Nuthuts96

iTrader: (1)

x2! exactly what i was thinking when reading through the postings...

Wife's 4runner

Yep, my MPG dropped after moving to Parker. Before moving here, my wife had a 20 mile commute out of Vancouver, Wa. Even if that had not happened, I read around and figured out what to expect.

Greg_Canada

Buy her a bike

thefallman

well from all the down sides you listed it sounds like you need a minivan instead of a 4runner

I have a 4runner with a 3.0 that just towed a 4x8 uhaul 1200 miles total wieght of 6800lbs and averaged 17+ mpg while my truck with a 3.4 pulling a 8x12 total wieght of 9850lbs averaged around 12mpg

stormin94

Well, you could check your tire pressure more often, and remove any unnessecary(spelling?) wieght, like tool boxes, or anything else that is heavy in your car. 100LBs removed = about 1MPG gained....well, in most cases. Try it out for your self before I start getting PM'ed about that.... The 4Runner is an SUV, why does every one complain about them getting crappy MPG? Well, maybe because most of them do get crappy MPG. 18-19MPG isn't that bad. But I'm kind of shocked (not in a good way either) that my 3.0 4Runner only gets on average 18-19 MPG also. It is WAY smaller than our Suburban, and has WAY less power, and only hauls 5 people, and still gets about the same as our Suburban does.....that's kinda sad..... but then again, I'd rather fill up my 4Runner for $55 (@ $3.35/gallon, yup, it's that bad here...) than fill up the Suburban's 39 gallon tank for $130.... It's kinda sad to see $50 not even put a half tank in it.....

roundhouse

My 98 3/4 ton 4WD Suburban got 9 in city, my 99 4WD Yukon gets 12 city, my 96 4WD Runner gets 16 city.

Some of it is Toyotas overbuilding/overengineering. the rotors on the 96 Limited are larger than the rotors on the 99 Yukon, which weighs what, 1600 lbs more? Also the 96 limited has the same size tires as a 1/2 ton Suburban/Yukon/Tahoe.

The power on my 96 3.4 is adequate, unless you over 60-65 mph, then it runs out of wind.
But im in Atlanta, not at high altitude.

crolison

I don't see a problem with mine over 65, even with the 2.7l. I only have to down shift on really steep hills.

fireteacher

take the spare tire off. not only will you raise the back end 1/4"-1/2" you will reduce the weight by more than what the tire ways since it is not centered over the axel (make since). it is only a 1 wopping mile commute. maybe you should take it on your 20 mile commute for a couple weeks to get good average after a tune up.
i wouldnt get a s/c or turbo or anything like that. i would be too tempted to drive it like i stole it!
you also called the scion driver a poser that cant accept the gas cost of a real SUV, enough said!
it is a dead sexy vehicle. i love the 3rd gen over any other generation and suv for that matter. i am sure you do to or you would have bought a mini van instead.

bottom line is we are stuck with what we have. if you have any engineering background, we would ALL buy what ever you sold that would net the extra MPG. there just really is NOTHING out there as staed before. ony minimal increases. put a lexus v8 in there or a big block and squeel the tires away if the power in needed. what do you tow that is so heavy?

if you dont like the bike idea, get her a moped. 125 mpg!!! i got one for running the little errands around here and love the damn thing!

anxiously waiting for you to discover pure gold for our 4runners

there is only one axle...the front is IFS (stock)

wish there was more we could tell you so as to not leave you disapointed.

stormin94

Our 1993 half ton Suburban gets around 16MPG highway, and about 12 around town.

Godzilla

and if you are from a more northern climate, when winter hits, your mileage is going to suffer even more. You rpms are going to be high for every gear while the engine trys to warm up and the vehicle wont even make it to O/D.

how about cutting a hole in the floor plan and go flinstones style, or hook up a chain from some pedals to your tranny or Tcase.

thefallman

check your driving style too if your launching hard from the stope lights or even anything except grandma style your MPG is suffering

Logans994runner

Its Ok, I work for Scion and marketing for them and all day long people call the xB's Trucks and SUVs.... Or Vans?? Ehh

just my two cents....

I hate the MPG on my 4runner but I have a motorcycle but the cost of owning a bike with the payment and insurance on it, is more than what I would spend on gas, granted the fun factor of owning a bike will never compare to a 4runner, unless your in the dirt... I might sell mine to get a car, the 45 a week for gas starts to hurt

Ian Rogers

come on ... my fj40 gets 10mpg city and 8mpg hwy.... i bought the 4 runner because of it gas mileage

b.miller123

follow you wife to work one day, without her knowing it, you would be suprised to see how badly some people drive,

again, as stated before, a 1 mile commute will kill your gas mileage, in anything, and if she is not warming it up properly (most people don't, regardless of gender), that is even worse on it than the 1 mile commute.

buy manual hubs for it (reduces resistance in the driveline) i think it's rather expensive on 3rd gens???? >>> maybe 1-2 mpg

as stated above: ditch all the junk you may or may not have rolling around it the back, or even the spare tire and associated junkery >>> maybe 1-2 mpg


16-18 mpg? that's not that bad if the altitude has any effect on that? not sure myself (my old bronco got 4mpg city & 6mpg hwy, and I am not exaggerating)



at the risk of sounding rude, it seems like you want to get better mileage and more power, and are unwilling to do the one thing that is proven to do both (supercharger), anything short of that will only give you very small gains that will most likely go unnoticed,

you want better mpg and more power without going to forced induction, and I want a bj from the pope, I think I've got the better odds

Firecaptain

It is what it is..........

My 97 2wd gets 18 around town and 20 on the road (65-72), and that is driving like there is an egg under the accelerator pedal, 35psi all around tuned up with regular gas.

Both my 94 Corollas get 26 around town and 30 on the road (1.8 I4)FWD
My 99 Taurus wagon gets 21 around town 26 on the hiway (3.0 V6)FWD
My 07 Denali gets 16 around town and 20 hiway (6.4 V8)AWD

I've come to accept my 4Runner mileage, I'll live with it until I get a hybrid SUV (maybe full or midsize) in 2010-2012 after they've been around for a while

Whitey13

MY friend has a Highlander hybrid and, according to him, it's been getting around 25mpg...which is good, but I'd want 30+ if i was going to get a hybrid.

cmarch97runner

he's not lying. i have a 3.4 and get about 9 mpg.

edzo

bolt a supercharger on it

or trade it to someone who will

infiltrator

well i know the supra engine is pretty light and can be swapped for the 4runner engine. throw a supercharger on that and say goodbye to the honda.

Speedy

I'll add my 2 cents as well.

Stock I got a best of 21MPG with mixed 60/40 hwy/city driving. My lifetime average gas mileage tracked via an Excel spreadsheet is 20.XX MPG.

Since adding the supercharger and tuning I'm averaging 19 MPG when I drive normally, 18MPG when I have fun for an entire tank.

That's awesome I think.

My old POS Xterra only got 17 MPG on a good day and it was bone stock.