***RANT-ON***
It is all a matter of physics: less rotating mass and less rolling resisitance. When trying to turn a larger /heavier wheel more power is required thereby using more fuel. Wider tires create a larger rolling resistance thereby using more fuel. Mileage figures on the window sticker are based on the rolling stock the vehicle was designed for. When changing wheels/tires from factory specs then mileage figures don't apply.
Also when adding intake and exhaust mods there is a tendency to use more throttle to "experience" your new found power thereby using more fuel.
I am getting so tired of ready posts complaining about things that are not related to the vehicle manufacture but more so to the vehicle owner. Expect the Scion to be what is is: an underpowered personal transportation device. These cars were built for daily commuting and nothing else.
***RANT-OFF***
We love our xB, when we need the power and BAD fuel mileage we'll drive our HEMI Ram quadcab!

 

I thought the secret was to only drive downhill?!?

 

I don't drive "aggressively" but I do tend to take off from a stop with more then the necessary amount of "spirit" (few beat me across the intersection).

Back in dim pre-history during the first "oil crisis" (about '73?) we were all being told how to stretch our fuel to enable us to make it to the next dribble of gas we could wait in line for when a station got some.

One of the things that stuck with me (but I don't necessarily follow these days) is to use the accelerator as if their were a raw egg between the sole of our shoe and the pedal. Don't break it.

This is also the way it is treated during the EPA dyno runs to obtain the best mileage.

Very gentle, slow changes to throttle position, holding constant pressure while cruising, driving in the highest gear that does not excessively load the engine, not accelerating up hills, etc.

It was also obvious that tall, narrow, hard tires gave the best mileage results, and wide, low, soft tires ate energy - this is the reason, for example, that racing bicycles have incredibly narrow, rock hard tires.

I suspect I could easily get a ten to twenty percent increase in gas mileage on my xB by following those guidelines, but it would not be as much fun.

As it stands right now, my city driving is spirited, and my highway driving is conservative. There is a large difference between my city and highway MPG - in fact about a 10 MPG difference.

When my highway and city driving are about equal I hover around 30 MPG.

Don't blame the vehicle for most of the poor mileage...

 

Dude look, Their are so many factors that dictate MPG. I just think the quotes can be a bit misleading if people don't know what goes into them. To be honest I would expect some better real world MPG rates.. However that does nto seem to be the case in some of these situations.

On a side note someone mentioned the use a diffrent air sensor chip? Grounding kit and Syntho oil help out MPG an numbers behind this?

and what is the Chip?

 

Well, then why don't stone stock xBs driven by Olde Fartes get the sticker numbers?

The answer, of course, is that the sticker numbers are intended only for comparison between vehicles. When the EPA tests were originally mandated, they were intentionally made optimistic, probably to head off objections from the auto industry.

Consider the folks who bought Priuses who are only getting less than 3/4 of the city mileage promised by the EPA numbers! The reason is that the EPA numbers are determined by the emissions from the car, and the Prius engine isn't even running during part of the city cycle. Of course, the engine does have to start up later to replenish the battery, but that isn't part of the EPA cycle! Neat trick that!

George

 

OK. Old Fart here!
my xB has 6400 miles on it. To date my overall mpg avg is 32+. High of 37, low of 29. I don't drive like a wimp, BUT I do not floor it ever. On the hwy I use the cruise and seldom go over 70. Most of the time 65. Auto trans, synthetic oil, 30 psi in stock tires. FL, no mountains :-)

Walt

 

Rock on Old Fart!

Big John

 

THIS old fart is very happy with the mileage, and drives on ENKI stock sized wheels. SO they are lighter then the steel wheels. I get my head handed to me when I report my (accurate) mileage, but let's just say that I get at least what the sticker says.

More often then not.

 

This middle-aged fart is getting 33 mpg in mixed (city/highway) driving. Manual tranny, factory allow wheels...everything stock. Although I'm a bit agressive at the green light, the rest of my driving style is pretty laid back.

The one thing that I notice is that a majority of people complaining about gas mileage rarely mention the transmission they have, wheels, or mods they've made. Makes me wonder if they already "know" that the mods they made effect their results but don't want to admit it.

 

Just as a lark, I have been keeping track of each fill-up since I bought my Xb, back in June. There are like 35 fill-ups, each with the coresponding milage. All in all, the MPG is avaraging about 35 total. This is with a few 90+ mph runs down the back roads, and conservarative city driving.

Manual trans, 15" Konig rims, 205-50-15 tires, K&N Typhoon intake. (got better mileage after that mod) Oh, and "JDM" tail lights. (no milage benefit there)

 

No thats for the Rollscanhardly brand. Rolls down one hill and can hardly get up the next. I know its an old joke, but so am I.

 

Old fart here (43) and I've yet to get 30 MPG with my box which is total stock (auto) with Scion alloy rims. I hope to see a big increase when warm weather comes to Michigan because it seems to take awhile for the engine to warm up in this cold. I guess I can't complain too much since my last vehicle was an '88 Chevy truck

 

yeah im averaging about 31 mpg, thats after about 2 weeks of taking off from stop lights and signs from second, and pretty much driving 85% of the time in 5th, so my car is hardly ever above 2500rpm, expect on the freeway, where going 70 means revving to like 4000rpm, sigh

 

Im averaging bout 28mpg but this is my first standard vehicle..so it will eventually get better.. i try my best to keep it in 5th and my bolt ons will help out alot too. Here where i live people with bolt ons usualy average 5-10 more mpg in thier vehicles.

 

Isnt it an 11 gallon tank. I fyou owned a gas hog before you wouldnt be on here _____ing about MPG. Seriously it cost less than 20 buck s to fill the tank. Go cry to someone else cause MPG is not the reason i bought this car, it was a bonus.

IF YOU WANT MPG GET A PRIUS LIKE MY GRANDMA.

 

Is there really that much of an increase in 70mph rpm auto vs manual trans?
My xB auto at 70 is like 3000.

Walt

 

11.9 gallon to be exact

 

Yeah, there is a LOT of difference in the gearing and final ratios between the manual and auto xA/B vehicles - this makes the manual quicker to accelerate, but the auto more relaxed at higher speeds - that stick is wound pretty tight on the freeway...

See: https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=39360

 

im not too big a fan of our 2:1 final drive ratio

 

My 12 year old Dodge Daytona sometimes get better MPG's than my xB. Keeping in mind the dodge hasn't got new plugs n wires in 5 years Althought it has a catback exhaust, underdrive pulley and a cold air. THe Box is stock.