I've got about 6,000 miles on my odometer (put on since May), and I'm consistently getting about 23 mpg. I'm driving SO gently, rarely get the RPM's above 3,000, and I've tried hard to slow-start at stops. Most of my driving is in the city (maybe 50 miles a tank on the interstate). The only time I've gotten better was on a long road trip---and that was 30mpg. The dealer supposedly reset my computer, but I didn't see any difference. I do have the oem intake. Any ideas? My mom's 20 year old LeSabre gets better mileage that this.

lol, welcome to the club .... we get 25 on avg....

What transmission and wheels do you have?

That is so odd, but I also think weather and elevation has something to do with it.

I had a 5 speed xB with 16" wheels, Blitz exhaust and Injen intake and I averaged about 32 mpg city/highway (mixed driving). I always shifted around 3500-4000 rpm too. I don't know why there is so much variation between what people say they get.

The funny thing is that my turbo Miata is consistently getting 26 mpg. :P

if u drive below 3000 rpm something is very very wrong.

I check my mileage every time I get gas. I also have the short ram intake and axleback exhaust.

It is consistantly 30-31 mpg. If you are getting 22 I would think something is wrong.

I would have the dealer figure it out,

good luck

i for the most part am NEVER driving BELOW 3000 and i get 25-32 mpg.

All factory Automatic here and I avg 33-34

I also have an all factory auto, and i only get like 20-22mpg, i have 18" wheels though. ive sent it to the dealer twice now and they cant figure out the milage thing.. i dunno..

I was having a similar problem. My car was getting really bad mileage (about 220 on a full tank) luckly the check engine, vsc, trac light came on. They traced it to a bad MAF. Also I have the Auto with 6000 miles on it

ive never had a problem...got 23k on my box and always get 28+...

i agreee mines is the same im lucky if i get 220miles on a full tank

I'm no expert but I've heard that accelerating extremely slow isn't always the most effiecient either. I havent had my box to too long but I've been through several tanks and so far I've gotten 32 all in city and once on mixed hwy/city I got 35. I tend to accelerate fast enough to keep up with traffic and try to get through the gears quickly and cruise in 4th and 5th gear as much as possible. Obviously I have a 5 speed, I'm bone stock so far with stock wheels. Most of time while in traffic under 50mph I'm close to or below 3000 rpm but I get there quick.

people must drive slow around you. if i'm shifting anywhere near as low as 3k i'm getting left in the dust of grandma's and the like.

How did you calculate your gas mileage? Did you divide the mileage on the trip computer by 11.9 gallons (xB's tank size)?

I drive over 3KRPMs highway, jack rabbit starts at the light and still get 32-34MPG (no A/C).

i got auto stock, city/mix 32 atleast, with 35 being best (all highway)
i'd def. let the dealer take a look at mine if i got below 25 mpg! 22 is ridiculous!

How did you calculate your gas mileage? Did you divide the mileage on the trip computer by 11.9 gallons (xB's tank size)?


Hope not, unless he has his box towed into the gas station with an empty tank every time he fills up.

You use the *actual amount* it takes to refill, not 11.9, to make the calculation.

RichC

i have 2000 miles on my xb and i always get around 35 mpg. I have 18 inch wheels and dropped with df210. Better contact the dealer or something. Might as well get a v8 if your gonna get 25mpg

im getting around the 220 mark when the fuel light comes on. . ive averaged it out to be like 21-21 mpg with the 5 speed. i also did 2 tests driving like a bat outta hell and driving like an old lady and the results are only off by like 30 miles a tank. also i change my wheels left and right and havent noticed a difference. the only thing big wheels gets me is new brakes every 15k miles, wich my dealership said is normal

My average mileage is around 33 mpg, my best is 37 mpg and worse is 31 mpg. I'm also rollin on stockies and I have a manual tranny.

wow...some people are getting bad mileage. I've only had mine 2 weeks, it was the demo so it only had 1,345 miles on it. On my first full tank of gas I went atleast 300 miles and the empty light hadn't even came on yet.

I had suspected I was getting less than ideal gas mileage from mine so I checked it on a tank, sure enough I was wrong. Got like 34.25 MPG, granted I did alot more highway miles than usual during this time, but still quite impressed.

I would say if you are getting that poor gas mileage something might be up.

:lalala: AUTOMATIC,STOCK,HEAVY FOOT,A/C ON. 27 CITY/32 HI-WAY?better than my old VWgolf.

20,000 miles - never a tank less the 35+ - typically 38+ without a/c

I've got about 6,000 miles on my odometer (put on since May), and I'm consistently getting about 23 mpg. I'm driving SO gently, rarely get the RPM's above 3,000, and I've tried hard to slow-start at stops. Most of my driving is in the city (maybe 50 miles a tank on the interstate). The only time I've gotten better was on a long road trip---and that was 30mpg. I do have the oem intake.

by 'oem intake' do you mean aftermarket cold air or short ram? otherwise that statement makes no sense. if so, that may be part of your problem. those may sacrifice low end torque which is what your engine does not have in copious amounts to begin with. you then have to give more gas to get going using more of it. this is further amplified if you do a lot of stop and go driving.

check your tire pressures also, make sure they are at least what the dealer recommends. you can put a couple more pounds in there to help but the ride may get stiffer than you like. heavier rims/wider tires will also adversely affect mileage, the former more so than the latter but the two usually go together--if you are going more than one size wider on stock rims, for example.

you can also try switching brands of gas, sometimes one brand has different stuff in it that may affect mileage.

Damn Im jealous, Im down in the 20 mpg range myself. I have a Auto XB with TRD exhaust and 18 inch Motegis. The dealer blamed it on my wheels, is that BS or what ?
:eyebrow:

Damn Im jealous, Im down in the 20 mpg range myself. I have a Auto XB with TRD exhaust and 18 inch Motegis. The dealer blamed it on my wheels, is that BS or what ?
:eyebrow:

probably not. and the exhaust further kills but maybe not as much. but with their powers combined.....

almost all of those xB's with bad mpg has the auto tranny, I drive 15% city and 85% Hwy, seldom drive 0ver 75 mph . Average mpg = 29 , MPG drops to 26 when I try to keep pace with the faster moving traffic.

i'm with flipflop, 26 mpg to a best of 32 mpg while babying the darn thing......here in the south the heat is on and so is my a/c All The Time !! To and from work it's 50/50 city/ highway. Just got a fill up and got 28.8 mpg......I was trying something new........No downshifting to slow up coming up to lights ect. and shifting at 3k rpm or so...... When it gets cool again i will do a new test w/o A/C and so on....I have an aem intake, greddy evo axle back exhaust and 17x7 rims with 205/40/17's which are the same diameter as the factory, but they are heavier and also they slowed me down at the track too.....about 3/10 so my gas mileage must be hurting because of them also.......One more thing....reading the Owners manual they don't recommend lugging in high gear for several reasons....i think gas mileage is one of them....the shift points are like 24 mph 1st to 2nd....ect....that's more than 3k rpm ......Good luck !!!

05 auto 32.4 mpg 50% city/50% highway measured just other day

We drivers in the Denver area are at altitudes of about 5000 above sea level. I have 2005 with stock everything and 5 spd. Rarely drive over 70mph b/c i'm not on the highway that much with new office location. Now my driving mix is 70 city/30 hwy. Average about 33-34. Worst tank after about 3000 miles is 33.2 highest 36.5.

Definitely shift high and fast--i thot that's the way you drive a stick. You rev it after the engine light's off. If I'm shifting to 4th or 5th from 3rd, i'm hitting at a minimum 3K on the tach and usually closer to 4 or 4500. Why r u driving consistently below 3000? You're not doing your tranny or engine any favors.

Running higher revs helps burn off some of the ____ on your cylinders i've heard. Who knows.. :lalala:

My box is bone stock also and i just took a trip and got 25.9 miles per gallon thats about the best i have ever got. Also, my box is an automatic and I really think i should get a little better mileage, but I am cool with it.

Today I gassed up and got about 26 mpg. Maybe 65% city 35% highway. I'm running 15x7 wheels, with a lower sidewall. Could my wider wheels be affecting my mileage? There was a time where I was able to get low 30's without issues, but then again I didn't start dropping my siblings to school till recently(about 3-5 miles of suburban areas with constant stops and hills). I also use Cheveron gas. HELP ME! lol

Damn Im jealous, Im down in the 20 mpg range myself. I have a Auto XB with TRD exhaust and 18 inch Motegis. The dealer blamed it on my wheels, is that BS or what ?
:eyebrow:

probably not. and the exhaust further kills but maybe not as much. but with their powers combined.....

ummm exhaust will raise your mpg.....

check your tire pressures also, make sure they are at least what the dealer recommends. you can put a couple more pounds in there to help but the ride may get stiffer than you like. heavier rims/wider tires will also adversely affect mileage, the former more so than the latter but the two usually go together--if you are going more than one size wider on stock rims, for example.

How about going with the tire manufacturers recommended tire pressure. You'll find it stamped on the side of the tire. From what I've seen lately, the tire manu's pressure will be higher than the car manu's or any dealers.
Recall the Ford/Firestone fiasco.
Anytime we get new tires on any of our vehicles I promptly inflate them to the 'correct' pressure. Seems installers are stuck on 32psi. even when the tire is stamped at 44psi

um dude, you aren't reading the RECCOMMENDED tire pressure you are reading the MAX air pressure...ha ha ha ha ha ... better gas mileage yes, worse cornering , worse stability, less traction , and less tire wear.. most cars list from 28psi to 36 psi. if an installer does 32 or so psi he is pretty much safe and the owner can adjust to what they like better ...

I pushed it past the "low fuel light" warning and got 335 miles one one tanke. I pumped in 10.64 gallons when I filled up. 31.5 mpg. Doing about 60/40 highway/city driving.

um dude, you aren't reading the RECCOMMENDED tire pressure you are reading the MAX air pressure...ha ha ha ha ha ... better gas mileage yes, worse cornering , worse stability, less traction , and less tire wear.. most cars list from 28psi to 36 psi. if an installer does 32 or so psi he is pretty much safe and the owner can adjust to what they like better ...

:bow: That's right. But then I get 38mpg. Do you think I care about "...worse cornering , worse stability, less traction"? Not sure I agree with the less tire wear though - I've never worn the center of a 'max' pressure tire out. But I sure have the edges of the 32 pounders :eyebrow:
I suspect a few Ford owners would take issue with your explanation as well. Even though Ford did a better job of 'blaming' Firestone - there is no doubt the problem was under inflated tires.

Damn Im jealous, Im down in the 20 mpg range myself. I have a Auto XB with TRD exhaust and 18 inch Motegis. The dealer blamed it on my wheels, is that BS or what ?
:eyebrow:

The spec for a factory wheel and tire is 37 lbs. I would not be a bit surprised if your combo was at least 10 lbs more. More rotational mass = more work for the engine.

The perrin lightweight engine pulley is about 4 lbs lighter than the stock pulley. It equates to the difference in making the vehicle 100 lbs lighter. It would be interesting to see how much of a performance hit is caused by a set of heavy aftermarket wheels.

Unless I missed it, no one's said anything about average trip length. Short trips mean cold engine, which will definitely kill your mileage. This is very clear from looking at the 5-minute-interval MPG bar graph on my wife's Prius -- the first two bars on each trip tend to be low, even in warm weather.

Unless I missed it, no one's said anything about average trip length. Short trips mean cold engine, which will definitely kill your mileage. This is very clear from looking at the 5-minute-interval MPG bar graph on my wife's Prius -- the first two bars on each trip tend to be low, even in warm weather.

My driving typically consists of early morning start-up - followed by many more thoughout the day - but normally the engine never cools down enough for the 'blue' light to come on. So, maybe 10 (probably fewer) startups spread out across the 175 mile average daily drive.

WOW!!! I consistantly get about 33-35mpg. The other week when gas prices were over $3/gal I babied it and was able to squeeze out 38mpg. I am also running Mobile1 synthetic oil. Not sure if that really helps or not, but I was told it reduced friction more then conventional oil, thus helping the engine run better, in turn improving gas mileage.

by less tire wear i meant. less tire life. the tire's wear is signifigantly accellerated.

by less tire wear i meant. less tire life. the tire's wear is signifigantly accellerated.

If I prematurely wear out the edges by inflating them lower than is recommended by the tire manufacturer, how am I getting less tire life by inflating them to the max recommended pressure and getting even wear/life across the width of the tread? :eyebrow:
I'm not arguing - just asking for clarification.

i think we're getting confused here... the MAX tire pressure listed on the tires (44 psi) is the MAX ALLOWABLE pressure you can put in the tire... on the car itself, i think in the door jamb, is a sticker which lists toyota's recommended tire pressure... which i believe is 29 psi... that is the RECOMMENDED tire pressure for the xB... 29 psi is chosen by toyota as the ideal weight factoring in handling, safety, comfort, weight, cargo etc (i'm assuming)...

29 psi being the toyota recommended pressure, 44 psi would be considered overinflating... therefore, the centers of the tread would wear out faster...

Today I gassed up and got about 26 mpg. Maybe 65% city 35% highway. I'm running 15x7 wheels, with a lower sidewall. Could my wider wheels be affecting my mileage? There was a time where I was able to get low 30's without issues, but then again I didn't start dropping my siblings to school till recently(about 3-5 miles of suburban areas with constant stops and hills). I also use Cheveron gas. HELP ME! lol
your problem is that your tire size is messing up your odo.

Damn Im jealous, Im down in the 20 mpg range myself. I have a Auto XB with TRD exhaust and 18 inch Motegis. The dealer blamed it on my wheels, is that BS or what ?
:eyebrow:

probably not. and the exhaust further kills but maybe not as much. but with their powers combined.....

ummm exhaust will raise your mpg.....

possibly, if they don't rev it high to hear the 'sound' ;) i guess it is his rims then that is doing it.

check your tire pressures also, make sure they are at least what the dealer recommends. you can put a couple more pounds in there to help but the ride may get stiffer than you like. heavier rims/wider tires will also adversely affect mileage, the former more so than the latter but the two usually go together--if you are going more than one size wider on stock rims, for example.

How about going with the tire manufacturers recommended tire pressure. You'll find it stamped on the side of the tire. From what I've seen lately, the tire manu's pressure will be higher than the car manu's or any dealers.
Recall the Ford/Firestone fiasco.
Anytime we get new tires on any of our vehicles I promptly inflate them to the 'correct' pressure. Seems installers are stuck on 32psi. even when the tire is stamped at 44psi

if my tires are stamped 44, id run them between 35-40. If you want to fine tune handling then you can have the front higher than rear for a little less understeer. check them often, i know i've been lazy lately ;P

Supercharged with I, H, E, Plugs, Synthetic Oil, 17"rims:

I get to 220-235 miles and light comes on. Fill up usually around 9.5-9.8 gallons at that point.

Roughly 25mpg, that is driving with a heavy foot, 75%HWY 25% City

Best I have gotten after the supercharger was abou 28 mpg on a long trip.

Kinda sux but I wouldn't lose my s/c! :)

moving to power hungry

Mine is used for business... a lot of short hauls, pick and delivery that sort of thing and I get 30+ all the time with a stock setup, manual.... just had to gloat! :lalala:

your problem is that your tire size is messing up your odo.

So wait, I'm really getting more? or less lol. I know sure I get pretty far though, because I do quite a bit of driving. Also. I have the issue of having the cold engine light coming on often. When I drop off my siblings, go to work, leave work, leave the beach after a surf. When I go driving, It's rarely for more than 15 minutes of driving. Everywhere I need to go is within 10 miles of where I live, and no more than 15 minutes away including traffic.

your problem is that your tire size is messing up your odo.

So wait, I'm really getting more? or less lol. I know sure I get pretty far though, because I do quite a bit of driving. Also. I have the issue of having the cold engine light coming on often. When I drop off my siblings, go to work, leave work, leave the beach after a surf. When I go driving, It's rarely for more than 15 minutes of driving. Everywhere I need to go is within 10 miles of where I live, and no more than 15 minutes away including traffic.

BTW the blue cold engine light goes out somewhere between 135-140 degrees coolant temp. Just FYI Mine will be staying on longer pretty soon since I'm in Alaska and winter is on its way! Will be interesting to see what my mileage is then! [/quote]

05 Auto with a K&N air intake
Avg: about 33.5 miles per gallon
worst ever: 28.5 mpg
best: 37mpg

As for time though, when I get in my car it's ususally for no less then 40 mintues. This is both City and high way driving mixed in the washington DC area.

I don't know if it matters or not but I use Premium Gas. Some people say it doesn't matter what grade it is and there is no reason for me to use it. The Owners Manual said to experiment with other grades of gas, so I did. I did this after like 600 or 700 miles and I started getting better Averages since. In fact since using Premium and added a cold air intake. I have never had a tank of gas fall below 30 miles per gallon and it's been a while since that happened. I use the A/C on and off and Keep up with traffic.

Probably nobody cares, it's just my 2 cents on the matter.

If you want to see EXACTLY what the contact pattern on your tire looks like, make a wide chalk mark across the width of the tread. Drive a little, then check to see what part of the chalk rubbed off.

Pumping high octane premium into the xB is really silly. I've never had a tank fall below 31 miles per gallon and it is just keeps getting better. I do a city/highway mix of driving of about 60% highway and 40% ciry.

I use regular 87 octane fuel.

Your engine needs to get 3,000 to 5,000 miles on it before you should even really bother much measuring fuel economy. Don't sweat it.

You do not need to waste your money on high octane fuel.

Pumping high octane premium into the xBi is really stupid, period. I've never had a tank fall below 31 miles per gallong and it is just getting better and I use regular 87 octane fuel. Geesh. Let your darn engine get broken in...that means up to 5,000 miles before you get all worried about mileage! hmmm, I only have 1k on my box and my worst tank was 32mpg.

The Low-Down on High Octane Gasoline

Are you tempted to buy a high octane gasoline for your car because you want to improve its performance? If so, take note: the recommended gasoline for most cars is regular octane. In fact, in most cases, using a higher octane gasoline than your owner's manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It won't make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner. Your best bet: listen to your owner's manual.

The only time you might need to switch to a higher octane level is if your car engine knocks when you use the recommended fuel. This happens to a small percentage of cars.

Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money, too. Premium gas costs 15 to 20 cents per gallon more than regular. That can add up to $100 or more a year in extra costs. Studies indicate that altogether, drivers may be spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year for higher octane gas than they need.

What are octane ratings?
Octane ratings measure a gasoline's ability to resist engine knock, a rattling or pinging sound that results from premature ignition of the compressed fuel-air mixture in one or more cylinders. Most gas stations offer three octane grades: regular (usually 87 octane), mid-grade (usually 89 octane) and premium (usually 92 or 93). The ratings must be posted on bright yellow stickers on each gasoline pump.

What's the right octane level for your car?
Check your owner's manual to determine the right octane level for your car. Regular octane is recommended for most cars. However, some cars with high compression engines, like sports cars and certain luxury cars, need mid-grade or premium gasoline to prevent knock.

How can you tell if you're using the right octane level? Listen to your car's engine. If it doesn't knock when you use the recommended octane, you're using the right grade of gasoline.

Will higher octane gasoline clean your engine better?
As a rule, high octane gasoline does not outperform regular octane in preventing engine deposits from forming, in removing them, or in cleaning your car's engine. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that all octane grades of all brands of gasoline contain engine cleaning detergent additives to protect against the build-up of harmful levels of engine deposits during the expected life of your car.

Should you ever switch to a higher octane gasoline?
A few car engines may knock or ping - even if you use the recommended octane. If this happens, try switching to the next highest octane grade. In many cases, switching to the mid-grade or premium-grade gasoline will eliminate the knock. If the knocking or pinging continues after one or two fill-ups, you may need a tune-up or some other repair. After that work is done, go back to the lowest octane grade at which your engine runs without knocking.

Is knocking harmful?
Occasional light knocking or pinging won't harm your engine, and doesn't indicate a need for higher octane. But don't ignore severe knocking. A heavy or persistent knock can lead to engine damage.

Is all "premium" or "regular" gasoline the same?
The octane rating of gasoline marked "premium" or "regular" is not consistent across the country. One state may require a minimum octane rating of 92 for all premium gasoline, while another may allow 90 octane to be called premium. To make sure you know what you're buying, check the octane rating on the yellow sticker on the gas pump instead of relying on the name "premium" or "regular."

For More Information
If you're concerned about the accuracy of an octane label - or if you don't see a yellow octane sticker on a gasoline pump, write: Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

I use regular old 87 octane, 35 psi in the tires. Header is aftermarket, and stock cat-back. Intake plumbing is original with factory air box, drive about 60% hwy/ 40% city and i see normally around 32-34 mpg driving at 70 on freeway and shift points around 2500 rpm. Also as a sidenote I use synthetic mobil 1 motor oil and mobil 1 75W90 gear lube in the gearbox. Although I have seen my box reach a s high as 40 mpg on long trips.

the reason you are getting poor gas mileage is because you aren't giving your xB enough gas with the throttle. If you bog down your engine with low RPMs your engine has to work harder to move your vehicle. Thus needing more gas to move. Yes, it is using more gas than if you would actually give it some gas. You shouldn't be driving in that low of RPMs unless: you are still within your first 500 miles (break-in period), you are stuck in traffic, or you are cruising in 5th gear at a speed under 60 MPH.