Gas Mileage Complaints

[george60]

*********************************************

Ok OK I've got to say something!

When you buy a 5000 lb truck with a V8 and automatic that has a coeficient of fricton equal to a brick you're not going to get good gas mileage.

I've been seeing complaints about gas mileage frequently in the 4 years I've been on this forum. The laws of physics are still in force. You can't expect good mileage. To give some perspective to this my former pickup truck was a 1967 Ford F-250 Camper Special. It got 10 mpg no matter how you drove it. So my Tundra is a major step up.

OK I've said it!
George60

[sr5mike]

Very well said. My dad has a 04 f150 and would kill to get the mileage i get.Let alone the ride and throttle response. I have even heard him say on a couple occasions that he likes my truck. This coming from a 35 year union man that only buys made in America when possible.

[GORILLA]

hi, the reason many say what they say, is simple.
many here have said they get up to18mpg city & up to 24mpg highway,
with there V8 tundra's.
so when a guy say's he get's 12 to14mpg city & 14 to 18 highway.
he has no choise to wonder's the : who,what,when,where,why,how.

but your correct!
personally: i didn't buy this truck,because i wanted 25mpg.
or the sticker does claim's of 17 city and 18 highway.
we all know that those's # are BS.

i'm getting the best ever since new. 16mpg, and i'm extremely happy, since i did every mod i think is available. expect for the turbo or supecharger.

this had been my most favorite truck i ever owned.
and it's incrediable dependable.
gorilla

[gpd005]

while i do agree i am a little confused why i don't get much better than 12 MPG. I know it's a truck and it's not my Honda Civic @ 38mpg. However if there is something i can do to squeeze a few more miles out of a gallon i'm all for it.

[06TundraSocal]

I agree. Trucks aren't made for gas mileage. They're heavy, bulky, and made for power and towing capability.

BUT....gas is expensive these days. Gains in mileage add up fast in saved money, especially for those of us with one car who commute with the vehicle as well. I think most of the threads on here are in respect to getting "better" gas mileage with respect to the trucks potential, not necessarily "good" mileage.

I definetely agree that lower gas mileage is something that every truck owner should factor in to the overall cost of ownership, but there's no need in spending more than you need to if there is a simple and cost effective solution.

[GORILLA]

my suggestion to everyone looking to get better gas mileage is 1st:
stop with the heavy foot.
and 2ndly: modify your truck.

i did and i now am getting the best mileage per gallon ever.
that's 16+ per gallon city/highway mix. (90%city/10%highway)

over time, all the modification's will more than pay for themselve's.
thats my 2cent's
gorilla

[Tundradrenalin]

Here's my tip:

Buy cheaper gas.


I used to buy 711 and WaWa gas because it's normally the cheapest around. But lately I've been filling up every Sunday (needed or not) at my corner Citgo because they have $0.10 off Sundays. And it's been consistently a few pennies cheaper than the 711 across the street.

Anyways, I don't like driving like my mother...

[ericb]

Something else: Use only the Toyota air filters if you are using paper filters. I've tried other "premium" air filters and the mileage drops. As for "performance" filters, K&N got worse mileage, but TrueFlow matched the Toyota paper filters.

[GORILLA]

tundradrenalin : i'm surprised you said you the cheapest gas.
i would understand if you said 87 octane not 93 octane.
but i know a tanker driver for gasoline company and a manager of hess/amaco gas.
there is a huge difference in the quality of gasoline and it's pureness.
using cheaper gas is not the best thing to do, because down the road all those contaminants will do more harm than good.

now i'm only going by what i've been told. i'm no scientist, or chemist.

the tanker driver knows his gas, and the difference in company's & there filter's that are on the pump's.
they can see the difference in gasoline's , by looking at the gas & filter's.

next time you all see a tanker ask the driver, about the quality of gas and the pump's filter's.
this will hopefully change your mind, and will save you a bunch of money down the road.
gorilla

[Tundradrenalin]

I may have used "cheap" inadvertantly instead of "inexpensive".

But if you're spending $3.50/gallon as opposed to $3.25/gallon and trying to save money on fill-ups, you aren't doing the math. If you're trying to get the best MPG's and spending a quarter a gallon more to buy "premium" 87 octane fuel, you've got a bigger wallet than me, and maybe the best MPG's isn't what you're actually after.

I've got a fuel filter on my truck, and it should be blocking any contaminates that make their way into my tank. There are hundreds of thousands of people that use the same gas I do, I haven't heard of a gas problem from them. Just because Exxon/Mobil and Texaco/Shell or Amaco/BP are the biggest profit raking oil companies, doesn't make them the best. I'm pretty sure we import our oils from the same parts of the world, and not many of them like US very much. If a gas truck driver knows more about my Tundra's fuel delivery system than the people who developed it... well, he may have gotten his job apps mixed up.

The fact of the matter is, spending $2000+ on mods to your truck to "save" gas or increase your MPG's is not helping the economical cost of your purpose. You may need to scope your project differently. You're better off saving the money and buying inexpensive gasoline. Because you're ultimately trying to save money at the pump, right?

[reivertom]

You know what? I've decided to live with it and not worry. I bought a cherry used 2001 v8 4x4 AC, and I saved ALOT of money doing so. I have the original window sticker and I gave a little over half of what the original owner did. I figure I will keep it until it's dead. Given all these facts, what I saved by buying used will fill up a bunch of tanks of gas. Also, considering I'll keep it for many years, my overall dollar-per-mile ratio will only go in my favor.

It boils down to this......either you have enough truck....... or you don't!
You can't have it both ways.

[GORILLA]

hi, i didn't do my mod's with the intention to save on gas for more mpg.
i did them for power. but i got was added mpg, which was only a plus.
sad toyota didn't think of that, or do it for there customer's.

i use 93 octane only, and that's $3.63per gallon & your right, i don't worry about gas price's, not because my wallet is bigger than your's or anyone else's.
it's because i have no choise, but to use gasoline.
i might as well use the cleanest gas possible.
but i do understand you stateing your case.

whats going to happen when all gas goes up to 4 or 5 per gallon.
rubber sole's,horseback, bike's, i guess.
when people calculate the cost of driving to work at maybe 100 per week in gas. and they make 300 per week, minus tax'es , lunch, etc.
might as well go on welfare.
because there won't be much left for bill's, to keep a roof over there head, or feed there kid's. even that doublewide, might be to costly.

i guess more people will be on there computer's & on the tundra solutions board than riding there trucks.

it's sad that vehicle's today are making more HP & torque than ever, but not many have the flow, to drive them.
gorilla

[stevekx]

I wont buy Citgo or Mobil, I buy Sunoco or Hess gas. Face it we have to buy the stuff but try not to give it to renegade countries like Venezuella or a coporation like ExxonMobil.

[apimpdad]

if you want better gas mileage, do the simple and normal stuff. MAF and Throttle Body Cleaning, spark plug replacement, fuel filter, oil change, air filter, o2 sensors, oil filter, tire pressure and so on. Try not to go over 2200 rpms while driving. Do this stuff and save your money from "cold air intakes" and exhaust because that stuff will make your mileage go down. You will be addicted to the nose that these things make and it will make you want to floor it which equals $h!tty mileage

[Gatorman76]

Originally Posted by apimpdad

if you want better gas mileage, do the simple and normal stuff. MAF and Throttle Body Cleaning, spark plug replacement, fuel filter, oil change, air filter, o2 sensors, oil filter, tire pressure and so on. Try not to go over 2200 rpms while driving. Do this stuff and save your money from "cold air intakes" and exhaust because that stuff will make your mileage go down. You will be addicted to the nose that these things make and it will make you want to floor it which equals $h!tty mileage

That's about all you can do. But do not buy Chavez's Citgo gas. I had a '74 Blazer when I was in college. It got 10mpg no matter how you drove it. The 4WD was so bad I didn't get another until I got the 2005 Tundra. What a difference!