Wondering why people complain that Yaris' cant get good mileage?!

[KrazyDawg]

Originally Posted by jhsouders

Based on your gas log, you fill your tank quite often, what do you do that requires you to drive so many miles? I ask because i deliver pizza's and i do the same.

I have a 130 mile RT commute for work. On the weekends, I still commute a bit, so the Yaris never gets a break.

[bkrownd]

Originally Posted by jhsouders

I actually find that i get better mpg on hilly terrain, granted its still highway. Going down the hills i just throw it in neutral getting around 4-5 hundred mpg while maintaining speed (DFCO would slow my car, and i would again have to use gas, so neutral is better in this case).

I've always suspected I get better MPG going up and down shallow mountain slopes than I would cruising at constant speed on flat ground. More energy is wasted turning the motor at cruising RPM than at idling RPM, so storing energy as elevation gain on the uphill climb and coasting or engine braking most of the way back down should yield higher MPG than cruising at high RPM on flat ground. Even despite the extra energy used to climb and the thinner air at higher elevations.

Just make absolutely sure that you're in a car that WILL NOT STALL while coasting. My stickshift Toyotas will idle happily until The End Of Time, but I've encountered some SUV type cars with automatic transmissions that will not idle reliably and are not safe to coast.

[Yarisduder]

Are the cars mostly empty too? We're almost always three on board, and I'm sure that lowers our fuel economy.

[127.0.0.1]

Originally Posted by Yarisduder

Are the cars mostly empty too? We're almost always three on board, and I'm sure that lowers our fuel economy.

every single bit of added weight lowers mileage, unless that weight addition
adds power or fuel economy in some way to compensate for itself.

[Rain]

I can get 50mpg driving 80% highway with four people on board

[TheRealEnth]

Im only getting 250-300 on a tank. So that's about 22-27mph if im correct. I drove once super slow and hypermillerish, and i think i still achieved only like 310-320 which is still about 29mpg... What do you guys recommend? Im about to change the spark plugs and air filter, any other ideas?

[Boost Addicted]

Originally Posted by TheRealEnth

Im only getting 250-300 on a tank. So that's about 22-27mph if im correct. I drove once super slow and hypermillerish, and i think i still achieved only like 310-320 which is still about 29mpg... What do you guys recommend? Im about to change the spark plugs and air filter, any other ideas?

Do you get up to speed slowly from a dead stop? Are you trying to keep your RPM's low by upshifting as much as possible? Cause if you're doing these things, THATS whats killing your fuel mileage.

Fuel consumption is all about load... Load can be visually seen if you use a vacuum gauge. High vacuum is low load, low vacuum is high load, and you'd be surprised to see what little usage of your right foot can do to your vacuum levels.

Think about it this way.... You're on the leg press machine starting with your knees at your chest... What takes more energy? Pushing the weight stack away from you, or holding it there? Holding it, right? the quicker you get there, the less energy you use. It would be like doing a slow leg press to the extended leg position, vs. extending your legs as quickly as possible and holding it there.

Stupid analogy, I know, but hopefully you can see how it works. I'm not saying peel away from every stop light, but do NOT be afraid of RPM's. Shift at 3-4K RPM's, cruise at no less than 2K, and get up to speed more quickly. You don't need to be unsafe about it, but I guarantee you'll see a difference in fuel mileage. Oh, and when coming to a stop, keep your car in gear.... Above 1200RPM's (IIRC) IN GEAR while your foot is off the throttle, your injector solenoids shut off... So you're using ZERO fuel.

/rant lol

PS. Air filters are most efficient at 60% of their life. A clean air filter allows only a slightly better flow, but a much less efficient ''cleaning'' of intake air.

[Yaris Hilton]

Changing spark plugs won't increase your mileage or power if you're not getting misfiring, which sets the "Check Engine" light and a trouble code. The original plugs are iridium ones good for 100,000 miles. Save your money.

[STC]

Originally Posted by TheRealEnth

Im only getting 250-300 on a tank. So that's about 22-27mph if im correct. I drove once super slow and hypermillerish, and i think i still achieved only like 310-320 which is still about 29mpg... What do you guys recommend? Im about to change the spark plugs and air filter, any other ideas?

What kind of driving in Miami? Mostly highway or city? Miami driving can be very challenging to get high FE.

I used to live in Miami. All the stop and go driving will kill your FE. If you are driving like Kendall Drive (SW 88th Street) from Dadeland to West Kendall, I can see you averaging around 22-27mpg!

The previous poster, "Boost Addicted" gives you good advice!

Cheers!

[yarr_is]

Too much speeding yo

[TheRealEnth]

haha. ;d i try to keep highway speeds at 60-70 and drive down streets at 50-60

[daf62757]

I did change my spark plugs and it sure felt like I had more power. No scientific evidence to support this, but the fool behind the wheel test was successful so that is the only evidence I really care about!

[bkrownd]

Some of you peeps need to leave your Road Raging areas and find saner corners of the country to live in.

I really hated it when some of the roads went to 75. Never drove faster than 65 max on those, and never will. As a passenger I was in a car that hit a deer at 75 in heavy traffic, and we escaped death by mere inches. Once was enough...

[DevilGirl]

Originally Posted by bkrownd

Some of you peeps need to leave your Road Raging areas and find saner corners of the country to live in.

I really hated it when some of the roads went to 75. Never drove faster than 65 max on those, and never will. As a passenger I was in a car that hit a deer at 75 in heavy traffic, and we escaped death by mere inches. Once was enough...

Actually I do live in a relatively sane area. It's just the commute to work, since I do live "in the country" as opposed to the city where the work is...

[STC]

Originally Posted by DevilGirl

Actually I do live in a relatively sane area. It's just the commute to work, since I do live "in the country" as opposed to the city where the work is...

Yeppers! Sane here... You know how State College area is! When they call for "rush hour" it's more like 'rush minute".

Cheers!

[daf62757]

You know, the difference between 41 and 38 MPG is not really that much. The creature comfort of cruise control and AC make it well worth the 3 or 4 MPG that these luxuries cost me.

[Chuck G]

Originally Posted by daf62757

You know, the difference between 41 and 38 MPG is not really that much. The creature comfort of cruise control and AC make it well worth the 3 or 4 MPG that these luxuries cost me.

[Yaris Hilton]

Yeah, I've said the same thing. I'm using them and taking what I get. I drive reasonably, but I don't do real "hypermiling."