Howdy all,I've had my 04 Tacoma,2.7 liter Pre Runner,single cab,2 wheel drive for approximately 350 miles now and would like your opinion on its gas mileage. Before you ask I haven't been lead footing it and 90% driven in the city of Tampa,Fl. without pulling a trailer or overloading it.From what I figure by adding the percentage from the dead center line of 3/4 to the half full line on the gauge, that's about 4.625 gallons It's getting 16 miles per gallon.Is this normal for this size engine.To be honest I expected better but what's your opinion.thanks...
You don't say whether this is your first truck. If you came from a normal car, pay careful attention to the difference in how the truck shifts vs the car. It's set up quite different. I owned a '92 Taurus before my Tacoma (2002, 4WD). I knew I was going to get lower mileage, but I was horrified until I realized I had to have different expectations of the truck. Specifically, the truck will remain in the lower gears longer than the car during acceleration, especially if you're trying to get onto a highway. I suspect it's designed this way in order to get a heavy load moving initially. It seems to have a sharper acceleration curve once it's into 3rd or 4th gear. And, if I'm at highway speed and hit a steep hill, it seems to downshift from OD to 4th sooner than the car. I've learned to adjust for that. Remember that the key to good mileage is to get OUT of the low gears more quickly.
Numbers: I'm getting about 16-17 around town, and 19-21 on the highway, depending on terrain. I have 26k miles on mine. Towing an 1100 lb boat & trailer seem to have little effect on the highway mileage unless the area has lots of hills.
I have recorded all my fillups and have excellent mileage records. My first tank was 18mpg. By the 4th tank, it was 20. Normally I am around 20mpg in the city, 23-25 on the highway. I have a standard and rarely go past 3000rpm when accerating and often coast when going down hill. In fact, 1/2 my 7min drive to work I can coast. lol
This winter I did not go below 17mpg, only twice did I go below 18mpg. I am in Newfoundland, lots of snow here. I also carried a snowmobile, still got good mileage.
Also note I put on beefer tires, from 28.3 to a 30.6 inch for all but the 3 winter months.
I am impressed with the mileage even with a 500lb sled in the back. On the highway, I hardly noticed I had a sled in the back only when on a steep hill. 23mpg was typical.
It's brand new and you haven't waited long enough to tell. First only calculate mileage based off of the number of gallons that you put in at the pump and not the gauge. The first and last quarter tank on my gauge only amount to about 60 percent of what you would calculate a real quarter tank to be. This has two effects, first the needle will be well above the full mark after a fillup, and two you will still have gas left when the needle is on the empty mark (good!). The second and third quarter tanks seem to be just what you would expect.
I have a '03 V6 DC Prerunner, and I started putting Mobil 1 in it after the first oil change at 3000 miles. I'm only now starting to see an appreciable improvement in gas mileage at
16-17K miles and 14 months later. It's far tighter built than even the Hondas I've owned.
Check your tire pressure, the large off-road style tires get lousy mileage when underinflated.
I used to live across the bay from Tampa. Lots of stop-n-go driving, and you will be running the air conditioner most of the time. Gas mileage is substantially better on the *highway*.
I also noticed recently that gas mileage has improved quite a bit after a medium-length trip. Too much driving in town might not be good.
The first tank on my '04 Tacoma I got 23 mpg. By 2000 miles it had settled in between 25-26 city, 27-28 highway. Assuming the 2.7 behaves like the 2.4, give it some time.
=== Steve Shoreline, Washington USA snipped-for-privacy@seanet.com
Thanks guys,Guess like any other type of new machinery parts need to settle in.Think I've been spoiled by my wife's 02 Camry that gets great mileage not to mention my old 84 Dodge D50 (Mitsubishi) that would drive all week on a teaspoon of gas.One thing I think really got me paranoid was when I looked at the tune up sticker under the hood and saw "applies to California standards" yikes I said hope this thing isn't loader down with numerous left coast emissions by some mistake but found out they all say that.I have a 140 mile highway road trip coming up soon so I'll see how it does on I-75,thanks guys,I won't panic until we get some decent mileage on her. "Drive safely"
Ray, Try figuring you mileage again from a topped off tank. I think your find you test results very different. I have a '02 Tacoma, 2.7L, 5-speed, extended cab, 4x4, with 30K. I got 24.7 MPG on a road trip to Atlanta this past week. Mike
When I die, I want to be burried with my truck......it's never seen a hole it couldn't get out of.
I have owned 6 toyota tacomas, 5 of which were 4x4 standard shift 2.7 litres. I do not baby my trucks as far as speed goes. I get 19 to 24 miles per gallon- loaded or unloaded. I get the worst mileage in cold weather and at speeds over 70mph.. I love my toyotas!
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