I searched the threds and found some oldies and goodies but wanted to revive the topic with a new thread.

My driving habits are about 90% in town, not much highway driving at all. I'm right at the 16mpg per the computer. I have not had the chance to hand calculate yet which I understand should yeld a lower number.

Interesting to me, I just moved out of a 2006 4Runner V8 which has the same engine and transmission and is lighter and the gas mileage was less by a few mpg.

So that said, what are you guys looking at these days? Has anyone found a simple trick to get a bit more? I've never seen a CAI work, a tornado spiral intake thingy work, a TBS work, magnetic sleeve work. So is there anything that does?

It's just interesting food for topic in my mind. I didn't buy a V8 to get 45MPG. Air filter is clean, tires inflated, any other tricks? I was tossing around having the fluids in the diffs and transfer changed over to full synthetic. It would be nice to see about 18MPG without spending a loot.

Finally, due to the smoothness of the GX, I find that I'm driving a lot more conservative and smooth. I know that helps a bunch. I know in an older Toyota I had, I advanced the timing but not gonna be going that route on this truck, if even possible.

 

i just got my truck but will be tracking mileage via excel. so give me a few months and i will have a run down. one thing that is rough here is that we have 10% ethanol in our gas year round which absolutely kills mileage IMHO.

 

I get 17.3 /gal. That's what the cat tells me.

 

My computer says 18 and I hand calculate it to be 16.5 on 93 octane. This is for 80% rural (aka country roads) and 20% highway. Trying 89 octane over the last 3 tanks has yielded the same. I have an 04 without the vvt-i. Pretty darn good if you ask me. I also use Mobile one extended life synthetic oil but I don't see an advantage to mpg with. I will be changing the diff fluid soon, so that may help. Honestly it is pretty good as it is.

We had a Volvo XC90 V8 (yamaha V8) and averaged 22 on the highway (actual hand calculations). Not to shabby for AWD and 320hp. However, it was a POS with electronics. Our first and last time venturing away from Toyota SUVs.

I do wish the GX had a bigger fuel tank. It seems we are always at the gas station. Our Sequoia never visited the stations as often and we averaged 15 with it.

 

Like easgx470 wrote, my computer is hopelessly optimistic. With ~90% city driving, I'm really getting 14mpg when the computer says 15.5mpg.

The computer in my '02 GS is very accurate on the other hand. It's disappointing the GX blows in this regard - both the actual real-world mpg (I shouldn't complain because I knew it would be horrible going in...) and being unable to accurately track mpg.

 

I hand calculate my 04 GX,s mpg for the last 4000 miles, using spread sheet on my computer, i average 16.5 mixed driving city + hwy.
City = 16 to 17.5, highway = 19 to 22,not bad at 68k miles on the clock.

 

My average on GX 16.25. In my case Shell gets better MPG vs Chevron. We had Infiniti FX45 and we use to get 16.9 average. Now compare to X5 BMW we use to get 13.2 MPG. So compare the weight and the size of GX its still gets the best MPG.

 

17.3 /g based on the car info

 

Just like my LS 430, I have found the GX 470 MPG computer to be very accurate. The LS had two MPG functions, so you could track long-term and per tank, but obviously the GX only has one. So my initial habit was to reset per tank, wherin I validated via hand calculations each fill-up. It was always +/- two tenths of an mpg. I decided to let the meter run for a couple of months, about 2500 miles. It is sitting solid on 16.4 mpg. No pure highway trips, probably 70 percent slower city driving and 30 percent local highway that has occasional stoplights. Very little idle time. The speed average is sitting at 28 mph. Average speed is a great analysis tool. On three Lexus vehicles with that function, it's been interesting to see the relationship between average speed and mpg. If you can get the average speed up into the 45-50 mph range with little stop and go, you're in the "sweet spot" of stellar economy. The mid-twenties seems to be our reality, so 16+ city mpg for a V8 4x4 that I routine carry eight in is pretty decent. That's about four times the seat-mile fuel economy (to kind of borrow an airline term) compared to one tree-hugger in a Prius! (nothing against a Prius, I wouldn't mind having one, I'm just tired of evil looks some of their drivers give me as I cruise in my "gas guzzler")! My GX fuel gauge sucks though, as it indicates empty with about seven gallons remaining. Despite 100 miles-plus of range remaining, psychology forces us to the gas station early. Drives me almost as crazy as clocks set 10 minutes ahead to get places on time. I just want to know what reality is! It seems like we fill the GX twice as often as the LS, but I think our fuel tab is only running about 10 percent higher (we got about 18 mpg in similar driving with the LS).

 

the hypocrisy in my garage probably doesn't go unnoticed (GX on one side, Prius on the other). each is good for its own reasons. yes, you can cram three kids (2, 5, and 8) into the back of the prius but it's far more pleasant when at least the older two are stashed in the jumpseats in the back of the GX.

i get anywhere between 15 and 16.5 in the GX. it's definitely no gas-miser but then again, 19" of snow puts quite a crimp in my ability to get 40mpg in a car with only 5" of ground clearance. the right tool for the right job, as my wise old grandfather would say.

 

I hear you guys. I drive very little, but when I do I want to enjoy it. I fill up about every three weeks. I don't run to E either. I usually fill up before 1/4 tank hits. If I commuted I would "buy the right tool for the job". I'm lucky, only work four days a week and it's less than five miles away. My mileage has gone up since I started this. I'm at 16.0. I'm very happy with that and am trying for more. It's more of a game than anything else really.

 

Just looked at my AVG and it showed 20mpg. But I drive like an ultra granny....ie., no gas when approaching red light, no jack rabbits, just slow down at stop signs in my neighborhood, use 87 octance (use to use premium but can't tell the difference). 80%city 20%highway at speed limit.

 

Like ebradford I also have a GX & Prius. It is a combination that is useful to have, each with their own benefits. I considered the Highlander Hybrid but wanted the true 4x4 capability of the GX. So we use the GX for road trips requiring more room, dirt road ability and towing a trailer at times.

Fill up calculations show highway trips (65 mph speed limit hwys) = 19.7 mpg. City = 16.9 mpg.

The trip computer is optimistic by 2 mpg compared to fill up data. If I'm pulling a trailer the hwy mpg drops by about 2. I do tend to drive conservatively.

The Prius averages right at 48.0 mpg combined.

 

eddy your data is really similar to what i am seeing. i havent had my gx very long (two fill ups) but my gut tells me i will pencil to about what you are seeing.

 

17.2 mpg according to on-board computer which I find about 10% overly optimistic based on my 4Runner comparison to manual calculation.