Got 34" tires, sliders, roof rack and i'm getting 17-18 around town.
Low gas milage
- Thread starter pizzachef
- Start date
I just spent almost 4 hours in the LC for only 147 miles. My MPG (255/80/17) was 17.5. If you do the math, you know that is awfully slow. I was four wheeling for 2+ hours of that time. I’ll take that any day.
Hope all you 65mph slowpokes are in the far right lane.
Yes, I picked mine up last week and drove from FL to NC about 700 miles. The total MPG showed 18. I reset total MPG and have set it to show trip instead of total. The last few drives it has been 23 - 25 in eco mode. You can also view total and trips in the Large center screen under the car icon.
I'll add to previous comments about mpg - both the fuel blend (winter vs. summer) and outside temperature will also cause your mpg to vary. I get about 2 mpg less in winter than in summer. My Falken WildPeak AT4w also cause a loss of about 1 mpg.
Newer owner speaking- there are a lot of factors that can influence mileage and there are a lot of variations in Land Cruisers out there and there are a lot of topographical variations and there are a lot of driving styles and the "main" use of a Land Cruiser is very open. I was hugely disappointed in the 15.7 MPG of my dealer altered LC- the alterations worth mentioning are 295/75R18s, roof rack, and removal of ground effects parts if there were any. I installed another set of factory equivalent 20" rims and tires (265/60R20) understanding that I was running on larger diameter, wider tires and the greater mechanical advantage of a smaller tire coupled with decreased wind and rolling resistance would help. It did and mileage rose to a respectable 18-19 doing 75 on the interstate- don't forget that unless your tires are spot on perfect factory diameter, the information system will lie to you about mileage. Not to mention that mileage generally improves while in town. Next improvement was more subtle and only made about 1 mpg difference but it was the miles on the vehicle- mpgs improved around 3-3500 miles. While accumulating the next 4000 miles I learned how strongly mileage is influenced by wind, hills, and what mix of city/highway/offroad driving. Controlling for wind and topography, the next thing I learned was that if my sunroof is open, mileage drops. Same is true for windows. But only at highway speeds! Which got me thinking about drag, my roof rack, and if there ever was a front air dam or anything on the vehicle. This is where I am now- but the roof rack is staying because this Land Cruiser's main mission in life is to be ready to go overlanding with 1 day's notice and do it well. I was thrilled to hear BMFS33 say he was wheeling and got 17.5 mpg! (I'm still finishing arrangements to carry extra fuel). Oh, and octane. I run low octane fuel- take a look at your dollars mile as a measure of efficiency as opposed to miles per gallon. I will switch to high octane fuel only around those times where range is an issue and let a superb engine control system do the thinking as I can live without a few HP.
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Your mileage will improve with time. My 25 LC is now at 6,000 miles after 8 months of city and highway driving and is now getting 22.3 on 20-inch stock rims/tires. Always in ECO
I've only had the LC for 2 weeks, but I've put about 1,000 miles on it in that time and put gas in 3 times. 93 octane, all stock except for Nitto Ridge Grapplers, which I'm sure aren't helping mileage. So far it's been 20.6, 19.8, and 19.3. No complaints with the mileage. Wouldn't mind if the tank held a few extra gallons though.
Welcome WHLC! And you're right about the tank, just another 5 would have made me more than happy. Your recent mileage(s) are very close to what I am seeing with 87 octane- 19.3 unreset for the last month or so, including a 425 mile interstate jaunt last weekend. And I live in a mostly flat area.
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I don’t criticize the fuel tank size, but then I haven’t been going really far off the beaten track.
To be honest, I am surprised the Land Cruiser doesn’t burn through more fuel than it actually does for its weight and size (and full time 4wd).
For when the day comes that I will need more than the tank’s capacity, I’ll rig something up to carry Jerry cans or Rotopax externally. Driving technique and hypermiling will only take you so far but I have learned a few things over the last 11 months with the Land Cruiser.
To be honest, I am surprised the Land Cruiser doesn’t burn through more fuel than it actually does for its weight and size (and full time 4wd).
For when the day comes that I will need more than the tank’s capacity, I’ll rig something up to carry Jerry cans or Rotopax externally. Driving technique and hypermiling will only take you so far but I have learned a few things over the last 11 months with the Land Cruiser.
Agreed
The only way i can get that mileage is to put the LC on 4 jack stands and drive it for 30 mins at 55mph. And that's with it facing down hill with a strong tailwind. And with side mirrors in eco mode.You owe me a keyboard..
Once people started complaining, I started taking pictures of the instruments with MPG and DTE showing. I calculate tank averages as well when I fill up. When highway driving the tank average is almost always 27+ mpg
Other than my trip out west, most of my trips are to see my grandchildren’s soccer, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, and swimming meets, about 100 miles one way. It takes me about ten miles to get to the highway, headed south. Usually Miss Daisy is at 22-24 mpg when I get to the highway. The mpg climbs slowly over the next 90 miles, usually reaching 28-29 mpg on the dash. Coming north, I never get as high of MPG, since I am constantly gaining elevation for the trip home, usually only making it to 26-27 mpg.
I also keep all of my receipts, to prove to Toyota that I use the highest octane possible.
OP'r, you can fold the mirrors in going down the interstate (when safe etc. Etc.) Good for 0.3mpg-ish. That's what of all us claiming the others are liars have to do to get 19mpg.
Welcome to the asylum.
Most folks report that their fuel economy gets better after 5,000 to 10,000 miles.
Thanks! I have some interstate travel in there as well, which definitely impacts fuel economy. If I'm right around 20mpg, give or take, I'll be happy. Man, 5 extra gallons would be fantastic. That would be plenty of range for me. Maybe Toyota will make a change in the future that can be retrofitted or something. Either way, I'm loving the LC!
This was last Friday traveling on a stretch of I5 at 75-80 mph
I also went through a mountain pass 156 (aka Hecker Pass)
Total trip speed average was 65mph
This was from Gilroy CA to Tumey Hills
8k miles on the LC
18” wheels
Normal Mode
Toyota 0-w20
No roof rack
Stock Michelin XlT tires
91 octane
I also went through a mountain pass 156 (aka Hecker Pass)
Total trip speed average was 65mph
This was from Gilroy CA to Tumey Hills
8k miles on the LC
18” wheels
Normal Mode
Toyota 0-w20
No roof rack
Stock Michelin XlT tires
91 octane
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When not traveling down a mountain with ~4k in elevation drop I am not getting as good MPG. With some 22k on the odometer now I am getting 16.6mpg BUT we have a 3500lb camper and ~30%+ of those miles are in tow. While not towing we have been returning 21.2mpg.
1 - Tires Matter. Off Road A/T tires do not help your MPG.
2 - Drag increases exponentially with speed. 70-75mph instead of 65-70mph uses a lot more gas when you are in a brick on wheels.
3 - When the turbo kicks in, the gas gauge starts to drop.
4 - For the first few thousand miles the Land Cruiser is less inclined to shut of the gas engine and runs the turbo instead of the electric motor at times.
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In my experience you have to learn how these trucks interpret throttle inputs relative to the work the battery does versus the ICE. It is possible, in certain circumstances, that the amount of throttle that seems appropriate, or that would be in an ICE vehicle, is too much in these. Too much throttle input will disable the battery and the truck will rely exclusively (or nearly) on the ICE, which can actually result in less torque and lower mileage.
That sounds more complicated than it is. I suggest being a little thoughtful about how much you mash the pedal as you drive around. You might find a little less mash yields a better result, both in terms of power and mileage.
I got 32MPG on my way to the office this morning taking a secondary road versus the highway. Lots of stoplights and low throttle coasting. Not intuitive at all, but fascinating.
That sounds more complicated than it is. I suggest being a little thoughtful about how much you mash the pedal as you drive around. You might find a little less mash yields a better result, both in terms of power and mileage.
I got 32MPG on my way to the office this morning taking a secondary road versus the highway. Lots of stoplights and low throttle coasting. Not intuitive at all, but fascinating.
Manitou area? I'm an ex-Loveland (town) person. Up, down, or across on the way to the office?
Castle Pines, office in downtown Denver. The incline in my avatar is a 200-step one in Castle Rock, not the big one in Manitou. 4x up and down is a great leg day and 15 minutes from home!
MPG test standard is well regulated by EPA. You can’t just test it under the condition you want. That said, nothing would stop manufacturer to fine tune their drive train to score better in MPG test.
You should either blame EPA for defining a unrealistic driving condition, or blame yourself for the aggressive driving habit.
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