My 4runner is so bad on MPG

Reminds me — my ATs are bigger than my stock tires. I should check the mph again against the GPS…

 

That's why I switched to 285's. I was tired of guessing.

 

interestingly, the speedo on my new GR86 is dead on with GPS. Perhaps cause people track these cars.

 

Maybe. That's definitely the exception. It seems that most vehicles are off by 2-3%. My new Chevy is pretty close, though. Maybe newer vehicles are getting better.

Edit:. How are you liking the 86?

 

I'm still in the break-in period so haven't pushed it yet. But already I can tell it's just what I expected -- a pure sports car. Old school analog driving experience. It fits that cliche about the car seeming hard wired into your brain -- you just think about the lane change and it's happened. So precise and nimble. Easy to put the tail out -- and control it. Great clutch and shifter. Bank vault solid structure. Surprisingly compliant ride for how flat it corners. Surprisingly nice interior materials. Good seats. Looks great, especially from the front. Got nice pull even below 4K rpm, which is where you're supposed to keep it for the first 1000 miles. Loving it.

 

Awesome! Sounds like fun!

 

It really is impressive, especially so for the price. It's the sounds that remind you it's a 30K car. The boxer engine sounds half sports car / half econo-car. The exhaust is sportier, but not as much as you'd like. And you don't really hear its best sounds from inside the cabin. The engine runs at 3K rpm at 70 mph and there's not much insulation. The car weights only 2800 pounds. That's freakin amazing! But I'd take 50 more pounds of sound deadening, especially in the floor. Road noise at highway speeds is rough unless you're on smooth new asphalt. I imagine the max-summer Pilot Sport 4S tires don't help. The stereo is lame too, but at least that's fixable.

 

4TH Gens computer will show better MPG than you actually get, mine is off by 1 1/2 to 2 MPG, I manually calculate my MPG at every fill up, my computer shows 19.5 and it's really around 17.8, this is about the same from all 4Th gen owners I have hear from.

 

Getting 18.7 since last fill up. We'll see what the manual calculation reads when I refill. Probably 30 kg extra weight in car. Spare tire still attached.

 

People posting mpg based on small sample sizes…………

Not enough people took statistics in high school?

 

Maybe people are just showing the potential.

It's obviously the exception, but some folks are averaging 22-23 mpg with these pigs.

 

Yup. Statistics are there to tell a story. If you explain the details of the sample, then I think the MPG data can be useful.

It’s perfectly fine when somebody posts they’re getting a solid 24 mpg, as long as they are specific saying it was downhill, with a tailwind, for 2 minutes at 56mph on a freshly waxed vehicle.

 

Look on fuelly.com. there are some people averaging 23 mi per gallon with these things. That's not based on a small sample size. It is obviously the exception. And, it definitely shouldn't be the expectation. But, that doesn't mean it's not achievable.

 

If somebody gives a flip about mileage and bought a 4Runner anyway they get what they deserve. It’s not top secret that mileage is awful. Mine is 2 years old tomorrow and I have no regrets in the first 40k miles.

 

I think people posting these higher MPGs are cherry picking the data. Sure, I've seen 22-24 myself. But I don't really believe more than a handful of people are getting that over several thousand miles. They'd have to be driving under some very rare circumstances. So these posts are simply misleading.

 

Caring about mileage, and having unrealistic expectations are two different things. I care about mileage. But, I don't expect to get good mileage with this thing.

 

Oh, I didnt mean to imply it’s not achievable. I actually do believe it’s 23-24mpg is achievable for some, even long term. But it’s going to be under very different conditions than the guy getting 17-18mpg. What I meant to say is that it’s important to describe the conditions surrounding a MPG number that turns that number into useful information. A lot of times numbers are reported by people without enough details, which leaves us with half the story. Having only half the story is why any kind of stats (in general) can be deceptive.

I’d be willing to bet that somebody getting 23mpg is using a 4runner very differently than somebody getting 17-18mpg. It’s possible (I would think) to get a long term average of 23mpg if say you live right next to a interstate on ramp, and work 60 miles away at a place very close to the off ramp. And you only use your vehicle for commuting to that job, and only drive at 55mph. And you live someplace warm year round. All those little details are what make the statistic understandable ( and less surprising in the end).

 

I was looking at a 40th anniversary 4R the other day and the fat salesman took me for a ride in his 86. Its a cool car, but its so tiny. I'm 6'1" 205lbs and this dude was probably 6'1" in circumference. I have no idea how he stuffed his fat butt in that car. I ended up not buying the 4R, but if I did I would immediately remove the stickers. I know they would bug the crap out of me. I really miss the 4R, but I don't miss the poor mpg at all.

 

Right. It's only a handful of people, but it's achievable. That's all I'm saying. It's not reliant on driving downhill all the time, or some unrealistic circumstances.

What's misleading about showing the potential of something?

If someone expects to get 23 just because a handful of people do, that's their own fault. 17 is the overall average, and that's what people should base their expectations on. And, obviously half of us will get less than that.

 

Agreed. Context is important.

I wouldn't expect 23 unless I lived in a rural area, and was never in a hurry.

 

How are they getting that mileage if the speedo is known to be off? Wouldn't their MPG calculations be off as well? This is why I can't believe anyone when they talk about MPG.

 

Their mileage isn't off by any more than anyone else's. The speedometer is only off by like 2%, which comes to less than .5 MPG at 23 MPG.

 

If you have big all terrain tires, a lift kit, and a roof rack on your 4 runner....you aren't going to get that great 20+mpg fuel mileage......But
If you have the stock 4 runner with the Highway all season tires, then yes you can do it with steady highway speeds, no hill climbing, and good summer blend gas .......I've done it on long trips.

 

I got to take my Dragy with the 4R and see how off mine is.

 

12.3mpg here....
For some reason 35s, gears, heavy bumpers, skids, sliders and a SC just don't seem help. Haha

Smiles per gallon right?

 

I have a lift, roof rack, rock sliders, and factory sized Wildpeak AT3w’s, and I routinely get upwards of 21 mpg to and from my office. This usually consists of speeds between 40-70 mph without many traffic lights. Little trips around town bring my overall average down to about 18 mpg. Cruise control also kills my mileage, so it rarely gets used.

 

PSA to check tire pressures as winter temps set in. Shamefully I let my KO2s get down to about 33-34 psi cold, and was gonna start my usual griping about my winter 16mpg average on my 25 mile country road commute. Bumped them up to 38 cold and it’s back up 18mpg on the last two trips. The difference in rolling resistance is quite noticeable.

 

I noticed mine a bit drifty in the last week or so and told myself the same. I haven't aired up yet, but quite sure that's why.

 

I just thought I would update my mileage which has continued to improve. I have been getting 18 to 18.5 but this morning I checked and I was averaging 20.3 miles per gallon on 170.7 miles of the current tank of fuel. No highways, mostly around town, parking lots, shopping, red lights and some stretches of early morning 45 mph on a straight road for a few miles. I'm flabbergasted. I'm used to getting 12.5 in my 100 series Land Cruiser so with these numbers I feel like I'm driving a Prius. I still haven't done any highway miles so I'm looking forward to seeing what I could achieve there. For the record, I travel with about 100 pounds of extra gear and I still have my spare tire on board.