Anyone getting better mileage in the city?

[brainless twit]

I've had my Yaris for a little over a month, and I'm noticing that my gas mileage is much better in the city than on the highway. I know how strange that sounds. This last fill-up, I've done nothing but city driving and I'm getting 40 mpg. The previous fill-up, I drove all highway to and from work (using cruise control), and I was getting about 35 mpg. I don't understand how this would be possible!

For the record, I'm a girl, so if there is an easy explanation please be nice. :wink:

[xray scatter]

WOW! What is your secret?

[brainless twit]

That's why I'm so confused. I tend to drive it like I stole it - I'm not actively trying to save mpg. It's driving me nuts.

[JBIZZ]

The engine runs at a higher RPM (revolutions per minute) at fast speeds. I get like 31MPG Highway/35MPG city in mine. If you slow down to 60MPH on the highway you will see a drastic fuel consumption improvement. When Traveling @ 80MPH, average RPMs are a little under 4K. I believe the average RPMs City driving are probably around 3K, maybe a little less (driving hard). Many bigger motor cars are actually more fuel efficient at higher highway speeds than the Yaris, because they are running at a lower RPM. I believe its safer driving fast with traffic, than driving slower than traffic. Here in Fort Lauderdale average Highway speed is @ 80MPH. There are a few window lickers who go 60MPH or even 40MPH on the highways.

[detroiter]

That would make sense. I can agree a bit with the OP. I usually cruise somewhere around 75-80 mph on the freeway and sometimes have to punch the gas hard for 10-15 second bursts so I can get in and around traffic. It does seem like the gas goes alot farther cruising the city and taking it easy.

[brainless twit]

The engine runs at a higher RPM (revolutions per minute) at fast speeds. I get like 31MPG Highway/35MPG city in mine. If you slow down to 60MPH on the highway you will see a drastic fuel consumption improvement. When Traveling @ 80MPH, average RPMs are a little under 4K. I believe the average RPMs City driving are probably around 3K, maybe a little less (driving hard). Many bigger motor cars are actually more fuel efficient at higher highway speeds than the Yaris, because they are running at a lower RPM. I believe its safer driving fast with traffic, than driving slower than traffic. Here in Fort Lauderdale average Highway speed is @ 80MPH. There are a few window lickers who go 60MPH or even 40MPH on the highways.

That does make sense. Thank you for explaining that! I usually drive about 75 on the highway and no more than 50 in town, so I guess that's why. Still unusual to see, though!

[SilverBack]

IMO I believe the highway MPG would improve if either the final 2 tranny gears were stretched-out just a little, or if another gear was added to the existing setup.

I think we could all really use it for those longer trips:smile:

[voodoo22]

I've had my Yaris for a little over a month, and I'm noticing that my gas mileage is much better in the city than on the highway. I know how strange that sounds. This last fill-up, I've done nothing but city driving and I'm getting 40 mpg. The previous fill-up, I drove all highway to and from work (using cruise control), and I was getting about 35 mpg. I don't understand how this would be possible!

For the record, I'm a girl, so if there is an easy explanation please be nice. :wink:

From my experience you should be able to get over 40 mpg on the highway if you are not exceeding 70 mph. My few tanks under 40 were all on the highway doing 70-75 mph using a/c and in bad weather. I've never gone fast enough to get only 35 on the highway. I also don't use cruise on the highway and unless your road is very flat, cruise control is bad for your mpg because of how the car will accelerate going uphill to maintain an exact speed etc.

Another possibility, is maybe you're not in D, but in 3 on an automatic transmission, in which case you have no 4th gear? Some people have done this, but I would think that would prevent you from getting 40mpg in the city as well.

Great job getting 40 mpg in the city!:w00t:

[brainless twit]

I do drive about 75mph on the highway. I know it's not the best for mpgs but I have to get to work on time, plus I'm not a fan of getting run over. Our speed limit is 70 and I'm still one of the slowest drivers on the road!

I am not driving in 3 instead of D. :biggrin:

[jvgillow]

I recently took a trip at Christmas up to VA from FL. My two tank averages on the way up were 37 and 35, lower for the 2nd half of the trip because of the elevation increase even though the average MPH was a little lower. On the way back to FL there were some places of stopped traffic on the highway and average speed was quite a bit lower. Got 41 and 39 mpg for the 2 tanks.

Around town I pretty much get 35-36 all the time.

[eTiMaGo]

I am not driving in 3 instead of D. :biggrin:

I was about to ask :laugh:

But yeah, high speed on the highway makes a HUGE difference to fuel consumption. Air doesn't feel like much but it takes a lot of effort to push out of the way.

[CrazedEpidemic]

I get about 36 in the city and 38 on the hwy when im going 80-85mph

[otterhere]

I'm another "brainless twit" (girl) from Kentucky, and it's so true that you have to maintain 75 on the interstate unless you want to be run over...

I'm averaging 36 combined highway/city and am not so thrilled with that...

[roccgirl]

I have also noticed this, sometimes. I have gotten as high as right over 42 MPG traveling interstate. I can consistently get 38+ MPG traveling to work. I drive 1/2 mile to the ferry, so no warm up time. Then I have about 8 miles to work, 55-60 MPH. But, other times when I travel long highway miles, I will only get 36-38 MPG. Go figure!?!

Mine is a company car, and it drive my boss nuts that we can't figure out the secret to my high MPG. We have 3 Yaris in the fleet (2 4-door S, and 1 2-dr S). No one else gets anywhere near my MPG. And, suprisingly, my car is an automatic, no cruise control.

I will say I check tire pressure. I run synthetic 15,000 mile oil (car has 19,000 miles). I do not carry unnecessary mess in the car. I do follow some of the easier hypermiling techniques (like letting the car start rolling forward before hitting the gas, letting the car slow itself when coming up on a stop).

[Havana]

I'm a new owner who just finished my second tank of gas. On the first tank I did about 50/50 mixed driving city and highway. I drove it easy and never over 60 mph. I averaged 37.3 mpg. On my second full tank, I drove over 300 miles of interstate driving, much of it at 80 mph or slightly higher. The rest was a mix of city and highway driving on steep mountain grades, sometimes in as low as 3rd gear to get over the hills. I still got 36.7 mpg. A 0.6 mpg difference between a tank of granny driving and a tank of balls out interstate and climbing steep grades.

[brainless twit]

I'm another "brainless twit" (girl) from Kentucky, and it's so true that you have to maintain 75 on the interstate unless you want to be run over...


Glad to see another Kentucky girl here! I was over your way yesterday for a state job interview and nearly got run down on 127 going back toward the Bluegrass Parkway. The posted limit was 55 but people were doing probably 70. I think we're all nuts.

[otterhere]

Glad to see another Kentucky girl here! I was over your way yesterday for a state job interview and nearly got run down on 127 going back toward the Bluegrass Parkway. The posted limit was 55 but people were doing probably 70. I think we're all nuts.

They'd better watch it passing through L'burg; I got stopped there (limit is 45 mph). State job, eh? Oh, snap! At least they supply you with a computer...

Good luck.

:w00t:

[dg4rez]

invest in a scangauge, I love mine. It clearly will show you why your getting better MPG. But I have no clue on how you get great mpg in the city... usually driving more city is what kills mine. I avg 45ish mpg on highway 25ish city.

[brainless twit]

invest in a scangauge, I love mine. It clearly will show you why your getting better MPG. But I have no clue on how you get great mpg in the city... usually driving more city is what kills mine. I avg 45ish mpg on highway 25ish city.

My birthday is in a few weeks; I'm hoping to have some money left after I pay taxes on the car so I can get one.