2007 AT Yaris Disappoints me

[sqcomp]

These tips from Yaris are spot on. For me, I've achieved a 43 mpg average by doing all of those minus the spark plugs. I also DO NOT rev the engine over 2500 rpm. When I hit freeway speeds, I'm the one you hate doing EXACTLY the posted speed. This also saves me money by not having any speeding tickets as well! I'm lucky enough to have factory cruise control in mine as well. I also installed in-channel vent visors, so I can roll with the windows partially down.

The other thing I notices that was not here was the "big 3" upgrade. I had "significant" gains because of that modification. This was in part due to my conservative driving style but better electrical flow didn't hurt one bit. Here in a few months I'll be adding an aftermarket alternator as well just to make sure my juice is at 14 Volts consistantly.

I should note, I have added a LOT of sounddeadening to this car. The gas milage has not been affected so far that I have noted. When I say a LOT, I mean just that. I probably have the quietest Yaris in the world...I spent a good amount of money, and am going to continue in April with the roof, on deadening.

[bear4]

I am about to start the soundproofing project too. What product did you use? I am considering Dynamat or Raammat... Did you use mats and sound barriers or just the mats?

Originally Posted by sqcomp

These tips from Yaris are spot on. For me, I've achieved a 43 mpg average by doing all of those minus the spark plugs. I also DO NOT rev the engine over 2500 rpm. When I hit freeway speeds, I'm the one you hate doing EXACTLY the posted speed. This also saves me money by not having any speeding tickets as well! I'm lucky enough to have factory cruise control in mine as well. I also installed in-channel vent visors, so I can roll with the windows partially down.

The other thing I notices that was not here was the "big 3" upgrade. I had "significant" gains because of that modification. This was in part due to my conservative driving style but better electrical flow didn't hurt one bit. Here in a few months I'll be adding an aftermarket alternator as well just to make sure my juice is at 14 Volts consistantly.

I should note, I have added a LOT of sounddeadening to this car. The gas milage has not been affected so far that I have noted. When I say a LOT, I mean just that. I probably have the quietest Yaris in the world...I spent a good amount of money, and am going to continue in April with the roof, on deadening.

[Loren]

To expect a car to exceed the EPA mpg figures without making some serious effort is unrealistic. Mine isn't an automatic, but if you look around, people with automatics are able to consistently do better than 40 mpg, just like I am.

If I drive "normally", even what most people would consider "conservatively normal", I get 30-32 mpg. I only get to 40 mpg and beyond by consistently applying hypermiling techniques. Look at the sticky posts here, there is plenty you can change with your driving style to improve your fuel economy. It's all driver. Nothing wrong with your car.

It bugs me a little bit to see some forum regulars posting here about "wild claims" of getting great gas mileage. As if myself and others are making our numbers up! Personally, I bought a ScanGauge and used it to train myself to drive more efficiently. The instant feedback that you can get from a ScanGauge helps you to understand exactly what you need to do for maximum economy, and once you learn THOSE habits instead of the habits that you've been driving with for years, you'll consistently get better mpg. My last tank was 45 mpg and at least 90% city driving. My current tank will probably be closer to 42, but it includes a day of autocross, which drags the average down considerably! (but also did 120+ miles of slow back-road highway driving to and from the autocross that netted 50+ mpg to help balance it out)

Is it worth all of this effort just to get a little better gas mileage? For me, given the minimal amount of driving that I normally do, absolutely not! (we're talking about the difference between filling up every 3 weeks vs. every 2.5 weeks, not that big of a deal) I don't really do it to save money, I just do it as a personal challenge to see how much I can improve the mpg. Keeps me from doing the opposite... seeing how fast I can accelerate and how many G's I can pull around the next turn. Keeps me out of trouble!

[yarisugi]

ScanGauge helps me monitor my foot, too! lol
Sometimes I'm hard on the pedal, but when look at the gauge and see the
realtime mpg drop to 17mpg, I lighten up until I can see the gauge reach 30mpg or so.
But still my average is about 31mpg with MT under "normal" mixed city/highway driving.
So I say to the OP, you shouldn't be disappointed. I'm not.

[Loren]

For sure, I don't think anyone should be "disappointed" with 30-32 city mpg in a Yaris.

But, if you WANT more, really want it, it's there for you. It comes not from catching that you've accelerated too hard and backing off (by the time you see that you've done it, it's too late!), but from not accelerating hard in the first place. It's hard to unlearn old habits, of course... believe me, I know! But, if you can pull it off, and couple it with a lot of DFCO coast time and minimize your time spent idling, all of that together will net you at least 25% better mpg.

I just set goals for myself as I drive. I want to see 20 mpg by the time I reach the 2nd stop sign from my house (difficult to do with a cold engine, backing out of the driveway, and two starts from a full-stop), 25 mpg by the 3rd stop sign. I try to maintain at least 20 mpg accelerating onto the main road from that 3rd stop, and get up to 30 before I reach the traffic light and at least 40 before I get to wherever I'm going. On the way home, the car is usually warm, so I start off with a goal of reaching 40 mpg for the trip ASAP, and then as much more as I can get before I get home. It's just a game, really!

[b_hickman11]

I can get 36-44 mpg without any hypermiling tech. so it is realistic to get above EPA with no effort.

[Loren]

Originally Posted by b_hickman11

I can get 36-44 mpg without any hypermiling tech. so it is realistic to get above EPA with no effort.

I'd venture to guess that traffic conditions where you live are pretty relaxed.

The problem comes with people who live in larger cities. They think they're driving conservatively because they're not being "agressive" and passing a bunch of cars, they're just "going with the flow" and "keeping up with traffic". But, 95% of everyone in the city doesn't drive conservatively at all. If you're keeping up with them, you aren't, either!

Then there are the tailgating habits the so many people have, but don't even realize that they have. If there is less than 2 seconds between you and the car ahead of you, you're wasting fuel because every time they slow down, YOU have to hit the brakes. If you follow 2-3 seconds back, you can drive your own game and instead of having to hit the brakes, you can get a free DFCO coast!

[b_hickman11]

Originally Posted by Loren

I'd venture to guess that traffic conditions where you live are pretty relaxed.

The problem comes with people who live in larger cities. They think they're driving conservatively because they're not being "agressive" and passing a bunch of cars, they're just "going with the flow" and "keeping up with traffic". But, 95% of everyone in the city doesn't drive conservatively at all. If you're keeping up with them, you aren't, either!

Then there are the tailgating habits the so many people have, but don't even realize that they have. If there is less than 2 seconds between you and the car ahead of you, you're wasting fuel because every time they slow down, YOU have to hit the brakes. If you follow 2-3 seconds back, you can drive your own game and instead of having to hit the brakes, you can get a free DFCO coast!

So you are saying that people who drive safe and follow the law is the same thing as hypermiling?

[upgradedyaris]

lol Auto's these days are not much different for loss in fuel mileage.

As stated before, mine is an auto, fully loaded and my best MPG was 51MPG and an average of 45-46. (on freeway) City varies from 38-40 ish.

Duane

Edit: No cruise used but will next trip!!

[upgradedyaris]

Originally Posted by bear4

Well, we have 2 Echos - same engine as Yaris. One Echo is AT and the other one is a manual. The manual gets at least 42MPG even in the winter while the AT gets 32-34, so this is pretty typical...

LOL Mine never gets that shitty gas mileage even in winter and I have a loaded auto. I even carry a huge jack (in a plastic case) in the rear at all times.

Duane

[Loren]

Originally Posted by b_hickman11

So you are saying that people who drive safe and follow the law is the same thing as hypermiling?

The similarities are striking, really.

[b_hickman11]

Originally Posted by Loren

The similarities are striking, really.

Sorry....not even close.

hypermiling vs normal driver

50 psi vs. 32 psi
turning off the engine at red lights vs not doing it
taking out seats, spare tire, jack vs not doing it
not using ac when it's 100+ outside vs using the ac
driving 15 miles below speed limit vs driving the speed limit

Very different........

[Yaris Hilton]

How you drive it is the biggest determinant of mileage. One driver may easily get 1/3 more mileage than another in the same car.

[slothman86]

Originally Posted by kargoboy

To the OP, where are you doing most of your driving?
And for the record, a lot of people don't know how to calculate their MPG correctly.
Even on this forum.
E-Present company excluded I am sure.

I hope they do...Just saying Miles per Gallon gives you the formula~

Given that the MPGs calculated might not be spot on but if you fill up at the same pump on a level surface each time you should be in the relative ball park

[Loren]

Originally Posted by b_hickman11

Sorry....not even close.

hypermiling vs normal driver

50 psi vs. 32 psi
turning off the engine at red lights vs not doing it
taking out seats, spare tire, jack vs not doing it
not using ac when it's 100+ outside vs using the ac
driving 15 miles below speed limit vs driving the speed limit

Very different........

Now, there are varying degrees of hypermiling. What *I* do does not involve hyper-inflating tires, turning off the engine at stop lights, removing any weight that I didn't already remove for autocross purposes, not using the AC when it's hot, or driving more than 5 mph below the speed limit.

In fact, I normally drive 5 mph OVER the speed limit, I just take my time getting up to that speed.

I really think that you are as much or more of a hypermiler as I am, you just don't want to associate yourself with the hardcore hypermilers. (not that I really blame you)

[frankencar]

Originally Posted by MadMax

...are you sure you're not knocking the shift lever out of OD and into 3rd gear?

I found the answer...and MadMax you were close. Now I see two things. One, I was really, really dumb. Two, all this bitter debate about wild claims and averages and hypermiling and traffic conditions are about to be pretty funny.

So (drumroll)...what I found out was that I was NOT knocking the shifter into 3rd gear. I was CONSTANTLY DRIVING IN 3RD GEAR! Yes I am a fool. Yes you can laugh at me. But in my defense, I have never, ever driven an AT with a 3rd gear. Only L, 2, D, N, R, P. So for some reason, what I know see to be clearly labeled never even occurred to me. I just followed the notching on the shifter and wound up in 3rd. All the time. (My wife too). So I was right that it was at too high an rpm...and yet I was so, so wrong.

So, knowing this, should I get my tranny checked or something? I feel like I've been damaging my poor Yaris for so long without knowing it.

And to set the record straight, I love the Yaris. When I said I was dissapointed, it was because I saw case after case after case of people getting well over EPA, many claiming with an auto and without hypermiling (or without any hypermiling beyond the conservative driving I already employ).

[WeeYari]

Too funny. I actually was doing the same thing in my first couple of days ownership.

Tranny damage - no.

[Loren]

Originally Posted by frankencar

So, knowing this, should I get my tranny checked or something? I feel like I've been damaging my poor Yaris for so long without knowing it.

Nah, wouldn't hurt anything. Enjoy your improved gas mileage!