13 mpg ???

In 16 when I ordered the Pro, it was almost the same price as the Tacoma, and the dealers said the gas mileage was hurting Tundra sales. I'm not gonna say MPG doesn't matter to me, but it not to the point I'd consider a different truck.

 

2.5 lift 33" tires, 13mpg mix freeway and local

 

Modern EFI systems will advance timing up to detonation and then back off a bit. Higher octane allows more advance, which provides more performance. No surprise that mpg goes up. Unfortunately the premium today for higher octane fuel exceeds the savings. Also likely that the higher octane fuel has less alcohol in it. Alcohol has about 10% less energy potential than gasoline.

 

Flex Fuel or no? How old are plugs? Original Oxygen and MAF sensors?

13 MPG isn’t terrible, but the above listed components can contribute to poor fuel economy as they age and wear.

 

I noticed the same thing on my old 2012 V6 Tacoma in which I hand calculated the MPG’s. Everyone told it was BS…

The best mpg (for the tank) ever got out of that truck was 21. Crazy part was that I was towing a trailer with an heavy utility ATV in upstate NY (very mountainous), however I used ethanol (devils juice for motors) free 91 octane gas.

Edit: I feel bad for some of you owners who are only getting 11-13. That sucks, I average around 16 but I do 75% highway. On a solid highway trip I can achieve 17.

 

Been driving a 2016 pro for 130,000 miles with slightly oversized a/t tires. Mixed use driving but long road trips as well. Lifetime average is probably in the 13-13.5 range. You're doing fine, this truck is not efficient. On highway trips I've gotten as good as 17.5 but I've seen noticeable dropoff in mpg doing more than 70, and god help you if you're driving into the wind.

 

With 225K+ on the odo, no change in mileage for the entire 225K miles. No change in sensors or anything else, except plugs (twice) and a couple cleanings of the MAF and throttle body. If you're mileage is mostly in town, stop 'n' go traffic, hilly terrain, lots of head/crosswinds, etc., then you're doing just fine. I live about 20 miles from a small town, do no driving in traffic, and it's a little hilly going to and from town. My MPG average runs 16.5-17. But on those occasions when I have to spend a few days driving in city traffic, I am down to 11-14. You're driving a 3 ton brick. It takes BTUs to move it.

 

My previous setup : cheap 33inch tires weighing 90lbs each. Leveling kit. 11-12mpg

current setup:35 inch Toyo open country. 13-14mpg

Accepted the fact that the tundras will be low teens. Still driving my Prius to work

 

I have never seen 33" tires that weighed 90 lbs. Back in the 80s I ran Buckshot MTs in 12.5x33x15 on a F150. They might have weighed 90 lbs.

I have noticed that temps have a big effect on MPGs. I often make the same 225 mile drive to the ranch I hunt on. Most drives I get right at 16 but on 1 return trip home I got 18.5. Tailwind helped somewhat but only 5 to 10. Biggest difference was the temps. It was during spring turkey season and temps were warmer then typical during fall deer season.

 

Yeah, that’s pretty normal

 

Same. When I do see 13, it causes a little stirring...

 

I'm at 140K and have gotten 15 from day one.

 

I’m stock suspension and 35s and I get 10.5 MPG with my daily Colorado commute (with a heavy foot).

I figure what i waste on extra gas, I save on mechanic visits and frustrations. We’ve had several Toyotas and none of their regular gas SUVs or trucks get good gas mileage…yet they’re still so popular. Why? Because knowing you’ll get there, reliably, is worth the few less MPG to most people.

Exhibit A: me deep in the mountains where the 38 gallon tank means I can get remote despite the horrible gas mileage. While I still know I can get back, because of the Toyota reliability. This wasn’t always the case, as I learned many times, back in my younger years as a Jeep fanboy.

 

Yeah my 2020 tundra gets way worse mpg then my 2008 Silverado, but pulls way better. So I’ll take that.

 

Lowest MPGs yesterday on a drive I do often. Hilly road with nasty head winds. Almost blew the lid off my cooler in bed. First time to get 13 not towing. I was hoping to beat the front but it came through early.

 

Best I've ever seen on my 2019 Pro is 17.5 mpg. Worst is 9 mpg. Typically in the 13-15 mpg range. Yes this thing has a Genuine Cooling systems aux transmission cooler.

By comparison...

I picked up a 2024 suburban with 5.3 *. With or without the DFM system engaged, best I've seen is 21 mpg. Typically in the 18-19 mpg range.

So... similar weight vehicles. One with smaller V8 and complex fuel management system (electric power steering, electric fan, 10 spd transmission, 3.23 rear gear) vs old school port fuel injected V8 with larger displacement (hydraulic power steering, mechanical fan, 6 spd, 4.30 rear gear). Same driver, same gas, same roads, same conditions, same payload while driving.

The complexity only buys you a few MPGs. In real world driving I get 3 mpg better in a 2024 5.3 suburban than my 2019 Pro.

One thing I did do in my 2019 that made a noticeable difference in mpg was change the rear and front differential oils to Royal Purple. I picked up a solid and calculatable 0.5 mpg. I'm not a Royal Purple homer, I expect similar results going to an Amsoil product. My local parts store happened to have RP so I tried it.

*best of bad options. Needed a super sized SUV and found a suburban with no air suspension and no moon roof with z71 package.