Low mileage from Toyota Tacoma

[dblagsvedt]

I now have towed my Escape 19 with my Toyota Tacoma V6 for the last 2 years and have never gotten more than 11 miles a gallon when towing. Perhaps since I do not live in the RV world, that mileage sucks to me. I would love to get a hybrid or all electrical truck but That is 3-4 years away in terms of affordability. Any suggestions on gas guzzlers that at least can get me 15 miles a gallon when towing. Thanks

[felix2]

That’s pretty low mileage, alright. I tow a NE21 with a RAM 1500 V6, and the lowest I’ve ever gotten was 12 mpg, I average 15, and have achieved 18 once on a long flat haul. (As high as 20 mpg when not towing). What mileage do you get when not towing?

You didn’t mention the age of your Tacoma, might that have something to do with it? Also, if you’re pulling up long steep grades a lot, or you drive with a heavy foot, mileage will suffer. Sorry for your frustration! A lot of folks on the forum drive ‘smaller’ vehicles (meaning not full size pickups ), many of them Tacomas. Perhaps they will chime in.

[MyronL]

I used to always record my towing mpg but that got old and repetitious. Obvious factors are hills, cross winds, and driving speed.
On all long hauls I usually averaged 14.5 to -maybe 15 mpg. Straight and flat at 60 mph once got me a best average on the trip of 17.9 mpg. Absurdly rare and was a short haul. Regular gas, no pedal to the metal, my 2014 Silverado 1500 LT is a 5.3L V-8 4WD. It has a neat automatic valve adjustment down from 8 to 4 valves when it thinks conditions warrant it. Like that.

[Selkirk]

11mpg is about the same mileage I get pulling my E19 with a 2nd gen 2014 Tacoma through mountain territory. Mileage might increase to 13mpg on flatter terrain, but no greater. That's while driving conservatively, never exceeding at the speed limit (and often slower, while climbing).

I really didn't think the mileage was all that bad, considering how hard the truck works while towing. Unloaded, my Tacoma rarely exceeds 18mpg. A 40% reduction in mileage while hauling twice the weight and far worse aerodynamics seems reasonable to me.

I understand the third generation Tacoma's are subject to even worse mileage, as the newer 3.5L V6 develops its power higher in the rev band than the 4L in my truck.

[SageRpod]

Originally Posted by dblagsvedt

IPerhaps since I do not live in the RV world, that mileage sucks to me. I would love to get a hybrid or all electrical truck but That is 3-4 years away in terms of affordability. Any suggestions on gas guzzlers that at least can get me 15 miles a gallon when towing. Thanks

First of all, what are your expectations? That mileage is inline with what I got pulling an Rpod with a 4.0L Nissan Frontier. If you are hoping for mileage greater than, say 15mpg towing, I'd say that's not going to happen except with maybe a diesel, but I am assuming you want to stay with a gasser. F150s with Ecoboost engines are pulling in 12-14mph which is only marginally better in my opinion.

[apollo]

My 2015 double cab 4x4 off road (heaviest of the trims in stock form) with slightly oversized tires got an average of 16mpg from LA to Tahoe on highway 395 (some grades in both directions) on my way to pick up our E19, and about 12mpg on the way back with the trailer. 16mpg is about average for me and I don't have that heavy of a foot so the drop to 12 I agree is a bummer but all things considered not the worst drop.

The Volvo XC90 PHEV averages me 33mpg and on a recent trip with the E19 did around 24mpg--mostly flat and we had the advantage of starting the trip with a full battery in both directions though for full transparency. This was also the first trip with the Volvo. Heading up to Santa Barbara with it next week and curious to see how it compares.

I think the Tacoma's flaw is that it barely has enough power to move around with it's own weight and passengers so when towing it has to work extra hard, where I'd expect that a well-equipped full size truck might not even notice towing the Escape. If/when I replace the Tacoma, I'm eyeing the Ford F150 Powerboost (hybrid), with more than enough umph for our E19.

[dblagsvedt]

There has been little variation in mileage for me. I drive conservatively, often at cruise control, 60 miles a hour and pretty much gotten the same mileage whether driving to MT.Hood (360 rd trip) or California (1600 mi rd trip) The V6 Tacoma pulls the Escape easily so towing strain is not the issue. Towing capacity for the Tacoma is 5000-5500 so the Escape 19 weight is not the issue. The car's mileage without a trailer is still only 18-19 mi a gallon and the newer generations of V6 Tacoma are really no better.

[alanmalk]

Counting the days until a hybrid, turbo Toyota, with heated seats appears in the driveway.
Best guess 600+ days.

[oldwave]

To put that in perspective I get 11 towing a 6500 lb trailer with a Ram 2500
I suspect a f150 2.7 eco boost would do better for your trailer. The calculation is always is the truck paid off ? How much gas does 40,000 buy ?
However gas tank range and stability would be better with a 1/2 ton

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

Counting the days until a hybrid, turbo Toyota, with heated seats appears in the driveway.
Best guess 600+ days.

I can't wait to see how the new non-hybrid 2.4T performs while towing....with the manual transmission. I'm hoping it will convince me that I don't need to move up to a 1/2 ton.

[lippetd]

I have been towing a 21NE for a year and a half with a 2021 Ford F-150 with the 5.0 coyote V8 and 10 speed transmission.

At 65mph I get 13mpg, at 60mph I get 14, at 55mph I get 15 mpg.

Without the trailer I am between 20 and 23mpg on the highway.

I think the 10 speed makes a huge difference compared to my older trucks.

[Don Flamenco]

I just bought a 2023 F-150 w/ the 3.5L EcoBoost and 36 gallon fuel tank (as configured it has a 14,000 lb. towing capacity with 3,250 lb. payload.) I'm consistently getting 18-20 mpg (highway) towing my 2021 Casita and 22-24 mpg (highway) without.

I bought this to replace my 2019 Tacoma TRD Off-Road 4x4 Double Cab Long Bed, which I have LOVED since buying it new in 2019. I just could no longer ignore the Tacoma's puny payload capacity (~1,100 lbs. stock from the factory) lackluster & under-powered V6 and terrible 10-12 mpg highway mileage (while towing the same trailer) 14-16 mpg not towing.

The F-150 is perfectly suited for full-time towing and has more than enough capacity to upgrade to the 21NE F2 I've been considering.

[Don Flamenco]

Originally Posted by apollo

I think the Tacoma's flaw is that it barely has enough power to move around with it's own weight and passengers so when towing it has to work extra hard, where I'd expect that a well-equipped full size truck might not even notice towing the Escape. If/when I replace the Tacoma, I'm eyeing the Ford F150 Powerboost (hybrid), with more than enough umph for our E19.

Exactly this ^.

[mresseguie]

I’m enjoying this thread because I just bought a’22 21C and my ‘07 Tacoma Prerunner (V6/4 liter/106k miles) is my tow vehicle. I’ve towed the 21C just 420 miles so far. While I didn’t try to figure out my MPG, I definitely got the feeling it was only about 12 mpg (at best).

The Tacoma did a ‘reasonable’ job of towing the trailer, but I definitely decided that a new larger pickup is in my future. I trust Toyota, so my inclination is to buy a new Tundra. That said, I would very much appreciate anyone’s suggestions or warnings concerning any of the full size pickups for sale in the US.

Michael

[brroberts]

2021 Ford Ranger and Escape 19. We average 15mpg. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but average 15. In Iowa today we were at 16mpg. Not awesome, but above average.

[MrLynn]

I haven't sat down and done any mileage figuring, but the computer in my 2013 Ford Expedition V8 tells me on the Info display that I'm getting c. 12mpg towing our E21C. It only does about 14 with no trailer, so I figure that's par for the course.

Our Subaru Outback with standard 4 gets about 25-28mpg around town towing nothing, so when you consider the Expy and Escape together are a lot more mass to move, I really can't complain.

Well, I can complain, about the current price of gasoline, but I'm not allowed politics in this board.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Selkirk

I can't wait to see how the new non-hybrid 2.4T performs while towing....with the manual transmission. I'm hoping it will convince me that I don't need to move up to a 1/2 ton.

Me too. My current 2013 Tacoma gets 13 mpg towing which I think is okay. But as of today it has 299,200 miles on it. I need a new truck.

[raydsimmons]

We tow with a 6 cyl 2021durango. 15-17 mpg per gal. Towing a 19. 22 plus not towing. 8 speed trans, 4x4. No problem with mtn climbing at all.

[Pauly D]

Originally Posted by raydsimmons

We tow with a 6 cyl 2021durango. 15-17 mpg per gal. Towing a 19. 22 plus not towing. 8 speed trans, 4x4. No problem with mtn climbing at all.

Same experience with 2021 jeep grand Cherokee v6 (same engine). Excellent tow vehicle for our 19.

[rbryan4]

I'm on my third F150 with an Ecoboost V6 towing our 19. The mileage is consistent, ranging from 14.5 to 16.5 mpg towing. Much better of course not towing. In Eco mode and with a light foot, I can cruise the truck on the highway and get 26.5 mpg.