I am wondering how some of the membes here are getting 20-21 mpg? I drive about 1000 miles a monthe just on the highway on long stretches of road at 70-75-80-mph, cruise control, RAPS air intake, Mobil 1, NO lead foot, hard bed cover with a 2wd 04 DC Tundra, Oh yeah new tires at 35 psi and tried 32 psi. Never have I ever gotten over 16.8 mpg. I drive between LA and Vegas and each way is the same. Also have a emission control system device on truck that gives me better mileage. www.emissioncontrolsystems.com (http://http://www.emissioncontrolsystems.com/)

SO I would like to know how you guys are doing it. We have to drive at least 75 mph in order to not get a ticket, so what's the deal,

Thanks for your responses:ts::ts::ts:

Personally, I'm convinced that people don't know how to use a calculator:D
I've never gotten over about 15MPG.
Of course, I know plenty of guys who get 20+ in the Chevy's, yeah right:eek:

I agree I got around 13 mpg on my 2000 Tundra and now i'm getting 12 mpg on my 2006 Tundra.....i'm getting around 245 miles to a tank before the low fuel light comes on....The scary part is over 1/2 my miles are on the highway ...Still love my tundra though :)

Well guys/gals, I hate to break the news but ..... I am 54 years old and know how to use a calculator. I average 17mpg in town with my '05 2WD Access cab. Only have about 2345 miles on it right now. All milage is "in town" driving with the execption of a few 20 mile trips at 55-65mph on secondary State Roads.

I have yet to put the Tundra on the open road (Interstate travel), but would not be suprised to see 21mpg.

I always reset my Trip odometer after fill up. Right now it is sitting on 205.7 miles and the gas needle is slightly above the 1/2 mark.

Well guys/gals, I hate to break the news but ..... I am 54 years old and know how to use a calculator. I average 17mpg in town with my '05 2WD Access cab. Only have about 2345 miles on it right now. All milage is "in town" driving with the execption of a few 20 mile trips at 55-65mph on secondary State Roads.

I have yet to put the Tundra on the open road (Interstate travel), but would not be suprised to see 21mpg.

I always reset my Trip odometer after fill up. Right now it is sitting on 205.7 miles and the gas needle is slightly above the 1/2 mark.

Hello, I have a 2006 Tundra DC , which is 2 months old with 2,500 miles on it. I, also, reset my Trip odometer after each fill up in order to check my mileage. I have always been interested to see if the mileage would improve after break-in. On my last fill-up, the mileage calucated to be 19.6. The first couple of weeks I had the truck, I was getting around 18.4. I do drive the truck a little on the easy side, though. For the most part, I keep the RPM's no more than 2,000. (Yes, I have pushed it down a few times, though, can't help myselft. I do feel I will get 20 MPG by the time I have 5,000 miles on it!... VERY well please with my Tundra!!!:tu:

Brand new 2006 DC, 4X4 TRD with about 1200 miles on the clock. Worst mileage was 15.8. And that was going into the mountains, even using 4wd low on a trail. Most of that trip was on dirt roads as well. I got nearly 17mpg on my last trip to Denver and back + 100miles of city driving after my return. This is a stock 4x4. No tricks or mods. I seldom lead foot it. I went 75mph the entire 200miles to Denver and back. I expect better when the truck is broken in and I am not doing so much stop and go. Newer Tundras have 5 speeds. I am sure that helps. 39 years old and knows how to do basic math :tu:.

I think something's wrong when you get less than 17mpg with cruise and only going 70 to 75. Around 6 months back we had a thread going and I posted my mileage on a trip to NC and back with a brand new truck. My best tank was 18.5mpg but that was near Atlanta in a serious rainstorm when everyone was driving about 50mph. My worst was about 14 in West Texas when most of the driving was over 90mph. My average when driving between 75 and 85 was about 17,4mpg.I'm not sure what to check, but I always suspect brakes hanging a bit when the mileage goes way down. I'm pretty sure the dealer won't help you though. I also know how to calculate mpg.

I'm getting 13 around town (lots of stop/go and really short trips) and high teens on highway (broke 20 on the way back from NM). After break-in, I'm really hoping for 15city/20hwy.

i can chime in also for an 04 DC 4x4. it has about 21,000 miles. during the summer with stock tires it gets a steady 16.8 in mixed driving city/hiway. i actually get a little better around town at under 50 mph. on the interstate only, the wind resistance seems to keep it from getting better.

i have basic mods: hard tonneau cover, lsd, hellwig, etc. didn't seem to change mileage much.

biggest change was moving to winter tires. dropped it down to 14.5 - 15 on average including 5% change in tire diameter.

from reading lots of posts about this topic, i think the biggest difference in mileage is probably due to having 4x4 vs. 2x4. most of the folks getting over 18 have the 2x4 AC or similar. most getting under 16 have the 4x4 DC or similar or carry a lot of weight. i think the 4x4 rigging adds about 400 lbs to the weight of the 2x4. i have a buddy here in town with an 03 AC 2x4 and he gets 20 or a little better on the hiway. with my 4x4 i've never seen better than 17.5 mpg.

odd thing is even running around on back roads at slow speeds with occasional 4x4 use doesn't seem to knock it down much. still get about the same. if i punch it a little, though, that changes everything!

from other posts - to get the best mileage possible, try to keep it under 2,000 rpms, don't carry a lot of extra gear/tools you don't need, keep the drivetrain lubed and clean oil in crank, diffs, etc, and keep tires aired up. that's about all you can do with a truck this size!

I can drive 380 miles before the low fuel light comes on (70% freeway/30% city). At that point 20.5 gallons fill the tank, which translates into 18.5 mpg. My average speed on the freeway is 70 mph. I keep my tires at 38 psi and leave the tailgate up.

i drove to laughlin nevada from the beach in so cal and averaged 20mpg. i kept it at 67 mph the whole way.

I am wondering how some of the membes here are getting 20-21 mpg? I drive about 1000 miles a monthe just on the highway on long stretches of road at 70-75-80-mph, cruise control, RAPS air intake, Mobil 1, NO lead foot, hard bed cover with a 2wd 04 DC Tundra, Oh yeah new tires at 35 psi and tried 32 psi. Never have I ever gotten over 16.8 mpg. I drive between LA and Vegas and each way is the same. Also have a emission control system device on truck that gives me better mileage. www.emissioncontrolsystems.com (http://http://www.emissioncontrolsystems.com/)

SO I would like to know how you guys are doing it. We have to drive at least 75 mph in order to not get a ticket, so what's the deal,

Thanks for your responses:ts::ts::ts:

Can you explain your emission control system?

I have a 2003 ac 2wheel drive.......I avg 16.9 to 18.2 with a mix of town and rural roads.......I have never broke 20 miles per gal, even at 65 on the interstate I got 19.7 or there abouts.......almost got run over.......on interstate only at 70 to 80 mix, I get 18 to 18.8.....as long as I keep it under 90, I see little change.......I do know how to do math, and always ck my milage every fill up....I have 69000 on it........

I have a '04 DC ....16 city (drive like you have an egg under your foot)
and on a trip from Houston to Dallas 300 miles 20+ mpg...max speed 65 mph probably averaged 62 mph.
Still had 1/2 tank when I got to Dallas.

Question?
When fueling for mileage check do you quit on automatic nozzle shut off or top it off after the shutoff?

It does not matter. Just be consistent. I fill it 'till it clicks. Then pump 'till it clicks again, then a third time. This time I ran it until the light came on for low gas. I had 400 miles of mixed driving on it and it took 21 gallons with 400 miles on the trip odometer. That's 19 mpg. I drive city, highway, & forest roads. I usually get 18.5 to 19.5 in the city. I go easy on the throttle and do not race from light to light, try to anticipate light changes and go easy on the brakes. You gotta stay off the throttle. I save that for open roads with no traffic. Yes, I love the power of the V8, too. But if you put your foot in it your mileage will suffer badly. Everyone's' driving situation is different but I think you should get 18 mpg, easy. 20mpg? That's gonna take some work and special situations. I've never driven on the open highway far enough to try for 20mpg. I do love this Tundra.

Here in Oregon we can't pump our own gas. I have found that the mileage on the first shut off was a constant 15-15.2 in town & when I had them top it off it ranged from 13.6 to14.4, always fueling at the same costco. Being consistent seems to dissappear when it is topped off. Just my experience. Self serve might make the difference.

I've had my 06 DC 4x4 for about a month and a half.
First tank a dismal 14.6 MPG.
Second tank up to 16.7 MPG.
Most recent fill up was today and Im up to 17.8 MPG.
I try to keep it under 2200 RPM and dont hammer on it too much! :D
But I can see breakin the 20 MPG w/ no problem. Oh, I only have 1100 miles on it.
The 00 Ranger SC 4x4 I traded in got a consistent 18.6 MPG.
So I'm almost gettin the same mileage as a 4.0 V6.

I think we should all be thankful we don't have to bury gas $ into Ford, Chevy, or Dodge.

:tu:

I think we should all be thankful we don't have to bury gas $ into Ford, Chevy, or Dodge.:tu:

As a general rule the 4.7 and 5.4 Chevy get the same city mileage and better hwy mileage. I know someone with an 2002 5.4 Fords that get 15mpg while towing their race cars and 19mpg in normal driving. As a general rule the domestic V8's from Ford and Chevy cruise at a lower RPM and as a result get similiar/better mileage to the vvt-i Tundra. Check out edmonds.com for a comparision of the EPA mileage but I have a friend with a V8 Ford and we had this conversation on another forum. Dodges just plain old suck the gas it seems.

Always fill it to the brim!!!

Can you explain your emission control system?

I was surfing the net and came accross this thing. I called the guy and we spoke about it and what it does. Basically as the fuel passes through it, the gas is atomized and thus it burns more thoroughly and this reduces emmissions and in return, more power and better mileage.

Thanks:tu:

i have an 106k mile 02 acess cab 4x4 with an are camper shell that is flush with the roof. i run the michelon M/s @ 32-34 psi with mobile 1 in the engine. I always set the cruise control at 65 mph on the interstates, my tach reads a tad above 2000 rpm in over drive. regular gas, 300 mile trip i get 19-20.5 mpg.
in town, i get 15 mpg... towing a 3k boat, i get about 13 mpg. hope this helps.

What the heck, I'll add my MPG. 06 Access Step side. First several tanks have yielded 18.2 to 19.3 and that is a mix of city and country backroads. No highway to speak of. Only mods are dual cat backs and a new K&N air filter. Just changed out to a set of 20 inch wheels and on first tank with these, from previous fillups, I will still be right around 18 to 19 MPG. I don't stomp on it, although once in a while I'll play and pretty easy to do lol.

Hawg

I have a 05 double cab 4X4 and if I'm lucky I get 14.5 over all city /highway.
The best I have done to date all highway is 17.5. And most of the time around town I try to keep the tach below 2000 rpms. I really love the truck. But I would like the mileage that some of you are getting.

I would say the tires AND the tire pressure matching the type of driving.
On my long distance trip to the northern tip of Newfoundland several summers ago, I averaged 20 mpg with cruise control set at the speed limit or 75mph when possible. With the Tundra well loaded with camping gear, a Hobie Kayak on the roof rack of the Astro cap, and the Firestone Steeltex tires set at 40 lbs. of pressure.
Set your tires at the maximum that is safe according to what's on the sidewall of the tire, not the manufacturers label in the door- that's fine for city driving, but on the highway a softer ride is not necessary on today's superhighways. There's less tire resistance at higher pressures, also the make and compound of the tire makes a lot of difference. Off road tires are usually of a softer compound for better traction, while the Firestone Steeeltex that I run is a road work truck tire...a harder, less road-resisting compound with thicker sidewalls so a higher capacity for tire pressure, some truck tires can take 50 lbs. with the many plies available.
The Tundra is great for the highway using hardly any RPMs to keep her moving along at highway speeds. It's terrible for me in the city, I average 11 mpg in winter, 12-13 in summer, since I stop hundreds of times a day in my business. Front brake pads wear out every 10,000 miles, lucky for me the dealer gives me free ones each time since they are guaranteed for life, I just pay for the labor on the brakes (that's not cheap!).

I also notice a big descrepency on mileage here.:rolleyes: With my 05 TRD 4x4 Access Cab I usualy get about 10 or 11 city in winter and 12 to 13 city in summer. About 18 in winter and 19 or 20 in summer on the highway. I do keep the RPMs under 2000 in the city and usually do 65 MPH with cruise on the highway. These are in Imperial gallons, U.S. gallon figures would be less. I figure I lost about 1 MPG after I swapped the stock tires for the 75 series Revos and even compensate for the slight odometer error from the taller tire when doing mileage calculations. My truck does seem to be quite consistant in the mileage figures, different conditions such as speed and wind do affect it slightly but they are minimal in my experience.

It blows my mind how some people are getting much better mpg's than others.
I have a '02 2wd A-Cab V8 w/ 265/75-16 Revos, 3.91 (ithink right?) Axel, TRD Duals, and a 2.5" daystar front lift.
At 65 mph, i'm turning about 1800-1900 rpm and the best mpg i've ever had was about 16, and that was torture for me. I was feather-toeing it everywhere and not cruising above 70.
The worst i've had was probably about 12 mpg, when i was hammering it everywhere.
I was disappointed on the highway, cruising between 70-90 mph, i got only around 15 mpg, and one trip i only got about 14 mpg criusing above 80.
I only get about 300-330 miles before my fuel light comes on.
I always press my tripometer on every tank, and divide how many miles i've driven by how many gallons i just put in, and keep every receipt, and write the miles on the receipts, so i can calculate an average when i feel like figureing that out.
But it still baffles me how double cabs with 4.10 axles can get much better mileage than me.
And i don't carry anything in my truck.
Could it be the lift? or maybe the different way's we've broken in our trucks?

It blows my mind how some people are getting much better mpg's than others.
I have a '02 2wd A-Cab V8 w/ 265/75-16 Revos, 3.91 (ithink right?) Axel, TRD Duals, and a 2.5" daystar front lift.
At 65 mph, i'm turning about 1800-1900 rpm and the best mpg i've ever had was about 16, and that was torture for me. I was feather-toeing it everywhere and not cruising above 70.
The worst i've had was probably about 12 mpg, when i was hammering it everywhere.
I was disappointed on the highway, cruising between 70-90 mph, i got only around 15 mpg, and one trip i only got about 14 mpg criusing above 80.
I only get about 300-330 miles before my fuel light comes on.
I always press my tripometer on every tank, and divide how many miles i've driven by how many gallons i just put in, and keep every receipt, and write the miles on the receipts, so i can calculate an average when i feel like figureing that out.
But it still baffles me how double cabs with 4.10 axles can get much better mileage than me.
And i don't carry anything in my truck.
Could it be the lift? or maybe the different way's we've broken in our trucks?
This about the same as me except I have 285/75-16 and 4.56's and the rpms @65 are only 2100.
How does everyone keep it below 65? The speed limits around here are 70 towards california, 70 & 75 toward nothern nevada and utah. I tried to go 65, but almost caused 2 accidents and got flipped off 3 times. There just ain't no way. I wish i could get 20 like some of you.:tu:
But I have come to realize i have worse things to worry about than fuel mileage.;)

Well guys/gals, I hate to break the news but ..... I am 54 years old and know how to use a calculator. I average 17mpg in town with my '05 2WD Access cab. Only have about 2345 miles on it right now. All milage is "in town" driving with the execption of a few 20 mile trips at 55-65mph on secondary State Roads.

I have yet to put the Tundra on the open road (Interstate travel), but would not be suprised to see 21mpg.

I always reset my Trip odometer after fill up. Right now it is sitting on 205.7 miles and the gas needle is slightly above the 1/2 mark.

Well, I'm 62 and have had two SR5 V8 Tundras (03' and now an 05'). I also can use a calculator and my mileage on both vehicles are right in line with most of these posts-i.e.-13 in town, 16 -17 on the road. You are very fortunate indeed!

Well, I'm 62 and have had two SR5 V8 Tundras (03' and now an 05'). I also can use a calculator and my mileage on both vehicles are right in line with most of these posts-i.e.-13 in town, 16 -17 on the road. You are very fortunate indeed!

I'm right there with you Brother. :tu:

I'm 43, although I do put my foot into it sometimes, but not always, the best I can get in town is maybe 14.5.
The worst was 12.5, lots of running around in a hurry that week. I think it was also the first week with the Magnaflow, I had to hear it kick in.
The best I ever got was 18 on a trip to St Louis, from Dallas, with a big tail wind. I was averaging about 77 mph on that tank.
I'm lucky to get 290 to 310 miles on a tank. To the E, not to the low fuel light.
I did get about another MPG after my Magnaflow broke in, even in town.
The only way I'll see 20 MPG is if I shut off the engine at all red lights and coast down hills.
But I wouldn't trade this Tundra for any Ford, Chevy, or Dodge. Could you imagine HEMI mileage? yuk:td:
Even when gas was $3.15 a gallon, I was proud and elated to drive this American made Toyota Tundra. Even paying $68 to fill her up.
Hell, the 97 4runner with a V6 I had, only got 16 or 17 on a good week. But I loved her as well.
Enough of me, I don't know how you guys are doing it, unless you really pussyfoot down the road.:(
I don't wanna drive that way.:D

I've had my 02 4x4 AC for a little over a month now, and have put on a couple thousand miles. My best average so far was on an all interstate trip from WV to the Eastern shore of MD. I got 19 mpg. I was blown away. my truck has about 84K mi on it, totally sstock, and on that trip I was running the tire pressure just as the factory reccommends (26 psi front, 35 rear). Since then, I'm running 35 psi in all 4. However, I still only average anywhere from 13.6 mpg to 15.8 mpg. My driving is usually split between interstate and city/one lane country roads (about 40% highway, 60% other). When I'm on the highway I'm usually pushing it up to 80 or so. BUT, I do not live in a flat area. My driving is mostly in WV, and there are no flat roads here. Hell, I usually turn off my overdrive when not on interstate because these roads will kill an auto trans if you leave it in OD. I also do not use cruise unless I'm in flat lands. I tried it once here and it was not cool (the interstates here have curves with a max. safe speed of 55 in a lot of places), cruise in this state is uselss. So I can understand my lack of hitting 20 mpg.

I too have to say I'm shocked at the mileage some folks are getting. My '03 4.7 Tundra got it's worst mileage ever during the breakin period with a crappy 15.5-16...Since then it's NEVER gotten worse than 18 and I was pretty annoyed at that, (it was towing a fairly lightly loaded trailor)...typical highway mileage is a solid 20-20.5 with the occasional dip to 19.5 or a jump of 21-21.5...it's done this for over 100K miles. Even when I've got 1500 lbs in the bed it holds 20+ on the highway. (and yes, I've done it more than once)

The Retrax bed cover may make a slight difference but I haven't seen a difference when I have it open vs closed. I'm using the smaller 245 tires rather than the 265-285's that a lot of the folks around here like so that may make a small difference.

No effort involved in getting the mileage either, I typicaly drive the speed limit or close to it 70-75, though I will sometimes pace the faster traffic at ummm somewhat higher speeds LOL...I keep the air filter changed at 30K miles, and use Mobil 1 (though I saw no difference when I changed from dino oil), I keep my pressures up at 35psi in the tires.

And yes I do know how to use a calculator. :D

Best I ever got was 17mpg with the wind at my rear. It looks like most of the folks that are getting the better mileage are 2wd's and access cabs. When I drove an 03 AC loaner 2wd, I could not believe how much more responsive it was in the power area...obviously the difference in weight has a lot to do with the mileage in turn. My DC has the new "higher hp" 4.7, and it is a dog compared to the 03 AC 2wd. Not that I'm into speed when it comes to trucks, but that 03 would pin me to the seat when I stomped on it...and I did that a lot since it was a loaner.

Anyone who thinks they'll get close to 20mpg with a 4wd DC is dreaming in my opinion. I would bet, however, that the 2wd's get better mileage than any of the other brands, and that 4.7 is a GREAT motor in those rigs. I wonder if they will ever offer it in the Tacoma's...THAT would be a screamer! And I bet it would get same if not better mileage than the 6 cylinder if put in the Taco.

Must be the better gas mileage is coming from the 2WD(I hope)

Does anyone happen to know the mileage on the window for a 2WD Tundra??

I know my 2006 4X4 DC was 15/18 on the window when I bought it..

Must be the better gas mileage is coming from the 2WD(I hope)

Does anyone happen to know the mileage on the window for a 2WD Tundra??

I know my 2006 4X4 DC was 15/18 on the window when I bought it..

16/19

having owned a 2003 3.4L V6 4x4 AC and 2005 4.7L V8 4x4 AC, I was disappointed in the mpg differences. The 03 I could get 22 on flat road at 70mph. The 05 I could get 17mpg going 65. Any faster and it drops to 16 or 15 or WORSE :eek: Drove the same roads and drove the same light foot with both. Love that extra power though in the V8. Wish I had the sticker MPG on the V8 though.

I have a 2000 limited AC 4x4 with the 4.7 and over 200,000 kms. Use Mobile 1 and a K&N air filter.
Just got back from a trip between Montreal and Oceanside California pulling a new TaB trailer. Recorded 17.5 mpg ( imperial mesure ) average for the whole trip cruising at 2000 rpm ( 66mph ). The truck used exactly one half liter of oil during the whole frigging trip !! I am amazed and a very happy Tundra owner, think I'll keep it for another six years.
Rod.:)

Well,

I gotta say, I am very happy with my mileage. I average in the 18s with mixed driving. I usually fill up at 1/2 tank and reset the odo with each fill. I always have at or just over 200 miles at each fill. I have not had a long highway trip since I bought the truck (bought it out of state because it was the best deal..drove it home 450 miles, MPG was 19.5), but would not be surprised to get an easy 19-20 MPG.

2005 AC TRD 4WD

That's one thing I can't understand, the window stickers in Canada read the SAME numbers for ALL Tundra models with the 4.7 V8. 18 city and 23 hwy, Imperial gallons. I find it hard to believe that the regular cab 4.7L 2WD Tundra gets the SAME mileage as the double cab 4x4.;) All I know is there is NO WAY my truck would ever see 18 MPG in the city. 10 to 12 more like it, and THAT'S taking it easy.:rolleyes:

Must be the better gas mileage is coming from the 2WD(I hope)

Does anyone happen to know the mileage on the window for a 2WD Tundra??

I know my 2006 4X4 DC was 15/18 on the window when I bought it..
Redman
I got out the window sticker on my 2000 4x4 & the fine print reads"11 & 17mpg in the city & between14 & 20 highway". Big numbers read 14 city-17 hwy. Sometimes we overlook the small print,huh! :confused:
Had a 99 5.3 silverado:16 & 19 big numbers:13-19 city,17-23 hwy in small print.
Interesting small print on both window stickers! Kind of covers it all for the manufacture!

I have never seen that type of mileage. I have an 05 DC TRD and I get about 13 mpg (winter) and 16 (summer). I drive about 75% of the time in the city. The longest hwy trip I have taken was driving to Seattle through the mountains and I got 16 mpg and this was around xmas time. I have about 16,000 miles on it and have just switched over to synthetic, hopefully I will get better mpg.

05, DC, 4X4, Stock (except bed cover) and my MPG sux. I was getting 15.5 when it was new and it improved up to nearly 18 after the first 10k miles. After switching to Mobile 1 synthetic oil (stock filter) the MPG has dropped down to between 14.5 and 15.5. Same driving habbits and nothing else has changed. I don't mind 15.5 after getting 9 in my old truck, but after getting nearly 18 for months, the drop sort of ticks me off.

Redman
I got out the window sticker on my 2000 4x4 & the fine print reads"11 & 17mpg in the city & between14 & 20 highway". Big numbers read 14 city-17 hwy. Sometimes we overlook the small print,huh! :confused:
Had a 99 5.3 silverado:16 & 19 big numbers:13-19 city,17-23 hwy in small print.
Interesting small print on both window stickers! Kind of covers it all for the manufacture!

Your right Tundra39 after a closer look to read the fine print mine says 12-18 city and 15-21 highway :(
I guess on at the bottom end of the scale :mad:

I posted about this before, but since that post, I still get 19-20 mpg on the highway. Around town it's a consistent 17.

Same old advice, I use the cruise control a lot, I have a hard lid on the bed (arguably can be a difference or not that has been explored in depth in this forum), limit the blastoffs, don't drive like you're in a NASCAR race, and most of all don't drive yourself crazy calculating and worrying if it gets 12 or 14 or 17 miles a gallon. You've got to use your Tundra for crying out loud. Isn't that what you bought it for? It's to drive, not sit in the driveway to look pretty. If you're worried about gas milage then get to the back of the line for a Prius. ;)

I'm driving a V-8 pickup. Waddaya want? Thank god it's not a V-10 Diesel like my sister's Ford Excursion. You guys cry about 12, try 9 tops for that some of a beast. :p What a waste of money in my opinion.

Gas is expensive now. If you don't give a crap, then by all means, burn it up. I don't like spending all that money on each tank fill up, so I drive like my father. :rolleyes: Well, maybe not that bad. :)

Later, Dudes. You guys are cool. :tu:

I have gotten 20 mpg, but I almost fell asleep!

I prefer to stay sharp, drive it like I stole it and visit the BP more often :)

That's one thing I can't understand, the window stickers in Canada read the SAME numbers for ALL Tundra models with the 4.7 V8. 18 city and 23 hwy, Imperial gallons. I find it hard to believe that the regular cab 4.7L 2WD Tundra gets the SAME mileage as the double cab 4x4.;) All I know is there is NO WAY my truck would ever see 18 MPG in the city. 10 to 12 more like it, and THAT'S taking it easy.:rolleyes:

Toyota is just too lazy to test the different Tundra models for milage numbers.
Diego, whats the most km you've got on a tank? 10-12mpg doesn't sound right?

I have a 2004 DC Tundra. Have gotten 15-19MPG the entire time owned. Most of my driving is "in-town", but one weekend a month, I have to drive to D.C. and that's usually when I get the 18+mpg. Also drove to N.C. last year with about 500lbs of equipment in the bed and got about 17mpg. I'm not complaining at all.

i have a 2001 trd limited accesscab 2wd with 44,000 miles. i get 325 miles on a full tank & i'm not brave enough to go any further. i've only filled up 3 times so far. the only things i have done (just got my baby) are denso iridium plugs and converted EVERYTHING to royal purple. i run the factory air filter & the fram pro something oil filter (the $10 & change one) and i only run 89 octane. on the highway i drop the tailgate. i traded my gmc for this baby & it was the best thing i ever did! now if i could only get the cigerette smell out...YUCK!

I was surfing the net and came accross this thing. I called the guy and we spoke about it and what it does. Basically as the fuel passes through it, the gas is atomized and thus it burns more thoroughly and this reduces emmissions and in return, more power and better mileage.

Thanks:tu:

Do you have any before and after MPG testing with your emission system? I noticed on their website they put it on a lot of diesels or older gasoline engines. I wonder why they don't have data for newer gasoline engines?

Do you have any before and after MPG testing with your emission system? I noticed on their website they put it on a lot of diesels or older gasoline engines. I wonder why they don't have data for newer gasoline engines?
As far as emissions, no. I do get a couple more mpg with it than before, however after about 4 tanks or so, I put new tires on it and they were a little bigger and beefier. So it is around high 16 mpg max. When I had the old tires (stock), I go about 350-370 per tank and was in shock. I wish I could return my tires, at least they look good. Hope this helps

I have just over 53,000 miles on my 2001 4WD Access Cab. I drive approximately 30 miles on interstate each way to work. I have averaged 16.8miles per gallon for at least the last two years. :eek:
Cruise set on 72mph. Tires at 34psi.
Could be worse, I could be in a Dodge!:devil:

13.0 to13.9 is the best I've done. The title to this thread says it all.

Toyota is just too lazy to test the different Tundra models for milage numbers.
Diego, whats the most km you've got on a tank? 10-12mpg doesn't sound right?

Well I don't run my tank dry but usually fill when down to 1/4 but pure city driving just to work and back I'm getting around the 250 km range give or take a few kms, so per tank it would be around 300 ish kilometers. On the highway, aprox. 500 kms per tank.

My light comes on anywere from 340-355 miles per tank. At that time, i feel up with about 20+- gallons.

Since it is a new truck, i play with it alot.

I did an late evening early am( no traffic) trip to Milwaukee fest.
Set the cruise at 70.Only stops were for tolls.
I had the stock tires odo was on.
I checked mpg,I came up with 20.

Well I took it easy on my last tank of gas just to see what mileage I could get and my results are not very impressive :(

I have a 2006 DC 4x4 and I drive probably half of my miles on the highway the other half around town..I'm from Connecticut and we had a very mild week last week...I did very smooth starts and never stomped on it.I drove 65 max on the highway and used cruise when I could...

well the results are 12.94 miles per gallon:cry:
I really expected better after babying it all week...
My truck is still kinda new and has less than 2,000 miles on it so maybe it will be like fine wine and get better with age:) at least I can hope right.........

p.s. I know how to do the math :)

I currently have a 05 ac 4wd. The truck is 10 months old and has 28,000 miles on it. 17 to 18 mpg is the average for every tank that i have poured into it. :)

well the results are 12.94 miles per gallon:cry:
I really expected better after babying it all week...
My truck is still kinda new and has less than 2,000 miles on it so maybe it will be like fine wine and get better with age:) at least I can hope right.........[/quote]

p.s. I know how to do the math :)[/quote]


I too have under 2,000 miles and am averaging alot better than that.
Same truck too. Last tank was almost 18 mpg. Mostly City...

I drove up to Michigan last weekend and avg'd 17.4. Cruise at 76 and PSI at 34.

But I really baby it most of the time. Under 2200 RPM.

Well I took it easy on my last tank of gas just to see what mileage I could get and my results are not very impressive :(

I have a 2006 DC 4x4 and I drive probably half of my miles on the highway the other half around town..I'm from Connecticut and we had a very mild week last week...I did very smooth starts and never stomped on it.I drove 65 max on the highway and used cruise when I could...

well the results are 12.94 miles per gallon:cry:
I really expected better after babying it all week...
My truck is still kinda new and has less than 2,000 miles on it so maybe it will be like fine wine and get better with age:) at least I can hope right.........

p.s. I know how to do the math :)You and I have the same truck and that's right where my milage is around town. Mine has 1600 miles. I'm also hoping it will get better, but I boubt it will.

well the results are 12.94 miles per gallon:cry:
I really expected better after babying it all week...
My truck is still kinda new and has less than 2,000 miles on it so maybe it will be like fine wine and get better with age:) at least I can hope right.........

p.s. I know how to do the math :)[/quote]


I too have under 2,000 miles and am averaging alot better than that.
Same truck too. Last tank was almost 18 mpg. Mostly City...

I drove up to Michigan last weekend and avg'd 17.4. Cruise at 76 and PSI at 34.

But I really baby it most of the time. Under 2200 RPM.[/QUOTE]


hey meenkya wanna trade ;)

glad to hear i'm not alone thackl :) I'm going to pump up my tire pressure a bit and see what happens..I think i can do a little better when the warmer weather comes around because even though i said we had a mild week I still let her warm up a little while before taking off(still chilly in the A.M.)

hey meenkya wanna trade ;)

glad to hear i'm not alone thackl :) I'm going to pump up my tire pressure a bit and see what happens..I think i can do a little better when the warmer weather comes around because even though i said we had a mild week I still let her warm up a little while before taking off(still chilly in the A.M.)

The only way I trade is if you take my wife (5 months pregnant) and my cat. :D
Just kidding.

I am at a loss at to why the mileage varies so much with the exact vehicle.
I am going to up my PSI to 36 all the way around and see what that does.
I have noticed that running the defroster tends to lower mileage a bit but not that much.

My highway milage has been 17-20. It's the city driving that's killing me. Here in Lubbock, nohing is very far and I think the ultra short trips are the reason for the 13mpg. My wife's yukon gets about 12 around town and 16-17 hwy..... I thought the Yota would be significantly better, but I was wrong :(

I do an average of 12 mpg, the only thing is i run it with lpg. This conversion brings an extra weight of approx. 440 lb Burning lpg brings an extra fuel consumption of 15 % max. so that means an average of 13.8 mpg. Speeds over here are higher than over in America. Highway speed is at least 75.

Romaniac, two suggestions
1. NEVER fill up in California. It cuts into your milage considerably.
2. Buy the V-6. I've AVERAGED just under 20 mpg for the 70K I've owned the truck. Two tanks I actually went over 500 miles (I've bragged about this before, forgive me).

I live in the Laurel Highlands Mountains of SW PA. I generally get about 14-15MPG around the mountains. Granted, I don't usually put my foot into it but I also don't idle it either. The best I've ever gotten on a trip is 19.1 MPG @ 68mph on the PA Turnpike. I was happy about that since I have a 4x4 and 265/70-16 tires. Must be the Sunoco gas and Havoline oil!

This is my second 4x4 Tundra. My first was the 00' 4X4 Limited AC 4.7, and this one is the DC 4.7 4X4 VVTi. I live in Utah, so the elevation may play a small part in the mileage, but I've always had approx. 14.7 mpg in both of them around town. On the freeway, I seem to get a little better...but not worth mentioning at an average speed of 70-80mph.
When I put the K&N FIPK kit on, my mileage went down quite a bit. I noticed my first half tank to be approx 10 mpg, and averaged 13-14 mpg with partial freeway driving (Minimal fourwheel drive action too).You can really put your foot in it, and watch the tank go down. Since then, I've put the stock filter back in and am running Royal Purple...and my mileage went back up to approx 14.6 mpg.

I was discussing this with a friend recently, and he thinks poor mileage is due to the way trucks are geared toward towing heavy loads. My AC is on order and due in soon, and I got it with the tow package. Is the gearing any different with the tow package? Maybe this is why some of you are getting poorer mileage than others.

I believe the axle ratio is 3.91 and does not change by adding the tow package. You get the hitch, and a transmission cooler is added. My conclusions, from reading this forum, are you get better mileage if you're driving flatland, that is, not up & down mountains, driving at lower elevations, like Florida instead of Arizona, and leaving the truck stock. Uh-Oh. I think I hit a nerve. Well, mod your truck to suit your taste. Just beware it can affect mileage. Other opinions welcomed.

Your right about the stock gear ratio, However Engine mods have been a rather long and experimental process with my 01 Tundra. I am ( and I'm not kidding) getting 25 mpg on the highway at speeds in mid to upper 70s
My fellow truck owners are blown away when on trips and are convinced there next trucks will be Tundra's

01 2 x 4 extra cab
2 1/2" front lift. Cold Air Intake, Helix power Tower, Headers, 2 1/4" dual exhaust/(H-Pipe/ Dynomax Super Cats & Ultra Flows) Unichip, Dyno Tuned and tested at 307 peak hp w/240 at the wheels. Torque band dominant at 35 to 4600 rpm displaying 85 to 90% of peak horsepower. While you could not have convinced me of it 3 months ago, I do now believe the engine runs better ( more or less hp debatable)with the stock cold air intake with a K&N filter than with the K & N cold air intake. I think the air is cooler coming in from the fender-well, than in the engine compartment regardles of the heat shields provided with K & N.
Just my humble opinion

This is my second teenagership. I'm lovin every minute of it. But the money!!!!!!!!!!

I have 2600 miles on my 2005 DC 4x4 Tundra. I have only driven it around town with lots of stop and go. The last 2 times I filled the tank I got 17.62 mpg. I try not to exceed 2200 rpms and only get into the throttle when necessary. I expect to break the 20mpg on long road trips. The only mechanical add on is the dual exhaust.
Here is another story : My co-worker bought the same truck that I have (only difference is color) His gas milage in town is 12.4 and 16 on the highway. I think we might exchange trucks for a week and see if its his driving or his truck. Toyota says if we can prove its the truck and not his driving, they will do what it takes to fix it.

If you guys do switch trucks please keep us posted ok...
especially if Toyota does something to make it better :)

hey trueduel, what do you attribute most of your gains to? not trying to be controversial here, but suspect some of your mods maybe didn't do much. for example, most folks on ts don't think much of the helix power tower or intake mods. do you think the exhaust made the biggest change? or the chip?

or maybe the dyno tuning? can you describe this process? i assume you have to have the unichip installed so they can map your advance and a/f numbers over the rpm range, right?

i know it's possible to improve mileage over stock on other cars. my nissan actually started averaging 30 mpg after intake and exhaust and ignition mods and still produced more horsepower. i think it got around 22-25 mpg when i first got it, so that's significant.

just trying to get closer to the bottom of this complicated issue...

I have aprox. 3,500 miles on my 2006 Tundra SR5 4x4 and I am now averaging between 16.8 and 17.5 mpg (65%HWY) and aprox. 15.3 with mixed driving. These figures are for mostly mountainous driving condition with no modifications at the moment. I have owned a 2004 and got between 19.5 and 20.5 on trips to the beach after it was broken in. Hopefully my mileage will improve with the new 5 speed transmission? Tim B

But I really baby it most of the time. Under 2200 RPM.

That's the trick. Work on keeping the RPM's down low. I generally keep mine at 1300-1800 as much as possible. I mostly drive New England back roads so it can be tough, but that's the ticket.

If you drive city with a lot of lights and stop and go, forget about getting high MPG.

I tried to drive my Tundra yesterday by keeping the RPMs below 2200. The cool thing was I got a lot of stares! The bad thing was, they were not looking at my good looking truck. They were staring in anger for holding up traffic as a drove past me!:p

Seriously, my accelleration was so slow while keeping the RPMs below 2200 that it was hardly worth it. I getting 15 @ town and 17-18 on the highway. I do try to keep the RPMs below 2800. That way it does not take my 30 seconds to get up to speed.

I've gotten from 13-15 for city driving and 16-23 for highway driving. I keep track of my mileage every time I fill the tank and the amount of gallons I put back in.

The things that will affect your mileage the most are tires, dirty air filters, and wind resistance.

Tires can affect your mileage from one brand to another as much as 2-3 mpg according to consumer reports. Their rolling resistance has a lot to do with that.

A dirty air filter increases pumping losses in the engine.

Wind resistance increases drastically above 60 mph so the faster you go after that the more your mileage falls. If you have things like racks, brush guards or a camper shell your mileage is going to suffer at highway speeds.

Last the way you drive your truck has a large effect on your mileage. Jack rabbit starts and going too fast only to slow down cuts into your mileage. Don't forget also you drive a 4500+ lb vehicle with barn door aerodynamics and a thirsty V8 engine or only adequately powerful V6.

Cupidstoy
I too am the biggest skeptic regarding bolt on immediaste hp/torque gains.
Throttle body spacers Being my pet issue. I tried three, two are in the garbage. Oh the money....... ouch. But thats how you figure it out with this stuff. Airaid Jet and Helix. Airaid and jet seemed to create alot of noise with no noticeable difference anywhere. Helix is a clone / hybrid of the jet spacer which instantly produced significant increases in low end torque. (I was running headers into stock 2" y to 2.5" twin flowmasters.and out the back) The only logical explanation for this is better fuel atomization. Unlike it's advertisement, gas mileage immedietly decreased.( More on this) Being the gear head that I am, I wanted a higher rpm torque band so I went with 2.25 dual all the way back. I got back my highway mileage (21) but running around mileage about ame (16-17) with noticeable drop in low end torque. It appeared evident I was not utilizing the engine addons effectively. I purchased the unichip thru a recommended dfistributor that performs dyno tuning and testing The tuning is extremely precise as it pulls from over 50,000 possible settings each for for a/f and timing for just about every conceivable engine need. Impressive technology. ($1200 pre chip Test, Tune, Test
Throttle body---during dyno-tech found the MAP sensor to be in a state of twisted confusion over spacer. The Spacers function was sending signals to run leaner (More evidence of better atomization) but map sensor settings were causing richer fuel mixure than stock. With Map Sensor corrected and chip dialed in, Slightly better low end torque, incredible mid range torque, seemingly effortless 2200 rpm at 74 mph avg. Running around country roads, town, some city) first test 16 mpg (just seeing what that chip could do at every opportunity hah fun) 2nd test (no more than 3000 rpm used sparingly)19 mpg
Highway test at avg 74mph 25 mpg
This engine is incredible but the way I have it set up would probably not be very good for towing or hauling.
Just havin fun

When I bought my truck in Feb 05 it had 245/70-16 and I was getting 19-21 mpg on the highway. However, after I lifted it and put on 285/75-16 it dropped to 14-16 mpg. Oh, by the way, I can use a calculator. Even one with reverse polish notation.

When I bought my truck in Feb 05 it had 245/70-16 and I was getting 19-21 mpg on the highway. However, after I lifted it and put on 285/75-16 it dropped to 14-16 mpg. Oh, by the way, I can use a calculator. Even one with reverse polish notation.Corrected for tire size, you are now getting about 17-19.

trueduel,

sounds like the chip is the critical component. i've noticed that when i push my engine or tow, it develops a lot more power. i think our ecu's are designed to adjust accordingly based on what it senses. i would like to have more control over that as well as check for "twisted" inputs, etc. after reading yours and other posts, i think the chip is the way to go. i'm developing a long term plan which includes the jba headers for improved low and midrange torque and then i'll save up for the chip and have it dyno tuned to get the most out of the engine. i really like the idea of custom mapping the ecu for best mileage and performance.

thanks for clearing up your results and helping me get a good handle on what i want to do....!

Tires can affect your mileage from one brand to another as much as 2-3 mpg according to consumer reports. Their rolling resistance has a lot to do with that.

To add to V8Toilet's tire quote, tire pressure can make a difference too. The doorjamb on my Tundra reads to inflate the tires with very low pressure. I think it read somewhere in the 26-30psi. I'd imagine that would create some drag.

The tires that V8 has on his Tundra were rated very well in low rolling resistance.

V8, what pressure are you running in those Dynapros?

In the colder weather here my truck is REAL thirsty, I filled my tank a few days ago and with all city miles got 10.5 MPG, Imperial gallons THEN figure in U.S. gallons, 8.7 MPG:eek: Did a highway trip this past weekend and got 16 MPG, U.S figures would be 13 or 14.:eek:

To add to V8Toilet's tire quote, tire pressure can make a difference too. The doorjamb on my Tundra reads to inflate the tires with very low pressure. I think it read somewhere in the 26-30psi. I'd imagine that would create some drag.

The tires that V8 has on his Tundra were rated very well in low rolling resistance.

V8, what pressure are you running in those Dynapros?

I'm running 30 in the front and 29 in the rear.

In the colder weather here my truck is REAL thirsty, I filled my tank a few days ago and with all city miles got 10.5 MPG, Imperial gallons THEN figure in U.S. gallons, 8.7 MPG:eek: Did a highway trip this past weekend and got 16 MPG, U.S figures would be 13 or 14.:eek:


Could the cold weather be the cause of my consistently lower mileage then? I din realize cold was an enemy.

Could the cold weather be the cause of my consistently lower mileage then? I din realize cold was an enemy.

Cold weather will lower your tire pressure if you last checked and set it during warmer weather. Colder air is more dense, which increases drag on your vehicle. The denser air also means you can fit more in each cylinder which makes it easier to use your fuel; I think this is why you get a HP increase at colder temperatures. Certain places, like California, run a winter gas which will reduce your MPG (I think the gas helps with air quality).

Also in cold weather there is much more drag from the driveline, wheelbearings, diffs, etc. 80-90 gear oil is like grease in cold temps, and ice cold air is denser too causing more wind resistance on the highway, don't know how much difference denser air might make on wind resistance BUT it is correct in theory anyway. Even if I adjust my tire pressure to compensate for the cold I find it does not make a lot of difference, vehicles just use more fuel in winter, the winter blend of gas does not help either, better mileage with summer fuel.:(

Well, just did another highway trip this past weekend, 200 miles each way. Got 17.6 MPG, Imperial gallons, going there on Friday and got exactly the same 17.6 MPG comming home today, 14.6 MPG highway in U.S. gallons. No 20 MPG for me in winter.:rolleyes:

After reading this thread, I have been trying to get the best mileage I can out of my tundra by keeping my speed down and trying not to do jackrabbit starts. I've only done one tankful and the mpg was 17.34. I'm going to do it for anonther tankful and see if I can do better. It's kind of a challenge. My average MPG before this test has been between 16 & 17 +/-

I used to religiously track my mileage for the first few years I had my truck. My average was just over 17mpg over the first 2+ years of ownership. High being 19, low being 14. It was so consistantly between 16.5 & 17.5 mpg that I just stopped tracking it.

Well, just did another highway trip this past weekend, 200 miles each way. Got 17.6 MPG, Imperial gallons, going there on Friday and got exactly the same 17.6 MPG comming home today, 14.6 MPG highway in U.S. gallons. No 20 MPG for me in winter.:rolleyes:So what's the deal in cold weather? More HP but worse milage? I always felt I did worse in the summer with the AC on.

I towed a lightweight travel trailer to Colorado and averaged 15.5 mpg across Kansas at 65 mph. My mileage was about the same in the mountains, no doubt due to the reduced speed. I made two trips from Silverton, CO to Gallup, NM during August without the trailer. On the first trip, I got 21.17 mpg. Thinking that I had miscalculated, I attempted to duplicate the results on a second trip, gassing up at the same station in Farmington, NM. My Tundra was due for its first oil change after that first trip and I used Mobile 1. I kept my speed at 62 mph and the results were the same. Synthetic oil didn't seem to make any difference as hot as it was that time of year. I have never been able to duplicate 21 mph but sure know how to get really bad gas mileage.
I made a quick trip to Atlanta for Christmas and managed to get 14 mpg on one tank of ethanol blend (E10) with the cruise set at 70 mph. I am sure that St. Louis and Nashville traffic didn't help.

On my last trip from Austin to Oklahoma City to Amarillo back to Austin, My mileage varied greatly with the amount of wind. Going from Austin to OKC I averaged 22 MPH (9-15mph tailwind, followed Semi all the way, ave. speed 80mph), distance 404 miles. I always fill my tank, until gas is seen at the flap. Used 18.3 Gallons to OKC. Going from OKC to Amarillo, (270 miles), with a side wind of 10 mph gusting to 20mph, I averaged 17.6 and used 15.3 gallons of regular, ave speed 73mph. Going from Amarillo back to Austin (533 miles, fighting 10mph gusting to 35mph headwinds, ave speed 67mph), I averaged 13.8MPG. I used 38.6 gallons on this leg. I based my wind estimates on the Weather channel reports for the local conditions for the area that day.

So for me the wind speed & direction make the single biggest difference in MPG.

So what's the deal in cold weather? More HP but worse milage? I always felt I did worse in the summer with the AC on.
Major drag on driveline caused by cold weather, it was almost -30 Celcius here today and driving in the city felt like I had the emergency brake on, especially when letting off the gas to coast to a stop. Also anyone hoping to increase mileage by changing to synthetic oil don't expect much of an increase. I notice very little to none. Last winter I was getting 10 mpg city and 17 highway with dino oil and this winter I am using all synthetic oils and the truck is broken in more with more miles on it and I'm still getting pretty much the same mileage.:rolleyes:

Does anyone else get better milage when towing?
I got 19-20mpg when towing my bike on highway, 1 tank with about 390/400 miles. But I just gased up today and had 15.8mpg 50/50 city/hwy. Driving with no load full highway approx 18.5mpg
It could be that I don't use as much throttle when towing my bike.... I dunno

I should add the bike is only about 450 lbs if that

Hmmm... I'd say I get 20MPG downhill with a tail wind.

After reading this thread, I have been trying to get the best mileage I can out of my tundra by keeping my speed down and trying not to do jackrabbit starts. I've only done one tankful and the mpg was 17.34. I'm going to do it for anonther tankful and see if I can do better. It's kind of a challenge. My average MPG before this test has been between 16 & 17 +/-

I used to religiously track my mileage for the first few years I had my truck. My average was just over 17mpg over the first 2+ years of ownership. High being 19, low being 14. It was so consistantly between 16.5 & 17.5 mpg that I just stopped tracking it.

2nd tank was about the same, 17.37mpg. My driving is about 55% rural roads, 30% highway, 15% city....about a 50 mile round trip commute everyday. No jack rabbit starts (rpm under 3k), plus keeping the highway speeds in the 65-70 range. I have all synthetic fliuds, michelin ltx's (33psi).

I'm not sure what else I can do. I don't think I'll see 20mpg, except maybe on a long trip.

I happy with my mpg.:) ..I'll keep trying to bump it up.:tu:

I just got back from a 1000 mile round trip to Tucson form Orange County Ca. I had a buffeting side wind going at about 70-75 and got short of 16 mpg mostly in cruise. Coming back I got about 15.8 with a stronger headwind, the wind is a big factor. I haven't had the truck long enough to really nail down the mileage on the road but already I have seen enough to be somewhat dissapointed. I have usually been able to exceed the advertised mileage but in this case I don't think it is going to be 19 unless I drive 60-65. My recent 2004 ford F150 with 5.4L weighed about 5700 ready for the road and got 18-19 mpg at 70-75 with AC on. The Tundra is about 1.5 mpg better then the Ford in the city but not as good on the highway so it appears. The Ford got more than 22 once at a steady 60. My previous 2000 F150 was slightly better. My Honda Pilot weighing in at 4600 and not exactly streamlined either gets 22.5- 23 consistantly at 75 with AC on. Can anyone confirm that leaving the tailgate down makes a difference?

Gene

One thing you didn't take into consideration is the tire size, gear ratio, and power to weight ratio. I understand what your saying completely, and agree.
THe Tundra has a reasonable gear ratio at 3:73, but the power to weight versus the Ford is much different. I don't know the gear or tire your Ford has, but it may be different..not to mention the power/torque band. I believe the Tundra is too underpowered for the weight, and cannot wait for them to introduce their diesel motor in the 3/4 ton version. Just my opinion!
No, the tailgate is not going to help you at all. There has been studies that show having the tailgate up actually improve mileage? I've tried both, and didn't notice anything.
Oh, one thing many people don't talk about, is the ability to purchase un-lockable front hub conversion kits for the Tundra. It can help by about 3mpg around town. The kit is around $1000 from what I've seen. Can't remember who makes it though. I believe it was in Performance Products line-up?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One thing you didn't take into consideration is the tire size, gear ratio, and power to weight ratio. I understand what your saying completely, and agree.
THe Tundra has a reasonable gear ratio at 3:73, but the power to weight versus the Ford is much different. I don't know the gear or tire your Ford has, but it may be different..not to mention the power/torque band. I believe the Tundra is too underpowered for the weight, and cannot wait for them to introduce their diesel motor in the 3/4 ton version. Just my opinion!
No, the tailgate is not going to help you at all. There has been studies that show having the tailgate up actually improve mileage? I've tried both, and didn't notice anything.Quote

That's good to know about the tail gate. My EX Ford had tow package, 7700 GVW package and upgraded wheels which included Michelin tires 265-70-17's. The gear ratio was 3.73 to 1. The rpm at 70 MPH was 2050 and the Tundra is about 2100 as I recall. Everything was pretty much the same. To get right down to the bottom line I am now under the opinion that the domestics just do a better job at getting MPG out of an engine than Toyota does. I had 2002 Highlander that didn't do much better than 15 around town. terrible MPG for a car of that size. I would not buy the 2007 for that reason alone. It has to be worse.

Gene

2000 rpm. Interesting my new 2006 runs 2200 at 70 mph. I drive pretty easy also and just got back from a 300 mile trip. I got 14.58 mpg.

2000 rpm. Interesting my new 2006 runs 2200 at 70 mph. I drive pretty easy also and just got back from a 300 mile trip. I got 14.58 mpg.

At 14.58 I think I would have it checked out. I am very dissapointed at 16 particularly when the sticker says 19. It's funny, this truck has all of the attributes required to get good mileage, but it doesn't. It is often in 3rd gear before I clear the intersection and will run along at about 1400 rpm through town without downshifting all good stuff. Yet the mpg sucks no matter how you drive it. Seems to be a built in feature for Toyota. my first Toyota was a 1984 PU, 5 speed, it didn't get any mpg either.
Your 2200 RPM could just be differences in instrumentation. I wouldn't swear mine is right.

gene

All interstate I get 20mph. In town it gets 15mph. 05 D-Cab 4x4.

Hi all
I have a 2001 Tundra,93K miles, V8 with soft cover on the bed. On a trip back from West Virginia in December I measured 18.6 MPG. Usually around home with 50% highway driving its around 16 - 17. I love the truck.

I got 16.21 off the first tank I checked in my Tundra. That is not too bad considering it had very little highway miles in it. I imagine it would get up near twenty if I was on a long highway trip. It is much better than the old Durango I used to have that got 14mpg no matter if it was highway or not.

I made about a 1000 miles trip to up to Sayre Pa then back home (Reading Pa) then over to Long Island and back. I saw around 17.5 the whole way. But that was with 3 extra people in the truck and their luggage. So it's hard to tell. Plus I had to floor it a couple times........those NYC drivers are crazy!! It's like a rat race trying to drive anywhere around NYC.

It made me wish really badly that I had a supercharger. I would give my left leg for one of them. Sh!t I don't need it to drive an automatic!

All interstate I get 20mph. In town it gets 15mph. 05 D-Cab 4x4.

At what speed do you get 20? At 2000 miles mine isn't coming close at least at 70-75.

I don't know if anyone has already mentioned this, so sorry if its a repeat. I would try taking the Tonneau cover off the back, it might actually cause lower gas milleage. As much as I hate to say it (I can't stand the show), the show Myth Busters had an episode in which they tested two F-150s in a drive off, one with the tail gate up, the other down. Common sense would suggest that less drag on the tail gate would = better gas, but on the contrary, the truck with the gate up got like 40 - 60 miles more on a tank of gas. They showed a pretty cool graphic on how the tailgate down causes more drag due to the air pushing down on the back of the truck. With the gate up, there was a vortex effect that caused less drag. I would guess that the tonneau cover would eliminate the vortex caused by the tail gate and create drag. I run a 2006 DC tundra and get around 19 MPG.

I don't know if anyone has already mentioned this, so sorry if its a repeat. I would try taking the Tonneau cover off the back, it might actually cause lower gas milleage. As much as I hate to say it (I can't stand the show), the show Myth Busters had an episode in which they tested two F-150s in a drive off, one with the tail gate up, the other down. Common sense would suggest that less drag on the tail gate would = better gas, but on the contrary, the truck with the gate up got like 40 - 60 miles more on a tank of gas. They showed a pretty cool graphic on how the tailgate down causes more drag due to the air pushing down on the back of the truck. With the gate up, there was a vortex effect that caused less drag. I would guess that the tonneau cover would eliminate the vortex caused by the tail gate and create drag. I run a 2006 DC tundra and get around 19 MPG.

That makes sense about the drag. What brand tires do you have on your DC?

Gene

I don't know if anyone has already mentioned this, so sorry if its a repeat. I would try taking the Tonneau cover off the back, it might actually cause lower gas milleage. As much as I hate to say it (I can't stand the show), the show Myth Busters had an episode in which they tested two F-150s in a drive off, one with the tail gate up, the other down. Common sense would suggest that less drag on the tail gate would = better gas, but on the contrary, the truck with the gate up got like 40 - 60 miles more on a tank of gas. They showed a pretty cool graphic on how the tailgate down causes more drag due to the air pushing down on the back of the truck. With the gate up, there was a vortex effect that caused less drag. I would guess that the tonneau cover would eliminate the vortex caused by the tail gate and create drag. I run a 2006 DC tundra and get around 19 MPG.
I used to run without a tailgate. When i put the tailgate back on after watching MYTHBUSTERS, My mileage went up 1 mpg.

I don't doubt the mpg claims by anyone. The fact is that tweaking, after-market additions, gasoline additives, etc... can explain such variations in mpg. I personally have even found that geographical elevations can have a bearing on the mpg. I ride motorcycles all over this country and Canada. I have found that my mpg increases with the higher elevations. I essentially live at sea level (Texas Gulf Coast), and my mileage on the Goldwing in normally in the 35mpg range, however, when I travel in the mountains...that mileage has increased to as much as 45mpg! Just adding a little more information for absorbtion.

My 05' has approximately 8k on the odometer and had never had never run through a full tank on the highway. Normally I get about 300 - 315 miles out of a tank strickly in town--start/stop short distances of 4 - 5 miles at a time. I normally average about 13-14 mpg in town. This last weekend I drove my truck 900 miles (450 each way) totally on Interstates. I drove at or slightly above the speed limits (70 - 75 mph-sometimes 80) and averaged 17.5 to 18.25 mpg. I use to complain all the time that I wasn't getting the mpg reported by others on TS but I was actually pleased with the numbers I got especially since I kept my foot in it and threw the 2000 rpm rule out the window. Since this thread is called "20 mpg How do you do it", I can only say that "I don't do it" and probably never will unless I am being towed behind another vehicle or going constantly downhill in neutral.

I don't know if anyone has already mentioned this, so sorry if its a repeat. I would try taking the Tonneau cover off the back, it might actually cause lower gas milleage. As much as I hate to say it (I can't stand the show), the show Myth Busters had an episode in which they tested two F-150s in a drive off, one with the tail gate up, the other down. Common sense would suggest that less drag on the tail gate would = better gas, but on the contrary, the truck with the gate up got like 40 - 60 miles more on a tank of gas. They showed a pretty cool graphic on how the tailgate down causes more drag due to the air pushing down on the back of the truck. With the gate up, there was a vortex effect that caused less drag. I would guess that the tonneau cover would eliminate the vortex caused by the tail gate and create drag. I run a 2006 DC tundra and get around 19 MPG.

The Myth Busters show only evaluated two scenraios: tailgate up and taingate down. Of those two they determine that the tailgate up was the best scenario. Someone on here posted a link to a SAE paper that evaluated pickup trucks for the tailgate up, tailgate down, and tonnea cover. The results, as I recall, indicated that the tailgate up was better than down, but that the coefficient of drag was lowest (i.e., best MPG) with a tonnea cover.

I'd keep the tonnea cover. If you want to save gas money just stay indoors and watch myth buster.

The Myth Busters show only evaluated two scenraios: tailgate up and taingate down. Of those two they determine that the tailgate up was the best scenario. Someone on here posted a link to a SAE paper that evaluated pickup trucks for the tailgate up, tailgate down, and tonnea cover. The results, as I recall, indicated that the tailgate up was better than down, but that the coefficient of drag was lowest (i.e., best MPG) with a tonnea cover.

I'd keep the tonnea cover. If you want to save gas money just stay indoors and watch myth buster.

I love your response because it is the truth. I plan on eventually getting a color-keyed ARE II tonneau cover for my bed after I get it Line-X'd. As you stated the best bed configuration for fuel mileage is with the tailgate up and a SOLID tonneau cover. The fabric and vinyl ones have enough resistance that they don't do squat but keep stuff in the bed from getting wet.

I was a bit disappointed that MythBusters only evaluated tailgate up or down, but they do have a tendency to evaluate only the most common scenarios or not thoroughly investigate or calculate things correctly.

I love your response because it is the truth. I plan on eventually getting a color-keyed ARE II tonneau cover for my bed after I get it Line-X'd. As you stated the best bed configuration for fuel mileage is with the tailgate up and a SOLID tonneau cover. The fabric and vinyl ones have enough resistance that they don't do squat but keep stuff in the bed from getting wet.

I was a bit disappointed that MythBusters only evaluated tailgate up or down, but they do have a tendency to evaluate only the most common scenarios or not thoroughly investigate or calculate things correctly.

For mythbusters to evaluate a third scenario they would have had to have 3 trucks, 3 drivers, three camera crews... It probably wasn't in their budget.

I found that link to the paper. If the below link is grabage just search "SAE tail gate" and you will find it easy.

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/interior-and-exterior/29363-new-sae-paper-on-tailgate-drag/?highlight=SAE+tail+gate

I don't know if anyone has already mentioned this, so sorry if its a repeat. I would try taking the Tonneau cover off the back, it might actually cause lower gas milleage. As much as I hate to say it (I can't stand the show), the show Myth Busters had an episode in which they tested two F-150s in a drive off, one with the tail gate up, the other down. Common sense would suggest that less drag on the tail gate would = better gas, but on the contrary, the truck with the gate up got like 40 - 60 miles more on a tank of gas. They showed a pretty cool graphic on how the tailgate down causes more drag due to the air pushing down on the back of the truck. With the gate up, there was a vortex effect that caused less drag. I would guess that the tonneau cover would eliminate the vortex caused by the tail gate and create drag. I run a 2006 DC tundra and get around 19 MPG.

Was it really 40-60 more miles? So with a 27 gallon tank and 50 extra miles that means the MPG was increased by 1.85 gallons. And with the tailgate down you increase drag by 0.012. So assuming a linear relationship between drag and MPG a decrease of drag by 0.025 (for a tonneau) would increase mileage by 3.85 MPG. That is impressive.

However, there must be a flaw since the majority of people on this site don't report any increase in MPG with a tonneau cover.

Matt

The Myth Busters show only evaluated two scenraios: tailgate up and taingate down. Of those two they determine that the tailgate up was the best scenario. Someone on here posted a link to a SAE paper that evaluated pickup trucks for the tailgate up, tailgate down, and tonnea cover. The results, as I recall, indicated that the tailgate up was better than down, but that the coefficient of drag was lowest (i.e., best MPG) with a tonnea cover.

I'd keep the tonnea cover. If you want to save gas money just stay indoors and watch myth buster.

I remember that! A bunch of Harvard engineering students did wind tunnel testing on a pickup truck. They tested it with the tailgate up, down, with a tonnue cover, and with a shell on the back. The shell had the worse coefficient of drag, followed by the tailgate down, and then the tailgate up, and finally with the tonnue being the best.

I got 22.7 mpg with my truck going 66 mph. It's a 2WD V8 access cab with a tonnue cover.

Here is what I did. I have 2005 DC 2WD. I have dual exhaust with flowmasters & low restriction air intake. I live mountains and most driving is hilly. I do have lead foot just ask my wife. I do not speed & drive speed limit. I stop & start like a rabbit not a turtle. I am quite good with calculator. On freeway I have gotten 19.6 & average 18+. Around town, taking kids to school average 14 to 15.

I got lots of put downs:devil: on the towing page for not keeping my trucks restricted in & out piping. I am happy every time I filler up that it can breath. My tundra is very quick and will run with anything stock.:) :tu:

I have a 04 dc and was getting 19 mpg on the open road untill I bought a hard cover for the back . Now I'm lucky to get 17.5 open road. The truck did better with the open bed tail gate up.

I know alot of you folks wont belive it..but its a fact for me..i own a 2002 quad cab limited v8 and i average from 17 to 22 mpg...i get 22 in hwy and i try it every time..maybe you guys need to consider the extra fuel left in the tank..wich is about 2-3 gallons that may make a little diference...=):tu:

What extra fuel?:confused: Care to explain.;)

yes actually its a reserve tank..son when the meter gets to empty does not mean that your car will shut off..you still got about 30-50 miles to go denpending on the driving conditions...so if you count those than maybe number will vary :rolleyes:

Daily driving, I typically average around 12-14, but on long steady driving trips, one of which to the Outer Banks from Richmond, I hit about 20 mpg. 01' 4x4 V8 TRD, 285/75/16's with stock gearing and a camper shell.

ultra1982 I think you are bit confused :)

Most people 1st top off thier tanks, then reset the trip meter,then drive thier trucks until the tank gets somewhat low anywhere from 1/4 tank - the last drop left in the tank...

Then you go back to the pump and fill it again to the top... then write down how many gallons you put in it... then divide the gallons put into it into the miles on your trip meter..

That way you get a pretty accurate measurement everytime no matter what on the exact amount you used instead of guessing how much may or may not be left in the tank. :)

That's exactly how I calculate mine redman733, except I usually run the gas gauge down to where the light comes on :rolleyes: . A typical empty fillup for me is between 20.063 to 23.023. I've been databasing my fuel consumption and fillups like any good OCD type would since 5/2004. So, with a 26.4 gallon tank, I've usually got about 5 or so gallons left when the light come on.

Best I ever did was 21...but then it had the factory tires and I never went above 65.
Just got back from a 1500 mile roung-trip from SLC, UT to Rapid City, SD..best I got was 18.3 (going to SD, 10-15 mph head on-wind, avg speed 73.4 MPH) worst was 13.7 (fought some serious wind all the way back to SLC - 20-40 MPH winds, avg speed 79.6).

Also, does anybody else have a doors that whistle in high winds?? Annoyed the he$$ out of me for 10 hrs.

I do have the larger 285/75-16. Didn't use my odomoter for these numbers, as my odom is off. Used my trip calculator in my GPS, since it would give me the true reading for miles driven, drive time and avg speed.

BTW - That drive sucks. Hats off to those of you that live in flat land. I get homesick when I can't see the mountains.

yes, my doors have some wind noise but i always attributed it to the plastic sun/rain shields running over the front and rear windows. i've never noticed any leaks or cold air coming in through the doors when closed. i think the outside mirrors also cause a little turbulence. maybe i should try removing the shields and see if there is still noise?

just curious.. did you reset your gps at each fill up? i always use the odometer in the truck. i think having a gps would be cool, but i guess i haven't needed it badly enough to take the plunge. anyway, just wondering how you did it.

I didn't erase the trip caclulator every time I filled up. I just wrote down the mileage showing on the GPS at time of fill-up. That way when I filled up again, I'd take the new mileage, minus the old mileage, divided by gallons used.
I did erase the trip calculator in the GPS before I left SD for UT though. Started with a clean slate.

As for the doors, I don't have those plastic visors, and it generally doesn't whistle as the wind hits me directly...but if it blows hard enough from the side (in this case north-easterly wind as I'm traveling due west) those doors whistle like crazy..maybe it's time for some new door rubber.

new kid chiming in.

Finally decided to see what kind of MPG i was lookin at. came out to 19. best so far. stock '03 tundra limited 4x4 access cab 49,000 miles and change. tailgate up, AC on, 18 year old driver mixed socal driving conditions.

ultra1982 I think you are bit confused :)

Most people 1st top off thier tanks, then reset the trip meter,then drive thier trucks until the tank gets somewhat low anywhere from 1/4 tank - the last drop left in the tank...

Then you go back to the pump and fill it again to the top... then write down how many gallons you put in it... then divide the gallons put into it into the miles on your trip meter..

That way you get a pretty accurate measurement everytime no matter what on the exact amount you used instead of guessing how much may or may not be left in the tank. :)


EXACTLY:tu: This is the PROPER way to check your mileage. How many gallons you may or may not have left in the tank means nothing.:sleep:

Here in Oregon we can't pump our own gas. I have found that the mileage on the first shut off was a constant 15-15.2 in town & when I had them top it off it ranged from 13.6 to14.4, always fueling at the same costco. Being consistent seems to dissappear when it is topped off. Just my experience. Self serve might make the difference.

Don't think it makes difference or does it, if you top it off couple more times or not...so long as you calculate the mileage from the last gas stop to present...basically give you the mileage from the gas used...isn't that the way you have to do it?

Doesn't matter if you stop at the first click or put in more. What matters is being consistent. No single fill up will give you an accurate reading because all trips are different. Ideally, you would fill up at the same station, same pump, stop at the first, second, third click, whatever. Just be consistent. Over time, you will average out the differences. Of course, you would have to drive consistently, too, which is the hardest thing to do. But what you should see in the figures is a "most frequent" mileage figure. This will not be the "average" figure but the mpg you get most often(the mode). The one I get most often is 18.5 mpg.

I have a scan gauge installed http://www.scangauge.com. Best $130 ever spent. It hooks into the diagnostic port and gives instantaneous info. I made a run from Maine to S. Jersey back in Feb. Best I saw was 19 mpg with it hovering around 18.8 doing 75mph down town the Jersey turnpike. My '04 DC is stock with the tires pumped at 33psi.

BTW paid $2.01 per gallon back in late Feb. Ahh, the memories

That sounds interesting:cool: Have you checked how accurate it is though? I mean checking your mileage the standard way and then comparing it to the scangauge data.:)

I got 5k on the DC now and I can tell you there is no way anyone with a DC is getting 20mpg unless you're lowered and have a bed cover.

Me = 4wd, lifted 3", 33's, retrax

14mpg on average

That method described above, or prior, is also the method I use, and used for a year from June 2004 to June 2005 when I recorded my mileage. For the year of active recording, mixed conditions, I averaged 16.928 MPG.

That sounds interesting:cool: Have you checked you accurate it is though? I mean checking your mileage the standard way and then comparing it to the scangauge data.:)

Diego, no, I haven't since the numbers are falling into the range I've expected to see. I will say this, everytime I fill up and reset the unit, there is a difference in the calculated gallons used versus the actual gallons pumped ( a few tenths),so there probably is some difference. But overall I highly recommend the unit due to the fact it gives a lot more info than just figuring out MPG. Actually, I bought it for it's code reading capabilities and everything else is just a bonus. I mainly use the truck locally but now that you've brought it up, I'll compare figures next major road trip.

well not sure why but i did the same driving i do every week yet on my latest tank I got exactly 300 miles on it(i'm usually around 240-270)

I then put in 21.25 gallons of gas and that = 14.12 gallons per gallon :)
I'm always getting somewhere in the 12's mpg so this 1st tank of 14 mpg makes me pretty happy :)

my truck has almost 5,000 miles on it....maybe the winter gas really does hurt the mileage? Oh well hope it continue's to improve :)

Yeah, the winter gas does result with poorer mileage. As far as engine breakin goes though, my truck was REALLY hard on gas for about the first 2000 kms, then it improved a bit and since then has not improved any more, pretty much stayed the same. 17,500 kms now.:rolleyes:

Remember...for some reason the U.S. has their own values for standard units. There is an "Imperial Gallon" and there is also a "U.S. Gallon". Since I am Canadian (and an engineer), we use the superior metric system like the majority of the world and I will therefore compare it to litres (L). There is only 1 unit of a litre. 1 kilogram of pure water (or 2.2lbs) has an equivelent volume of 1 litre...convenient, eh? If you want a way to think of this, one U.S. quart is approximately one litre (it's actually 0.95L). Now, here's where you have to put your thinking cap on...

One U.S gallon = 3.785 Litres or (8.327 lbs of water)
One Imperial Gallon = 4.546 Litres (10.0 lbs of water)

This works out to be approximately 17% difference in fuel economy depending on how you look at it. There are lots of conversion websites out there that will do this math for you if you don't know how to use a calculator.

I'm glad you guys are superior at something. Replying to a 2 year old thread just to beat your chest points to other issues..........

I got 5k on the DC now and I can tell you there is no way anyone with a DC is getting 20mpg unless you're lowered and have a bed cover.

Me = 4wd, lifted 3", 33's, retrax

14mpg on average

A bed cover will reduce your gas mileage not increase it. Remember these are created in a wind tunnel anytime you modify it your changing the aerodynamics's of the vehicle. Myth buster did a show on this topic. By removing the tailgate on a F150 it reduced its full tank range by over 30 miles.

Who is the worlds only superpower? Canada?
We do not need to be like the rest of the world cause we are the center of the known universe at this point in history.
Yeah,I know I'm just another f--ked up American.
Damn proud of it actually.

265/70-16 Yokohama AT/S tires, 51 PSI. K&N intake with some custom tubing for more airflow, SS headers, TB spacer, dual exhaust, all custom piping, Qtech cutout.... calculated with scanguage AND by hand, came up with same numbers: 21.8 mpg average city/highway. probably 40% city, 60% highway. no bs.

51 psi? Wow...isn't your ride a little rough?

Didn't intend to insult anyone...I just think that the metric system makes life a lot easier.

But I do have to say that the country at "the center of the known universe" has it's share of issues.

Don't forget Hockey Boys

But I do have to say that the country at "the center of the known universe" has it's share of issues.

Like trying to take offense when people from other countries insinuate we should be more like people from other countries.
Wait a minute you may be on to something......Nah :D

51 psi? Wow...isn't your ride a little rough?

Didn't intend to insult anyone...I just think that the metric system makes life a lot easier.

But I do have to say that the country at "the center of the known universe" has it's share of issues.


ride is fine, the tires are recommended at 51 psi! and yes, the fractions system we use here blows a fat wad. metric is sooooo much easier, more efficient, faster, etc. that's why i'm glad i have a metric truck ;):tu:

Just to chime in here, I usually average around 15-17 mpg but last year my wife and I took a trip to niagra falls. I kept it around 65-70 the whole way and got 22mpg. :D

Just drove to Vegas last week and got 240 mi. and still w/ about 1/8 of a tank left. Before I left, i seafoamed the chambers, cleaned the TB and the MAF sensor. I have no bed cover; in fact I have ladder racks. I drove at a pretty steady pace at about 75 mph and had the OD off at long climbs.

Don't know how much mpg that exactly is, I'm figuring about 18.

51 psi may be recommended on the tire but that is likely at maximum load. If you were to add a bunch of weight into your truck you will see that the tire pressure increases without adding any air (P*V=n*R*T). Look on the inside of the drivers' door or in your manual and you will see that 35 psi is recommended. If you've been running at 51 psi for very long, check your tread depth at the center of the tire compared to an inch or two in from the outer edge and see if there is a difference. I have a feeling that you are wearing out the center of your tire by having them inflated this high. It does make sense that you would improve your mileage with harder tires though.

I know...psi is imperial...but pretty much every air compressor and tire guage you get has psi as the primary unit so i am used to it ;)

i checked the tread wear. it's dead even. I know if you run, say, a BFG all-terrain K/O at 50 psi it balloons, and it'll wear the centers quickly. I like these Yokohamas, they stay pretty squared even at high pressures :)

tundra39:

It is a very bad idea to "top off" modern trucks. The emission control systems often have vent hoses that enter near the bottom of the fuel fill tube. If liquid gasoline instead of vapor gets into these hoses, it can contaminate components such as the charcoal canister with liquid gasoline. This in turn will result in the dreaded CEL lighting up on the dash board and a $300+ repair bill to make it go away. I just let the nozzle shut off automatically. Over time, the small differences caused by the automatic shut off will even out for the mpg calculation.

By the way, my 2005 DC 4X4 has been averaging just under 15 mpg with mixed driving during the winter and around 17 mpg during the summer. Driving in cold weather usually cost a couple of mpg. I haven't determined the highway mpg while not towing as yet.

hi, a big drop in gas mileage is due to sitting at long traffic light's, or having the truck running while waiting for someone, or leaven it running while you run into a store, etc.anything you do,while standing still and leaving the truck running. it's burning gas.it can drop your mileage several mpg. gorilla
p.s. there is aways a fred flintstone way, cut a hole in the floor board and help push the truck with your feet! just kiddingLOL
gorilla

Hey guys when i drove from california to colorado, about 1000 miles i got about 23-25 mpg i did the math over 20 times because i couldnt belive it drive around 70 cruise control set. I am not joking i got 23+mpg. I even asked the guy at the gas station if he could double check for me and he agreed with me. I have a flowmaster, coldintake and new spark plugs thats all i have every done to my baby. o ya its a 2001 v8 limited

I get 20-21 on my '03 V8, but I don't drive aggressively, 200 mi hwy commute twice a week and live at 6000' so that might help.

The only suggestions I can offer have been mentioned already. But, for what it's worth:

1. Keep tires aired up ... 35 psi all around is a good start.

2. Avoid jackrabbit starts and prolonged hard accelerations.

3. Take advantage of opportunities to coast.

4. Avoid "full hammer" passing when you're trying to get around a slower vehicle.

5. Drive with all windows closed, particularly during highway trips.

6. Try to keep your speed down ... easier said than done, I know. My '04 DC LTD V8 gets around 20-22 mpg (according to my Scan Gauge) at 60 mph, but it declines quickly as I speed up. At 65 mph, the gauge shows about 18-20 mpg, at 70 mph it shows about 17-18 mpg, and at 80 mph it shows about 16-17 mpg. If the a/c is on, I lose 1-2 mpg at all speeds.

Good luck.

Hello
I have a 2004 access cab 4 wd Tundra and have kept a mileage log since new. Always use a calculator to determine mpg since last fillup. We live in the mountains of NC. Average mpg local driving from low of 15 to high of 17. Best highway mpg is 19.9. When towing 28 foot travel trailer at 60 to 65 mph average mpg from low of 9 mpg in mountains to high of 13 mpg when on flat land. All these mpg's were with 26 psi in tires. Have recently changed to 35 psi in all tires. Too soon to know if it affects mpg.

2. Avoid jackrabbit starts and prolonged hard accelerations.
Jackrabbit starts?

On the same line of #3. In stop and go traffic, pace (notice how semi's drive) instead of accelerating/braking, and accelerating/braking. Easier on the transmission too.

TO RICH29:

Jackrabbit start = Southernese meaning blasting away from stop signs, traffic lights, etc.

2006 DC V8 20Kmiles- I consistently get 17.5 MPG unless I drive like an idiot then I get about 13mpg (or less).

04 Tundra A/C 2WD V8, I've hit over 20mpg quite a few times in Summer months and feel the secret if there is one is to use same good quality gas, fill up on the slow notch, let auto stop work as intended and let trans shift between 2400-2600 rpms. I've got syn fluids front to rear and use a hard cover on box. Heavy tires will cut your gas mileage, especially in stop & go driving. Preminum tires typically cost me 1.3-1.4 MPG this last 4 months plus the normal winter fuel drop. Keep it below 75mph on highway....
Motoretro

OK, here's my gas mileage figures. I have a 2002 2WD Tundra, V8, just turned 99,000 miles. New stock air filter,no mods, I did replace belts, water pump, seals, idlers, antifreeze and hoses a couple weeks ago. I just made a 350 mile trip across Tennessee (350 miles) hauling my motorcycle and other gear (750 pounds + my 170 pounds) and got 17 MPG going and double checked coming back and got the same. I drive this trip at least once a month. On trips when I do not haul anything, I get in the 19-20 MPG range. This is driving 75-80 on I-40, almost no starting and stopping on the trip. I use Shell regular gas most of time. I am running new 245/15 Michelin Latitudes with nitrogen, front at 26 PSI, (rear at 35 PSI when loaded, 30 PSI when running empty), I do manage my starts properly, did my drag racing in my younger days. However, I do not get that good around town, have never checked it but am in the process of doing that now.

To the original poster, the reason you aren't getting great mileage is because you have to, "Go 75 or get a ticket."

Mpg goes proportionally down above 55 or 60 mph. (I forget which.)

Since I upgraded to 33's in my 2003 V8 4WD, and increased the amount of vertical surface on the front of the truck thru the lift, I am averaging about 350 miles a tank. I put 21.4 gallons in just about on the nose everytime. So I'm getting about 16.4 mpg. It's also been really windy here since I lifted it. The most optimum conditions I've ever seen is early summer during 75-85 degree days, with little to no wind. Mostly highway driving I have seen 420 miles on one tank. (That was on stock 31's.)

In essence, on the highway it doesn't matter if you aren't on the throttle all the time or not, if you are running 75-80, you're burning alot of fuel.

:)

06 DC 2wd on 265s.... 15 - 17mpg

I have an '00 4wd Limited. It has 132,000 miles on the clock. Since day one, it has averaged about 16mpg per tank average. That's a 15-20 mile commute to work and back, and general around town running. I have driven it on longer road trips, and gotten closer to 18 or 19mpg...but pretty much all highway...and no more than 10mph over the posted speed limit. There are 3 reasons why some people get really crappy fuel mileage from their Tundras:

1) Aggresive driving, too much gas pedal too often, hard starts, driving too fast, etc. This is the biggie.

2) Altering the intake and exhaust, or adding larger tires, etc. If you modify your intake and/or exhaust, you're gonna get worse MPGs. There are no two ways about it, the vehicle is tuned a specific way from the factory...altering that even slightly like adding open dual exhaust, alters the trucks fuel ratio...and kills MPGs. Ask the guys who are getting 10-12mpg if their truck is stock.

3) Pulling ANYTHING...from a lawnmower trailer to a huge boat....doesn't matter.

With mixed driving I'm between 14.5 and 15.5. Towing 5000 I'm about 9 to 10 MPG.

14.1 worst ever and 23.6 best. When driving 50/50 city highway I get 17.5 to 18.3 on a regular basis. Even with the air on this time of year. The computer is very close, within a 10th, but I usually use the odmeter and calculator to figure the mileage. 9,988 miles I have on my 2007 DC limited 2wd 17" tires and drive 65 to 78 on the freeway. I might be feeling lucky on the mpg thing?

14.1 worst ever and 23.6 best. When driving 50/50 city highway I get 17.5 to 18.3 on a regular basis. Even with the air on this time of year. The computer is very close, within a 10th, but I usually use the odmeter and calculator to figure the mileage. 9,988 miles I have on my 2007 DC 5.7 l limited 2wd 17" tires and drive 65 to 78 on the freeway. I might be feeling lucky on the mpg thing?

My truck got a tad bit over 20mpg one time, when my wife was driving it. Worst Ive got was 13.4mpg when I first bought it, 17-18mpg after I did a tune-up. Now I get about 15-16mpg mixed driving, time to tune-up again.

My 2006 double cab tundra got an average of 15.85 mpg on last fillup with mostly around town driving.

My prior 2004 chevy colorado only average about 17.5 mpg.

My prior 2001 land rover averaged about 9 mpg on premium no less. ouch.


I'm wondering if the mpg people are seeing isn't also dependent on what transmission and gear ratio they have.

I get 18-19mpg driving 46 miles a day (20 miles on the street). Slow starts, let it shift at 1500rpm and cruise control at 50mph. People on the freeway hate me!
2006 DC

Anyone know how to decrease a lot of the weight on the truck? I agree that I shouldn't mess with the aero, etc. since the factory must have tuned it to be best. Not sure about the exhaust and intake, a LITTLE less restriction couldn't hurt, and I don't mean going to 4" pipes.

I wonder how much the back seats in my DC weigh? That way I won't get "volunteered" for driving to people to lunch at work just cuz I have more seats!

I'm trying to figure out how all these people are getting a lot better gas mileage when a V8 Tundra is rated at 14/17. I don't know off the top of my head what a V6 gets, but my guess is that is why there is such a difference in people's gas mileages. Personally the best I have gotten is 17.2 in my 4x4 V8 Tundra with leveling kit, 285 tires, K&N, throttle body spacer and Flowmaster exhaust. If anyone has any ideas on how to get better gas mileage for my truck without lowering it and putting smaller tires back on it?

Drive gently and drive 55-60.

I've got a new commute, about 60 miles a day out some very twisty/hilly 2-lane roads. I was getting 15-16mpg running hard, but for the last couple weeks have backed off. So instead of downshifting and pulling the hills at 65mph I let it drop down to 55mph (speed limit) on a lot of the hills and have been easing through the turns instead of powering out. I build up some steam coming down hills but overall try to keep my speeds around 60-65mph on the straight-aways. The adjustment adds about 2 minutes to the commute but my mileage has been up in the 17's. I've got slightly larger AT's (265-75-17's) than stock and I've thought about putting the stock size back on for summer. My mileage dropped between 1-2mpg when I switched to the AT's. Every 1mpg increase will save you about $15/month at todays fuel prices. That doesn't quite cover the cost of switching out tires though.

My truck is always between 18-19 mpg for my commute, which is mostly highway (35 miles each way) but frequently get caught up in traffic going home so 1 hour is pretty normal (10 miles of 65 mph, 10 miles of stop/go, 15 miles of ~50) averaging 35 mph.

AC, 2wd, bed cover, stay under 65 on the highway, easy starts, 40psi tires, and try to keep the truck rolling while in traffic.

I did get >20 on a long trip where I kept it under 70. Another long trip netted me 17 but I was going 75+.

well guys, I had the Ddodge Ram RT edition and it never got over 15 mpg. I now have my 05 Tundra DC and now i drive like a grandpa since its 4x and gas is 4 bucks a gallon. I drive about 100 miles a day and if i keep it under 2200 rpm and under 65 mpg i get about 385 miles per tank. Its all about how you drive and for gosh sakes get good gas, Chevron is what I use. I tried the Shell and others but i get the best mpg with chevron, maybe my imagination but the numbers prove it.

Several thoughts;
In about '02 there was a guy on these boards that slammed his tundra instead of lifting it and I was wondering if it helped the milage. Anyone else lowered theirs?
I've offered this advice before, always drive downhill.
On the 51PSI tires, they won't stop you as fast, so watch out. Less rolling resistance = less stopping friction.
I drive the V-6 with a stick cause I CAN drive better than a computer and I have averaged 20+ for 96k miles. My best tank took me 526 miles and took 22.5 gallons to fill. I thought I was running on vapors but it was the first station for 50 miles. Gave me something to brag about, too. Even with the six it hauls and tows all I need for my small cabinet business. WB

I have hit 20.3 in my 04 4x4 not towing no AC @ 70 or lower speed a couple of times but not on the gas in Wisc, which is reformulated it actually puts a match out. the good mileage came with normal gas in down state Ill and Tenn in the summer time, and when towing 3200 lbs with the same conditions a consistant 14.6 mpg, @ 65 mph. Low gas mileage consists of several issues, choke time to shut off choke,at times my tundra gen 1 will fast idle in 80 degree weather. type of gas, ( have seen a 2.5 mpg gain with normal unleaded gas) lead foot, head winds, tail winds, cross winds, how much your wife weighs, or if your dog took a good dump the night before.

got 19 out of my 06 dc on a trip 2 weeks ago. 62mph on the highway and lots of coasting to stop lights. plenty of people passing me but i noticed a lot more vehicles have slowed their pace down.

2002 4x4 4.7L V-8 with Snugtop Supersport cap. Best gas mileage ever was a 500 mile tank from Alturas, CA to Kettleman City, CA. that worked out to 22mpg. That was loaded up with camping gear on a pronghorn hunt.

The driver has a lot to do with actual mpg on the road. Drove out to Colorado last year on a deer hunt. My buddy got 15.5 mpg driving my truck from Baker, CA to Beaver, UT. I got 18.9 mpg driving from Beaver to Craig, CO. We both averaged 70 mph. The difference? He uses the cruise control, I don't (too many hills). You can speed up a little on flats and downhills, then bleed off the extra speed on any uphill sections. Plan your passes and slow down on long uphill grades. Yeah, kind of boring but it saves a bunch of $$.

My Tundra is an 05 V8 Access Cab and I have a spread sheet on every tank since new in June 05. My overall MPG is 15.4 in city and I get from 18 to 21 on the road, around 19 running 75 or more and 20+ if I stay under 70 MPH. You also have to understand a couple of differences between the trucks mentioned already. My 05 was the first to receive the 5 speed electronic transmission and the increased HP. Mine is also 2 wheel drive, you take a 4 speed trans with 4WD and you will get less MPG. Tire design, inflation and the weight of the right foot also has a lot to do with it. I do have a heavy foot and if I didn't like the sound of my Flowmaster mufflers so much, I know my mileage would be better. To help with the MPG, I plan to keep the freer flowing muffler, probably just a turbo muffler when mine needs replacing, if not sooner due to the high gas prices.

I get 19.5. Mostly hwy miles and I never go above 67 unless I'm passing someone. Never get my RPMs above 2500 or so.

I have a 2006 Tundra SR5 Access Cab with the 6 Cylinder and I do get 21-22 on Interstate and 18-19 in city (daily commute 26 miles total in city traffic). Just as advertised.

I suggest the ususal clean oil and filter, clean air filter, egg under gas pedal routine. ALSO have your alignment checked, tire pressure too. I've not seen 20 but 18 looks good considering my truck lives in the moutains.

If you use a SCANGAUGE and keep an eye on INSTANT MILEAGE and TODAY's MILEAGE, you will have a pretty good idea of how much gas you use.

I use that to get nearly 17mpg in town instead of 14/15 mpg I used to get. Never took a trip yet since I bought the Scanguage.

It's not earth chattering but every lil bit helps !

I avg 19-20 mpg. :happy: (if not just a bit more 20.4, 20.6)... I pump 15 gals of 87 (76 Station) = 309 miles... from warning light to warning light.

I'm easy on the throttle, keep it at avg. 2000 RPM @ 65 mph. 85% HWY.



06 AC w/4.0 V6 5 Spd auto Trans. all stock w/ Mobil 1 Fully Syn. 5/30.
34K change oil every 3.5K, Change plugs @ 30K. 34 PSI on alloys.

I have a 2006 V6 2WD. I have gotten 22 mph on the hwy with no mountainous travel. Most of the time I get 20 mpg hwy. Around town I get 18 mpg most of the time. Leave your tailgate up. Studies show that a dead air space forms behind the cab with the tailgate up. When the tailgate is down a vacuum forms behind the cab that will lower your mileage at higher speeds. Speeds over 65 mph will lower your mpg as will speeds that are too low for the top gear to kick in. Accelerate from a stop moderately. Too slow and you stay in lower gears too long, too fast and you waist fuel. RPM's under 2500 on level ground are good. Slowly press the gas peddle when accelerating, the more abrupt the gas peddle movement the lower the MPG. Aggressive driving wastes a lot of fuel. Pay attention to what is going on 6 seconds ahead of you so you can get your foot off the accelerator early. Remember that every time you have to brake the heat generated by your brakes is energy that you bought at the pump! If you follow too close to the car in front of you the amount of braking you do increases as you do not have a chance to coast before you hit the brake. I consistently get 2 to 3 mpg better in the same car in the same driving conditions than my wife. She follows closer than I do and accelerates more abruptly. You do not have to drive like an old man but you are going to have to leave room for another car to cut in front of you if you want decent gas mileage. Running the A/C will also use more fuel so you may find milage drops a little in warmer weather.

I have an 06 DC 4x4 V8 and I just did a trip through the cascade mountains with a tow dolly on the back. Empty i got between 18.9 and 17.8(towards the end of the trip I was pushing it to get there faster). This was all on highway not freeway. With a 98 escort in tow on the freeway I only dropped down to 16.5 and that was going over the mountains too. With no trailer I have seen 20+ a few times but usually on flat freeways. Openning the moonroof tends to reduce it a bit. Also I use higher quality gas vice the cheap stuff. I have driven 12k so far.

I believe that the quality of the fuel stock plays the biggest part in how well your truck runs. I've seen wild fluctuations in my mpg's and the only thing that changed was my fuel. When my truck was doing this every other car in the house was doing the same thing and fuel was the only common denominator among them. The best mpg I've ever seen is 17.97 out of one tank but my truck has only broken the 17 mpg barrier 12 times and dropped below 13 mpg once out of 138 times I've put gas in it. Yes I track every fill up on a spreadsheet which tells me everything including my fuel cost per mile. That cost has more than doubled since I bought this truck and is currently at .26 per mile.

Here in Oregon we can't pump our own gas. I have found that the mileage on the first shut off was a constant 15-15.2 in town & when I had them top it off it ranged from 13.6 to14.4, always fueling at the same costco. Being consistent seems to dissappear when it is topped off. Just my experience. Self serve might make the difference.

A little off topic but why don't you guys CHANGE THE LAW? Are there that many crack heads on the government nipple that cannot survive any other way?

I've been averaging about 14.5 - 16 in my '03 AC 4x4 on almost entirely city driving. If I take a drive out to the paintball field, it will jump to 18 since it is a 4-lane, no lights and little traffic. I doubt I could get 20 coasting down hill with a tail wind but I'm not disappointed. My last truck, a Chevy S10 ZR2 with a 4.3, only got 21 about twice on the way to the airport. Otherwise, it got 15-17 in the city and didn't have half the torque or near the comfort.

Well, I'm 62 and have had two SR5 V8 Tundras (03' and now an 05'). I also can use a calculator and my mileage on both vehicles are right in line with most of these posts-i.e.-13 in town, 16 -17 on the road. You are very fortunate indeed!

I have an 02 SR5 V6 AC and I get around 16-17 city and 18-19 Hwy. Running 60-65mph on the hwy and babying it around town. The truck has been meticulously maintained and still looks brand new (it stays covered up when it is not being driven) and it has about 200 coats of wax on it. I also run either 89 or 93 in it since day and some Marvel Mystery Oil in the gas at every fill up using Chevron gas ONLY

I just took a 120 mile trip and ran 66mph @ 2050 rpm and got 19.5 mpg. I determined that 66 was the slowest I could stand and run with traffic. I was actually surprised, I didn't think it would get over 17-18. It was hard not to run 75, but the money savings makes it easier!

For whatever reason I think some people are honest...just their trucks do different than mine or yours. I make O2 sensors where I work at, and we build all parts to a certain spec, exactly the same way and same process and there are always variation windows for specs that are still good parts. You can take two vehicles off the production line, built one right after the other and I bet you that you could drive them exactly the same and get different mileages out of them.

So the same can be said for any mass produced item. Especially vehicles. I have a 2002 TRD 4x4 Tundra, access cab with 4.7 V8. Everything is still factory on it, all except the tires of course. I have 68,000 and some odd miles on mine.

I drive 11.3 miles to work one way on interstate. If I drive just from home-work, and work-home, with a little extra going to church, groceries, and such, I get around 16.5 MPG. Normal driving and no lead foot. Our max speed limit on interstate is 70 MPH but I've actually slowed down to 60 and that helps a bit. I read a stat that said driving 60 MPH vs 70 MPH gives an average of about 10% increase in gas mileage, and that number grows for ever mile an hour over 70 that you go. I drove it full interstate to Virginia from TN back in April. Me and my wife with our luggage and such...and we got 383 and some odd miles out of a tank on just interstate travel. But I've never got 20 MPG out of it. I actually came here looking for tips on squeezing more out of what I'm getting now and after reading along...I guess I should be happy with what I've got now?!

If I fill my tank to the rim, I can squeeze an average of 370 mixed highway/city miles out of a tank before the fuel light comes on. And that would be putting about 21 gallons in it to fill it back up.

I just got back from a long road trip where my speedometer stayed between 78-80 mph on the interstates with the A/C on. My average was 18.2 mpg. Not bad for that speed.

Best I ever got with my 06 4X4 is 20.2MPG on flat highway with cruise control ON at 62 mph. I doubt anyone could get any better as I use the Scangauge to monitor my Instant Mileage and Today's mileage constantly.

I was happy to get 17.4 out of 370 miles of mixed driving the other day, with about 240 of it being a trip on highways with average speeds of 55 mph, a few 65mph and a few 45mph. This is on a 06 DC tundra 4x2 with undercover toneau cover.

I recently went to 41 psi in all four tires and replaced the air filter. I run Michelins, truxedo cover, JBAs, and Mobil 1. Since taking it easy on the acceleration and brakes I am now averaging about 19mpg. Last tank was 19.1combined hwy and light city driving. In the winter milage seems to drop off dramatically in these parts.

Well remember that winter equals more resistance in the driveline until things warm up. I continue to read all of the posts where people state that they are getting great mileage with their trucks. I hope that your calculations are done dividing miles driven by gallons used and not with any other method. The best I've ever managed with my truck is 17.97 mpg on I-95 which is just about as flat as you can get. Here on the coast the wind always blows so wind resistance is always high around here.

Put bigger tires on it when you have to replace them.

I get about 280 miles on a tank (next time I fill up, I'll do my MPG)... I travel about 23 miles a day, working 5 days a week, I travel a semi back road (about 50-60 MPH) and I can go about 2 1/2 weeks.

I slowed down a bit, I've slowed down my aceleration, I coast to stop lights/signs, look ahead to see if anyone is turning and step off the gas. Basically, I try to use my brakes as little as possible.. while remaining safe (I'm not reckless about it).

Wind resistance seems to play a really large role in my mpg. I typically drive easy (gentle accelerations, try to keep the truck moving in traffic, maintain momentum thru turns, coast when possible, etc.).

My commute is 35 miles each way with all but ~2 miles on the highway. Mornings I rarely have to slow down. Return trip frequently runs into some stop/go traffic. I always run my tires ~40 psi (factory Bridgestones) and have a Bakflip cover.

Up until a few months ago, I would travel 65-67 mph when on the highway and average 18.5 mpg (dividing miles driven by gas needed to refill the tank). Lately I've slowed down to 62-63 mpg and have been averaging 20.5.

Put bigger tires on it when you have to replace them.
***********************************

Bigger tires will reduce the RPMs, hence possibly improving the gas mileage. (Be sure that your speedometer is still accurate now as it will show lower speed and less miles driven ). How do you know that the torque curve is at a more efficient point at the new RPMs ?

The bigger tires are also heavier and each one being a rotating mass, not just dead weight, they require a lot of energy to fight their inertia.

Now the truck will be riding higher, which will modify the aerodynamics and allow more air to pass under the truck. That creates more turbulence ( requiring energy ) as it chews on a larger volume of air, thus reducing your gas mileage.

Taking those facts into consideration makes the claim of bigger tires resulting in better gas mileage rather dubious.

I've kept close track over the last 6 months and averaged 14.8 mpg, 90% around town, not going over 50 mph most of the time.

My truck: 2002, V8, 2WD SR5 extended cab, TRD package. Everything is stock. I've kept the tires at the recommended pressure according to the sticker on the inside of the door. I'll probably try one of the higher pressures >30 psi for a couple of tanks to see.

I use the trip odometer and reset eveytime. I let the pump shut off when the tank is full and leave it at that.

I log my mileage every tank, as trained by my Dad, for every car, all my life.

I averaged 18 with my 2000 Tundra.

I have an '01 2WD now. I have improved my mileage with the following measures:

Drive slow 55-65. I use a scan gauge to monitor my habits. Fill up when temperatures are the coolest (more gas per gallon). Do not let the tank get below 1/3 full (less evaporation). I took my bull bar off the front and use a tonneau cover on the bed. Windows up A/C off.

I tow a lot, so my average sucks. But on a trip using the above I have gotten tops 22.9 and typically 20. Traveling with a fiberglass topper cuts me back to 18.9.

Towing is 10-13. I am starting an experiment using air tabs to reduce drag with the trailer. I'll post if it makes a difference.

2002 AC 4.7L automatic, stock size BF Goodrich Rugged Trails, open bed, tailgate up, etc etc.... I'm in the 12/17 club. Driving to work takes me along a stretch of roadway that is 50mph but has traffic lights every 1 mile or so. Stupid I know. Going to work has less traffic than coming home. Example...going to work in the morning takes 10 minutes. Coming home takes 20-25 minutes. I don't slam the accelerator. I let teh truck gain speed but do so without letting it get to far from 2000rpm. This in town commmute gets me about 12 mpg during the week. On the highway ( 65 mph with cruise) I've figured it at about 17 using the full tank then gas replacement calculation. To say what I get over a tank would be a guess. I don't let my tank get below 1/2 but I notice about 90 miles plus or minus for each 1/4 of a tank. So with combined city/highway that would put at about 14mpg.

Still, that Prius only looks good at the pump. I'd rather a horse than a Prius. LOL... He can take me to work, graze in my backyard, and fertilize the front. LOL. Think about it....reliable transportation, no grass cutting, no fertilizing, no kids coming to play in your front yard. OH wait....when he craps the hippy, tree hugging, Marxist, & fraudulent enviromentalist will claim he's polluting.

hahaha

Wait until the Veterinarian slips you his bill !

You thought the gas bill was high..........................

Engine off, going downhill with illegal aliens pushing :loco: :focus::yo:

I get 20 mpg below 60 mph around town. If it is a lot of slow traffic then I'll get 17-18 mpg. If I drive over 60 mph I'll get 19 mpg. At 75 mph I get 17.5
Wind is not the 1st Gen friend:(
4.0 v6 with 18" Magnaflow.
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I just took a trip to Walmart and AT&T. 8 Stop signs round trip. I was not easy on acceleration but I did drive easy once up to speed limit. Scangauge said my daily mileage is 21.8 MPG.

I'm loving my V-6. I do 230 mile round trip commutes, gas paid for by company. At 65MPH I get 22-23 MPG using calculator and SG-II. This is single passenger unloaded with A/C on on flat Interstate.

I did 55MPH for about ten miles and ScanGuage was averaging 27MPG. If we go back to 55mph I think we will greatly slow down the money drain to the Middle East if we can keep from falling asleep at the wheel.

I've only had my truck for about 1k miles so far, but I generally average between 16-17mpg overall in mixed driving. However on a short (60mi) highway stint last weekend where I filled up immediately before hopping on the highway, and again immediately after getting off I calculated 21.12mpg, which really surprised me. I expeced 18-19 or so, and was very happy to see it over the 20 mark. Now keep in mind this was very lightfooted driving (making sure not to bring rpm's over 2k accelerating onto the highway) and cruising around 70mph - nothing in tow and only a mtn bike in the bed.

I agree I got around 13 mpg on my 2000 Tundra and now i'm getting 12 mpg on my 2006 Tundra.....i'm getting around 245 miles to a tank before the low fuel light comes on....The scary part is over 1/2 my miles are on the highway ...Still love my tundra though :)

I get around 420-450 miles to a tank.

60 miles trip ??

You used roughly 3 gallons of fuel. When you fill it up you can easily stop filling with yet another gallon of air left in the tank.

In order to produce meaningful results, you should drive a full tank ( better yet several full tanks ) and fill it up the same way at the same station.

Adding 3 gallons like you did means that your mileage is anywhere between 15 and 25.

60 miles trip ??

You used roughly 3 gallons of fuel. When you fill it up you can easily stop filling with yet another gallon of air left in the tank.

In order to produce meaningful results, you should drive a full tank ( better yet several full tanks ) and fill it up the same way at the same station.

Adding 3 gallons like you did means that your mileage is anywhere between 15 and 25.

I wanted to see what highway mileage could be if it was purely highway driving and I drove with a light foot.

Steps I took

-Fill tank
-Reset trip odom
-Drove 58 miles
-Filled up
-Calculated miles driven divided by gallons pumped = mpg

Surely at some stages such as accelerating to get on the highway I wasn't getting 21.12. However on this short trip that of 60 miles I used just shy of 3 gallons so each gallon of fuel that I used took me 21.12 miles.....in other words I calculated 21.12 miles driven for each gallon of fuel.

You used the right technique but you should do it on a FULL TANK to have more realistic results.

You used the right technique but you should do it on a FULL TANK to have more realistic results.

Realistically I never drive a full tank on the highway, if I did it'd likely be for a vaca and therefore I'd probably drive the Z. As I said above, I have calculated a full tank which is mixed driving (probably only 30-40% on the highway) and I generally see 16-17mpg under these conditions.....still better than the 12mpg I usually get romping around in the roadster tho :)

How many gallons are left when the gas light turns on?

Full tank (26) - (gallons in tank when light turns on) = x

Number of miles on tank divided by x = mpg (approx.)

So does anyone know how many gallons are left? If I had to guess I'd say 2.5 but I need some verification.

The light comes on on mine and I still have close to 4 gallons ( maybe even 5)

Just drove another short highway trip yesterday and calculated 20.9mpg

The light comes on on mine and I still have close to 4 gallons ( maybe even 5)

Agreed; ~4.5 to 5.0 gallons sounds about right just off the top of my head.

Agreed; ~4.5 to 5.0 gallons sounds about right just off the top of my head.

Yeah if I go to the light it will take just about 21-22 gallons.

I just filled up today and my short stop and go mpg is 14.7. At least I'm only filling up once a month now.

Yeah if I go to the light it will take just about 21-22 gallons.

Then I am getting approximately

322/21 = 15.33 average mpg with the A/C on all the time. It's always hot here.

About 400 miles per tank!

I'm going to go with iridium plugs now and see if that changes anything. Still have the K&N filter. Steel rear bumper, brush guard, tool box. No other mods.

I get about 15.5 around town driving. On two highway road trips to Dallas and Back I was getting slightly over 18 mpg. The 10% Ethanol I had to fill up with down there definitely didn't help on the drive back average.

Overall, If you're driving/ or live at a higher elevation without a bunch of hills causing downshifts and staying off the pedal I see 20-21MPG very possible.

I use my motorcycle for my daily commute (about 5,200 miles a year @ 39 mpg) and only use the Tundra on the weekends, road trips or for errands that can't be run using the motorcyce (about 11,000 miles a year @ 16 mpg) for a net of about 19.6 mpg.

I posted this at Dodge Trucks. Org a while back.

Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 11:09 am Post subject: MPG Comparison - Dakota vs Tundrahttp://www.dodgetrucks.org/forums/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_quote.gif (http://www.dodgetrucks.org/forums/posting.php?mode=quote&p=1177686) http://www.dodgetrucks.org/forums/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_edit.gif (http://www.dodgetrucks.org/forums/posting.php?mode=editpost&p=1177686)
I used my mechanics small Tundra a couple days while another failed Chi-Com pinion bearing was being replaced in the Dakota, after only a few thousand miles.

Dex's Tundra is an extended cab, V8, automatic, 2by2. It is the between the monster Tundra and the Dakota in size. My truck info is below.

The driving was around 50% freeway, at 67 MPH, usually on cruise and the rest surface streets doing courier pick up and deliveries.
Air conditioning was on 100% of the time.

I drove 210 miles between fill-up's and used 10.214 gallons @ $3.799 for a cost of $38.80. That calculates to 20.56 miles per gallon.
My smaller Dakota, in the good old days, averaged 19.

Very civilized ride and getthehellgonefast performance and great mileage.
Pay heed, Detroit.

Question.................If Toyota can design and build their trucks, here in America, so good.............Dodge? GM? Ford? What's up?

http://www.4x4bigtruck.com/includes/images/Toyota_Tundra/toyota_tundra_index.jpg


98 3.9 automatic, long bed.
544,000 miles (Dec, 06), 560,000 miles (March, 07), 600,000 miles (11/14/07)
On original engine and transmission, using Amsoil by-pass filters and lubrication.

+Everybody knows something you don't know.
+Truth does not need to be 'balanced' and it ain't caused by voting or consensus or polls or yelling louder or silencing someone.
+Artists prove truth can be in forms you don't understand.

Low-Risk Option Trader
Retired Pro-Hunter featured in; 'African Hunter', by James R. Mellon III. and listed in; Rowland Ward's Records of Big Game.


**An addendum; I tried driving the Tundra under 60 MPH one day and got worse MPG. Seems the most efficient place to be is 2,000 RPM, which doesn't happen under 60. Or, I was on surface streets more than I thought.

I admit that i didn't read EVERY post, but I'm waiting for the guy to post his mpg and say "and I don't know how to do basic math".
I'm driving an '03 V8 (4.7L) Access Cab with TRD supercharger from the factory. I only user 93 octane. I do lots of "oh $h!+, I'm late!" driving, although about 60% of my driving is hwy. I'd say about 30% of my driving is hwy without traffic (that's one good thing about being at work by 5am).
On any average tank, I've been getting about 13-14, sometimes 14.5 mpg. It's been a while since I had a chance to get out of town, so i don't recall my all-hwy mpg.
I didn't see this addressed earlier, but regardless of tank size, the way to figure out how many gallons you're using is:
fill up, top it off.
check/reset trip odometer.
drive. all the way to the 'low fuel' light, 'E', or 1/2 tank. It doesn't matter.
Fill it up again, top it off again.
check trip odometer.
However many gallons you fill up with the second time is how many gallons you used for driving around. Just to make sure this is clear: FullTankGallons1 - FullTankGallons2 = FuelUsedGallons.

I hope my very rudimentary explanation is clear for all and non-offensive.

Continuing on another note- When I fill up my tank, I never get more than ~24.x gallons. It's always right next to 24 gals, although once i got just under 25 (i was coasting into the gas station...). I read a couple of people saying their tanks were between 24-26. I always find that mfr specs are off on that.
And, just another thing to add- I can usually get ~30 miles after my fuel light comes on.

I've thought about sacrificing myself and selling the tundra to get a more economical vehicle, but i just CAN'T part with it. Even though i'm paying about $575 in loan & insurance, plus $300-400 monthly in gas.

Marcus

I haven't read all the post in this thread but I had been wondering about all those 20mpg claims. I have always been getting 13to 15 with local driving, sometimes not any better on trips.
My highest on a trip was 18 mpg. I regularly pull an enclosed trailer in which I get 10 to 12 mpg.

So last week I received my scan gauge in the mail. Very revealing. I got 11 pulling the trailer this past weekend according to the scan gauge as expected. The interesting part was how much the mileage varies on our local roads We live in the Finger lakes region in Central NY. A very rolling and hilly area. the valleys tend to run north and south. Today I was traveling North and South in the trip mode showing current trip. I had averaged 19.8 mpg after traveling quite a few miles. Then I started stopping at stop lights and it came down a mpg.

Now I am not quite so skeptical of these decent mileage claims Although we aren't living in the mountains I know that many other areas of the country are much flatter than around here.

Roger

In order to get 20 MPG with a Tundra, you must really pay attention at your driving and that is where the Scangauge is an invaluable tool.

Forget stop and go traffic, if you hit any of that you won't get near 20mpg.

On a FLAT highway at about 2000 RPMs using the cruise control or not, you CAN get 20 mpg. The minute you climb a hill and change gear, or you accelerate to pass a few cars, you will have a hard time seeing 20 mpg average.

Of course, 2WD trucks will always average 1 or 2 mpg better than 4WD.

I have a 4WD and I have seen 20 mpg on mine a few times but again, only on strictly flat highways at constant 60mph.

+1. Been maintaining 60 mph to and from work and getting 20+ mpg. People pass me doing 80 mph and I have to laugh.

I switched to Pennzoil platinum 5w-20 in my 4.7 V8 :shockeda:, yes doubtful that I will get 20mpg, best it will do is 16.5 but maybe a few more miles, I will check my mileage after burning this last tank.

The truck revs faster, less sluggish than with the 0w-30 syntec I was running.
Runs great, I don't tow and average temps are 90°.

I've posted before, I believe on this post or another and had many naysayers. I don't boost it over 1500 rpm's in town (stop and go), I coast to a stop and don't take off like a jack rabbit. Hwy is 65 @ 2000 rpms. I use the a/c in the summer and 4wd in the winter. In winter I average 17-18 and in summer 19-20. I now have 45000 miles on it. Even my tires are going strong. I have the oem and they still have 6/32 on them. I drive similar to my grandmother and have nowhere to be in a hurry. As for those who are incredulous: take a look at your tires and think about how fast you get from point a to point b. There's your problem.

My 06 is a pig no matter how lightly I press on the go pedal.

I can drive 380 miles before the low fuel light comes on (70% freeway/30% city). At that point 20.5 gallons fill the tank, which translates into 18.5 mpg. My average speed on the freeway is 70 mph. I keep my tires at 38 psi and leave the tailgate up.

Thats about the same for me

My 05 DC has 28k miles and I've just started a new job with 75 mile daily round trip. I now care a bit more about the mileage. I had a K & N on my 4.7 and read on this site that someone got improved mileage when they removed the K&N and put the stock air filter back on.??????? Weird to me but I thought WTH, let's try it. Sure enough, I am finding a pretty significant diff with the stock air flow.....

I am not an engineer but my only country boy guess is this motor sensor doesn't like all that extra air flow with the K&N and tells the engine you are getting too much air, you need more fuel, at the same RPMs, power, acceleration, speed, etc. (yea, I just pulled that one out of my buttocks Forest Gump would say)..... but when I"ve used K&N filters in every type of vehicle I've owned, gas or diesel for 20 years and suddenly using one gets LESS mpg, it don't make no sense to me at all.

Anyone know these mills well enough to provide some science behind this mystery??

BTW, I'm getting 15/17/19 before and now it's improved about 1-2 mpg depending on combination, acceleration and a/c or not. Search me, I don't get it. :shockeda:

I have an '04 Tundra 4x4, extended cab and can get 20 - 21 mpg IF if stay off the Interstate. On the Interstate at 65 -75 mph my mileage drops to 18.5 - 19.5 mpg on the flatlands My highway mileage does average about 18 - 19 locally as I live in hilly terrain. I noticed an increase in my highway mpg when I put on my Pace Edwards bed cover. I knew I was getting decent mileage, my recent ScanGauge II confirms it. My last tank averaged 20.1 with both highway and local driving. I'm running Goodyear Fortear tires (I didn't see any significant mileage change after removing the original Bridgestone (death trap @ wet pavement). The Goodyears ride so much better but not really an off road tire butr suits my needs perfectly. My Tundra is a step-side 4x4 with 4.10 rear limited slip axel and V8. Currently have about 58,000 miles. I don't think you can have it both ways, you can't stay in fast lane on the Interstate and expect 20 mpg. You mileage will significantly increase as you speed up.

I have the 05 2x4 DC with 48000km(29760mi) I have always checked my mileage. I constantly get 22.5 mpg +/- .3. in the late spring till late fall. It drops to 18.5 mpg +/- .3 through the winter. I drive a combination city highway to work every day. Our highway speed here in Ontario is 80-100km/h (50-62mph) and city is 50-60 km/h(30-40 mph). I don't always keep it on the speed limit but not much more. The tach stays at the 2k mark or less. I use Shell regular gas and stay away from the no-names. Now I didn't get this when the truck was new but I have switched to a new book and through the old one out so I can't say for certain what it was new but I do know it was lower. I think it wasn't until the 5k-8k miles that I saw real improvement. But I can't be exact.

I just came back from taking a trip from Miami to Orlando and back to Miami. I drove 68mph (speed limit is 70) and I got 21.75 mpg using regular. I have noticed for some reason when I have a full tank, the gas gauge for some reason goes down between 3/4 and 1/2 of a tank and then back up to the full mark. This happens more when I am coming to a stop or going around a corner. It only does it when the truck's gas tank is full. Does anyone know what that means and is it normal? I have never noticed it before. Thanks

2003 tundra owner and i get 600km (or more) to 90 litres everytime. Lat time i checked on the highway i had my quad in the box and came from BC through the mountains to Alberta and had an average of 21.7 mpg speeding. Canadian of course.

I drive a 2005 2wd 4.7 AC. I also have a Scanguage that is calibrated and reads the same as hand calculated every time I fill up. I drive the same 400 Km route every week and I fill up at the same gas pump.The route I drive is about 50% highway (65-75 mph ) and 50% secondry road (45-55 Mph). In the summer I get 24-25 Imp MPG for the tank (20-20.8 US MPG) Actually the slower portion gives 27 Imp MPG or 22.4 US MPG and the highway part gives 23 Imp MPG or 19 US MPG. The wind makes a difference for sure. Remember that drag increases by the square of speed and 20 MPH headwind is the same as increasing the speed by 20 MPH as far as drag is concerned.If you drive 75 or 80 MPH the drag is simply too much to expect good gas mileage . Also do not use the cruise control unless the road is flat. Cruise will mash the gas down at the bottom of a hill and let up on the gas pedal going down hill . Just the opposite of what you want for max Mpg...

I generally get 14-16 mpg driving around the SW PA Mountains (Laurel Highlands Area). The best I ever got on a trip was 19.3 mpg (very little stop and go and some small hills). That was with less than 10,000 miles on my truck. I now have 22,000 miles and I recently drove the PA turnpike from Somerset to Carlisle (near Harrisburg) It was 160 miles and I used 7.6 gallons. I've double checked the math and I am amazed that my truck got 21 mpg. I had the cruise set to 65 mph and the AC on the whole trip. I know this trip was probably the best case scenario but it was still awesome to get that from a 4x4.

No mechanical mods, 5W-30 synthetic in the crankcase and synthetic in the powertrain components. A buddy with an older 4.7 warned me to keep it at or below 2200 RPM which in OD puts it about 62MPH. Above that MPG falls off fast as he advised. Best highway mileage in my rig has been just under 19MPG, but there isn't any flat highway here for very long.

In my experience you're always going to get better mileage where you stay in OD the most without it hunting up and down, in the bottom third of the powerband. Any faster and you're burning fuel to push air, and wind resistance cubes, not squares, with increased speed if I recall correctly.

All goes out the window climbing hills. I just enjoy the climb in 3 and drop it into OD at the summit.

City MPG stays pretty much stuck at 12.5 or so, sub-ten mile trips. Winter is always worse than summer. I dumped a 86 Chev 3/4T 4WD with a 350 to buy the Tundra. That got 7 city/10 highway at the end. And it made less horsepower.

2006 Access cab V8 5-speed auto TRD Off Road package.

08/06/08 Fill up's

17,539 miles 10.547 gal @ 3.969 $41.86 at Costco 453. Fairfield California.
17,614 miles 3.665 gal @ 4.079 $14.95 at Costco 1004. San Jose.

75 miles @ 68MPH on cruise ..... 20.5 MPG. :amen:

20 mpg... only in my dreams. 19.2 mpg can be achieved on certain highway drives under some very specific conditions, e.g., coming down in altitude over a long and gradual grade for many, many miles (and yes, the MPG going the other way are inversely worse), etc... and where I filled-up just before jumping on the highway and then filled-up again the minute I got off. As soon as you find yourself sitting at a stoplight or doing any stop-and-go, that 19.2 mpg number evaporates.

Just for kicks, let me note that on my 24 mile round trip to work (max speed 45 mph with an average closer to 23 mph) I can get 18.2 mpg; however, the drive home is only good for about 14.5. This is very consistent and, as you'd expect, it's because it's more downhill than uphill going to work. Moveover, it's the very long stretches of road through the national park that are mostly downhill which maximize the to-work MPG and kill the to-home MPG.

Note: My '06 DC is carrying around at least an extra 275lbs of dead weight given just the added weight of the camper shell, steel step bars, larger tires/wheels vs. stock.

Before the addition of "up to 10% ethanol" in the local fuel my 2005 D/C would average mid 17's on nearly every tank. Since the addition of the ethanol my average is down to mid to upper 16's.

I've seen 20mpg once. On a trip to Miami I went across south Alabama and Georgia on smaller highways and seldom got over 60 mph.

Let's not forget that 2X4 Tundras will get 1 or 2 mpg better than 4X4s.

With my 2006 4X4 and a (aerodynamic) camper shell, the best I ever gotten was 20.1 mpg.

It was on a perfectly flat highway at 60 mph with cruise ON. I know that if I had made a detour into town to buy gas or get lunch it would have been into the 19s.........

BTW, gas had no ethanol in it.

My last tank with 10% ethanol added was 13.9 mpg of mixed driving but mainly short stop and go trips.

2002 access cab 4x4 stock tires no mods 62000 on odometer and synthetic fluids front to rear. I have never gotten better than 16 mpg PERIOD. It might get better than that if I could somehow figure out how to drive it without starting the engine. I averaged about 12-13 towing a trailer with atv and hunting gear prior to the ethanol laden fuel last hunting seaon on the highway. The 10% ethanol kills mpg even further. I checked my mileage the other day and was averaging 11 mpg city/highway and I baby it. I like the truck but it sucks mpg and towing wise. Cant afford another truck right now.

I just filled up my new 06 DC Tundra 2WD,

40 mile round trip commute 40/60 city/hwy never over 70mph and got 19.1 mpg this is 2 mpg better than my 00 Xterra V6 I was driving.

I usually commute on motorcycle which gets 52 mpg but with all the rain and new truck fever I drove all last week :laughing:

I'm the guy everybody hates though......I get flashed and honked at but I keep a big smile on my face as I coast through the green lights and they have to get started again after stomping on it red light to red light. I dont cruise in the fast lane at 55mph though so you have to give me credit for that....lol

Well 2nd fillup since I have owned the truck,

I think 20mpg is going to be hard unless you are running 55-60mph on backroads or interstate for hours.

Still though for this size truck its pretty damn good :)

First fillup 19.1mpg
Second fillup 18.9mpg

Same gas station, same pump, basically the same driving style, calculated by hand (scanguage is within 1/2 mpg already)

Love the truck for when I need a truck but I am glad I have my bike to commute on :D

I strongly feel it's the difference in the 03 and below motors built in Japan and the 04 & above motors built in Bama! 04's and above do not get 20+ even driving at 50 MPH? Not too hard to figure this one out lower HP difference + Bulit in Japan Motor! My friend in Colorado boasts all the time he gets 20+ in the mountains in is 03 AC but take an 04+ up there and see what ya get, It will not be 20+ MPG:D

i got 21 mpg in my 05 dc. i was cruising at 55 mph for 170 miles. i think i rather cruise at 75 and get 17-18 than go that slow and only get 21. i just can't stand going that slow!

I strongly feel it's the difference in the 03 and below motors built in Japan and the 04 & above motors built in Bama! 04's and above do not get 20+ even driving at 50 MPH? Not too hard to figure this one out lower HP difference + Bulit in Japan Motor! My friend in Colorado boasts all the time he gets 20+ in the mountains in is 03 AC but take an 04+ up there and see what ya get, It will not be 20+ MPG:D

I was about to say i get 20's in my Sequoia when i hade 245's and goin 65 on the freeway. But its a 03

Japanese built motors get better MPG, not hard to understand for me :D

Copy..........Paste :D

Some of you are lucky to reach that mpg. The best I've ever gotten was close to 16mpg (98% highway going 60-70 mph). I usually get 14mpg combined city/highway and I've learned to live with it :D.

I strongly feel it's the difference in the 03 and below motors built in Japan and the 04 & above motors built in Bama! 04's and above do not get 20+ even driving at 50 MPH? Not too hard to figure this one out lower HP difference + Bulit in Japan Motor! My friend in Colorado boasts all the time he gets 20+ in the mountains in is 03 AC but take an 04+ up there and see what ya get, It will not be 20+ MPG:D

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

Not sure about that theory as I owned 3 Tundras so far. My first was a 2003 Access cab 4X4 with a flush Camper shell. Best I ever got with it was 18.1 MPG.

The last 2 were also access cabs but were from 2006. I sold one and kept the other. It is also a 4X4 and I do use the Scangauge for the last few months ( thus making me more careful about gas mileage ).

My best mileage so far has been 20.1 mpg with that one ( using a camper shell as well )

The double cab being longer and heavier ( and a different rear end ratio ) might get less.

Your Mileage may vary...............

My friend burns premium gas only and i have no idea how he gets 20+ MPG but he has the Japanese engine and runs Bosch 4 Plugs in it and has recorded every MPG/Fill up since new! No camper shell on his?

he pushes the truck without the engine running 1/2 way, than run's it the rest. LOL
gorilla

I drove from NYC to New Hampshire (4hrs) all highway doing 65-70 a few weeks ago and I got 19.5 MPG.

I don't know how some of you get 20+ MPG:confused: I did a six hour highway trip a week ago, cruise set at 65 and I got 16.5 MPG. My truck, 05 Tundra, AC 4x4 is stock except for 75 series Revo tires, about 1 1/4 inch larger dia. than the stock 70 series. I guess I lost about 4 MPG due to the 75 series tires, that's about the only thing I can think of to explain it.:faint:

I don't know how some of you get 20+ MPG:confused: I did a six hour highway trip a week ago, cruise set at 65 and I got 16.5 MPG. My truck, 05 Tundra, AC 4x4 is stock except for 75 series Revo tires, about 1 1/4 inch larger dia. than the stock 70 series. I guess I lost about 4 MPG due to the 75 series tires, that's about the only thing I can think of to explain it.:faint:

You need to calculate your new rolling diameter compared to your old diameter as your odometer is now off. You're reading more miles than you're actually driving, thus lowering your calculated mpg.

I just took a trip from Maryland to Toronto, Canada. Just over 1,000 miles. Mostly back highways, but some interstates at 70 mph and 2 hours of stop & go traffic in Toronto (avoid afternoon rush hour on a Friday at all costs) and the border. Average was 20.3 mpg.

I have an '07 TUNDRA 5.7L DC 13,500 miles. On a recent trip on I-91 in Vermont and Massachusetts (220 miles), my mileage was 20.4 MPG. On the flats and upgrades, I used cruise control at 50 MPH. On downgrades I took it out of cruise control to take advantage of gravity. This vehicle has a TRACRAC mounted on the back end. Also I had approximately a ton of firewood in the back end. Combination driving in a rural setting with no cargo load is 19.0 MPG. It is all about speed on the expressway.

I have an 03 ac 4x4 with 6" RCD and 35" Mickey Thompson MTZs. K&N cold air, throttle body spacer and magnaflow cat back. I also have a canopy/shell. I have only had the truck a few months but highway mileage is as good as my cummins dodge 3500 with 35s. I did a road trip with some mixed city, hilly highway and one BIG LONG mountain pass. I was happy to see 17mpg for the loop. I do math for a living so I am confident in the figures. City driving is not so good but would you rather be on a scooter?????

I guess I should have mentioned that most of the driving was at around 55-60 mph...

Those "getting" 20+ mpg..... please pass the pipe to me!

Yes and please send me some pixie dust so I can sprinkle it all over my gas sucking 06 dc.

I love when this topic comes up because there are those who just shake their heads and say no way. Well, I drive 26000 miles a year and with the exception of a few months in the winter when I kick it in 4wd, I get 20 mpg. I never get above 1500 rpms around town and 2000 on the highway at 65. And yes, I'm the dude with the bad *** truck who won't kick it as I'm getting on the freeway any higher than what it takes to accelerate to 65. Oh and I usually make it to my destination in plenty of time to find a parking spot, and I don't complain cause my tires are worn out after only 20K.

who filled you with bull that you will get a ticket if you dont go 75? no such thing. you would only get one if you were going slower than the truckers at 55. in fact if you are going that fast you are bound to get a ticket on that stretch of road because the chp's are pretty strict. used to travel that stretch quite a bit myself. you can always follow a trucker that only goes 65 or less and be just fine on that trip you are making.

my experience over the years has definately shown that mpgs are really affected by driving patterns and the speed you travel (besides tire pressure, weight in truck like your hard bed cover and all the stuff you keep under it, etc). you will get the best mileage ever if you go 55 (though no one does) and then it gets worse as you increase. if you can keep it between 62 and 65 like i do and looks like thinshavings does as well, then you will get better mpg's

dont know what your emission control system is, but sounds like its not working very good

Here is the thing.... Driver A gets 17 mpg on average driving normal.... now you have driver B that pussyfoots the pedal and drives like a damn woman to get what? MAYBE 3 miles more per gallon? So per tank a whopping 60 miles? I'd rather spend a few bucks more and not drive like a retard....


maybe it is just me.

You can get 20-22 MPG (highway) on late model Tundra's but you have to make some sacrifices. We recently moved from Philadelphia to Denver and drove 3 fully loaded cars (05 Tundra, 01 Camery, and 04 Volvo Wagon) cross country. To help pass the time we kept very careful records of our gas mileage including weather conditions (headwinds can make a big difference). What was consistent in our recordings is that when we drove highway streatches at 60-65 mph, our mileage on all vehicles improved. I had no difficulty getting 20-22 mpg on the Tundra SR-5 (V-8 4x4) on interstate highway driving. This is with a fully loaded bed and 2 persons when I kept the cruise control set at 60. Most drivers don't want to move this slow - especially in Kansas and eastern colorado.....but give it a try. It does work.

It has been my experience with this truck that gas quality plays the most important part in my mileage. The time I experienced my highest mileage I was driving I-95 at 75mph in high crosswinds.

Here is the thing.... Driver A gets 17 mpg on average driving normal.... now you have driver B that pussyfoots the pedal and drives like a damn woman to get what? MAYBE 3 miles more per gallon? So per tank a whopping 60 miles? I'd rather spend a few bucks more and not drive like a retard....


maybe it is just me.

It's more like 80 miles since the tank has 26 gal; with my fill-ups @ about 3-4 times a month that comes to roughly 40-50 dollars a month or 480-600 bucks a year. For some it's worth it, for others it cramps their style. It also saves my tires. My set of Revos have 35 k on them and I have half the tread left. With no tickets I also save a bundle on my insurance. Full coverage on my truck costs 34 a month. To each his own:D

It's more like 80 miles since the tank has 26 gal; with my fill-ups @ about 3-4 times a month that comes to roughly 40-50 dollars a month or 480-600 bucks a year. For some it's worth it, for others it cramps their style. It also saves my tires. My set of Revos have 35 k on them and I have half the tread left. With no tickets I also save a bundle on my insurance. Full coverage on my truck costs 34 a month. To each his own:D

Your really adventursome if you fill your tank at 26 gallons every time, when the tank holds 26.4 gal

Your really adventursome if you fill your tank at 26 gallons every time, when the tank holds 26.4 galLMAO that is what I was thinking... i usually throw about 21 gals and the most each time...

I usually never let it run down past 1/4 since at that point I know it only has around 9 gals left to cool the fuel pump. Once you burn out an electric fuel pump from running the fuel level too low it will change your habits.

Absolutely right. I don't run it down to empty, but I do run it down to about 3-4 gal left. I was just doing a quick calc mostly for myself because I was curious roughly how much I do save by driving like a wuss. This is my third vehicle in 22 years and I've driven over a easily over a half a million miles with no problems. On aircraft the pumps always stay covered because they have a surge box, but autos don't have that luxury. I know that I should keep more than 3-4 gallons in the tank, but like I said I've never had a problem and I drove my Dodge Ram and Ford Bronco in Texas where it gets too damn hot. So far my Toyota is proving to be built very well (except for the rust factor), but who knows maybe I'll finally blow a pump. I remember reading if you were going below a half a tank you were jeopardizing your pump, but I've never seen an actual number and don't know at what point the pump is sufficiently submerged in a Tundra tank.

You need to calculate your new rolling diameter compared to your old diameter as your odometer is now off. You're reading more miles than you're actually driving, thus lowering your calculated mpg.

I just took a trip from Maryland to Toronto, Canada. Just over 1,000 miles. Mostly back highways, but some interstates at 70 mph and 2 hours of stop & go traffic in Toronto (avoid afternoon rush hour on a Friday at all costs) and the border. Average was 20.3 mpg.

I DO calculate my new rolling diameter. I have to add 6 KMS to every hundred that I show on the odometer. If I didn't do that my mileage figures would be worse than they already are.:rolleyes:

I have 2 Tundras both 2006 4.0 V6 Access Cabs one with a 5 speed automatic and the other one has a 6 speed manual. I just got 22.7 mpg driving two lane roads back from Alabama in the 6 speed manual. I drove between 55-65 mph on the highway and had several small towns to drive through. The trip distance was 295 miles.

In my 5 speed automatic I recently got 21.5 driving back from North Carolina with all interstate highway driving. My speed was between 70-75 mph and the trip distance was 350 miles. I have been averaging around 18 mpg around town in the 5 speed automatic. I have not checked the 6 speed manual around town yet since I have only had this truck a couple of weeks but I will let you know as soon as I get a chance. I also coast in neutral with the manual when I am coming to a stop and I think that makes a big difference with this truck.

Both trucks are stock except for the 5 speed automatic has a K&N air filter, I run Mobil 1 oil, and Denso Iridium Performance spark plugs.

I also have a 2003 4runner (also stock) with a 5 speed automatic and 4.7 V8 and it gets around 19-22 mpg highway, 15-17 mpg around town, and 13-15 hauling my 2800 lb bay boat on fishing trips to Florida. The 4runner now has 94K miles on it and I have checked the mpg many times. If I drive 55 mph I can get up to 22+ mpg if I am driving 75 mph on the interstate it drops to around 19 mpg.

My 2003 Honda Civic manual transmission gets 38-41 mpg highway and 26-32 city depending on how hard I drive it. I am a design Engineer and also know how to operate a calculator. I do not have a lead foot and do my best to stretch out my mpg in all my vehicles.

I DO calculate my new rolling diameter. I have to add 6 KMS to every hundred that I show on the odometer. If I didn't do that my mileage figures would be worse than they already are.:rolleyes:

That's cool. Just checking. Surprising how many people don't adjust their calcs.

Of couse, when you go to sell the truck, you'll tell the seller the true mileage, not just what the odometer reads, right. :thumb:

2001 2wd v6 sr5 AC.... I have to stop every 100 miles and SIPHON GAS OUT OF THE TANK. ..or it starts shooting fire 80 feet out of the exhaust.

hehehe....not really, but when she was new I drove it cross country from Vero Beach to Santa Barbara I figured I was getting nearly 25mpg. Now I'm down to about 350 miles to 20 gallons city driving. still driving with egg under accelerator foot, lots of coasting to red lights..(pisses everyone off) and driving on lift kit and bigger tires.

edit: oh yeah, rarely do i push over 65mph..unless I've been at the bottle.

2001 2wd v6 sr5 AC.... I have to stop every 100 miles and SIPHON GAS OUT OF THE TANK. ..or it starts shooting fire 80 feet out of the exhaust.

hehehe....not really, but when she was new I drove it cross country from Vero Beach to Santa Barbara I figured I was getting nearly 25mpg. Now I'm down to about 350 miles to 20 gallons city driving. still driving with egg under accelerator foot, lots of coasting to red lights..(pisses everyone off) and driving on lift kit and bigger tires.

edit: oh yeah, rarely do i push over 65mph..unless I've been at the bottle.

Just think of it as education for the masses.........:tu:
I think its hilarious when people cry about fuel mileage and gas prices then peel tires and run 80mph down the interstate.

Trust me I have put my foot down a time or two but when it comes to replacing tires and general wear and tear on a vehicle slow and steady really has its benefits.

When I throw my leg over my bike to ride to work I have to completely change my mindset or I would end up squashed under some soccer mommy suburban.

to the first poster:

I have a stock 2004 DC with just over 50k on it. one thing you can/need to do is [B]BEMOVE THE BED COVER![B] watch myth busters, or have 1 gallon of gas withit on, see how many miles you go at 40 mph. then do the same w/o it. Im telling you its physics, for the best mileage and least drag, you need a tailgate UP and nothing covering it. basacally the air provides a pocket and the air stream bounces and rolls off instead of hitting a hard surface, interrupting the air stream and crating drag, anyone can argue, but untill you have evident proof dont say different

I have a 2006 4 WD Tundra acess cab. When I 1st bought it I made the trip up to Maine to see the inlaws. I averaged around 19 mpg round trip. Thats with no tool boxes or additional weight. I have since made the trip a number of times with 1 cross bed box, & 2 side boxes full of tools and my mileage onlky dropped to 17 mpg. Around town I get between 15 -17 mpg still, and I am not a granny driver nor am I Johnny rocket off the line either. Highway driving I avg about 70 mph in town I drive the posted limit.. I have driven to Maine with the CC on too and never reached 20mpg.

to the first poster:

I have a stock 2004 DC with just over 50k on it. one thing you can/need to do is [b]BEMOVE THE BED COVER![b] watch myth busters, or have 1 gallon of gas withit on, see how many miles you go at 40 mph. then do the same w/o it. Im telling you its physics, for the best mileage and least drag, you need a tailgate UP and nothing covering it. basacally the air provides a pocket and the air stream bounces and rolls off instead of hitting a hard surface, interrupting the air stream and crating drag, anyone can argue, but untill you have evident proof dont say different

For the most part yes, however, not all trucks are created equal. A crew cab has a different effect on air flow than a regular cab. Bed length also comes into play.
http://ecow.engr.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/getbig/me/363/ghandhi1/pickup.pdf
A crew cab with a 6.5 foot bed (as opposed to an 8 foot bed) can actually benefit from a 20" partial bed cover. See page 7, graph 6c) tailgate effects and partial rear box cover.

Also:
"Graph 6f presents the results from measurements of the
effect of box covering. The use of a partial or full
tonneau reduces drag. Interestingly, a partial covering is
superior to complete coverage. This point may not be
generally recognized, but was first discovered at GM [2],
which patented the concept of partial coverage."

Page 6, second to last paragraph on right hand side.
Insofar as placing your faith in the two clowns on mythbusters and the validity of their testing methods I would not give them the time of day. Most of their "experiments" are rather slanted, rarely are performed with any relative scientific rigor, and raise more questions than they answer. I cannot give reasonable consideration to any advice that envelopes a "mythbusters found that . . . " statement.

my 2006 DC has never gotten better than 17.5 mpg and that was driving on the interstate at 65 mph about 90% of the time.

Around the city, I usually get about 14.5 - 15 mpg if I'm lucky...

I do wonder about the rear window though. When I'm on the interstate, I like to roll the rear window down (leaving the main 4 up). This creates a nice cooling effect, but I have no idea if I'm hurting my mileage or not. I don't think so, but it'd be interesting if there was some stats on it too...

I am surprised at the widely varying experiences posted here!

In my stock 2003 AC, I always got around 17.5 mpg mixed city and highway, and the gas light never came on until I had over 400 miles on the tank. And I live in Colorado Springs at 6,000 feet altitude! I do use mid-grade gas, but at this altitude mid-grade is 87 octane.

On a road trip at lower elevations I was getting slightly over 19 mpg on a tank that was all highway, but I have never quite gotten to 20 mpg! :(

Stock 2006 DC 2wd w/ a soft tonneau cover. I usually get around the 15 MPG, mostly city driving. Pure highway I've come close to 19 though (cruise control on going about 60-65), and my wife has hit 20. I strictly run 87 octane too, except for once when hauling I put in premium. My last tank I got 14.5 MPG and went 330 miles before filling up.

My driving style hasn't made too much of a difference. I usually get between 14.8 to almost 16 depending on how heavy my foot is. Worst mileage I've ever had was 13 MPG, towing 5600 lbs through the valleys and mountains of VA.

I am wondering how some of the membes here are getting 20-21 mpg? I drive about 1000 miles a monthe just on the highway on long stretches of road at 70-75-80-mph, cruise control, RAPS air intake, Mobil 1, NO lead foot, hard bed cover with a 2wd 04 DC Tundra, Oh yeah new tires at 35 psi and tried 32 psi. Never have I ever gotten over 16.8 mpg. I drive between LA and Vegas and each way is the same. Also have a emission control system device on truck that gives me better mileage. www.emissioncontrolsystems.com (http://http://www.emissioncontrolsystems.com/)

SO I would like to know how you guys are doing it. We have to drive at least 75 mph in order to not get a ticket, so what's the deal,

Thanks for your responses:ts::ts::ts:

The answer is in your average speed. I drive about 800 miles per week and used to get 16 or 17 mpg, and drove about 70-80 around on the freeways. The last week of last month, I got 2 tickets in 1 week (thank you quotas) and decided it just wasnt worth it. I have since driven the speed limit everywhere around town and about 60-65 on the highway and have consistently gotten 21-22. I know that isn't quite the answer you were looking for, its not a mod or some wonder product, but it is tried and true.
I have a 2006 Tundra AC 2wd, all stock.

I think something is wrong with mine......05 AC 4x4 115,xxx miles. I get 13 to 13.5 mpg wether I'm offroad, in town, on highway, or even towing. Any ideas what could cause this?

I think something is wrong with mine......05 AC 4x4 115,xxx miles. I get 13 to 13.5 mpg wether I'm offroad, in town, on highway, or even towing. Any ideas what could cause this?

Yea, same here on mine with a 2003 AC 32k miles ,but have BF Goodrich tires at 35lbs. I get 13mpg and 14 if I keep it under 2000 rpm hard to do in traffic.

Is it my tires?

I have a 2001 tundra 4x4 4.7L and i get 20+ highway and 17-18 city! I recently drove to N.C and I filled up before i felt and i drove 275 miles and filled it up and it was 13.21 gallons and to my calculations is 20.8 mpg! I have studied my ecu during college and I have found the it changes readings alot. There is a long term and short term driving maps in your ecu. If you drive hard for a couple of days, getting on it more than usual, then it changes your long term driving map, which means when you try to get better mpg you can't because you have changed your long term maps. Short term map is for your "get up and go" here and there driving and long term is for when yo drive normally. It takes longer to change the long term back, but if you want to change it faster you are going to have to disconnect your battery for an hour to completely reset your ecu.
That is one think that hurts or improves mpg....the other is for all you guys that have the 265 hp engines, i believe start at 2005, are experiencing this problem more because well your engine is usually a little more fuel to get that add hp. The more hp the more fuel.
I am really big in alternative fuel and have one installed because i lost mpg when i lifted it and put bigger tires on it but i am back to my 20+ now. The reason i say that is because there are ways that you can make your engine run leaner when you arent using the power. If is very complicated to do it and me being a electronics major i know what i am doing. But if there is enough people wanting to know more about alternative fuel to get better mpg then I all tell all i know to help yall out.
I hope this info helps yall understand

Yea, same here on mine with a 2003 AC 32k miles ,but have BF Goodrich tires at 35lbs. I get 13mpg and 14 if I keep it under 2000 rpm hard to do in traffic.

Is it my tires?


It's not your tires. I had an 87 Ramcharger with BF Goodrich 33x12.50's on it and that beast of a truck got high teens gas mileage.


(yes that was factoring for the difference in tire size)


I have Goodyear wrangler 10 ply's on mine if anyone is wondering.

I bought my 01 4wd 8 cyl in Jan. and was getting about 16 mpg here in downeast Maine, then when the weather warmed up my mileage went up to 18.5 consistently and as high as 19.5. For the last month, I have been dropping and was 15.5 mpg last fill up. All typical rural driving. I was told by a mechanic that I should get better mileage in cooler weather. I never warm up the truck more than enough to get the oil circulating, 10-15 seconds and have a very light foot. Can anyone tell me whether cool weather should hurt my mileage?
Larry

I'm sick of this MPG thread. I have a hard time believing some of these numbers, I think errors in calculations are happening. Here are the best things you can do to save gas. I learned these techniques from the OG top-ramen chewing cheapguy, my brother.
-do not let your truck idle for longer than is necessary. If you're waiting to pick somebody up, pulled over to read a map, anything like that. Turn it off, idling gets 0 mpg.
-do not idle for 5 minutes to warm up your truck, Toyota's own manual says your truck doesn't need to idle for more than 10 seconds unless you are in cold climate. I find that too short, I go for about 1 minute myself, then drive slow until temp is up.
-do not race your motor, this includes driving fast away from stops. Stop light to stop light is where a lot of gas is wasted.
-if you are headed toward a red light or stop sign, coast. Do not use your gas pedal, do you have to get there in a hurry?
-avoid braking when you can, don't tap the brakes for no reason and don't ever ride the brakes.
-you know at stop lights when cars move forward inch by inch? Just to get inches closer to the next car? Don't do it.
-leave early for work, this way you can cruise. Driving in a hurry wastes gas and doesn't save much time in real life.
-avoid traffic, use side streets when you can to keep on the move. Momentum is your friend so stick with it.
-if you get off work at a time that puts you in rush hour traffic, go eat lunch. Traffic kills MPGs, anybody in L.A. will agree.
-know where you are going, looking for your destination can be wasteful if you pass freeway off ramps and have to back-track.
-get into the highest gear you have as soon as you can. This keeps you at low revs to save gas. Try keeping revs around or below 2,000 rpm.
-when on the highway, go 65-70 not 85-90. Wind resistance is your enemy, it especially hates trucks. The faster you go, the more you fight it, so slow down a notch. Let people in a hurry fly by, do they pay for your gas?
-Keep track of tire pressure, too low is no good for MPG.
-Lose any weight you don't need. I don't mean you, I mean your truck. I know guys who cruise around with two spares in the bed to look like they are in a pre-runner. You need one for the street, unless you are on a trip leave the other at home bud.
-Use momentum as much as you can. Build it slow and try to coast when you can. It will drive you nuts for a while but you will like the benefits.
-keep up on maintenance, things like dirty air filters, crusty spark plugs, old contaminated oil, as well as trans and rear end fluid all hurt. It's the "every bit helps" thing.
-I find the cheap gas(thrifty, usa gas, arco) doesn't seem to last as long as pricey gas(chevron,shell) using the same commute with little variables, being as scientific as I can. Cheap gas doesn't last.
I won't get into tire size, gear ratio, bed covers, octane, drafting, etc. I don't believe in K&N air filters, tornados, those magnets people put into their gas tanks, CAI's, aftermarket exhaust, throttle body spacers, z-max or any other mods claiming to offer better MPGs. Driving habits have more effect than anything. I'm sure there are other ways to save but I'm not into turning off my motor at drive-thrus or stop lights. You can not argue with these methods so use them and see. Please, let me kill this thread.
If you want better MPGs go find a 4 cylinder or get with the CNG. V8's are thirsty, nature of the beast.

i was at 15-16 city(mixed really)/17-18 hwy ave with stock 265/65 duelers and then put 265/70 bigO A/T on and dropped to 12-13 city and slow as snot..lots of drag/rolling friction. Went back for a refund and had them put on michelin ltx on and get 14-15 city and back to quick accel with no rolling friction..feels like the duelers again. One inch larger diameter. But i like the look and i have a car for fuel economy.

update: after a full tank it turns out I'm at 13.6mpg 90/10 city/highway mix with the larger tires . What big difference the tires made. I love the michelins and the size but the fuel economy hit is substantial. Maybe the ecu remapped with the crappy bigo's and it needs to have another tank with the mich's. I just bought another air filter (wix). 70K miles so is it time for plugs?(idle's smooth as silk,no miss). Oh well it looks good ; and the honda gets 30/38 city/highway.

second update: the guy that talked about the math was right. My odometer is off with the new larger tires (and speedometer) by 7.4% (speedometer only about 4-5% for some reason) so I got 14.6mpg actual.

Drive downhill...With a tailwind. Hope this helps.:)

An old hot rodder buddy of mine who passed on years ago addressed a fuel mileage dispute from an article he read in Hot Rod Magazine in the 70's. A reader asked in the letters to the editor section how his neighbor who had a 1964 Chevy Impala SS w/327 & power glide could get 20 MPG and he had the exact same car, same axle ratio, same tires, with less milage and he could only get about 16 mpg.

The editor said (as you can guess), "just lie about your fuel mileage like your neighbor is doing".

My '02 4x4 access cab w/4.7 that I just bought on 11/09/09 got 15.8 on the first tank I checked (with a load of wood for about 80 miles). It got around 13 on the second tank (also loaded for deer camp and some miles in 4wd). Third tank, 16.5!! 2 lane highway driving around 50 - 60. No lying on any of the three.

An old hot rodder buddy of mine who passed on years ago addressed a fuel mileage dispute from an article he read in Hot Rod Magazine in the 70's. A reader asked in the letters to the editor section how his neighbor who had a 1964 Chevy Impala SS w/327 & power glide could get 20 MPG and he had the exact same car, same axle ratio, same tires, with less milage and he could only get about 16 mpg.

The editor said (as you can guess), "just lie about your fuel mileage like your neighbor is doing".

My '02 4x4 access cab w/4.7 that I just bought on 11/09/09 got 15.8 on the first tank I checked (with a load of wood for about 80 miles). It got around 13 on the second tank (also loaded for deer camp and some miles in 4wd). Third tank, 16.5!! 2 lane highway driving around 50 - 60. No lying on any of the three.

I have an 03 Tundra 3.4 AC auto that gets maybe 19.5 if I drive like a wus and an 08 Tundra 4.0 reg cab short bed auto that gets about 18.5 to 19 (I do have a lead foot). I'm in construction management and all the superintendents I have worked with for years have to have the biggest trucks with the biggest engines but all claim they get 20 mpg or more. One of my buds made the same claims on his ford until we made a dirt bike trip to tennessee and had to split gas, then it was "gee i usually get a lot better mileage". uh huh.

My 2010 Tundra Double Cab, 4.6L, with 6 speed overdrive auto transmission, with 1650 miles is averaging 17.2 mpg at highway speeds of 70 to 75. Hopefully it improves after breakin.

I went on a road trip this past Friday. Drove 466.50 miles and when I filled up ( I topped it off) it took 22.24 gals. That comes out to 20.98 miles per gallon. I kept the RPMs at about 2,000 - 65 - 67 MPH. I have an '06 DC with a hard tonneau cover.

Ok maybe some pple suck at math, maybe some ppl lie, but none of that explains why mine gets 13 mpg in town (like it should) 13mpg hwy (should be 16-17ish) 13mpg tearin a$$ chasing bunny rabbits across fresh cut fields (should be around 8mpg) 13 mpg towing a broke down chevy on a trailer down the hwy (i dunno maybe that should be 13?)

Ok, so I'm rounding to 13. My worst tank was 12.37 (all in town, heat of summer all a/c on high) My best 13.68 towing that chevy pickup windows down 75mph.

hmm... are you behind on any maintenance? The plugs in particular make a big difference. Dirty air filter hurts, fuel filter too. I agree with your statement, I have little faith in some peoples math.

in my 06 dc tundra, i generally get around 200-260 in a 3/4 tank. not quite sure on the mpgs, but it stays consistent. ive noticed my mpgs dont really change depending on my driving style. on a trip up to canada i averaged around 200-210 mpgs using 3/4 a tank going between 75-80 with this load
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m164/SteveDobbs/pbpic4023326.jpg

Jesus how many people were on that trip? I counted I think 11 bikes? LOL. Nice sign in the back window too.

My average (which is mixed city/highway) is 15.5 MPG. Lowest in the last month was 14.5, highest was 15.7. There was an 03 AC Tundra 4X4 on a local classified site that the owner said got 23-34 mpg highway. HAHAHA.

Jesus how many people were on that trip? I counted I think 11 bikes? LOL. Nice sign in the back window too.

12 bikes. The yellow one on the roof has its front tire in the bed on the passenger side............ Nice sign too.


Well, I just got a set of headers for my tundra, along with a new set of ngk iridium plugs, and a K & N air filter part # E-3040 This is the replacement for the K & N FIPK intake. It fits in the stock airbox, with only a little modification (see intructions for the FIPK from K&N) has about 50% more surface area than the drop in filter, and only cost a few dollars more.

I plan on doing all three at once and am expecting a large performance gain. Next paycheck, I'm planning to install the new y-pipe, and run 3" from there back with an oem type muffler. Looking for the best ballance between more flow, and still quiet idling in the morning. I'm expecting a small gain from that.
Once I get done putting my foot into it, maybe I'll get a little better gas mileage??????

Just took a trip out to the outer banks of NC a total of 310 miles one way and I got 20.5mpg going down. Had my two youngsters and the bed full of luggage and fishing stuff and set the cruise on 65mph. Coming back I only managed 18.4, probably due to the fact I was rising in elevation gradually along with a head wind. BTW I have an 06 DC 4X2 with LSD. :)

update: after a full tank it turns out I'm at 13.6mpg 90/10 city/highway mix with the larger tires . What big difference the tires made. I love the michelins and the size but the fuel economy hit is substantial. Maybe the ecu remapped with the crappy bigo's and it needs to have another tank with the mich's. I just bought another air filter (wix). 70K miles so is it time for plugs?(idle's smooth as silk,no miss). Oh well it looks good ; and the honda gets 30/38 city/highway.

second update: the guy that talked about the math was right. My odometer is off with the new larger tires (and speedometer) by 7.4% (Measeured gps 5.8mile while odo stated 5.4) Speedometer only about 4-5% for some reason..maybe satelite aquisition error. So I got 14.6mpg actual.

12 bikes. The yellow one on the roof has its front tire in the bed on the passenger side............ Nice sign too.


Well, I just got a set of headers for my tundra, along with a new set of ngk iridium plugs, and a K & N air filter part # E-3040 This is the replacement for the K & N FIPK intake. It fits in the stock airbox, with only a little modification (see intructions for the FIPK from K&N) has about 50% more surface area than the drop in filter, and only cost a few dollars more.

I plan on doing all three at once and am expecting a large performance gain. Next paycheck, I'm planning to install the new y-pipe, and run 3" from there back with an oem type muffler. Looking for the best ballance between more flow, and still quiet idling in the morning. I'm expecting a small gain from that.
Once I get done putting my foot into it, maybe I'll get a little better gas mileage??????
i wouldnt run the 3" pipes... the 4.7 doesnt have nearly enough power for that. i love the y though mine is straights after cats love the sound.


update: after a full tank it turns out I'm at 13.6mpg 90/10 city/highway mix with the larger tires . What big difference the tires made. I love the michelins and the size but the fuel economy hit is substantial. Maybe the ecu remapped with the crappy bigo's and it needs to have another tank with the mich's. I just bought another air filter (wix). 70K miles so is it time for plugs?(idle's smooth as silk,no miss). Oh well it looks good ; and the honda gets 30/38 city/highway.

second update: the guy that talked about the math was right. My odometer is off with the new larger tires (and speedometer) by 7.4% (Measeured gps 5.8mile while odo stated 5.4) Speedometer only about 4-5% for some reason..maybe satelite aquisition error. So I got 14.6mpg actual.
stock plugs are good for 100k most people get more life though.

I plan on doing all three at once and am expecting a large performance gain. Next paycheck, I'm planning to install the new y-pipe, and run 3" from there back with an oem type muffler. Looking for the best ballance between more flow, and still quiet idling in the morning. I'm expecting a small gain from that.
Once I get done putting my foot into it, maybe I'll get a little better gas mileage??????[/QUOTE]

I agree with Chris74to54--the 3" pipes will hurt you. Stick with 2.25"-2.5" so you don't lower backpressure too much. The 3" might help with overall mpg's if you spent all your time at 65+ mph, but you've got to get up to that speed and especially with the new headers, you'll find yourself in the gas more to get there. Since my truck is no longer supercharged, I plan on going back to a single in, single out exhaust when I'm ready for a new one. I love the look and sound of the true duals, but without the extra boost, I'm sure it is taking away from the bottom end a little bit. If I were you, I would invest in a quiet aftermarket muffler with a little more flow than stock and stick with the smaller pipes. That will be the best way for you to maximize power and efficiency (just to tie this back into the thread).

I check my mpg on almost every fill up and have since I got the truck 3 or so years ago. It's an 01 AC, 4x4 with a camper shell. I almost always average right at 16.6 to 16.8. This summer for about 4 months I all of a sudden was averaging into the 19's and after one long interstate trip I got over 20. I was getting around 400 miles or so between fill ups. The only thing I did different was an oil change I got at a different than usual place. I believe they put mobil1 in. The fuel mileage went right back to what I always get following the last change back at my regular place. I'm due again soon so I'm going to try that place again and see what happens. I'll let you know. Personally I wouldn't think oil would make that much difference but we shall see.

With my 2006 Access cab 4X4 I get about 16 driving very easy in the suburbs. Through heavy traffic in town, maybe 13 or 14.
On a trip ( all highway) going about 70, I will get 17 or 18 mpg.

The best ever was on a cool day (No A/C ) with the cruise at 60 I drove on a flat highway ( no hills ) and got 20.1 mpg.

The 4X2 will get a bit better but not much.

03 Access Cab 4X4. Bought it with 54,000 miles on it, all stock, 265/70R16 Michelin LTX M/S. Drove it home and got 18.9mpg (PHX to Flagstaff), and then 21.0mpg Flag to Santa Fe. Thats the best mileage I've ever seen.

Since then I've lifted truck ~2", put slightly larger tires (265/75R16) and installed camper shell and now the best I've gotten is 17.4mpg on ideal conditions (highway, no A/C, limited topography, no load). Pretty good considering I came from a 5 cylinder Chevy Colorado that averaged 18.5mpg with same "ideal" conditions.

My stepfather has gotten 21 mpg in his truck, but he usually averages 18-19. Speed is what kills your MPG. Even if your on the highway. Many people think just because the cruise control is set that they will save some gas, which is true to a certain extinct. But running 70-80 on cruise is not going to get you good gas mileage. My stepfather will set his cruise for 54mph. He has a 2002 2wd 3.4l access cab. The sad part is that my 88 gmc Z71, with a 3" body lift and 33 12.50 16 tires is getting 15-17MPG and my truck has a Jasper 350, and 3.73 rears

But that's V6 getting 20MPG - we are talking 20MPG in a V8 :boink:

P.S. i'm getting 13.5MPG town right now. Mostly <5 miles trips (~300 miles a tank with 22Gal to refill)

In summer will try to put many tanks x 22Gal and run it till it dies (with can of gas in the bed) and get the average for mileage. Not the most accurate, but better then by pump clicks on every tank :D:D:D Would only trust if monitored total amount of gallons over period of lets say 20K miles.
BTW its your foot that hurts you. Thanks god that I don't have manual tranny - would get 8MPG constantly :devil:

i agree, it is your foot that kills you. when i had my second truck. my gas mileage went down alot after i put loud exhaust on it. true duals, cats only, straight pipe. i used to get a constant 12MPG. My gf has basically the same truck as i do. an 89 Z71. and for the longest time we noticed a huge difference in gas mileage between my truck and hers. i would get 17 and she would be getting 9-11. well when she finally let me drive it, i noticed it was not going into overdrive. so she was running in 3rd gear, sucking down some gas.

New plugs, clean filter, Mobil 1 oil. The comute in my '05 4X4 DC SR5 (81K on the odo) is 20 miles over rolling hills, secondary highway. Posted speed is 55, set the cruise at 58. I average 19 mpg.

I bought an '02 in Nov '09. Cleanest used vehicle i've ever owned. I've had the timing belt replaced, changed plugs, & changed the oil. My fuel mileage is pitiful; usually about 13.5. I did an informal poll of Tundra owners & here's what I found; those with '00 to '03 - '04 are getting about the same as I am, 13 - 14 mpg combined & up to 16.5 on the highway. Those with '05 - '06 models are getting more like 15 - 16 mpg combined & up to 18 - 19mpg on the highway. As I said, this is an informal pole of people I meet. All were either access cab or DC, and 100% were 4x4. This leads me to believe there was some design change around '05 that imporved fuel consumption. Since i'm a new toy owner, I'm not aware of the change, but it may be something most owners are aware of. I noticed the '09 has a 6 speed auto trans. My '02 only has a 3 w/ od. Whatever the case, of the 20 or so '00 to '03 owners I spoke with, ALL admit to avg mpg of 13 - 14.

Well they did add Variable Valve Timing in 05 which helps but I think people getting 20 mpg are the standard cab 2wd version as people with the d cab 4x4s are more like 17 hwy.
But now that I have 35s and 6" RCD I get 14.5 hwy via ScanguageII I know real time all the time, nice addition. funny they didnt put trip computers in our trucks but the 4runner has it

I got 20 MPG once driving all freeway from Sacramento to LA with a constant speed of 60 MPH. No stops, no passengers, no load, bedcover, windows up, no headwinds & AC off. It was very long and boring trip but I wasn't in any hurry and gas was at it's peak. On that trip I must have saved about a 1/4 tank by going slow. My normal MPG is 15 city, 17 highway.

Add: 2000 limited access cab 2wd v8.

05+ had the variable valve timing, made a big step in peak hp while still maintaining low rpm emissions. They also changed to a 5 speed auto transmission, similar to the 6 speed auto that came with the 5.7 in '07

01 V8 4x4 always 60-65 on highway. Some occasional heavy foot in town. 50/50 mix i get 14.5 average. All maintenance up to date and stock truck. I had 19mpg when i brought it from NH to CT all highway 80mph all the way

I have seen nearly 19 mpg at 60-65 mpg on my 09 Crewmax 5-7 4x4. Been able to do it a couple times, but just can't drive that slow regularly. Can't have your cake and eat it too. Slow it down and see what a truck is really capable of or drive a more realistinc 70-80 mph, suck it up, and quite yer whining.

I am wondering how some of the membes here are getting 20-21 mpg? I drive about 1000 miles a monthe just on the highway on long stretches of road at 70-75-80-mph, cruise control, RAPS air intake, Mobil 1, NO lead foot, hard bed cover with a 2wd 04 DC Tundra, Oh yeah new tires at 35 psi and tried 32 psi. Never have I ever gotten over 16.8 mpg. I drive between LA and Vegas and each way is the same. Also have a emission control system device on truck that gives me better mileage. www.emissioncontrolsystems.com (http://http://www.emissioncontrolsystems.com/)

SO I would like to know how you guys are doing it. We have to drive at least 75 mph in order to not get a ticket, so what's the deal,

Thanks for your responses:ts::ts::ts:

I am getting better than 20 MPG on the highway these days but I have done a lot of modifications to get there. In no particular order:


Scanguage II (My number one recommended first step to better fuel economy after all the maintenance issues are taken care of)
Aeroturbine exhaust
True Flow drop-in filter and intake
Ram Air Intake Scoop plumbed directly into the air box (currently disconnected while I do the rework to mount it up in the bumper)
Fitch Fuel Catalyst (Flame away I did the testing)
Switched out the stock 4:10 gears for 3:90 gears kind of sort of accidentally on purpose
Routed out the ribs in the upper air box
A new patent I developed over the past two months that has made a nice improvement.
Regular maintenance including MAF and Throttle Body Cleaning, oil changes, tire rotation and balance, clean air filter, PCV maintenance, fuel injector cleaning, Sea Foam every now and then, and checking the air pressure in the tires.

I would like to install a set of electric fans and some headers but have not gotten around to it yet. I expect to see another 2-3 MPG improvement once they are installed.

My mileage varies depending on what type of driving I am doing. When the Ram Air Intake Scoop was installed I got:


Idling with the Air Conditioning running and a lot of shut-downs and start-ups through the course of the day brings my mileage down to around 15 MPG.
Highway at 66-68 MPH (which seems to be the "sweet spot") I get 22-23 MPG depending on conditions.
Highway at 75+ MPH I drop down to 19 MPG.

Without the scoop the highway mileage at 66-68 MPH is only a little over 20 MPG.

I'm new to owning a Tundra, I ended up with a 2012 5.7 4x2 CM. I was worried about mpg's and on my first opportunity I setup a mpg check between Tucson and Phoenix.
I filled up at a Costco in Tucson and refilled at a Costco on Elliot drive in Phoenix, I drove at a constant 75 and my mpg's resulted in 20.95 miles per gallon. No tailwind. Double checked my numbers,
then had wife go over it and she's a vault clerk,(counts for a living)
I was pretty happy, but I'm a natural skeptic so I will be rechecking soon....

My two cents....

I regularly get 18 city and 21 highway with a 4x4 and underseat storage loaded with the usual junk. After 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 wait 3 or 4 tankfulls for the ECU to adjust the fuel delivery before calculating milage. HighwayLiz knows his stuff, listen to him. Here's the final word on milage:

1. Open the air intake box, install a aFE Pro Dry-S permanent air filter. Better air flow, better filtering, washable. The last filter you'll ever need. Clean it at every oil change. BTW, these trucks already come with a cold air intake, you don't need a Volant, aFE, etc. Just use a better filter. Result, ~1 mpg improvement.

2. If you're in Calif, Mass, NY close it back up because the fascists in those states "know what's good for you". Otherwise pry the charcoal filter out, right above the air filter. Its "purpose" is to prevent any gas fumes from backing up into the atmosphere. Ridiculous. Result, ~.5 mpg improvement.

3. With the stock tires, inflate the front to 38 psi and the rear tires to 36 psi. Result ~1 to 1.5 mpg improvement.

4. If at all possible find a place that sells straight gasoline, not the E10 ethanol crap. And use the best grade of gas you can afford (I know that's controversial but I get 1.5 mpg better with 93 octane). If you RTFM and you have a flex fuel rig like me you'll see ethanol 85 will drop your milage in half because its not as powerful as gasoline. The E10 will also cost you mpg. Possible ~1 mpg improvement or better.

5. Try and use only big name gas, Shell, BP, Exxon, Mobil, etc. Avoid Uncle Bob's Gas and Go, Betty's Burrito's and Fuelo's, etc. They will sometimes buy gas that's old or stale and they get a discount for that. Especially avoid those places if they are off the beaten path. Who knows how long the gas has sat in their tanks soaking up moisture.

6. Start replacing fluids with synthetics. They are more "slippery" and also will not break down as fast as dino. Maybe a .5 mpg improvement.

7. If you want to squeeze another .25 mpg consider opening the spark gap NO MORE THAN .005" more - the setting would be ~.049". You might see .25 to .5 mpg improvement, maybe not.

8. COAST when possible. Any slight downhill area you should remove your foot from the gas pedal.

9. Don't accelerate uphill, just maintain and slowly decelerate if possible. When accelerating keep it well under 2k rpm.

9. Use cruise control where feasible, flat ground, etc.

10. Keep it at 60 to 65 mph.

Remember this big 5.7 will loaf along at 65 but pushing 5300+ lbs uphill or away from a stop will gobble the fuel.

Believe it or not, the second generation Tundras as large and powerful as they are, with the 6 speed automatic get much better mpg than the first generation. I have owned both and never got more than 17mpg with my '02. My '08 consistantly gets 17 in mixed driving and 18-19 highway with a recent best of 20.11 on a 3 week road trip. I actually liked my '02 better as it was easier to drive but my son totaled that out and I bought the '08. I like the new one for looks, interior, mpg, etc but the '02 was just a better fit for me. I looked at the Tacomas but they are nowhere near as nice as the original Tundras.

These threads always make me laugh. Did anybody see the guy on page 1 or 2 who is disappointed about 15 mpg when he drives between 75-90 on the highway? :pound:

A new patent I developed over the past two months that has made a nice improvement.

So when are we going to see you get shot down on that show "Shark Tank"? :beer:

These threads always make me laugh. Did anybody see the guy on page 1 or 2 who is disappointed about 15 mpg when he drives between 75-90 on the highway? :pound:

Do they make Geo Metro 15" alloy rims? Those bicycle tires will help cut down on the rolling resistance....downside; don't try and brake! :D

Do they make Geo Metro 15" alloy rims? Those bicycle tires will help cut down on the rolling resistance....downside; don't try and brake! :D
LOL! Reminds me of my bug with 15" rims and 135 tires. If you get going fast and try to turn, the front tires just scrub and hop! You keep going straight until the scrubbing slows you down!

So when are we going to see you get shot down on that show "Shark Tank"? :beer:

As soon as three things occur:

When I get the money to pay for the patent
When I get the balls to spend that money
When I man up enough to go get eaten alive


I love Shark Tank and the misses and I rarely miss an episode. We do talk about going on there but the above three must occur first.

You did get married within the last six months didn't you? To get the balls to do anything you have to ask for them back from your wife first! :D

John

You did get married within the last six months didn't you? To get the balls to do anything you have to ask for them back from your wife first! :D

John

They are in her Burberry . . .

BTW I named them Want and Ignorance