Want to know how to get 31+ MPG on your GT and more out of your ST?, If so, then read here. A guide to getting good gas mileage Options

[GotToyota]

Many people on here have been wondering how to get the most gas mileage out of our cars. I'm here to tell you that my GT gets me 31+ MPG. How? I will tell you in this guide how you can achieve this much, if not more, but following some simple steps.

1) Learn how to drive
This is by far the most crucial step in getting better gas mileage. First, DON'T HAVE A HEAVY FOOT! Now, I know you didn't buy this car thinking it was the fastest **** on Earth (though I could be wrong), so why have a heavy foot with such a slow car? The key is the be light on the gas. For you 5 speed guys, this is where the next step comes into play: shift points. Many people on here drive up to 3-4k RPM in each gear and then shift. This makes a big difference in your gas mileage. Instead, shift at 2.5k RPM each gear, and even at 2k to get into 5th. This alone will help with gas mileage. Also when decelerating, keep it in gear until you almost come to a complete stop, then push in the clutch. By doing this, you are not firing fuel when slowing down. If you throw it into neutral then slow down, you are wasting fuel. Little things like this make a difference. Also, whenever you're in a neighborhood and such, pop it into 4th. I go about 30 MPH in my neighborhood, and coast in 4th. And concerning speed, DO THE SPEED LIMIT! This will also play as a factor with your gas mileage. Now, much of what I told you will be different if you have an automatic, in fact, if you're auto, there's not much you can do with this step (except for driving with a lighter foot).

2) Maintenance
Now that you know how to drive better, let's not forget that you need to maintain your car. If you're running standard oil, switch over to synthetic, and even go down a grade to 5W-30, as it is more efficient. I suggest Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30, and a Napa Gold (Wix) oil filter. This will help your motor last longer, run more efficiently, and you have less interval changes (meaning you can change your oil every 5-6k miles, don't believe that BS every 3k miles stuff you hear, synthetic oil is made to break down at around 10k). Spark plugs play another role as well. I run NGK 6097 copper spark plugs. "But I thought platinum spark plugs were the best." WRONG. Copper spark plugs provide the best spark response, but don't last as long, so change your plugs everytime you change your oil. Now, another good maintenance step is to use Seafoam. This is a multi-cleaner that will clean everything from the carbon build up in your motor, the fuel injectors, to the inside of the crank case. Run it through your motor to remove build up, then put some in your gas tank as well (1/3 of the can for each), and even put some in the crankcase (though I haven't done this myself, I plan to soon when I do my next oil change). This will make your motor run like-new!

3) Don't sweat the small stuff
Once you've done steps 1-2, there are a few other things you must check before you are finally set. First, you need to take a look at your tire pressure. I am running the 7th gen GTS wheels, with 205/50/16 tires, running the factory recommended 32-33 psi. This is by far one of the most important things you must look at. Even if you're 2-3 off on each tire, you will lost 3-4+ MPG. This is everything I can think of at the moment, and will add info if something comes to mind.

The most important thing here is to follow these steps to the tee. If you do, I promise you you will get better gas mileage. There is no reason why a efficient 4 cylinder shouldn't be making 30+ MPG. Good luck guys! I would love to hear your success stories.

-Matt

This post has been edited by GotToyota: Apr 15, 2008 - 2:32 PM

[GriffGirl]

^That's assuming you're driving at a higher rate of speed - like you said, highway driving. If you're just driving on the average side-street, like 30 mph, it's more efficient to roll the windows down and not use the a/c.

I have a question - this has been bugging me since I read it yesterday:

Also when decelerating, keep it in gear until you almost come to a complete stop, then push in the clutch. By doing this, you are not firing fuel when slowing down. If you throw it into neutral then slow down, you are wasting fuel.

How does this work? If the point is to keep your RPMs as low as possible, then by that theory, coasting in neutral would be the MOST efficient. It seems like you're firing the least amount of gas when the clutch is engaged or you're coasting in neutral. For that matter, it would explain why manual transmission vehicles tend to get better overall mileage than automatics.

Anyway, I was just wondering what the math is behind that. I have a hard time wrapping my brain around some stuff... I'm just not a sciencey-type whatsoever.