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TacomaGeneral discussion forum for the 2005 and later Toyota Tacoma.
This is a discussion thread titled "My Tacoma Sport Grueling MPG Test", within the Tacoma forum, part of the Truck Forums category.
Yesterday my family and I took our 2WD '05 Tacoma QuadCab SR5 TRD Sport from Phoenix (at 1,100 MSL) to Flagstaff (7,000 MSL) while towing a 1,200 pound Polaris Ranger XP 700.
Here is the test mule:
My friend (with a heavy foot) has an 05 QuadCab TRD 4x4 who gets between 14 and 18 mpg. He is quite envious of my MPG as I have a light, patient foot and have been getting 20.1 to 21.5 MPG around my driving circuit (50/50 street/freeway). I've gotten as low as 18.5 while pulling the empty trailer around town to get work done on it.
So, with topped-off tank and a destination in mind, off we headed with the hitched load behind us. Uphill I-17 at a typical speed of 70+ mph, and then driving on the Navajo reservation, we got 13.2 mpg. Downhill and at 70+ mph we clocked in at 17.1 mpg.
The Taco towed this fairly light load with torquey aplomb. The engine and drivetrain continue to impress me with it abilities.
Rick
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Towing an '06 Polaris Ranger 700 XP 4x4.
The Ranger is five feet wide, carries three people, has a 1,500 pound payload (including 1,000 pounds in the dump bed), and can tow 1,750 pounds. It ain't no quad or golf cart. It's a 700-twin EFI Dana-differential-locked 4x4, fully independant suspension, four disc breaked huntin'/explorin' machine. When some look at my Taco Sport, they ask why I didn't get a 4x4. I explaine to them that I did...
It's a beast, to be sure, and worthy of any Taco MPG test.
BTW, I took it here...
Sheba Crater, 17 miles NW of Flagstaff, Arizona.
Some friends were having a hang glider manufacturers "Demo Days" there.
The guy crouching to the right is the Wills Wing sales rep who hopes that the stranger he just gave a $6,000 glider to doesn't crash.
Uphill I-17 at a typical speed of 70+ mph, and then driving on the Navajo reservation, we got 13.2 mpg.
Downhill and at 70+ mph we clocked in at 17.1 mpg.
Curious how you ferret out the MPG on various sub-sections of road.
The MPG calcuation I'm aware of involves a starting with a full tank, reseting the trip meter, running the gas down (empty or whatever), then refilling to full, noting the elsapsed milage and fuel you added, and doing some math. So naturally I'm curious how you got the Downhill at 70+ MPH figures (unless you fueled up at the top of the hill, it was a long hill, and you fueled at the bottom).
Thnx.N
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Shopping for: Taco or older 4bang, 4x4
2008 Civic Coupe EX 5spd Manual
2007 Tundra Single Cab SR5 / 4.7L / 4x4 Red
2006 Tundra DC Limited TRD Black
2005 Tacoma Access Cab TRD Black
2005 4Runner SR5 Sport Blue
2004 Tundra DC SR5 TRD Silver
2004 Tacoma DC TRD Maroon
1993 Toy 4x4 single cab, 5spd, 4cly, black
1992 Toy 2x4 single cab, auto, white
1990 Landcruiser Grey
1988 Landcruiser Brown
1988 Landcruiser Blue
1987 4runner, 4x4, 2dr, 5sp silver
1985 4runner, 4x4, 2dr, 5sp red
1981 Toy 3x4 single cab, SFA, blue
Yes, it's a very long hill. From Phoenix to Flagstaff on I-17 is 6,000 feet and 140 miles.
I topped off the tank and zeroed the odometer in Phoenix and jumped on I-17 which is just a couple of miles from the gas station. I filled up just before I departed in Flagstaff -- Odo mileage divided by gallons to re-top the tank = miles/gallon. I then drove to Phoenix and repeated the fill-up and fourth grade math.
Rick
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Towing an '06 Polaris Ranger 700 XP 4x4.
Hello, I did a big road trip through Alaska this summer, my question is on gas mileage. I know that just idling your engine sucks down the gas (0.0 mpg), but when I'm coasting down a hill and take my foot off the gas (and put it in neutral) am I really saving any gas? Am I not just idling the engine? I drive the 2002 Tundra V6 5 speed 4x4 by the way, best tank on this trip (with four of us, plus a decent load of luggage/stuff) was 21.6 mpg, I was very happy with that, I can hit 600 miles on a tank! Usually around home, with lots of quick trips, I'm around 18 mpg. cheers, Jaderain
Hello, I did a big road trip through Alaska this summer, my question is on gas mileage. I know that just idling your engine sucks down the gas (0.0 mpg), but when I'm coasting down a hill and take my foot off the gas (and put it in neutral) am I really saving any gas? Am I not just idling the engine? I drive the 2002 Tundra V6 5 speed 4x4 by the way, best tank on this trip (with four of us, plus a decent load of luggage/stuff) was 21.6 mpg, I was very happy with that, I can hit 600 miles on a tank! Usually around home, with lots of quick trips, I'm around 18 mpg. cheers, Jaderain
idling refers to your engine being at it's lowest speed(lowest rpm) with your foot off of the gas. if your sitting idling at a stop light or in your driveway you're burning gas but not going anywhere: 0mpg. If your going 70mph down a hill in neutral with your foot off of the gas(idle speed) then you're getting the best mileage possible. if you're ever in a car that displays the current mpg while your driving, watch as you go down hill or take your foot off of the gas the mpg's will go up a bunch. i drove an '03 suburban to colorado and saw better than 50mpg coasting downhill. it still only averaged 19 at the pump but it's entertaining to think that beast could ever get mileage that good.
My Tacoma Sport Grueling MPG Test
Linear Mode
