Mythbusters shouldn't be cited as a legitimate source for anything, the show is for entertainment only, their testing methods are weak at best.

In this particular case, they picked two same-year/same-model pickups and made one pass with a fixed amount of fuel in each tank. At a minimum they should have swapped vehicles and repeated the test (which they did not).

 

22re
210,000 miles on motor
5 speed
4.10 gears
33x12.50 @20psi
K&N replacement air filter
2" true dull custom exhust
heavy custom bed
no lift
powertrax lockright locker rear
highway with many hills 55mph 21mpg
town/offroad 10-15mpg

 

1990 Toyota V6 10-15 mpg
5 Spd
5.29 front and back
35's
165k

 

wow!!! those tests do kinda blow you away; kinda makes sense with the mesh though; giving the wind actual patterns to pass through would increase aerodynamics... but the tailgate up kinda blows you away, as it being a tad better than the other ways...

 

88 4runner v6/3zve... 10 mpg in winter, maybe 13 mpg in summer

I have put in all new: dist cap, plug wires, spark plugs, battery, air filter, fuel filter,

The 4runner has headers, 31's, and 4.10 gears, tires at 36 psi.


So help me out guys, I'm jealous of everyone getting 20 mpg lol.

 

Ok my first tank was 10mpg. After the tune up it got 16mpg driving around town. Keep in mind that cylinder 1 & 6 have low compression. I did running the premium grade gas, I forget the octane level.

 

if you have allready done the tune up parts, and if it is not your gearing and huge tires, then I would say it is time for a Seafoam treatment for a couple of you dudes... gearing and tire size is the only other thing I can think of, unless you have a vacuum leak somewhere, or plain ol fuel leak somewhere.
Unless the v6 auto's just suck that bad at gas mileage; except there is a dude a few strings above with a v6 auto 2wd, getting some fab gas mileage...

 

i think it has to do with how the transfer case is linked to the transmission. on the older ones, the engine is still turning the transfer case even tho your in 2wd

have the tail gate down is not gonna decrease drag, wind can only bend so much and its not enough to hit the tail gate. should try sitting with your head just below the tail gate in the rear and see if you notice any wind hitting you at the same speed the driver is going

 

Don't feel bad, my turbo 4 is only hitting 14mpg mixed with 600 miles on the clock. Got 20mpg when I bought it. OTOH, it totally failed emissions at 600 miles, shop which did the motor has it now.

 

I have a stock 94/v6/5 spd w/32" tires. My fuel economy has SUCKED since we were hit with the blizzards (yes, plural,and another coming today!) and it has been ultra cold (single digits last night). I'm down to 14 mpg from 17 mpg. Having 800 lbs of snow in the bed probably doesn't help, right?!?

:-)

 

You are correct on the reason why 2wd gets better MPG.

On the 4runners and Tacomas that are 4WD. If they have auto locking hubs. The whole system that runs the 4wd is always spinning. The Transfercase. The drive shafts. The works.

So in retrospect. The engine has to move alot more weight in account of the 4wd and also has to use its power to Spin those parts even though theres not enough power going to it for it to activate. If any of this made sense.. Haha

One major thing is weight. If you have alot of weight in your truck then the engine has to push harder to get the truck moving from a dead stop. Burns alot more gas.

The Engine in a average car used 95% of its power just to move the vehicle. Only 5% of the power is used to actually move you!
So reduce weight. Improve MPG.

So dont build a Sub box that weighs more than 2 people, Then you will get 13MPg like I do with this winter mix gas. So thats my 2 cents worth on the matter

 

I'll try the seafoam like you suggested and report back. Thanks for the tip

And I actually have 2 runners, my 22re auto gets 16-18 mpg so it's really pissing me off that my v6 auto gets 9-10 mpg.

I'll also share a tip, when I first got my 22re it was getting horrible mileage too, turns out the brake calipers were sticking so when I replaced those it went up to 16-18 mpg. So check your calipers too for anyone getting horrible mileage.

 

just make sure your engine is hot, when you do the treatments. wait at least 15 mins, before you restart, blow all the stuff out with hi up and down revving for about 5 minutes, and do 2 treatments in a row 6 ounces each time, throw the rest of the can in the gas tank.

 

1992 V6 Extracab Automatic 4x4 Pickup with camper shell.
13 MPG City
14 MPG Mixed

 

i love seafoam got to get a can to do my runner soon

 

87 4Runner 22re, 2.25"pipe, flowmaster40, stock intake and engine, 35 mt's, rocketbox on top
I drive50/50 town hightway and am getting 20-21 mpg.

 

man im getting around 17 mpg, stock 22re, manifold, stock size piping, cherrybomb, 31" mudders.

 

1992 runner, 3.0 L, 301,000 miles, manual trans, manual hubs. Between 13 and 16 mpg in town, 20-21 on the highway. Just put 31's on, we'll see what that does to it.

 

93 22re > Recently rebuilt 40 over

5 Spd, 4.88 gears, 37" MTR's and I'm getting 16 - 18 MPG. Very happy and suprised to see that kind of gas mileage.

 

'85 4X4 pickup. 22RE and auto trans. Just ran from Denver to Moab and back. 23 mpg at about 65 mph.