Fuel Efficiency and the Yaris

[07liftback]

Went from 34mpg mostly highway to 28-30mpg mainly city driving. 34mpg was with 12 mile one way routes and 28-30mpg is with 5-6 mile one way routes. I had purchased some Denso spark plugs off ebay a couple years ago when I also changed my route, so I'm not sure if it's done anything to my mpg since I recently read that many spark plugs on ebay are actually counterfeit. I'll need to put my old ones back in and see if there's a difference in mpg.

However, driving like a granny from San Francisco to Los Angeles (400+ miles), I'm able to get 40+ mpg. Keep in mind that this includes drafting behind as many trucks as I can find and filling all my tires to above 40 psi with zero braking. Consistent 50-55mph on the freeway. If I drive normally from San Francisco to Los Angeles, I'd get about 30-35mpg (65-75mph). Not sure if there's something wrong with my car as it seems that my car is doing 20-40% worst than everyone else in this forum...

[richardsimmons]

Originally Posted by 07liftback

Went from 34mpg mostly highway to 28-30mpg mainly city driving. 34mpg was with 12 mile one way routes and 28-30mpg is with 5-6 mile one way routes. I had purchased some Denso spark plugs off ebay a couple years ago when I also changed my route, so I'm not sure if it's done anything to my mpg since I recently read that many spark plugs on ebay are actually counterfeit. I'll need to put my old ones back in and see if there's a difference in mpg.

However, driving like a granny from San Francisco to Los Angeles (400+ miles), I'm able to get 40+ mpg. Keep in mind that this includes drafting behind as many trucks as I can find and filling all my tires to above 40 psi with zero braking. Consistent 50-55mph on the freeway. If I drive normally from San Francisco to Los Angeles, I'd get about 30-35mpg (65-75mph). Not sure if there's something wrong with my car as it seems that my car is doing 20-40% worst than everyone else in this forum...

Greetings from SF! We have similar driving habits, it seems. I probably do ~ 60% of my driving city (SF) & ~ 40% highway.

The worst tank I ever had was 21 MPG, while driving for Lyft in SF, in the winter. (Hope I never hafta go back to that side-gig!)

The best tank: 37 MPG, en route to either LA or Joshua Tree. I was happy as a pig in shit. Also: I drive between 65 & 80 MPH on the highway.

Although I do a mix of driving, I usually average 27 in SF, & 33 highway.

I'd call it ~ 30 MPG overall.

No clue how these lucky bastards on the forum are **averaging** 42 MPG haha!

[Kormorant]

Hello all, this is my first post. I'm about to but a 1.3 hatch t-spirit. I have experience of the Yaris. I like them a lot but I like all Japanese machines. Having just glimpsed through this thread, I'd thought I'd tell you of an experience I has with a former car, a Ford Mondeo 1.8 diesel (manual transmission). This is a euro car, not the one sold in the USA with the same name.

When I bought it, it became apparent that the dual-mass flywheel was giving up the ghost (with a mere 50,000 - not impressed). The reason why seemed clear - the 1.8 litre engine was a gutless POS and needed a big boot to get anywhere, and the drag starts had killed the flywheel. So did I change the car? No, I changed the flywheel. Obviously.

I drove the car within its limits for another 300,000 miles - painful, boring miles - but my sedate careful pace returned easily 60mpg on the motorway and easily 50mpg around town.

The car eventually expired at 350,000 miles when something called a 'wet belt' snapped (similar to a cam belt but since it ran in an oil bath Ford decided it didn't need maintenance and thus didn't mention it in the service list - curse them). The clutch and flywheel were still good.

I checked tyre pressured when I thought of it. I kept the boot (trunk) mostly clear of junk. I made nice smooth gear changes and didn't rev the tits off it - no point, it had nothing to give - and tried to anticipate braking. I drove everywhere and in all conditions.

Conclusion - your right foot is the biggest factor in achieving high fuel economy. For some this is a an unacceptable truth. Even 30 mph is a lot faster than walking, folks. Also, auto transmissions suck up power and use more fuel than their manual shift equivalent and are used chiefly by lazy witless idiots who can't drive properly.

[HDS]

Originally Posted by Minus8

I have 1.4 d4d 6 speed and go to work at 80-90 km\h and make some city and highway. Fuel consumption 3.9 L\100 in Summer and 4.2 L\100 in winter ��

My 5 speed 2007 1.4 D4D does 4-5l/100km in summer and 4 - 4.5l/100km in winter becaus the speed limit is lowered then. My car has rolled over 400,000 km though. I once got it down to 3.7l when driving in winter, just straight on country road from work to home.

[sh0rtlife]

NEVER believe the vehicle ECU estimated number...ive never seen a rig that was remotely accurate

if my wifes driving..she can get anything up to 32 city and 42 hwy..which still blows my mind since that was with a small trailer....but the numbers didnt lie and she has repeated it without the trailer several times over the exact same route

me on the otehr hand..i averaged about 27 be it hwy or city i seem to only go up or down a smidge ie 28.8/26.4

its an 07 5dr automatic..with a lil over 100,000 miles on it...im very convinced the manual would get much better mpg for me atleast

one thing i did find tho is that hard hills and heavy loads will cause a need for premium, but premium run "long term" will drop the mpg down to 24...by way of the brain re-tuning...topping off half a tank with premium will eliminate the pinging of hills and wont effect the mpg...seems to only be an issue in cold weather combined with steep hills an additional 300+lbs in the car

[tjlnjtl]

Originally Posted by Kormorant

...
Conclusion - your right foot is the biggest factor in achieving high fuel economy. For some this is a an unacceptable truth...

With the Yaris I've found the biggest factor is where you drive.

Doing 70 instead of 80 on the highway gets me 37 instead of 36 mpg.

In the almost 10 years I've driven the car 75 miles each way on mostly highway to go to work, I've gotten 34-36 mpg (34 in the winter when driving on studs).

The first few years I had the car when I lived in NY I routinely got under 20 mpg. If I didn't do any highway speed (vs. going 10-15 mph on the highway) driving I would get about 15 mpg.

[bronsin]

The 1.8 L engine of my 2020 corolla with it’s newfangled variable speed transmission will get 50 miles per gallon at 60 miles an hour on the highway. It’s no trick at all to get 40 miles per gallon in town. Just imagine what it would would get with 1.5 L engine.

[sh0rtlife]

sorry to say it..but the 1.8 is a MUCH better engine, and honestly that same 1.8 in the yaris would probably make even better than 50 being half the weight of the rolla that same engine would be working half as hard to do the same job....

theres a diminishing returns of weight vs CC....and while the yaris has a sweet spot if you drive it like a lil ole lady the same light yaris with a 1.8 could only get better mpg even when driven angry

[Calrenman]

I get 28 city and 32 Hwy the best I have managed is 34 highway driving about 67 cruise control. I thought something was wrong with my car. I have denso iridium plugs from Oreilles.

Originally Posted by 07liftback

Went from 34mpg mostly highway to 28-30mpg mainly city driving. 34mpg was with 12 mile one way routes and 28-30mpg is with 5-6 mile one way routes. I had purchased some Denso spark plugs off ebay a couple years ago when I also changed my route, so I'm not sure if it's done anything to my mpg since I recently read that many spark plugs on ebay are actually counterfeit. I'll need to put my old ones back in and see if there's a difference in mpg.

However, driving like a granny from San Francisco to Los Angeles (400+ miles), I'm able to get 40+ mpg. Keep in mind that this includes drafting behind as many trucks as I can find and filling all my tires to above 40 psi with zero braking. Consistent 50-55mph on the freeway. If I drive normally from San Francisco to Los Angeles, I'd get about 30-35mpg (65-75mph). Not sure if there's something wrong with my car as it seems that my car is doing 20-40% worst than everyone else in this forum...

[Compeer]

Originally Posted by Calrenman

I get 28 city and 32 Hwy the best I have managed is 34 highway driving about 67 cruise control. I thought something was wrong with my car. I have denso iridium plugs from Oreilles.

*everyone else with a yari* "im going to drive to be fuel efficient"

*me, running premium gas, foot to the floor through every gear change* "what fuel efficiancy?"

[GaryInony]

What specific factors or modifications might contribute to the difference in fuel efficiency experienced by users with similar Toyota Yaris models, as discussed in the forum?

[Amdkt7]

I have made no modifications, yet get 40mpg tank after tank. 2013 HB LE, stickshift. Mostly it is driving style. Coast as much as you can. Downshift to brake, because when engine braking the fuel is shut off. I accelerate like a rabbit, working to get to 5th gear. I usually go from 3rd to 5th. Once in 5th I then drive with a light touch on the pedal.
If I am doing 100% highway speeds (+70mph) my mileage will not be as good. The Yaris loves country roads that go through hills, as long as you don't have to slow too much for curves.
I'm at 190K miles. No repairs. Just changed the rear brake shoes, the front pads are still fine.

[Keith Mitchell]

Hi All. In reading the OP, and him saying he never goes over 2000rpm, my 2014 YRS at 65mph, the maximum speed limit in Australia is revving at 3100rpm. Is this normal or has my Yaris got a mechanical issue? I would suspect at 55 the revs won’t drop much and definitely not to 2000rpm? So downhill under brakes my Yaris downshifts (auto). Also have a 2012 Camry at the same speed is doing 2200rpm..

[SeaYa]

Hi Keith - revs/mph you indicated seem right on. MT is around 3000 @ 60mph, so that tracks. Not going over 2000RPM could be interpreted two ways: in 5th gear never going above ~50/55mph, and/or always up shifting at 2000RPM to keep overall rev average low. I do that myself as most of my shifting on daily commute is on flats and rarely go above 2k other than the big uphill on the way home, but even then, 3rd gear at 35mph is barely above 2k.

[Sissy]

2015. I've gotten 36.5 mpg max. Stop and go traffic, long, long red lights.