It has been 3 months and almost 3000 miles on my xA automatic. But I am still getting only 25 mpg, and that is seriously disappointing. Does anybody out there having the same issue or maybe suggestion?? I am using regular 87 gas, driving both local (average 35 to 45) and freeway (mostly 70 to 80) daily.

3/17/2004: Thankyou for you guys suggestions. Since I had my first oil change, the mileage has been improving. Now i am getting 28 per gallon. With the ever rising gas price in California, this is a good news. :wink:

dont floor it everywhere u go

I think the stated gas milege only is around 60mph and 3k rpm......Anything after that is about 25mpg.

i get about 32 mpg...i drive about 80% frwy 20% city....my frwy driving is 1/2 stop & go and 1/2 70-75 mph (1/2 time wise not distance wise)

This doesn't sound possible.
How many miles you get on a full tank? Do you get less than 290 miles per tank?

Try this.
1.) Fill up your tank.
2.) Reset your Trip Meter.
3.) Next time fill up, Take down the amount of fuel use to refill tank. (Example: 8.65Gal)
4.) Take notice of the mileage on the Trip Meter. (Example: 246.7Miles)
5.) Do the Math... Mileage divided by Fuel used.

If problem continue, see Scion Dealership for further diagnostic.

Fuel Tank Capacity: 11.9 gal.
EPA Mileage Estimates: (City/Highway)
Manual: 31 mpg / 37 mpg
Range in Miles: (City/Highway)
Manual: 368.9 mi. / 440.3 mi.

I think the stated gas milege only is around 60mph and 3k rpm......Anything after that is about 25mpg.

Very well stated. But I'd argue it drops BELOW 25mpg for some people. If you go to almost ANY car forum you will read about people upset over the horrible gas mileage they're getting compared to the advertised mileage. Pay VERY close attention to your rpm when you drive. Even safe/slow drivers bring the rpms above 3k every now and then ... but my understanding is that the mpg estimates are based on keeping your rpm between 2k and 3k ALL THE TIME and traveling on roads that allow you to "coast" at a somewhat regular speed without making the engine do too much work.

Just look at your rpm when you take off from a stop light, when you merge onto the highway, and when you have to pass another car. In most of these situations I take a 4-cylinder engine somewhere between 4k and 6k rpm ... which MURDERS the mpg.

The point ... advertised mpg is a load of CR@P. I've owned 6 different cars since the early 90s and not a single one of them came close to the mpg listed on the sticker on a regular basis. Sure, there were times that I got good mileage, but even then I'd bet my mileage wasn't as good as the advertised mpg. The problem is that there are too many variables that contribute to your gas mileage ... and any one of them can make your gas sipper a gas hog.

However, ON AVERAGE, the xA or xB get better REAL gas mileage than many other cars on the road.

I drive an auto xB, and am getting about 25 mpg city (almost 90% city), and 36 on the freeway 60/70 mph. What I've found is that with ANY car, you have to discount the EPA city mileage by 20% to get actual city mileage, and bump the highway EPA by about 10% to get actual highway mileage.

Overall, that's what I expected so I'm happy. :)

if you have lots of traffic or stoplights in your area, you won't get the higher EPA mileage.

but you can probably improve your mileage considerably by driving like grandma, keep the revs LOW, below 2.5k

it really depends on your drivnig habbits, and road conditions...

i usually get 27-28 for my manual xb 8)

My g/f's xA gets about 26mpg, but she drives it crazy. i know if i drove the car i could get it at 30-35.

Drive it like Grandma, get the posted fuel milage. Drive it like you stole it, expect to get less. :wink:

I'm getting about 28 average. 70% highway, 30% city. 260-280 miles. Fill it up every three days. 87 octane. Every once and awhile. I punch it.

xB, basket roof rack, i drive it like i stole it (is there any other way :twisted: ), half freeway (80 avg) half intown, best tank was 358 miles on a tank, worst was 194 (100 - 106 mph over the grapevine .... and wifey was drivin :shock: ) and avg tank is 320ish

I have had my xB a month. Have never had less than 30, mostly freeway, alittle stop and go. Generally get 32 and I shift at 3000 rpm. I have driven it slightly more aggressively this week and will see what the mileage is soon.

Sean

The way I look at it, whether you're getting 34 or 29 mpg's, it's all good. Especially since they say this summer you'll be dropping over $2 a gallon for gas. Don't expect the price to go down either pals, not with our oil rich president in the big house. You wanna fight terrorism? Drive a Scion and anyone in a Hummer may as well become a Saudi citizen. Just took my xB for a test drive (should be ready next month with Sunroof and cold air intake), couldn't get over the looks I was getting since this hasn't been seen in the streets of New York. I love it!!!!!

I have had my xB a month. Have never had less than 30, mostly freeway, alittle stop and go. Generally get 32 and I shift at 3000 rpm. I have driven it slightly more aggressively this week and will see what the mileage is soon.

Sean

shift at 3K!!!!!!! i only see 3K when i first leave a light!!!!!!!!!!

how on earth do you manage :wink:

I have had my xB a month. Have never had less than 30, mostly freeway, alittle stop and go. Generally get 32 and I shift at 3000 rpm. I have driven it slightly more aggressively this week and will see what the mileage is soon.

Sean

shift at 3K!!!!!!! i only see 3K when i first leave a light!!!!!!!!!!

how on earth do you manage :wink:

Of course when I get it up to 80 its above 3000....:)

They are still pretty great cars and I still love my xB.... :wink:
I could be way more disappointed than I am with the mpg and would feel worse if I was driving something else but, yeah, I think my xB is pretty great.
:roll:

Get an injen air intake. You'll notice a nice diference in gas milage :wink:

Trust me....

I'm getting about 28 average. 70% highway, 30% city. 260-280 miles. Fill it up every three days. 87 octane. Every once and awhile. I punch it.


I also get around 28 on average but I drive 60% hwy and 40% city. I punch it every so often with my injen. when i dont punch it i usually try to keep it a 3k then shift. Before I bought rims I got round 31 doing that. But since I got my injen intake I seem to push it harder more. I like the sound of it, By the way I have had it since july and got over 16000 miles on it.

28-31.5mpg....thats what i get on 18's.....5spd.....mainly driving up and down highway 5 at 80mph constant.....i think the mileage varies depending on if i have a head wind or not.....

29-32, 91 octane, and 80% freeway 20% city. People just stop flooring it off the line. I know that first gear wants it and the second calls for it but chill. Also when ever I use ____ gas my milage slips low, its only 10 cents more (1 dollar a tank) a gallon and your car will like it a bit more. Atleast thats what I have found. These arent race cars they are cruisers.

Ad-roc

If I fill up at the warning light, I get 250 miles until the light comes on again. Doesn't seem that great to me mileage wise. I have noticed that the rpm's are at 4000 when I hit the upper 70's m.p.h. Is this normal?

I see about 29-30 with a mix of stop and go city driving and highway driving.

with 600 miles on my xB, I see 30 mpgs city driving and 34 mpgs freeway (70 mph). Hm. Have seen similar numbers some where, could it be on the window sticker...

it's all in how you break in the car

for the first 1-2 thousand miles you are supposed to vary the speed (never stay at a constant speed) and do not hard accelerate (this is the hard part). on my last camry i averaged more than the sticker claimed.

im only gettin 205 on a full tank i got around 6800 miles on the car

If I fill up at the warning light, I get 250 miles until the light comes on again. Doesn't seem that great to me mileage wise. I have noticed that the rpm's are at 4000 when I hit the upper 70's m.p.h. Is this normal?

Manual or Auto?? My Auto is at 3000 RPM at 70mph on stock tires. If you have an auto ck to make sure your O/D switch is on not off.

I got 30-31 this past week......I am happy! Should be even better with all highway.

Sean

with the manifold back system I get about 26-28 But I think my sparkplugs are bad already so i am going to get the iriduim plugs and hopefully my milage goes back up.

with the manifold back system I get about 26-28 But I think my sparkplugs are bad already so i am going to get the iriduim plugs and hopefully my milage goes back up.

The plugs are already iridium, don't need changing for 90k miles.

:shock:

u guys should pay attention when u buy cars.
if ur goin over the posted speed limit(55/60mph) your gas mileage will not be wut u think it is. it will be around 25/27mpg. if its ne thing LESS than that, see ur dealer. cuz that just ain't rite....

i drive mostly city stop and go... maybe 10% freeway... and im still ranging from 27-30 mpg... usually right around 30

i wouldnt complain about 25mpg...i went from a 03 dodge ramn 1500 quad cab that got 12mpg drivin like a grandma...to my xB...im not gonna complain if its not the adv. 30mpg 8)

I go32 mpg going up to yosemite last weekend on my hot lava . I think I will get 35 mpg on the freeway .

I'm getting a consistant 35 to 39 mpg in my xB. But then again i also drive 90% freeway. I've managed to put on 1200 miles in the first 2 weeks. :shock:

Mileage was disappointing for first 2K on a Xa with auto...first few hundred miles it was under 22mpg! Has increased since to now over 32-34mpg freeway stop and go and over 75mph. Get 310-330 miles on a 10-11gal tank. Be sure to figure in the change that you make in large wheel/tire combo's compensate for the speedo being off! I checked mine with a GPS and it is running 3% off from true GPS speed.

:D

I'm getting about 30 mpg with a manual (is there any other transmission?) when I shift at 4k. Does shifting at a higher rpm help save the engine, or have I been poorly informed? All things considered, I love my Scion being a poor college student and all.

if you read the manual for the car ..

it says that you should be in 5th gear at 45mph .. -_-

This is off the top of my head, but check out ur manual, it should say something like this...

1st gear = 10mph
2nd gear = 25 mph
3rd gear = 35 mph
4th gear = 45 mph

something along those lines .. and i have to admit ... I'm still in 3rd gear around 40 mph most of the time.

i got 5spd manual on 18's getting roughly 29mpg....i go about 260-270miles and takes 9-9.5gallons to fill up...when the light comes on...but im gonna be honest....im a lead foot

I sold my 1988 3/4 ton 4x4 chevy w/ 383 engine (10 mpg average), for a xB, so anything over 20mpg and I'll be gleeming with joy!

MattB
www.rcst.com

I sold my 1988 3/4 ton 4x4 chevy w/ 383 engine (10 mpg average), for a xB, so anything over 20mpg and I'll be gleeming with joy!

MattB
www.rcst.com

I agree

im still getting 25 mpg

wow that sux for you guys :)

i never get less than 29MPG in my corolla.. and i drive like a crazyperson.. up to the rev limiter in first and second every day, many times a day..

on the highway, i still get around 35mpg.. not as good as the 40 i saw when i first bought the car..

you know.. regreless what I get on my xb.. it is still A LOT better than my other cars :D i love it!

i traded in a ford explorer for my xB so when i saw i was getting 36 to 38 mpg i nearly crapped my pants.

Xerocool - You're getting 36-38 mpg out of the xB!? How!? The best I've ever heard anyone get was around 34. Or do you just mean that's what you saw on the dealer tag? (And I mean this as a legitimate question...if you are in fact getting that type of MPG...tell us how!)



PS - XeroCool huh? I take it you like the movie Hackers? :)

I still win. The lowest I've gotten so far was 19.6 mpg.........and I think I'm well on my way to getting even lower this week. YAY!

KiL

the windows sicker said 31mpg city 35mpg highway in big black letters.....but if u read the bottom left hand corner of the window sticker...i still have mine....it says between 26 and 36mpg in city
between 29 and 41mpg on highway

I am sure this has been covered before but WTF is the deal with the 5-spd's gearing.... 4K RPMS @ 80MPH seriously WTF.... form what I understand you auto guys are at 3200RPM.

The 5-spd has and extra gear so why is the gearing off sooo badly... I figgured at WORST a 5-spd would still be equivilent to an auto in top gear... especially NOT worse.

Sorry I just had to rant... I have had my 5-spd RS1 for a week and a half and have 1300 miles on it. I baby it in the city (below 3500RPM acceration) and I am getting 32.5 MPG... I just drove it to arkansas today on the way up did mostly 75-80 ish and got 27.5MPG... I got ____ed and called my bud and asked my would the EPA milage be so off... he said they judge highway at 60MPH (a bull____ speed that rarely anyone on the highway uses, if you ask me) so I decide to see if he is right? On the way back today on the same route I did 60-65MPH... and got 28.2MPG. Totally lame.

My RS1 is totally stock except for 17in wheels. I still tink its odd to get better city mileage than highway.... and no one I have met can explain the RPM difference. 75% of the reason I got an Xb was the gas milage... I am an SUV convert.

On and for the record... I was the only one in the car (with a small duffle), ran A/C about half each way, 80-90% flat terrian, reg 87 octane gas.

You auto owners please tell me what RPMs ypur car is getting at 60-80-100MPH?
I am 3000RPM @60MPH, 4000RPM @80MPH, and an ungodly 5000RPM @100MPH (just did it briefly to see)

Thanks for the thereapy.

-will

Oh and the 17inch wheel and tire setup I have throws my speedo off only .7 MPH at 60 MPH.

I am really doing 59.3 when it says 60.

Just something else for the record.

Oh and the 17inch wheel and tire setup I have throws my speedo off only .7 MPH at 60 MPH.

I am really doing 59.3 when it says 60.

Just something else for the record.

In your case, it might be the rims you bought. I took a look at'em on Discount Tires web site and they look like they'd be pretty heavy...do you happen to know their weight? Just a thought anyway... :? Could be wrong....I usually am :lol:

Good question I'll check in to the weight tomarrow, but even if they are a tad on the heavy side wouldn't the weight help with momentum at high way speeds.... and if they were heavy my city MPH would suffer and as I previously mentioned i got 32.5 in city.

If their are a heavy wheel the brakes dont really show a huge difference. It still stops pretty good for something NOT 4 wheel disc.

perhaps your right...
TO EVERYONE: What does an average 17" chrome wheel weigh? non-chrome?

Depends :) For chrome 17"ers...probably anywhere from 15 to 29 lbs (I know...big margin... :) and chromes, for some reason, usually are a bit heavier than regular wheels tending to stay in the upper portion of that margin...USUALLY. There are some light weight chrome wheels though *cough*Work Meister S1 1 Piece*cough* *wheeze* *spasm* :wink: ) For non-chrome...they can weigh (depending on price, quality, brand, construction, etc.) anywhere from around 15 lbs on up to about 24 lbs...give or take. Again, though, these are rough numbers and vary widely with all manufacturers. If you need to know a wheel weight, the best thing is to just email the company who makes it. As a second option, you could try this site:

http://www.wheelweights.net/


He doesn't have everything but there are still a LOT of wheel weights to check out. If they don't have your specific model, it can at least give you a rough idea of how much the model you're looking at weighs.

I just found out 28lbs... i guess thats what i get for a cheaper wheel.

I just found out 28lbs... i guess thats what i get for a cheaper wheel.

so i guess 22lbs for my 17" Millenium wheels ain't so bad after all.....

RadioDude, don't forget an integral part of the reason your mpg going back to Houston was so crappy was you're driving against the Spring winds most of the way.

I just found out 28lbs... i guess thats what i get for a cheaper wheel.

Ouch! That's pretty dang heavy for a 17 inch rim! hehe Yeah that could definitely have an effect on gas milage. And no, actually you can find lightweight cheap rims. Konig and Enkei make rims for cheap and most of them are lighter than 28 lbs. In fact, Konig has a model called Next that weigh only 16 lbs in 17x7, come in silver and bronze, and are around 170 bucks per rim. (also they're available at Discount Tire Co. too :) )

Benthead - Good point! I didn't even think of that. Yeah head winds and tail winds can also have a major effect on gas milage.

Xerocool - You're getting 36-38 mpg out of the xB!? How!? The best I've ever heard anyone get was around 34. Or do you just mean that's what you saw on the dealer tag? (And I mean this as a legitimate question...if you are in fact getting that type of MPG...tell us how!)



PS - XeroCool huh? I take it you like the movie Hackers? :)

I got that kinda mileage out of it for the first 4 fillups. This is because i'm a freak and insist on a break in period. So i drove the xB at a varying speed of 55 to 65 mph on the freeway. I also drive mostly freeway. Since then i've been getting 34mpg now that i can go faster. Also it helps not to accelerate like a madman. :D

If mileage is what you are after there are a few things to consider. First, what oil are you using? Is it 5W-30 like the filler cap and manual specify? Or did you you use 10W-30 like most people mistakenly do? Do you live in an area of high population-density that requires the sales of oxygenated fuels? Do you use the lowest octane fuel (cheapest) ? These engines can use the higher octane usually more efficiently as they use a knock-sensor to moniter pre-ignition (at an inaudible level) and adjust timing and injector pulse time accordingly. High grade gas is actually usually more efficient and mileage increases. When Toyota did the milage tests of your vehicle you can bet your ___ they didn't go down to the local 7-11 and fill up with the cheap ____ and drive it like they stole it! As for the manual trans running higher revs, remember that automatics have the benifit of a torque converter. Torque converters multiply torque and therefore can pull a taller overall gear ratio. The Scion uses the newer U-Series transmission that is extremely efficient and with the converter locked up in high gear the transmission does not use an extra gear for overdrive, the direct high gear is actually overdriven and all other gears are underdriven- hence the U-Series designation. It also does some neat things like lowering line pressure at cruise as less clamping force is needed and parisitic pumping losses are reduced. Toyota did their homework on this one for sure. Drive well and be happy.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~scott

the rps are the same on my 2004 xA standard. But 'll only go 70 max because I'm old. 70 = 3500 rpm. But That was the first thing I saw when I picked the car up. I test drove an auto. First tank around town I got 31 mpg. The temperatyre in CT was cold the beginning of march. That has a negative effect on mileage also. Mark S.

"You auto owners please tell me what RPMs ypur car is getting at 60-80-100MPH?
I am 3000RPM @60MPH, 4000RPM @80MPH, and an ungodly 5000RPM @100MPH (just did it briefly to see)

Thanks for the thereapy.

-will"

I noticed the other day that cruising up & down 295, at about 75 MPH im at just over 3K RPMs. This is a nice change, seeing as how i am usually at 3.7K RPMs in my Neon, ( auto tranny as well ) doing the same speed. The xB is a nice cruiser in auto tranny, but takes for ever to get there some times. I still love my lava box though, and wouldnt trade it for any thing, well ..... maybe a SLK, maybe.

i'm at 32k at 80mph :wink:

Interesting thread. My first car was a 1972 Datsun 1200 (in 1973). Pre-emission controls (EGR was the only thing it had). 35-38mpg until the day I sold it (at about 150k, just about ready for new rings). Been through the 1975 gas "crisis." Seen the Carburetor Club of America hop-ups (e.g., a Caddy that got 60mpg). Saw the first hybrid (225mpg) profiled by Larry Carrol on local news (and located that Plymouth Arrow with the B&S lawnmower engine recharging batteries that powered a 70-hp aircraft motor - the Santa Monica mechanic was "in talks with two major auto companies;" six months later, he was gone.).

Since Day 1, EPA estimates have been 10-15% high, based on test tube conditions rather than real-world conditions. It's just a baseline. However, some 25 years of road experience should provide a fairly enormous database for bringing those estimates in line with reality. But there is no law requiring this.

Now, I'm no engineer (as must be obvious), so I'll just rely on a few practical questions to present the options I see:

Whom does it benefit to be dead honest about publishing accurate numbers? Buyers. Whom does it benefit to rely on the bare-minimum, letter-of-the-law numbers? Mfrs. Who is most involved in defining these laws? Congress. Who lobbies Congress? You and I?

As long as we tolerate whatever "they" throw at us, things will stay pretty much the same. If you think the marketplace will consistently innovate towards things that are "better," dust off your halogens. If you think that we can coordinate real improvements through collective whining, you and I are on the same page.

It's pretty frustrating, not to mention shameful, that our cars fail to achieve much higher mpg in the 21st Century. But it's up to us - apparently us alone - to demand what we and our children deserve.

Otherwise, we'll get what we deserve.

An hour a week on practical change. Fewer commercials, better life.

Actual question, maybe for Scott17: When the carburetor madmen were doing their thing, the prevailing method involved heating the air and making the gas droplets smaller on entry to the carb. What's the deal, then, about these cold-air induction things yielding higher mpg?