trd pro double cab mpg- considering buying

Hi all, I have read through quite a few threads. I am considering buying a 21 double cab trd pro. I currently have an 05 6 speed tacoma trd of. Curious what folks are seeing for lifetime mpgs. I currently get around 18.5 and have seen plenty of posts about 12-13 on the tundra. I feel like in todays world i should be heading for better fuel economy but understand ill be taking a hit- just a matter of how much. I do mostly country 40-50 mph roads and drive pretty conservatively. It will tow a 10k dump trailer from time to time. Thanks

 

i get 14mpg on stock wheels with a 2" level

10k dump trailer? As in, you tow a 10k lbs or the trailer is rated for 10k and you tow about 3-4k lbs with the tacoma? I hope you aren't towing 10k lbs with a tacoma, i wouldn't even do that with a tundra.

 

Appreciate the feedback. Its rated for 10k. weighs just over 3k empty. Ive only ever filled it to maybe 7-8k total. I have a 1 ton cummins that tows it- never the tacoma. My hopes are to get rid of the two current trucks in favor of the tundra.

 

ohh good. Was worried for a min.

8k is about max i would want to tow with a tundra for a fairly short trip.

 

Honestly it depends on how you drive and where you drive. If you live in an area where there are many stop lights/stop signs than 12-13 will be your average. If you have to “beat” everyone off the line or drive consistently over 70mph ish, that will put you in the same boat. I have zero problems averaging about 17ish mpg’s setting cruise control at 70 and minimizing “city” driving. But I am well aware not many owners can do that. Truthfully I have not found the mpg’s to be as bad as the internet makes it out to be.

In my 4cyl RAV4 I have seen multiple occasions where I average 12-13 for an entire tank of gas due to traffic. I don’t idle, cool, or warm any vehicle I own. Just get in and drive. But that I consider bad for the size/power ratio…

 

Haha, thank you- Im really just trying to convince myself that going for less mpgs is a good idea with the direction that gas prices and gas vehicles seem to be going.

 

Welcome to the forum.

I get around 11 in my 2014 with 33s on it.
Mostly city driving, I never tow anything..

I had a 2021 rental 6-cylinder Tacoma for 8 months.
It was like driving a gocart with a lawnmower engine compared to my Tundra's 5.7.
Even my wife made fun of the squirrels under the hood.
Although it did get 18 MPG when gas prices were at their peak....

 

Im on 35s, lifted and once hand calculated and offset for the fact that my speedo is ~5% off, Im averaging 12-13 on short trips and can still get 16-17 on long highway trips. It varies so much on location, driver and the truck itself.

Our 4runner is stock and averages 16-17 city and up to 21 highway.

We take the Tundra everywhere, simply because its so much more enjoyable to drive. I had a 2018 Tacoma prior, dont miss it.

 

I get between 15 to 15.5 with my 21 Pro and 33 inch tires per tank on average.

 

I've got a 2017 TRD PRO DC and running 275/70 18 tires which are just a bit taller than OEM. With the Stock tires, I could easily average 19-20 on the highway, and 18-19 on country roads, with 15-17 city. With the larger tires my City mileage is the same, but I've lost 1-2mpg highway over the last 70K miles and 5 years. My son in law has a 2020 Taco, he gets 2-3 better MPG than I do.

 

If you are worried about MPG, then you probably should reconsider a Tundra. EPA estimates 13/17 and that is attainable or you can do better if you mind your driving and keep stock size and SL tires. Add larger, heavier tires, lift it and you will drop a few MPG.

It is a heavy truck with an old school 400HP V8 and 430 gears, nothing about the truck is MPG friendly. But they are capable, powerful and reliable trucks.

 

13-14 at best for me, but I drive it like it wants to be driven.

 

You’ll do fine with only open county road, tundra is made for long slow road trips, it suck gas in local stop and go traffic.

 

Best option is to buy a very fuel efficient vehicle for trips where you do not need a pickup truck. My truck averages 16 mpg but my plug-in hybrid has been averaging 99 mpg. Trips to the supermarket or Ace hardware or Costco or to restaurants are done with the hybrid. Trips to the landscape supply and building materials stores and plant nurseries are done with the truck.

Good fuel efficient cars include the Suburu SUV that get 30 mpg and the Honda Fit that gets over 45 mpg or the Kia Soul, etc.

 

The retained MSRP, super low cost of ownership and maintenance way offset the 3-4 mpg difference.

 

My primary concern is the driving range of a vehicle. My diesel pickup got 16 mpg and had a 36 gallon fuel tank. A 2022 Tacoma has a 21.1 gallon fuel tank and at 17 mpg provides a usable range of only 320 miles. The Tundra has roughly the same fuel economy but depending to the model comes with a 22.5 or 32.2 gallon gas tank.

Towing the range is likely to be reduced to 240 miles which is a consideration as it is no fun running out of gas and even less so when towing a trailer.

It is not legal to swap out the factory gas tank for a larger one which is why Arrow and Titan have stopped making them. So whatever the truck comes with is what you have.

 

My 38 gal tank have 500 miles range of highway driving, it's the local that kill the mpg