Toyota Yaris Real-World MPG

rudedog2130

Interesting ideas unless you live where I do. I travel 165 miles one way to get to a doctor or go to the store. I am not interested in your useless complaints. There is no clean source of energy, no enviromentally friendly way to power our desires. Solar energy cells create large quanities of toxic chemicals during production, not to mention the batteries needed to store the power. Have you ever considered the enviromental impact of large solar fields drawing massive amounts of heat from the atmosphere. Solar is supposed to be the "clean fuel". I like the electric car people. They make me laugh. How do they think the electricity is produced? We could use wind power. However the battery issue comes into play again. Plus the number of wind generators needed to meet our needs would conceivably impact the bird population. (The birds have trouble avoiding the blades.) Wait, what about hydrogen fuel cells. UHOH, there is that pesky physics. It requires more energy to seperate the hydrogen from the oxygen than to combine them for power, OPPS. I know, biofuels! Probably not a viable option given the amount of space needed to produce enough fuel. Plus most of it is still based on oil. There is nuclear energy. All of the nuclear fuel ever used in the United States could fit in an area the size of an average high school gym. It could be reprocessed to greatly reduce the time it is dangerous but President Carter said no to that. You would still have the energy storage problem.

These are just a few of the issues in dealing with the energy problem. I didn't even start on hydroelectric, geothermal, etc. Your idea that someone is somehow selfish because they want to drive 5 - 10 mph faster is very small minded at best.

kipk

>"Your idea that someone is somehow selfish because they want to drive 5 - 10 mph faster is very small minded at best."

In which post did I say that anyone driving 5-10 over the posted limit is selfish ?

Kip

tele_mark

Ok, just got to the end of a tankful today. It took me almost two weeks! My results -- 401 miles on 9.89 gallons, for 40.54 MPG average. The car has 1400 miles on it and I've been filling it with Cumbersome Farms gas. Guess I can't complain, and this thing is growing on me. It reminds me of my first new car -- a 1984 Dodge Omni GLH. Except, adjusted for inflation -- the Omni cost $8500, it's no contest, and the Omni was a dedicated performance car. It had a 2.2 liter motor and made just 6 more HP than the Yaris. I've even got a sway bar going on this weekend.

pcovers

Had the Yaris for a several weeks now. Four fillups:

1. 40.9
2. 40.7
3. 38.8
4. 40.1

#3 has the most around town driving, though not more than 20%. All others were 90% two lane highway commute (110 mile round trip) with typical occasional slow downs. I am not what I would consider a hypermiler. Drive pretty normal.

Very content with the car as a whole and the mpg I am getting.

micweb

Automatic or stick shift? Heavy, light, or no use of aircon? Those are superb numbers. I am guessing you have a stick shift, used the aircon lightly, and didn't drive over 70 mph.

ttai

You know, instead of an HOV lane. They should make a lane for those who want to go the speed limit. That way, nobody can gripe at you. It's amazing how much your mileage improves if you just keep it at 65.

kipk

That is a wonderful idea! A "Special Lane" for those wishing to go no faster than the posted limit!

Problem is that there would still be those that think the speed limit is too slow, even in that special lane.

Posted speed limits are the Maximum allowed by law. The only way to get a lot of drivers to believe that, is to impose on both their money and their time, As per post 377.

Personally, On the freeways, I get in the RH lane and do 65. Lately I'm finding that I'm actually passing more and more "slower'"cars, and 18 wheelers. Those that wish to go faster have 1-5 lanes to the left of me to "do their thing". On local and back roads I typically exceed the limit by 5 mph. If traffic begins stacking up behind me I will pull over and let them go by.

I have no problem with those that wish to "Go Fast". I do have a problem when they want to infringe on my space.

Going along with your idea; maybe a "DOUBLE" fine for those exceeding the posted limits in the "Special Lane" would work.

There will always be emergencies where folks really need to go faster.
Kip

pcovers

Manual transmission. Use of aircon as needed. No deliberate intent to not use, but it is not on all the time I drive. Yes, probably very little driving over 70. I am not necessarily opposed to driving over 70, but in the Yaris, it seems like 65-70 feels fast enough for comfort.

tele_mark

2nd tankful, a carbon copy of the first @ 40.5 MPG. This time, however, measuring 1/8 tank intervals, I measured a low of 33 MPG and a high of 45, all combined driving. I'm going to change my commute a little when I get back to work and do highway on the way home and see what that does. I don't think I'd be surprised to see 45 MPG average.

pcovers

What do you mean "measuring 1/8 tank intervals"? If you mean the miles driven between each notch on the digital gas gauge, those notches are not very reliable. I can go almost 90 miles before the first notch is gone and then each succeeding notch is less and less miles (regardless of whether I am doing all highway or not).

Only way to ever know milage is gallons to fill divided by miles driven since last fill.

tele_mark

Hmmm

My car is different than yours. I've been seeing consistent results measuring the 1/8th's. I still use the full tanks method, but in a Yaris, there's not much else to do than watch the fuel gauge, so I'm watching fuel economy via the 1.8th tank intervals as well.

podred

Replying to: micweb (Jun 27, 2008 4:30 pm)
Manual transmission. Use of aircon as needed. No deliberate intent to not use, but it is not on all the time I drive. Yes, probably very little driving over 70. I am not necessarily opposed to driving over 70, but in the Yaris, it seems like 65-70 feels fast enough for comfort.

What most people are unaware of, is the fact that when it comes to Toyota's or Honda's they have very efficient A/C compressors which take next to nothing to power. Therefore the use of A/C has very little effect on fuel economy.
Far too many people are thinking about the old days with big power draining compressors. Today that is a myth. I use the A/C all day every day as its 110 degrees average this time of year, so A/C is a must. I know how to calculate fuel mileage exactly and I tested in the spring before the super hot weather and each tank varied a bit as is normal because the terrain and route is always changing for me. The mileage with AC off 80% freeway, was 39.12mpg. With the AC on it was 39.85mpg . So as you can see the differnce in this particular case of two full tanks used as test points I did not suffer any loss. Now test 2. Same ratio 80% freeway but my southern route which is different and involves a bit of climbing.
AC off 38.8, AC on 37.9, so again, the difference is negligible.

lparkhill

I've had my 08 hatchback for two weeks now. My first tank I got 28 MPG my second 34.8. I'm sure it will get better as the car "loosens up" also I plan to get a Scan Gage, everything I've read leads me to believe that will help with the MPGs if I use it correctly. I'd like to lower the car 1 " and put on some 215 X 40 X 17 wheels, the wheels are aproximately the same height as the stock wheels but much wider. I'm wondering how much it will effect my MPGs, Anyone out there made these changes and have the data?

micweb

The lighter your wheels and tires, the better mileage you will get. The less rolling resistance in your tires, the better your mileage. Going to an extreme set up with 17" wheels won't help mileage, ultra low profile tires of necessity have stiff sidewalls, and I doubt the combination will improve handling. I would estimate a 10% drop in mileage. Consumer Reports has tire rolling resistance ratings. BTW, weight on the axles (tires and wheels and brakes) is really important, because it is "unsprung" weight and disproportionately degrades handling; it also disproportionately impacts power and fuel economy since tires and wheels have to be "spun" up to speed and it's harder to spin a heavier setup (the centrifugal effect).

If you are looking for handling instead of just appearance, you might consider adding a TRD rear sway bar first, tracking down some ultra light wheels on Tire Rack (sub 14 pound) and do a more conservative upgrade to 195 Michelin Exalto A/S tires which, according to CR, handle great and have good rolling resistance. Costco has good pricing on them in 14" (and the 14" are actually a sweet spot in terms of size, I had 195x14/60 Kumho KH16s on my Yaris LB with the sway bar and it was a sweet handling, easy riding, quiet set-up). I actually stuck with the steelies that came with the car because in many cases, modern "after market" wheels are actually heavier than steel wheels, particularly when you start "upsizing." But Tire Rack has some "light" aluminum wheels (Kosei?) on their website if you are looking to upgrade appearance as well as performance and they list all the wheel and tire weights.

If you use an ultra low profile, stiff sidewall tire (and the set up you propose falls into that category) the reduction in mileage should be about 10%. Going from low resistance, OEM tires to higher resistance, higher performing tires is usually a 3% drop, but not all high performance tires have a built-in penalty, and not all "all season" radials are low rolling resistance. Consumer Reports has begun reporting on the rolling resistance of the tires it tests, and this will be more common as concerns about fuel efficiency grow.

There ought to be a cheaper, more functional, more fuel efficient way to "tart up" the Yaris without going to the set-up you describe. You might want to research whether the wheel/tire set up from the Scion xD would fit your Yaris LB, they are very similar vehicles, and maybe someone will sell their Scion xD 16" tires and wheels as a setup you could just swap onto your Yaris. You would need to go to a tire size/wheel size conversion calculator, here:

http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible_pg2.html

to compare the stock Yaris and Scion wheel/tire size combination (you can actually just compare the two tire sizes and see if the diameters are close enough).

That webpage also talks in great deal about tire and wheel issues.

bamacar

Have to disagree with you here. If you live in a light use A/C area like California then this may be true but not in the Southeast where there is high heat and high humidity. My Yaris in mixed driving gets about 38 in Spring and Fall but suffers a 2 mpg loss in summer with heavy A/C used to about 36 mpg. Although the A/C is efficient it is still percentage wise roughly the same as any other vehicle out there - about 5% decrease in fuel economy when used heavily.

My Spring/Fall A/C use when temps are like 70-80 has a much reduced negative effect on fuel economy.

pcovers

28 mpg?

So far I have filled up 6 times since I drove it off the lot and 5 of the 6 were 40+mpg and the one under was 38.8mpg. Do you have automatic and drive primarily in the city?

kipk

Check out bicycle tires. Racer and road tires are very narrow and shaped so that only the center tread is on the road. They roll easier and require less energy from the rider.

Cruiser and mountain bikes use wider tires for better stability.. But they require more energy from the rider.

Kip

PF_Flyer

Excellent point. And if you want to experience how much of a difference proper tire pressure can make first hand, try riding a bike with under-inflated tires and see how much more energy you have to put out to keep it rolling.

jetfirek

You can get your point across just as nicely without being rude. I am looking forward to receiving my Yaris Sport hatchback. I have never seen one but I ordered everything available except the blue lights on the floor....

I sold my Lexus ES 330 loaded with GPS and my husband and I are thrilled to be getting a Yaris. ...

So try getting your point across NICELY....and your opinon will be received with respect.

kipk

Good Post!

Please keep in touch with your thoughts, ideas, and impressions of the Yaris.

When do you expect to get it ?

Kip

lparkhill

I've got an automatic, the first full tank was from the dealer and may not have been completely full. I drive 50/50 highway/city but I'm in southern California and the freeways are like city driving especially during rush hour....stop and go, add to the mix that I don't baby the throttle as much as I could or should and you get 35 mpg. I've been driving a 350Z with a heavy foot for the last 4 years and it's going to take a little practice to hone my gas stretching skills.

lparkhill

Micweb, thanks for the reply, a lot of good information and a great web site you sent. I think I'll take your advice and go with a smaller rim. My LB came with 15" rims and I think I'll stick with that size and for now use the tires that came on the car, maybe forego the lower springs and add the sway bar.

micweb

I think you'll be VERY happy with the TRD sway bar. You can get it from the accessories department at the Toyota dealership or order one on line from a Toyota dealer (it's cheaper that way). If you have a Toyota dealer install it, the bar, your suspension, are warrantied for the remainder of your 3/36k mile warranty period. It made a world of difference on my Yaris, I still miss that car!

kipk

>" I still miss that car! "

Sorry to be nosey. But you seem to have an affection for that car, yet it is gone.
What happened to it?

Kip

podred

Have to disagree with you here. If you live in a light use A/C area like California then this may be true but not in the Southeast where there is high heat and high humidity

The California I live in is a heavy use A/C area.

Our high temp today will be 112, one degree cooler than yesterday. For the last seven days the high has been over 111, tonight the low will be 82 degrees, these are normal from mid June until end of September. Last year it went to 115 degrees for a week. Thus we use A/C constantly in the car. When parked on an 110 degree day, the interior temps skyrocket to 182 degrees. Thus A/C is used all the time here.

Finally I calculate the fuel mileage 100% accurately and the variation is +/- 2 % so all is good.

Perhaps you are thinking of another state

micweb

Remember, Edmunds is the forum for people who trade in cars like most people swap DVD's through Netflix.

I got it and liked it, but we had another baby, and my wife's friend moved in with us, so we needed a minivan. The Yaris traded in for more than what I paid for it, if you exclude the sales tax and DMV fees.

When I was back into the new car market again, the Toyota dealer that had the best new price wouldn't give me squat on the trade in, but the Honda dealer would. So I got a Fit instead of a Yaris the next time around.

So far I have 3,700 miles on the Versa and 4,400 on the fit. I drive about 30k a year, my wife only drives 3-5k.

bamacar

high heat and high humidity

Is it 60 to 80 percent humidity there? Or is this another state that is not low humidity California? Humidity makes a massive difference in A/C load. If you have experienced Florida at 95 degrees and 80 percent humidity (dewpoint 70-80 degrees), you know the load is far greater than 110 degrees and 10-25 percent humidity (dewpoint 50-55 degrees). I have experienced Palm Desert and Las Vegas and there is no comparison to the A/C load of the Southeastern US and the loss in fuel economy. I have logged all of my mpg for my full 28,000 miles through all the seasons, and the Yaris percentage wise has not varied any different than any of my recent vehicles. Larger engine/bigger vehicles need greater A/C capacity, but as a percentage of fuel use it is the same.

I use my A/C constantly from May through October. The mpg effect is much greater not only during the hotter periods, but also the high humidity periods.

The EPA says heavy A/C load now figured into the 2008 fuel economy numbers contribute to a 5-20% drop in fuel economy.

lparkhill

Anyone using a scan gauge?
I was wondering how and where you mount it. I'm very much a neat freak and want to avoid having the wire dangling off my dash board. I've got a two door LB and there aren't a lot of places to put it where it is easily visible and where the the wire can be easily hidden.

lhanson

I have mine mounted behind the steering wheel in the glove box. The cord winds around the steering wheel. You have to open the plastic cover under the glove box to do this and use a cable tie to keep the wire from dropping down by the gas and brake pedals. It is held in place in the glove box with the velcro that comes with the Scan Guage II. It's easy to get used to in this position, because it's located in about the same place as most instrument panels are located. It is also out of sight when the glove box is closed. I don't permanently mount it because I use it to read and clear trouble codes on other vehicles quite often. I figure that I have just about paid for the Scan Guage II by avoiding two trips to the Lexus dealer with my wife's car. Also, by mounting the guage in the glove box behind the steering wheel, the glove box lid serves as a very effective sun shield.

relp

I just purchased a Yaris. Just got done with the first tank (15% city/85% highway).
I got 39 mpg overall. I read some posts here of people getting 45 mpg.. i drive pretty mellow.. slow acceleration..65mph.. will the mpg go up as the car 'breaks in" or is there some kinda extreme hypermileage technique I dont know about?

I got pretty decent mpg, I'm not totally unhappy with my purchase but if there is a way to get 45ish mpg i'd like to find out how

pcovers

I have a 5 speed and drive 90% two-lane highway in my 100mi round trip work commute. In 10 fillups I have had 9 at 40mpg and one at 38mpg. I think shooting for 45mpg with 15/85 split would be a difficult prospect. You should be able to rely on 38-40 consistently. That is a great avg.

schurch

I HAVE A 2008 YARIS LB WITH AUTO TRANSMISSION USING CRUISE CONTROL HWY I HAVE GOTTEN 41-44 MPG.IN CITY 35 MPG.PLEASANTILY SUPRISED!!!Steve Church NC

schurch

I SHOPPED OVER A 4 STATE AREA FOUND MASSEY TOYOTA OF KINSTON,NC BEST TO DEAL WITH OR PETERSON TOYOTA LUMBERTON NC.

jimmyn2

I faced the same problems running the wire that you do. My solution was to mount the gauge in front of the Inst cluster, of set to the right.



It does block the door ajar light, the maint req light and the P/S light, but I can live with that.



I move the gauge between my Yaris and my motorhome, so it is mounted with velcro. The plastic pannels in the dash can be snapped off. Be very careful, work slowly, and start with the trim around the radio and heater controls, then the ledge in front of and around the inst cluster can be removed.

A 1/2 inch hole will allow the cable end to poke through. I added a grommet to dress it up.

Good luck.

By the way, it is rare I do not get 40mpg during sustained highway driving my LB-5 speed. I really like the Scangauge and I have recommended it to my friends.

Jim

kchaney

my wife also has about a 100 mile round trip and she averages 45 to a tank full. Out on the hiway our stickshift threedoor hits 57mpg at 55 mph! We got our Yaris on december 31, 2007 and already have nearly 30,000 miles and it seems the mpg drops when approaching the time to change the oil. This car has made us over 800 dollars over our trade-in and that's not including the maintainence I would have put into the other car. I had a 1978 subaru gf back in the mid-eighties and it got 58 mpg but it didn't have a/c, cruise, and it didn't play lynyrd skynyrd and as loud. sure does need a bra tho.

lparkhill

I got the sway bar and I've found some nice 15 inch wheels that weigh 9.8 us pounds. I was wonderingif anybody know what the 15 inch steel wheels weigh.

micweb

9.8 pounds is awesome. The lightest I think I saw at Tire Rack were much heavier than that.

jetfirek

Go on line and check the weight of all tires...I have found the best tires are Michliin...last and are safe...but always check the numbers on the tires that tell you when the tires were manufactured......

lparkhill

I found these on Tire Rack, they are Enkei Racing RPF1 and the silver painted rims weigh 9.9 lbs the black ones weigh 9.5. I'm going with the silver ones I think they look better with the red paint.

micweb

Enkei's should be great.

lparkhill

I have a 2008 LB auto, my first tank was 28 mpg but the engine and tranny were both very tight, as they "loosened up" my mileage improved now I'm getting around 38 mpg averaging a 60/40 Highway/city split, your 5 speed sedan should do a little better than my LB auto. If you work at it you can improve your mpg i.e. coast down hill, get a cruise control if you can use it and install a scan gage to help you learn good accelerator technique. When everything is said and done 39 mpg is pretty good, my neighbor spent $25 K on a Prius and gets 45 mpg, your money was well spent.

smile100

I just had a vacation from Washington. I rented a Yaris sedan from Alamo. This car was great on mpg. The fuel economy is average 42 mpg (80% highway/ 20% city) with A/C on half of the time.

shawn164

i purchased a 2009 Yaris Sedan, manual about two weeks ago and went on my first real road trip yesterday (plains of eastern colorado). 332 miles and 7.05 gallons (47 mpg). I feel I lucked out with tailwinds, but I did not baby it, going anywhere from 55 to 70mph.

My first fill up (a little more than 1/2 tank) was 299 miles and 6.6 gallons (45 mpg), 70% highway, 30% in-town.

i'm stunned...

my Yaris blog for photos and info

kipk

Shawn,

Interesting blog ! Looking forward to more.

Excellent pictures, and the way you write indicates professionalism also. Very nice!

We are looking to add a gas sipper to our stable, and still undecided as to which "Make" and be it a sedan or a hatch back. . Thus some questions.

You wrote, in the blog introduction: "After three months of homework, I made the decision to purchase a new 2009 Toyota Yaris Sedan. Take a journey with me as I experience what this little gas sipper has to offer. The good, the bad and everything in between"

What convinced you to purchase a Yaris, rather than say a Fit with more cargo area, or a Versa with more interior space? Especially since you had never driven one.

Why a sedan, rather than a hatchback?

Thanks,
Kip

shawn164

thanks kip,

I was mulling over between a Civic, Fit or Yaris (the Versa was shortly on the list). The Civic was on the high end of the price scale and the styling/look of the Fit didn't really appeal to me. I have owned two hondas in the past (87 CRX HF hand-me-down from father, which ruled and 91 Civic AWD wagon...so fun in the snow, but died an early death) so I wanted to try a Toyota.

I don't need a lot of space and I liked the way the Yaris Sedan looked, so I went for it. I wanted something dependable (Toyota) with minimal investment and the bare bones Yaris seemed to be the best match. Reading MPG reviews, the Yaris seemed to be on the better end of the scale with most personal experiences.

Looks aside (I'm not a fan of the hatchback), I like the idea of a trunk to keep some of my photo gear out of plain sight and having access to the backseat through back doors seems handier to me when dealing with gear or passengers.

So far I'm really excited. I am having to adjust to manual windows and locks, but it was a decision to see what luxuries I could live without I guess : )

I still can't believe the MPG. After my 1k mile oil change, I'm heading on a long roadtrip out West, so I'm looking forward to see how she runs.

Reading other experiences on this site was a HUGE help in my decision, so thanks Edmunds!

www.toyotayarisreview.com - my Yaris blog

kipk

Posted a comment on your BLOG. Don't know if it "took" or not.

Yaris is getting more interesting as time goes by.

Kip

frosty8

Looking to buy soon and was wondering how everyone felt about these 2 similar cars. What kind of actual gas milage is everyone finding?. How does the quality of the cars inside and out compare. Have they fixed the AC smell with the Yaris yet?

jetfirek

I went 1500 miles on $125.00 worth of gas...had three fourths of a tank left upon my return. 08 yaris lift back

PF_Flyer

What kind of mileage does that work out to? How many gallons of gas over those 1500 miles? If your price of gas was $2.50/gal then you got 30MPG. But if the price was $2, then you're talking about a range of 24-25mpg.

familyman5746

I've got almost 30k miles on my 2008 Yaris and have averaged 38mpg. I use a few of the "hypermiling" techniques to increase my mileage. Got 1 tank of 47 mpg.