I think its better to just accelerate like normal then stay at the steady speed you choose. Keeping it under 2K helps. Another thing look ahead down the road and anticipate conditions so that you arent braking at the last minute and whatever you do dont follow close..keeping a safety buffer is also smart driving for MPGs as you will have an easier time keeping momenteum by anticipating conditions and changing lanes instead of braking. I drive for a living and was fuel mileage champion for 3 1/2 yrs straight at a previous company with nearist being over 1 MPG behind me.

 

Here's what I've noticed with my ScanGauge.

Below 20 mph it doesn't really matter much as long as you don't go over 2,000 rpm before shifts. The reason is, you are going so slow that even if you take your foot of the gas and roll forward at idle your still only getting ~3 mpg due to being in 1st or 2nd gear. With each gear change the mpg gets better. Remember the truck is producing about the same HP (and using about the same about of gas) at 1,500 rpm no matter what (forward) gear it's in.

The biggest reason for accelerating slowly (under 2k and while driving under 20-25mph) is so you don't waste gas just to step on the brake again 100 yards up the road at the next light. If the lights are clear ahead, accelerate to (moderately under 2k rpm) until about 3rd gear. Then ease it up after that.

I only drive 4.4 miles to work (one way) and I'm still averaging 16 mpg doing the above and other tricks like letting off the gas as soon as possible.

 

...Another thing look ahead down the road and anticipate conditions so that you arent braking at the last minute and whatever you do dont follow close..keeping a safety buffer is also smart driving for MPGs as you will have an easier time keeping momenteum by anticipating conditions and changing lanes instead of braking.

Second that. Braking = wasting the gas used to accelerate: so drive in a way to minimize it. (Only prob. with this is that some idiots on the freeway don't know what you're doing and might kiss your tail for it.)

 

you only live once!! accelerate and feel the power!!! You paid for I dono 200+ ponies, then feel em!! I dont get it... People buy nice brand new BMW cars lots of HP and acceleration and people drivem really slow I dont get it. I am not saying abuse'm, I mean dont drive like grandma!!

 

you only live once!! accelerate and feel the power!!! You paid for I dono 200+ ponies, then feel em!! I dont get it... People buy nice brand new BMW cars lots of HP and acceleration and people drivem really slow I dont get it. I am not saying abuse'm, I mean dont drive like grandma!!

Correct!! Heck, I redline my tundra all the time. It doesnt make much of a difference in my range from full to empty.

 

you only live once!! accelerate and feel the power!!! You paid for I dono 200+ ponies, then feel em!! I dont get it... People buy nice brand new BMW cars lots of HP and acceleration and people drivem really slow I dont get it. I am not saying abuse'm, I mean dont drive like grandma!!

I feel the same way. Great post! :tu:

 

I must live in area of old people, when I leave a stop light and I set the RPM @ 2000 I'm one of fastest autos to clear the intersection. plus if I leave @ 2000 rpm the next stop will be 60 MPH. If I keep at about 2k I will go about 60- 90 miles farther on a tank of gas, summer time, winter depends on the outside temp as to how much you have to run the engine to get it warm.
Kevin

 

Drive however you want to drive. If you feel the need to hit red line to prove to others you can get to the next stop light first...That's cool.

I enjoy watching this type of driving behavior, especially when the driver gets over excited and squeals the tires. I love to see the look of frustration on the drivers face at the next stop light.

Keep the free entertainment coming for the rest of us drivers. It gives me something to laugh about. :ts:

ps. On a side note my co-worker and I were in our work van yesterday. A college student came to a screeching stop next to us at a light. We reved our pos Dodge V-8 to tease the kid. He looked over at us and got so excited I think a pimple popped. We held the revs up a little high to further the tease. When the light turned red the kid took off and smoked them. We just let off the gas and shifted into drive, and took off as normal. At the next light, he wouldn't look over at us again. Wonder why?:devil:

 

Drive however you want to drive. If you feel the need to hit red line to prove to others you can get to the next stop light first...That's cool.

I enjoy watching this type of driving behavior, especially when the driver gets over excited and squeals the tires. I love to see the look of frustration on the drivers face at the next stop light....

Lights are timed so there is no reward for exceeding the speed limit.

 

I hate driving in town. It's what I do 90% of the time. I stay easy on the gas because there's no sense wasting gas trying to beat everybody to the next traffic light. But when I get to the open highway going to my hunt camp I open her up a bit. Then, in the woods I climb hills, drive through mud puddles, & make new trails. I don't care about the mileage because that's where I have fun. Better way to drive? Just accelerate slowly, try to anticipate traffic lights, brake slowly, drive boringly.

 

to get better MGP sell the damn truck! you bought a V8 for a reason.... it wasn't fuel economy.

 

I think its better to just accelerate like normal then stay at the steady speed you choose. Keeping it under 2K helps. Another thing look ahead down the road and anticipate conditions so that you arent braking at the last minute and whatever you do dont follow close..keeping a safety buffer is also smart driving for MPGs as you will have an easier time keeping momenteum by anticipating conditions and changing lanes instead of braking. I drive for a living and was fuel mileage champion for 3 1/2 yrs straight at a previous company with nearist being over 1 MPG behind me.

Excellent advice Season'd. I have similar driving habits and it does make a difference not only in fuel economy but overall safety. As I drive I imagine scenarios that might occur and calculate my defensive strategy in advance. It's a good way to maintain concentration and alertness. Much like Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

As a result I have been accident free for fifty years. The few accidents I have been involved in were the result of other drivers inattention or their poor navigational skills.

 

Excellent advice Season'd. I have similar driving habits and it does make a difference not only in fuel economy but overall safety. As I drive I imagine scenarios that might occur and calculate my defensive strategy in advance. It's a good way to maintain concentration and alertness. Much like Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

As a result I have been accident free for fifty years. The few accidents I have been involved in were the result of other drivers inattention or their poor navigational skills.

Thanks Greenie! Wish there were more drivers like you on the road.

 

We always talk about how to take off from the light and how fast to go or not. I've noticed while driving that almost ALL drivers while at their cruising speed (whether the speed limit or speeding) continuously press the accelerator and let off. You can literally hear the engine going up and down in RPMs when another driver is beside you. Sometimes it's so bad their vehicle is actually surging. Wonder how much this kills their MPG?

I too think we bought a truck and shouldn't cry about MPG but I do enjoy maximizing my MPG during daily driving.

 

Instead of taking it easy and keeping it under 2k rpm from a stop, if you push the gas all the way to the floor the Tundra goes into a special hybrid mode. It burns rubber as well as gas, which saves....

ahh who am I kidding :tu:

 

...I've noticed while driving that almost ALL drivers while at their cruising speed (whether the speed limit or speeding) continuously press the accelerator and let off. You can literally hear the engine going up and down in RPMs when another driver is beside you.

I've noticed this too. That's why almost everyone suggest using the cruse control on the hwy. It's not because cruse control can do better than a human (in regards to mpg), it's because cruse control DOES do better than most humans (including my wife).

I know an older gentleman that drives Wide-Open-Throttle or closed throttle. It's so hard to ride with him, he quickly accelerates to the speed limit or 5 miles over the speed limit then lets off the gas. When he slows down ~5 mph he gets back on the throttle again.

I bought a V8 for towing my camper. It doesn't make finical sense to buy a commuter car for driving the 4.4 miles to work when I'm not towing the camper. So, instead I enjoy getting better mileage (sometimes) than my wife does in her 3.5L V6 Odyssey. Last night I got 18.4 mpg on my way home from work (4.4 miles of city streets... NO hwy). Tank average is 16.3 mpg and rising!

 

I try to stay around 2000 rpms. I baby it on the road for the most part, but i get on it once in a while. I just bought my 02 tundra about 2 weeks ago. The 1st week i figured i averaged around 10 mpg... but it was inaccurate because the dealership didnt fill the tank. The 2nd week i drove from buffalo to rochester (about 65 miles each way) averaging 75 mph, and then the next day it got stuck in 4wd. That week I averaged 13 mpg. The 4wd was fixed yesterday, so i'm hoping for an improvement this week.

 

Another advantage of driving more steadily, or less hard, is you prolong the life of your truck. Who would you want to buy an used vehicle from, someone who paces and drives steadily, or someone who likes to show off and push their trucks?

 

If the truck is gonna break down it dont care if it is babied or not.

 

here is how some one drives
YouTube - Late for work