Anyone from Missouri? MPG problems inside

[4MPG]

A few months ago I bought a 08 5spd hatchback (black) for my 90+ mile roundtrip to work. The car has about 6000 miles on it now. I was really hoping to see 40~ MPG on my daily commute, but I am getting far less than that on average. My commute is pretty straight forward, I have about 12 minutes of in city driving, and the rest is done on the highway (I-70 mostly). The in city driving has alot of hills, but I have figured out a way that lets me mostly avoid stoplights etc.

My problem is, driving 70 MPH on the highway (anything less is getting ran over on I-70) I can't seem to break about 36 MPG. Now that the stupid "winter gas" is in at all the local stations, I am getting on average 34.8 MPG on my daily commute.

On the highway, I just set the cruise and forget it, but in town I use DFCO as much as possible, or just pull the car out of gear and let it coast (idling) when it lets me get farther (aka no engine drag). I never press the gas pedal past about 1/2" (if that) regardless of being on the highway or in town. I am usually in 5th gear by no later than 35 MPH.

I have tried going 60 MPH (cruise on) on the highway three trips in a row and then filling up, and this did result in 39.8 MPG, but its almost suicide in this small car on I-70. People are blowing by you, flying up on your back bumper and then swerving over etc at the last minute, just a really great way to get killed.

My main question is, anyone else in Missouri experiencing this kind of MPG? I am doing everything I can think of to get more out of it but I am starting to think its the gas itself. We do have the stupid 10% ethanol in ALL gas (except some premium) so I know that's not helping, and I have heard lots of people say if they take a long trip they tend to get better MPG after filling up in other states. Could there be some real difference in our gas? We do have the cheapest gas in the nation, could this be why?

Edit: at 5000 miles I did the first oil change and swapped to full synthetic as well, but that did not help MPG significantly.

[Bullet120]

I live in Missouri. Added a grill block last week and use the standard speed rule with DFCO techniques and am running about a 45 MPG tank. That includes 60 miles with my studded snows on which greatly dropped the MPG during that trip.

If you're set on 70 w/ cruise, 36 is probably all you'll see. I can drive I 70, 435 and 29 and don't have any illusions of getting ran over at 55.

[otterhere]

Make sure you're not driving it in 3rd gear, as I've been doing for a month. Isn't MO the "show me" state??? There must be a reason Toyota doesn't advertise this as a 40 mpg car; I'd say those high numbers are either exceptions or exaggerated. But now that I'm driving it in "D," we'll see if the mileage improves. I agree that going 60 on most highways (not just in MO) is suicide... Those semis will go right over the top of you.

[4MPG]

Originally Posted by Bullet120

I live in Missouri. Added a grill block last week and use the standard speed rule with DFCO techniques and am running about a 45 MPG tank. That includes 60 miles with my studded snows on which greatly dropped the MPG during that trip.

If you're set on 70 w/ cruise, 36 is probably all you'll see. I can drive I 70, 435 and 29 and don't have any illusions of getting ran over at 55.

Your running 55 MPH on I-70? During daylight, busy times?

Pure suicide. The semi's alone are doing 70+, and nobody gets over till the last second. If your doing this on a daily basis IMO its only a matter of time until you are either involved in a wreck or cause one between other drivers.

There (other drivers) just stupid... your still getting passed at even 70 MPH, let alone 55.

I used to live in KC, is that the 435 your talking about? 55 MPH on that road??? shudder.

Edit: My car is a 5 speed, so I am in top gear. Also, are you filling up in missouri or kansas? I am not sure if KS has the 10 percent ethanol rule?

[landrym28]

Call me a really dumb Canadian, but does it get extremely cold in the winter time there? Your car uses more fuel to warm up in the winter months, which is why I always have drops of 7 or 8 mpg in the winter months compared to the rest of the year.

[MadMax]

Are you running stock wheels and tires?

I have 215/45ZR17 tires on aftermarket rims on my 08 auto LB, and I am seeing 34-36 MPG with 70-80% highway driving. I will usually keep it between 60-70 MPH but usually get up to 80 MPG (this is Texas, y'know!) on numerous occassions.

Winter gas will kill a few MPG, but your mileage is not that far of what I would be expecting. And no, your state is not getting any "special" gas as compared to those around you. The winter ethanol additives are added even down here in southcentral Texas, and we've had temps in the mid 70s this past week!

Cheers! M2

[Loren]

36-38 mph cruising 70+ on the interstate is about right. Bear in mind that the cruise control is not the most efficient way to travel. CC tries to maintain speed above all else. If you're driving conservatively, you'll allow your speed to vary according to the terrain... speeding up a bit going downhill, allowing the speed to decrease a little going up hills, varying as much as 10-15 mph where the CC keeps a constant speed within about 2 mph.

[4MPG]

sounds like I am just getting about what is to be expected :( Pretty disapointing really, I am getting virtually the same MPG out of this car as I did with my 1.6L Prizim on the same commute :(

Its a nicer car, no doubt, but I was really hoping to see at least 40 MPG doing 70 MPH. I guess its too much to ask.

And the car is 100 percent stock btw, no aftermarket wheels etc. What speeds are the people getting 45+ MPG driving? You just can't drive 50 MPH on the highway around here and not get plowed by semis.

[1NZYaris1]

Whats your tyre pressure like , Most people getting high mpg , run there tyres at 38-as high as 50 psi.Just a thought.
Also most are running with the NST pullies (they help heaps).

[briman]

Originally Posted by 4MPG

sounds like I am just getting about what is to be expected :( Pretty disapointing really, I am getting virtually the same MPG out of this car as I did with my 1.6L Prizim on the same commute :(

Its a nicer car, no doubt, but I was really hoping to see at least 40 MPG doing 70 MPH. I guess its too much to ask.

And the car is 100 percent stock btw, no aftermarket wheels etc. What speeds are the people getting 45+ MPG driving? You just can't drive 50 MPH on the highway around here and not get plowed by semis.

I live in Missouri. I feel your pain. The best I've gotten with 50% highway miles is 36mpg. I do run on I-70 and I keep to about 80mph.

I too am disappointed by the mileage I'm seeing. In town I get mid 20s. I hoped by buying this little go cart I'd see some significant mileage gains but this is barely better than my Pontiac Grand Prix which was at least twice the size. I probably would have bought a corolla had I known the mileage was comparable.

I have not had an oil change yet. I hope further break in helps. And yes, I know the tips and what mph I'm running. If I wanted to coast all over town I'd ride my bicycle.

[thebarber]

isnt the car better on gas when you downshift and leave it in gear vs cruising in neutral? pretty sure the injectors stop squirting if its in gear with no load...

[goku87]

When i went back home to pick up my Yaris i noticed the same thing. i lived in Indep my family lived in north kc. i would visit them on a regular basis and go downtown about every other day to eat at Manny's. Best Mexican food in the world. No good Mexican food up in AK. Anyway, I would travel 70, 425, 29/35 a lot, at 70+.

But just like everyone said, if you slow it down you should see a noticeable difference in mpg.

[4MPG]

I am not sure if it was before or after the winter gas was put in, but I did try 3 days of commute doing 60 MPH on I-70 and then doing everything I could in town. This is when I got the 39.8~ MPG. This was before it got cold, so say 60~ degree weather, and 87 octane gas with the 10 percent required ethanol. I am a fairly experienced 5 speed driver, and I used DFCO whenever possible. The only times I coasted where when I could get more out of it by coasting the entire length instead of having to DFCO and then regain speed.

I am running the tires around 36-38 PSI, I don't remember exactly what I set them at.

I just don't see how you can squeeze out 45 MPG if there isn't something wrong with the gas/car/my driving, unless your doing like 45-50 MPH on the highway?

Unfortunately I simply cannot slow down to even 60 MPH on a regular basis. When I did do it for the 3 days it was simply scary, and I have driven in some pretty bad traffic before. People are just stupid... they run up behind you doing 80+, wait till the last second, and swerve over. Semi's are doing the same thing, and on the rare occasion I acutally passed someone (like a merging semi) the people behind me would fly into the right lane as soon as I passed said semi and pass on the right. It might be ok for a time or two, but doing this daily on a 90 mile commute.. its the law of averages IMO... your going to get plowed eventually.

Edit: I am leaning heavily toward a scangauge and I am for sure going to try not using the cruise and doing some of the pulse and glide methods talked about in the MPG area. Has anyone actually done a comparasion between the cruise and the driver controlling the throttle on the highway?

[4MPG]

Originally Posted by goku87

When i went back home to pick up my Yaris i noticed the same thing. i lived in Indep my family lived in north kc. i would visit them on a regular basis and go downtown about every other day to eat at Manny's. Best Mexican food in the world. No good Mexican food up in AK. Anyway, I would travel 70, 425, 29/35 a lot, at 70+.

But just like everyone said, if you slow it down you should see a noticeable difference in mpg.

So you did notice a difference in MPG simply by buying gas in this state, or not?

I know for sure its not the same gas as all the other states, simply because every state has different (stupid) laws on mixes, ethanol, etc etc. The 10 percent ethanol alone has to account for at least a little bit, as it has alot lower BTU than standard gas.

[thebarber]

i really think youre getting what the yaris gets on teh highway doing the speed youre doing

frig, i got 42mpg on my first tank, but a did a road trip at 45mph on back roads to do it

i consistently get 36mpg city in the summer and only about 38 or 40 on the higway....depending on how fast i go

i find the yaris is SUPER sensitive about mileage depending on the speed youre going....just the gearing and wind resistance.....at 70mph youre doing like 3400rpm in a 5spd....right?

[4MPG]

Originally Posted by thebarber

i really think youre getting what the yaris gets on teh highway doing the speed youre doing

frig, i got 42mpg on my first tank, but a did a road trip at 45mph on back roads to do it

i consistently get 36mpg city in the summer and only about 38 or 40 on the higway....depending on how fast i go

i find the yaris is SUPER sensitive about mileage depending on the speed youre going....just the gearing and wind resistance.....at 70mph youre doing like 3400rpm in a 5spd....right?

no idea, I don't have a tach :( That's one of the main reasons I have been thinking of getting a scangauge, just to get a tach so I can be sure I am in DFCO.

[rningonfumes]

The scanguage is no magical/miracle tool that would automatically give you 40 mpgs. It will only confirm the very thing you are trying to avoid-- which is slowing down. As for DFCO.... you have a 5 speed 08. As soon as you lift you foot off of the gas while in the highest gear, you are in DFCO ( gear appropriate for speed).

You really are asking for miracle if you expected 40mpgs running 70mph.

I can tell you it was hard for me to slow down at first, yes it was scary. I got used to it and now I run 55mph everywhere. The only time you'll find me break 60 is if I'm merging onto fast traffic.

Yes I have a scanguage. No, didn't need it to break 48 mpgs on the dealor tank of gas. I'm averaging 48 mpgs through the whole year.

And lastly, I do understand that I'm in SoCal with great weather, but 1/3 of my commute is early morning with temps at 50-60 degrees.

[4MPG]

Originally Posted by rningonfumes

The scanguage is no magical/miracle tool that would automatically give you 40 mpgs. It will only confirm the very thing you are trying to avoid-- which is slowing down. As for DFCO.... you have a 5 speed 08. As soon as you lift you foot off of the gas while in the highest gear, you are in DFCO ( gear appropriate for speed).

You really are asking for miracle if you expected 40mpgs running 70mph.

I can tell you it was hard for me to slow down at first, yes it was scary. I got used to it and now I run 55mph everywhere. The only time you'll find me break 60 is if I'm merging onto fast traffic.

Yes I have a scanguage. No, didn't need it to break 48 mpgs on the dealor tank of gas. I'm averaging 48 mpgs through the whole year.

And lastly, I do understand that I'm in SoCal with great weather, but 1/3 of my commute is early morning with temps at 50-60 degrees.

The thing that really confuses me is that even running 60 MPH on the highway, cruise on, I still only got 39.8~ MPG. I don't think the car could have been driven more conservatively in the city on that trip either. Hell, I even would shut off the engine on some of the really long straights and run with it in neutral (key on, engine off, for steering).

Lets say its all speed and not the fuel etc. Another 5 MPH on the highway should result in 5-8 MPG? I can't tell you how much I was babying the car, I mean people were getting MAD in the city I was accelerating so slowly, not to mention all the people on I-70 playing "speed racer" around me.