always .2-.5 off in my calculations.

 

As others have mentioned, that's does sound low. I do better with oversized mud tires and full armor.

Do you have a roof rack?

Are the tires factory size and load range?

How much Highway vs City, and how fast are you driving?

Also, if you went by the dash readout on your previous 4Runner, I seem to recall the estimated fuel economy on my '03 was generally a bit high, whereas the readout on my '19 is generally very close.

 

Thanks for the tips.
1) I will try Chevron gas instead of Costco. That's the closest station to my house.
2) I did calculate by hand. My dash says 13.7 MPG. By hand I got 13.2 MPG. I've only done it once so I'll keep after it.
3) I don't have any armor or a rack. I try to coast when going downhill but obviously I've got to push the pedal to go up.
4) Tires are stock size 265/70r17 on stock TRD off-road rims. They are not the heavy load kind. They are also fairly new.
5) I'm pretty mostly city driving with short stretches of freeway 2-5 miles at a chunk.
6) My throttle body and air filters are clean which can also affect MPG
7) I think I coast just fine but I'll double check

 

You do better with oversized mud tires and full armor?
I'd love to do bigger tires 275/70r17 and I wouldn't mind a front steel bumper and aluminum skid plate. I would also appreciate some rocksliders with step platforms. I do have a 2" front leveling kit so I can do the 275/70r17 tires without issue but I was told that would make my MPG worse and my speedometer off a little.

 

Check tire pressure. It plays a major role on your mpg. Also, use petrol from a different bunk for a few tank fulls.

 

Yes. 295/70/17 Yokohama MT's. Around 65# apiece. Full skids, low profile bumper, winch, sliders, roof rack, etc. I generally get around 14-15, but can squeeze out a little more if I drive nice. I get worse if I go 80+ MPH, though, generally 12-13.

The speedometer is off from the factory. With stock size tires, it will read ~2-3% high. With 285/70/17's, it's almost dead accurate. With 295/70/17's, it reads a pinch low.

275's are only available in LT sizes, so they'll be heavier than some 285 options. 285's can fit with minor trimming, even without a lift.

 

"PCV" valve?

 

I have a 2015 SR5 w/110,000 on it. I get around 16.5 in normal suburban traffic. That number degrades rapidly if I don’t pay attention to the Eco light.

Depending on how you drive, 13 mpg wouldn’t surprise me...

 

I’ve got a lift, 285/70 load C tires, and about 400 pounds worth of armor, sliders, roof rack, and junk in the trunk.

If I start out cold, on a 15-20 min trip on suburban/city roads with traffic lights, I usually don’t break 14 mpg.I could imagine if I added a short interstate run to that drive, I’d be even lower due to the extra power needed to accelerate to speed. Add in hills, and 13 is what I would expect.

I’d think you’d get a little better than 13, but it totally depends on small variables.

What MPG do you get on long interstate trips where you have a lot of steady-state driving?

 

I say, bump your air pressure up 2 lbs. and let us know what you got.

 

My 24 gets terrible in city mpg… close to yours because in SWFL there is a traffic light every 100 feet and idling a lot. But highway I get 20/21 doing 70.

maybe get the runner on the highway and add a bottle of gumout/techron with PEA and Italian tune up the big 4.0!

 

Thanks again for all the replies.
1) I checked the tire pressure and it's good.
2) Tires are 265/70r17 Falken Rubitrek a/t (light truck tires). They are fairly new. Rims are stock TRD off-road silver rims. I would love to go to black TRD pro or Method Race Wheels
3) I did change out the PCV valve as I'm pretty sure it was the original one from the factory with 130k on it. So that is new.
4) I haven't really taken it on any long road trips. I've had for about 45 days. I don't drive a lot. I'm hoping to keep it for 4 years and then give it to my son.

So, I'm going to try 2 things:
1) Switch gas stations. Costco to Chevron or Shell. My gas industry friend says all the gas in San Diego comes from the same refinery and each station adds its own additives. He also said Costco gas is "Top Tier" and has cleaner additives in it also. Still I think it's worth a shot to switch for a couple of tanks.
2) I'm also going to run a can of Seafoam high milage fuel treatment. See if I can't clean out my injectors. I use it on my '65 Mustang and it does help.

After that I'll use my scan tool again and take it to the mechanic I guess. Any other tips? Suggestions?

 

If they are "LT" as you say and not "SL" that tire and size only comes in E load for LT which weighs 53 lbs, 13 pounds per tire heavier than OEM 17 inch tires. That would explain some of your lower mileage.

 

Thanks for the tip. Where can I learn more about this? Do you have tire recommendations for 265/70r17 or even 275/70r17?

Also I just looked on the Amazon website and it says a Falken Rubitrek A/T 265/70r17 weighs 46.5 pounds. Maybe I missed that or you have a better website to look at?

 

Change out the rear diff fluid. If the old fluid is thick, it can suck power. However, if you take short trips at low speeds, don't expect much improvement. Most of my miles are in rush-hour grind on the highway. I get 13 mpg in the really cold weeks in the winter. Rest of the year I get 14-15 mpg. The 5th gen 4Runner powertrain was not designed for fuel economy, and many folks here seem to take pride in it.

 

Yes, I know
I just got it about 45 days ago but the carfax that came with it says the Rear Diff was serviced at the Toyota dealer just 9k miles ago. But yes, I can see that making a difference if it's thick and old.
Since I live in San Diego, we don't really get too cold. 40 degrees at the coldest and maybe 90 at the highest. Most days are 65-80.
Yes, I do drive a lot of stop and go in town.

 

SL load rating in that size weigh 46.5 lbs. You said they are light truck, LT which are only available in E1 load in that size and weigh 52.9 lbs.

https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/falken-rubitrek-a-t


There are 100s of threads on this site about tire recommendations. Depends on what you are looking for.

 

I often wonder if gas is getting less potent. My average on the runner is down at least a 1 mpg and the truck I drive for work is down 2.

 

I do know that on my Tacoma, when I switched tires my MPG improved 1-2 miles per gallon. It gets around 19 MPG driving on the same roads using the same gas.

 

I’m running E load LT265-70-17 Nitto RG’s and I average 17-18 on winter blend fuel and 18-20 on summer blend fuel. Average local field elevation is around 2800’ MSL.

 

Interesting. It's probably not my tires. They are properly inflated, not that heavy. Mine are 46.5 lbs yours are 53 lbs. You must also be in California as I have Summer blend fuel too. I'm in Carlsbad by the Sea so my elevation is around 500-1,000 feet above sea level.

 

What condition are your brakes in.
Are the calipers making the pads drag excessively?