What is everyone doing to save fuel?

[hrc0105]

I read somewhere --- possibly the LC owner manual --- that slipping the car into neutral when you know you're going to come to a complete stop or in stop-and-go traffic will help mpg. That kinda makes sense, but is it mechanically acceptable to do?

And what about A/C off & windows down? I have heard from a friend with an Envoy it really didn't make much of a difference when he tried it.

I know I can find all this out on some generic site (edmunds, car&driver) but I thought I'd get some insight from other LC drivers and maybe any vehicle-specific advice.

And to set all the bullsh*t aside, I avg about 17 in a '99 which is great for a teenager, and if I want better I know I should get a different car... but come on!

 

[mscott]

all bullsh*t aside, my wife gets 10-11 around town, so if you avg 17 -- smile!

 

[Adventure Teq]

Not driving the cruiser

 

[hrc0105]

all bullsh*t aside, my wife gets 10-11 around town, so if you avg 17 -- smile!

Women drivers... *sigh*

Actually I live in a fairly rural area, so I do mostly highway driving to Memphis, TN, the nearest city (40 or so miles). Over there I probably do get around 12-14 but the highway mileage dominates.

 

[uzj100]

Drive like a grand pa, real easy. I have gotten 1 mpg since taking it easy with the 100.

 

[Landpimp]

nothing....but driving the 100 more.....it gets the best milage of any of my stuff

but really it doesn't bother me, don't like it sure.....cheaper is better, but I am not changing my life or driving style because of it.

 

[calamaridog]

Working 1 shift of overtime every month to pay for the increase in fuel related costs.

 

[xumFJ40]

hrc0105...

What "rural town" do you live in? I went to school in Oxford, MS.

Anyway, I have found that running w/increased tire pressure helps a lot. I run all 4 at about 38psi, it makes for a rougher ride, but it doesn't bother me.

I am also running all synthetics and get about 16-17 metro area...even mix of city and highway.

A guy in my local club gets about 10 out of his '99.

Now on the other hand, I was pretty pissed the other weekend when we took wifey's Camery on a road trip and averaged 34mpg :-(

 

[hrc0105]

hrc0105...

What "rural town" do you live in? I went to school in Oxford, MS.

Anyway, I have found that running w/increased tire pressure helps a lot. I run all 4 at about 38psi, it makes for a rougher ride, but it doesn't bother me.

I am also running all synthetics and get about 16-17 metro area...even mix of city and highway.

A guy in my local club gets about 10 out of his '99.

Now on the other hand, I was pretty pissed the other weekend when we took wifey's Camery on a road trip and averaged 34mpg :-(

Eastern Arkansas, Forrest City area. Ole Miss woohoo! My sister also has a Camry that I've been driving, and my parents have a new Solara V6 that surprisingly gets 30mpg or above. So I guess I'm the expensive one in the family now - the only one still driving a SUV!

 

[xumFJ40]

Hotty Totty Baby!

 

[NMuzj100]

Windows down AC off will give you worse milage - the increase in drag is greater than the savings for cutting out the AC. Windows up and run the vent. Use a efficient bubble foil sun shade to keep the car cool. Cut some custom ones for the front side windows. If you open all four doors for a few minutes as you load up the truck it will cool down much more quickly and more efficiently.

Check your tire pressure and make sure you are running a synthetic lightweight 5W-30 oil like Mobil1 (Someone should see if Toyota would approve running a 5W-20 in the 4.7L). And synths all the way around. Make sure the slushbox has all the slush it should.

Disable the daytime running lights. Thread Here.

Don't press the power button or the accelerator!

Don't accelerate into a light or stop sign just cruise. If someone cuts you off or you are gaining on ahnother vehicle don't hit the brakes. Just cover the brakes and cruise without drag.

Around town I suppose you could drop the spare (jack and tools) and remove the third row seats to lower weight. Same with the rear carpets. Keep that antenna down and remove your Safari rack.

Plan your trips better and phone a place to check on something rather than just swing by. One shopping trip a week and no more.

Get Netflix instead of Blockbuster. No driving. Don't drive-thru for anything.

Change your work hours to avoid rush-hour. Say go in at 6am getting off at 2pm. Vehicle should be much more efficient at a steady cruising speed. Drive 55 on the interstate (this will make a big difference).

We should find the theoretical most efficient speed for the truck. I don't think it would be that difficult to calculate.

 

[98LXand99LC]

all bullsh*t aside, my wife gets 10-11 around town, so if you avg 17 -- smile!

Tell her that if she takes her left foot off the brake while driving she would save enough gas to pay for a manicure each month.

 

[ABM]

How about cruise control? Does anyone think that letting the LC drive itself makes a more efficient use of gas? Predictions are for $4/gal soon. With a 25 gallon tank, that's easy math, but an ugly number.

 

[sejinro]

For your info

http://www.fatwallet.com/t/52/515007/

 

[2badfjs]

i always drive my beater sentra to work.(50 miles round trip)(30+mpg)
but i try to take a parts truck a couple dayz of the week.
i'll let the dealership pay for some of my gas

 

[jonpierre]

bus. to work and back
the cruiser is only coming out for snowboard trips. last year that was 80+ times

 

[dnp]

Follow other traffic close enough to bump-draft!

 

[wantacruiser]

I just wish and pray that the gas prices will keep going up, hopefully there will be less people on the road, and then I won't have to drive through traffic.

 

[tabraha]

How about cruise control? Does anyone think that letting the LC drive itself makes a more efficient use of gas? Predictions are for $4/gal soon. With a 25 gallon tank, that's easy math, but an ugly number.

I think it depends. When traveling on roads that have steep grades, the cruise control is definietely worse. A human knows to anticipate the hill, accelerate going down hill to allow the engine to more easily maintain momentum up the hill. THe CC on the other hand maintains speed downhill, downshifts and blasts the engine wide open to get up the hill. Granted it is not as bad in the 100 as some vehicles but it still uses more gas. If I'm on a regular road around here, I use the CC alot. Our roads are generally not crowded in comparison to other places though.

We routinely see 16-17mpg and will be traveling this weekend (College football woohoo!!!). When the vehicle can hold 6 people plus tailgating necessities comfortably the cost of taking 2 smaller vehicles is offset easily.

The best way to save fuel is to carpool, which my wife does, so our 100 daily driving is now cut in half. My wife and I tried to carpool as much as possible when we lived in Houston and that was nice. Saved money and got the mundane "how was your day" conversation out of the way by the time we got home.

I now work out of my vehicle so I can't cut costs by not driving; but I am driving the Tacoma primarily which is delivering 20MPG with all of my equipment on board. That is about as good as mileage is gonna get with an offroad vehicle, 500lbs of gear and 2-3 man-sized (read avg. over 200 )
people.

I also picked up some mileage on the 100 by taking the heavy super swampers off and putting the little 285 Revo's back on.

 

[DMX84]

Cruise control sucks

It doesn’t have to be a steep grade IMHO. Here in the southwest we have small long grades on our interstates, constantly changing elevations, I definitely wouldn’t call them steep grades for the most part, and the cruise control will hammer the gas to maintain the set speed.
Even on small grades when it will require a small amount of acceleration, the cruise will give at a bit of gas, and if its not happy it will kick it down to passing gear! The cruise on a manual transmission is better, because as it will not drop it into a lower gear and rev it out just to maintain the set speed. I wish there was a way to keep it from kicking it down to second, so it would only switch between overdrive & drive. This would improve mileage IMO.