Where's my MPG going? [Archive] - Toyota Yaris Forums

drummerboy2004

11-19-2008, 10:09 PM

I get 45 MPG 100% city... it is likely the driver... No one ever got a prize for getting to the red light first... try coasting and slowing down. Oh, and most of the time, coasting puts me right next to the guy who took off like Speed Racer at the last light, but by the time I get next to them I am rolling through the light or only stopping for a couple of seconds.

matt

Loren

11-19-2008, 10:11 PM

They said its my driving style, could that really effect it that much?

In short, YES. If you want to get better mileage, read up on the hypermiling techniques. You don't have to go nuts and become obsessed with MPG to achieve well over 30 mpg in the city, just make some minor changes in your driving habits.

You'll find a lot of forum members who get as little as 22-26 mpg regularly. Most get more like 30-36.

I have personally seen as little as 15 mpg (on a race track) and as much as 49.9 mpg on the highway (average speed 48 mph) in my Yaris.

b_hickman11

11-20-2008, 12:26 AM

I get 36-44 mpg on both of my Sedans with AT with no hypermile techniques.

50MPGDream

11-20-2008, 03:55 AM

i agree with everyone above, the driver makes the biggest difference. my camaro has has tanks as low as 12 MPG, and as high as 39.9, just depends on how much work you give the right foot.

jambo101

11-20-2008, 05:46 AM

What formula are you using to arrive at your 22mpg figure?

voodoo22

11-20-2008, 08:02 AM

It could be, but I would think you'd have to be an extremely aggressive driver to get numbers like those and then you would know your driving style is causing that extremely bad MPG.

CKaelin

11-20-2008, 09:46 AM

Maybe you have a leak in your gas tank? =0

Loren

11-20-2008, 11:36 AM

It could be, but I would think you'd have to be an extremely aggressive driver to get numbers like those and then you would know your driving style is causing that extremely bad MPG.

Nah, some people just assume that if they buy a new car that's supposed to get 32 mpg in the city that it will do that no matter how they drive. It's simply not true.

My wife and her MINI Cooper are a good example. The Cooper was rated at something like 26 in the city, and when she bought it, she found that she was getting 23 mpg regularly... exactly the same as she got in her old car (a Saturn SL1). This is because her trips were short and she had some bad habits that she didn't know about.

Fortunately, the Cooper has a built-in mileage computer with functions similar to the ScanGauge. I showed her how to monitor instantaneous MPG to learn where she's really wasting fuel and talked to her about coasting up to lights rather than staying in the throttle and then jamming the brakes to stop. This was before I even knew about hypermiling, so it was just basic stuff I was teaching her.

Now she averages between 27 and 28 with her city driving... mostly on the same 3-mile commute to work. (and the "new" EPA rating for her car is 23 in the city... go figure)

My point here is that most people don't realize how bad their habits are. They think they're driving "normally" because it's "normal" to them.

drummerboy2004

11-20-2008, 03:32 PM

Nah, some people just assume that if they buy a new car that's supposed to get 32 mpg in the city that it will do that no matter how they drive. It's simply not true.

My wife and her MINI Cooper are a good example. The Cooper was rated at something like 26 in the city, and when she bought it, she found that she was getting 23 mpg regularly... exactly the same as she got in her old car (a Saturn SL1). This is because her trips were short and she had some bad habits that she didn't know about.

Fortunately, the Cooper has a built-in mileage computer with functions similar to the ScanGauge. I showed her how to monitor instantaneous MPG to learn where she's really wasting fuel and talked to her about coasting up to lights rather than staying in the throttle and then jamming the brakes to stop. This was before I even knew about hypermiling, so it was just basic stuff I was teaching her.

Now she averages between 27 and 28 with her city driving... mostly on the same 3-mile commute to work. (and the "new" EPA rating for her car is 23 in the city... go figure)

My point here is that most people don't realize how bad their habits are. They think they're driving "normally" because it's "normal" to them.

Well stated... But, getting people to understand that they are doing wrong is another story. Some are set in their ways, and only 5-10 dollar gas will change that.

matt

voodoo22

11-21-2008, 08:31 AM

Nah, some people just assume that if they buy a new car that's supposed to get 32 mpg in the city that it will do that no matter how they drive. It's simply not true.

My wife and her MINI Cooper are a good example. The Cooper was rated at something like 26 in the city, and when she bought it, she found that she was getting 23 mpg regularly... exactly the same as she got in her old car (a Saturn SL1). This is because her trips were short and she had some bad habits that she didn't know about.

Fortunately, the Cooper has a built-in mileage computer with functions similar to the ScanGauge. I showed her how to monitor instantaneous MPG to learn where she's really wasting fuel and talked to her about coasting up to lights rather than staying in the throttle and then jamming the brakes to stop. This was before I even knew about hypermiling, so it was just basic stuff I was teaching her.

Now she averages between 27 and 28 with her city driving... mostly on the same 3-mile commute to work. (and the "new" EPA rating for her car is 23 in the city... go figure)

My point here is that most people don't realize how bad their habits are. They think they're driving "normally" because it's "normal" to them.

You're right. People all think they're good and all think they're doing what's normal, but I always find it inconceivable that someone can engage in certain actions which are obviously causing their issue and not even realize it. Like the saying, "You are your own worst enemy."

How you can get nearly 30% off of the EPA and not realize it's because of your driving style is beyond my capabilities of comprehension.

briman

11-21-2008, 11:32 PM

That being said, and I agree, some vehichles are more sensitive to driving style than others. My Durango gets 12mpg in town no matter what I do. I can maybe move it up to 13mpg with a lot of babying but then it's mostly luck. The Yaris being such a tiny car and tiny engine the slightest change in driving habits greatly effects mileage. For me, I'd rather have more consistency but I continue to work on my habits. I want good mileage without coasting all over town.

Loren

11-21-2008, 11:47 PM

Percentage-wise, I think most vehicles respond to driving style by a similar amount. The technology in the Yaris will make it respond more than a car maybe 10 years old or older... but still... even your Durango, If you can get 12 and 13, you could easily get 11. The difference between 11 and 13 is 18%. Apply that to a Yaris. Driven fairly normally without much care, the Yaris will return 32 mpg in the city. Driven cautiously with an eye toward economy, it might do 18% better... and return about 38 mpg. (more than that takes a lot of work)

briman

12-01-2008, 08:58 PM

You make a good point and for the most part I agree. It can fluctuate between 11-13 mpg. I can do little to adjust past that. I can push this Hemi hard and I see little difference in mpg. AC or no AC it gets the same milage. The only thing that really drops mpg is hauling a trailer. The Yaris is very sensitive to driving style and I wish it wasn't. I'd like to see a consistent 30mpg and drive the way a like than 34 mpg when I baby the car and 26 mpg when I don't.

Stargate YARlantIS

12-01-2008, 10:13 PM

You guys must be red lining the thing before you shift or something. I stomp on mine and I still get atleast 32 mpg in the city.

Same here, I don't really call it stompin....more like driving w/ incentive.

I'm averaging 31-33 constant. I do coast into the light, sometimes I do jump off the line,but thats when i'm feelin froggy.

bugmenot

12-04-2008, 11:39 AM

jamal1984

12-04-2008, 11:45 AM

talnlnky

12-05-2008, 09:51 PM

i think your car has problems, it's not about your driving style man, even you drive in cold weather and drive it like a drag racer, you can get at least 28mpg, 22-24? that is totally something wrong with your car, you should take it back and get another one.
I'm getting 33mpg now in cold weather with rough driving. i mean rough rough

Since when does it get cold in georgia?

New rule yarisworld... if you can't see snow or ice.... its not cold.

I can see if somebody was driving around mostly city, and aggressively... in say sub freezing temps that they could get less than 25mpg.... especially in the sedan. Tho for most people I think you would have to try.

Worst tank I ever got was 34mpg. I'm sure I could get a 30mpg if I wanted to.

jamal1984

12-05-2008, 10:40 PM

Since when does it get cold in georgia?

New rule yarisworld... if you can't see snow or ice.... its not cold.

I can see if somebody was driving around mostly city, and aggressively... in say sub freezing temps that they could get less than 25mpg.... especially in the sedan. Tho for most people I think you would have to try.

Worst tank I ever got was 34mpg. I'm sure I could get a 30mpg if I wanted to.

geez, probably you get use to snow? but down here if it get 40degree it's cold, and it's icing or frosting entire the car in the morning, and it's took around 2-4 second to drank up the car, that is cold already. i agreed that we don't have alot of hills and mountain road around here, but still the yaris can't get 22-24mpg unless it's got a problem.

Revsson

12-06-2008, 04:56 AM

geez, probably you get use to snow? but down here if it get 40degree it's cold, and it's icing or frosting entire the car in the morning, and it's took around 2-4 second to drank up the car, that is cold already. i agreed that we don't have alot of hills and mountain road around here, but still the yaris can't get 22-24mpg unless it's got a problem.

Maybe you need the Cold Weather Package ??
Or a Georgia Peach to ride along with you .... :biggrin:

808_Yaris

12-06-2008, 11:03 AM

can't wait to see how many mph i'll be getting! and
gas is getting cheaper too.

jamal1984

12-06-2008, 11:12 AM

Maybe you need the Cold Weather Package ??
Or a Georgia Peach to ride along with you .... :biggrin:

man i wish, but it's not an option for my car :evil:

b_hickman11

12-06-2008, 11:40 AM

I fill my tank till the pump automatically shuts off,But I do realize some pumps wont shut off automatically,or will shut off prematurely.
I know I could probably pump another gallon,if I was willing.
This could possibly affect your mileage up to about 5 mpg if my math is correct.

This has nothing to do with it because you will still be dividing the number of miles driven by the number of gallons pumped. You don't divide it by the size of the tank.

thebarber

12-06-2008, 02:38 PM

but still the yaris can't get 22-24mpg unless it's got a problem.
i think i got down to that one tank last winter...350-ish km on a 40L tank....? nah, thats still only like 28mpg 26 at worst.....and that set of time it was like -25C in the mornings.....would let the car idle for 5min +/- then a 15min drive to work in-city.....

WeeYari

12-06-2008, 05:00 PM

This has nothing to do with it because you will still be dividing the number of miles driven by the number of gallons pumped. You don't divide it by the size of the tank.

Wrong.

Since you are calculating based on distance travelled and the amount of fuel needed to refill, your calculations can be scewed since the "full" level can differ from pump to pump.

b_hickman11

12-06-2008, 08:28 PM

Wrong.

Since you are calculating based on distance travelled and the amount of fuel needed to refill, your calculations can be scewed since the "full" level can differ from pump to pump.

You divide the number of miles traveled by the number of gallons displayed on the pump. If you only pump 8 gallons into the car then thats what you will divide by. If you only pump 2 gallons into the car then thats what you will divide by. It doesnt matter how big a gas tank is, or when the pump shuts off.

For example, if I have driven 385 miles, and I go to a station to refill, and I pump 10.5 gallons, then my mpg is 36.67. You don't divide by 11.1 or the size of the tank.

Another example, if I have driven 75 miles since my last fill up and I pump 2 gallons in the car to fill it up, then my mpg would be 37.5.

So therefore if YOU fill the car up and you have cleared your trip meter after the last fill up, you should get a fairly accurate mpg reading.

WeeYari

12-06-2008, 08:52 PM

For example, if I have driven 385 miles, and I go to a station to refill, and I pump 10.5 gallons, then my mpg is 36.67. You don't divide by 11.1 or the size of the tank.

So therefore if YOU fill the car up and you have cleared your trip meter after the last fill up, you should get a fairly accurate mpg reading.

Obviously you don't divide by 11.1

But you get different mpg calulations if one pump shuts of at 10.5 gallons, while another pump could shut off at 10.6

Regardless, for basic monitoring calculations would be fairly accurate, but pumps will contribute to either apparent gains or losses in mpg. We really see it with L/100km monitoring. Its easy for pumps to differ 1/2 litre from each other, and that 1/2 litre is a significant % of consumption.

b_hickman11

12-06-2008, 08:57 PM

Obviously you don't divide by 11.1

But you get different mpg calulations if one pump shuts of at 10.5 gallons, while another pump could shut off at 10.6

Regardless, for basic monitoring calculations would be fairly accurate, but pumps will contribute to either apparent gains or losses in mpg. We really see it with L/100km monitoring. Its easy for pumps to differ 1/2 litre from each other, and that 1/2 litre is a significant % of consumption.

Thats why I said YOU fill up the car not the pump. If YOU fill up the car then it will be accurate. I took drivers ed. at AAA and they taught us to fill up the car after the automatic noozle shuts off inorder to determine mpg. A lot of my local pumps will shut off and then I can still pump about 2 gallons into the car. It's common sense!

rningonfumes

12-07-2008, 11:09 AM

Okay, since the argument is accuracy...

This is what you do:
(if you are looking to compare mileage.)

1. Fill up at the same station and possibly at the same pump.
2. Fill up at the same time of the day, same time of the week.
3. Stop at the click, maybe more if you want to round to the nearest dollar- no more than that. I do it to the next tenth of a dollar.

Divide new gallons into current miles driven. Rinse, repeat. It does not matter how much you filled, nor that you can still even fit 1-2 gallons more, just have to have that consistency.

Edit: And for those who think that they are still adding gas when it clicks, there is such a thing as overflow that goes back to the pump..ie you've wasted gas by trying to overfill. This overfilling can also account for mis-calculations for mpg.

b_hickman11

12-07-2008, 11:38 AM

Okay, since the argument is accuracy...

Edit: And for those who think that they are still adding gas when it clicks, there is such a thing as overflow that goes back to the pump..ie you've wasted gas by trying to overfill. This overfilling can also account for mis-calculations for mpg.

There is no such thing of gas going back into the pump. Once the noozle flapper is closed, no gas will go back into it. I used to work at a gas station and there are no pumps that suck gas back into them. This is why when you have completely paid for your gas and the pump is turned off, you should re-insert the noozle and give it a squeeze to release the fuel(that you paid for) that was left over in the hose. But it will not go back into the pump.

rningonfumes

12-07-2008, 11:46 AM

http://www.epa.gov/donttopoff/

Second reason is that you may damage your charcoal canister.

b_hickman11

12-07-2008, 11:06 PM

yep, thats why after you have completed the sale, go back to the pump and insert the noozle back into your car. Depress the nozzle and the gas that you paid for, but is stuck between the pump and the noozle, will be drained into your. Therefore you will not be losing money by topping off.

voodoo22

12-08-2008, 08:45 AM

There is no way to be certain of MPG accuracy on a per tank basis, no matter what your methods are. The only way to be somewhat sure of your accuracy is time and quantity. The more tanks you put in, the more statistically accurate your data becomes.

If you always fill up to the first click, then record that data, over time your number will become more accurate.

roadrunner

12-08-2008, 05:39 PM

There is no such thing of gas going back into the pump. Once the noozle flapper is closed, no gas will go back into it. I used to work at a gas station and there are no pumps that suck gas back into them. This is why when you have completely paid for your gas and the pump is turned off, you should re-insert the noozle and give it a squeeze to release the fuel(that you paid for) that was left over in the hose. But it will not go back into the pump.

Does that mean when I get to the pump it is very likely that there is (free) fuel in the hose that I can get in my Yaris........before I pay to get my gasoline? I should empty the hose......then pay for my normal fillup?

b_hickman11

12-08-2008, 06:37 PM

Yes....also this is why people complain about some pumps charging customers before they depress the noozle to release gas into their tanks. If the previous customer drained the hose as I mentioned before, some pumps will re-fill the hose the next time someone pays for gas, charging the next customer.

AlexNet0

12-09-2008, 11:15 PM

It really varies driver to driver as has been said many times already.
Its cold here (7F with wind and snow) and I dont drive slow, usually speeding up quickly and downshifting hard before lights. and I have been getting 40mpg religiously.

jambo101

12-15-2008, 04:04 AM

Winter always gives me crappy MPG figures no matter what vehicle i drive,
During the summer i can get 700kms per tank on my 08 sedan or my 01 Echo,Past couple of weeks its been fill up time at around 400kms,i doubt if i could reach 500kms with a full tank these days.

otterhere

12-15-2008, 03:33 PM

Hi guys, i have a 2007 Yaris and i was only getting about 22 mpg. That cant be right! I took it to a dealership Maita Toyota http://www.maitatoyota.com/ and they did a tune up which jumped to about 24mpg. They said its my driving style, could that really effect it that much?

Sure you're not using third gear instead of "D"? That was my problem for quite some time. Little children, do not do what I have done!!! :redface: