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Fuel Economy

Discussion in '2.5 Gen Tundras (2014-2021)' started by tundraiggy73, Nov 24, 2021.

  1. Nov 24, 2021 at 5:35 AM
    #1
    tundraiggy73

    tundraiggy73 [OP] New Member

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    I feel ridiculous asking this, considering I've been a Toyota Technician for 25 years and now own my 5th Tundra/Sequoia with the 5.7L V8, but I have to ask.

    My new 2021 Tundra gets TERRIBLE fuel economy. I don't drive it aggressively at all. It only has 700 miles so far, but I don't remember any of my other vehicles getting this poor of gas mileage when they were new. My wife seems to remember be bitching about the others and that they got better eventually.

    I'm getting like 11 MPG right now. I got the 38 gallon tank in this truck and thought I'd get like 500+ miles to the tank, but not even close.


    Thoughts??
     
    Pac12AfterDark likes this.
  2. Nov 24, 2021 at 5:40 AM
    #2
    Oey12

    Oey12 New Member

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    I don’t mean to sound like an ass here but I have to ask, how did you NOT know it isn’t the most efficient in the gas department? Especially being a tech?

    My mpg’s were piss poor at the beginning as well but have gotten much better after break in.

    Are you pulling our legs here…
     
  3. Nov 24, 2021 at 5:50 AM
    #3
    ColoradoCub

    ColoradoCub New Member

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    Not much else to say other than it’s a Tundra! I’m getting about 40% worse fuel mileage than the truck I traded in for it. Went from 27 mpg to 16-17, but at least the Tundra starts every time I want to go somewhere.
     
  4. Nov 24, 2021 at 5:55 AM
    #4
    2WD

    2WD New Member

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    Just for another data point:

    I'm all stock

    getting 19-20 HWY, 14-15 City, 16-17 mixed.

    My 2 other trucks w/V8's both got about 2 MPG better highway. Rest was the same.
     
    nobodyintexas and Oey12 like this.
  5. Nov 24, 2021 at 6:03 AM
    #5
    Jaypown

    Jaypown New Member

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    11 seems very low for a stock truck. What part of the country are you in? It's gotten colder here in Ohio so I've lost about 1mpg off my average. Not trying to insult you or anything considering your technician background but have you checked for the obvious things that you might have overlooked? Like tire pressure, dragging brakes, mathematical calculation error?

    You could always reset the battery to make sure it's not just a glitch in the computer.
     
    Saltyhero13, DSLKSL and Oey12 like this.
  6. Nov 24, 2021 at 6:09 AM
    #6
    ColoradoCub

    ColoradoCub New Member

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    That’s because your missing the front drive train!
     
    Shark Bait and Malinois38 like this.
  7. Nov 24, 2021 at 6:13 AM
    #7
    Oey12

    Oey12 New Member

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    In all honesty I average about 17.5 with 4x4 (20% city/80% highway). With that said I don’t let the truck warm up or cool down for very long at all. And I never idle but I have done this on all my vehicles including minimal warm up cool down.
     
  8. Nov 24, 2021 at 6:36 AM
    #8
    HulkSmurf14

    HulkSmurf14 ...Weighted Average...

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    Tastefully enhanced...
    Break in period will bolster that mpg after a few thousand miles along with better fuels used not during the winter months...
     
    Akaklutz likes this.
  9. Nov 24, 2021 at 6:45 AM
    #9
    ColoradoCub

    ColoradoCub New Member

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    This is pretty much reality on the fuel mileage of the Tundras. You really have to baby the throttle and drive like a grandpa to get the upper end of this graph, if you drive it like previous vehicles you’ve owned you will be on the lower end of the graph.

    62962EB2-42C4-4DCC-861D-9BD0AFCE6B43.jpg
     
  10. Nov 24, 2021 at 6:52 AM
    #10
    tundraiggy73

    tundraiggy73 [OP] New Member

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    I am NOT pulling anyone's leg here.

    My last Tundra that I just traded in was a 2012. Just got rid of it with 60,000 miles on it. I got 16mpg consistently with that truck regardless of highway, city, air conditioning, 4wd etc. I don't recall the fuel economy being this poor in that truck when i first got it.

    I also have a 2019 Sequoia and had a 2008 Sequoia before that and again, I don't recall having this poor of fuel economy in either of those when they were newer. The 2008 Sequoia got similar to my 2012 Tundra and the 2019 Sequoia also gets in that 16mpg range all the time.

    I've stared at the data list on the 2021 Tundra, recorded it for 25 miles or so and everything is normal.

    I guess I just don't remember. Being almost 50 and working on cars takes a toll on a person.
     
  11. Nov 24, 2021 at 6:53 AM
    #11
    Oey12

    Oey12 New Member

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    My sincere apologies then… :hattip:
     
    Saltyhero13 likes this.
  12. Nov 24, 2021 at 6:55 AM
    #12
    ezdog

    ezdog New Member

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    How exactly are you determining your mileage?
     
    Saltyhero13 likes this.
  13. Nov 24, 2021 at 6:59 AM
    #13
    ColoradoCub

    ColoradoCub New Member

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    Sometimes there are good ones and bad ones when it comes to vehicles and individual fuel economy, sorry but it looks like you got a bad one. I had a 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie and my buddy had the same truck. I was running E rate oversized tires and he was running stock tires and I always got like 2 mpg better than he did. Pissed him off to no end, there was no way of knowing why his truck that was almost identical to mine with 10 lb lighter tires got so much worse fuel mileage on average.
     
  14. Nov 24, 2021 at 7:03 AM
    #14
    tundraiggy73

    tundraiggy73 [OP] New Member

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    I use the same pump at the same gas station for the only fill ups I've done so far. When the pump stops, I stop filling, not a penny more.

    The next time i fill up I do the same thing, then divide the miles by the gallons.

    Additionally I use the fuel economy feature on a Toyota Techstream to watch fuel economy in real time, which is pretty damn close to what I calculate. The information built into the cars are NOT accurate, I know that. I have to talk customers down from that all the time.

    It's not a big deal, and I am assuming it's going to get better.

    These are great trucks and the 5.7 is a great engine. I can count on one hand the real engine problems I've seen on these things.
     
    Jaypown and ezdog[QUOTED] like this.
  15. Nov 24, 2021 at 7:12 AM
    #15
    ezdog

    ezdog New Member

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    I kind of figured that you were not relying solely on the dashboard readout for this but just wanted to make sure.
     
  16. Nov 24, 2021 at 7:15 AM
    #16
    Clemsonman14

    Clemsonman14 New Member

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    Should get better. My 2020 can get 500 miles per tank with almost zero interstate driving
     
  17. Nov 24, 2021 at 8:36 AM
    #17
    Cpl_Punishment

    Cpl_Punishment Young men never die.

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  18. Nov 24, 2021 at 9:27 AM
    #18
    ACDC2ZZTop

    ACDC2ZZTop Rock n Roll!

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    All cosmetic so far see my posts in 2nd gen Black out chrome in progress….
    I just bought a 2012 well almost two years ago with 85k and I never get more than 13 mpg average. Granted I don’t do a lot of freeway driving and my commute is only 3 miles one way but the more I drive it the more I love my truck. Thankfully I only fill the tank once a month most of the time.
     
  19. Nov 24, 2021 at 12:41 PM
    #19
    jeffw6236

    jeffw6236 New Member

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    You said “economy” :rofl:
     
  20. Nov 24, 2021 at 12:49 PM
    #20
    COElkHunter

    COElkHunter New Member

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    Beat me to it.. The words Tundra and fuel economy in the same sentence.... Now Tundra and reliable, they belong in the same sentence!
     
  21. Nov 24, 2021 at 2:04 PM
    #21
    Saltyhero13

    Saltyhero13 Throbbing Member

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    Fuel delete mod Cup holder upgrade
    It has great fuel economy, mine contributes greatly to the economy.
     
  22. Nov 24, 2021 at 2:23 PM
    #22
    SprinterAE86

    SprinterAE86 New Member

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    Bilstein 5100 2.3/1.5, TRD sway bars ft/rr, Cooper Tires Discoverer AT3 XLT 295.70.18, Vision Manx 2 18x9 +12, APS side armor steps, TRD-Pro Grill and Bulge, de-chromed, blackout emblems, OEM mirror caps and flares, TRD shift knob, Leather wrapped steering wheel, All weather mats
    With my 2020, it did get better after 20K. I manage to go up to 17mpg highway and 13/14 city. I was happy with 14/15 combine.
     
    Akaklutz likes this.
  23. Nov 24, 2021 at 2:57 PM
    #23
    eagleguy

    eagleguy New Member

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    What gas mileage/ fuel economy?? This vehicle has NEVER never been known for good or reasonable gas mileage, it is what it is. Love my 2021 V8 anyway!!
     
  24. Nov 24, 2021 at 3:33 PM
    #24
    Saltyhero13

    Saltyhero13 Throbbing Member

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    Fuel delete mod Cup holder upgrade
    Lower MPGs could be winter gas too.
     
    Cpl_Punishment likes this.
  25. Nov 24, 2021 at 5:05 PM
    #25
    Shuffler

    Shuffler New Member

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    Every time I tow with my truck, it's led to a 'Hulk-Out' over the miserable fuel economy, like 8-9mpg on the 26gal tank when tugging a loaded 7x14 cargo trailer across WY. And when I don't tow and am 'easy' on the pedal, I still can't manage better than 12-14 in mixed driving. Winter fuel sucks balls and makes it worse. When the truck was in stock form, I'd see 16-17mpg ... but then 'the mods happened' and I got nobody to blame but myself ... leveled, 34" tires, GoFast camper, Decked, rod vault, heavier bumpers, etc. Filling up more frequently sucks, but then having legendary reliability and pretty much zero maintenance costs outside of oil changes - it calms me down. Gas is cheap in comparison.
     
  26. Nov 24, 2021 at 5:13 PM
    #26
    camron1039

    camron1039 New Member

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    13k miles on my 21 Platinum. If I were to baby it on the Hwy and stay around 65 I could get over 17mpg. With mixed driving and a light foot I typically get 16-16.5.

    I enjoy driving it and it always starts so that’s worth something to me.
     
  27. Nov 24, 2021 at 5:20 PM
    #27
    Terndrerrr

    Terndrerrr guzzling dealer repellent

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    Mine was never that low during break-in. I have a 2/1 lift, LT285/75R18s, and a moderately heavy foot, and I still average over 13 combined.

    @tundraiggy73 , it sounds like you may actually have something else going on. Is one of the brakes dragging? Or the parking brake? Maybe jack up each wheel and see how freely it spins? Maybe something else is working against you. But then again, if you leave it running while sitting parked for long periods of time, especially on winter gas, that could explain it.
     
  28. Nov 24, 2021 at 5:47 PM
    #28
    2021 Semi Pro

    2021 Semi Pro New Member

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    Clean slate
    Agree with all other posts here,
    But you can do a few things to maximize your mileage, all of these are posted somewhere in this forum, but the ones I use are:
    1. Use ethanol free gas premium costs more but I think it more than averages out.
    2. Do not just leave it in Drive, learn your truck, and where it is flat or down hill hold 6th for a little longer.
    3. Don’t use cruise on mountain passes or roads with big long hills, my cruise over accelerates when trying to keep up to speed on a hill.
    4. Look farther ahead Coast up to lights and stops.
    5. DO NOT IDLE EVER!
    I do these things when I freak out about mileage and challenge myself to see what the truck can do.
    17.5 -18.75 hwy 15-16 in town. (Not broken in 2600 miles.)
    Then I calm down and drive normal and get 15, And never break down unlike my old 2018 eco boost f 150
     
    Oey12 likes this.
  29. Nov 24, 2021 at 6:00 PM
    #29
    Mike59

    Mike59 Kentucky Traveller

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    I'm getting about 13-14mpg mixed driving in my 21DC. Using 10% ethanol in my truck with a little more than 1000 miles. That's about what I expected.
     
  30. Nov 24, 2021 at 6:17 PM
    #30
    eagleguy

    eagleguy New Member

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    Thats what the REAL MPG is!
     
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