Toyota Corolla Real World MPG

jonmad · November 2008

Thank you both for your responses. I ran the gas pretty much down to empty but I'm going to try a few more tanks and calculate it the way you told me to and see what I get. However I seriously doubt its going to result in 26-27 mpg though. Guess time will tell. thanks again I'll post again when i get the results.

terceltom · November 2008

No, you won't get the 26 to 27 mpg. your looking for with your city driving but unless you were able to actually pump 13.2 gallons into your Rolla your calculations were inaccurate. By the way, I also have a new 2009 Rolla and do 95% city driving and can't get better than 23 mpg. in the city. I wasn't expecting better though as I have a 2001 Rolla that also gets the same. Now get them on the highway and I can push 40mpgs. no problem.

psciortino · November 2008

We have an '09 le corolla. Mpg was 28.5 in town until 10% alcohol was added to all gas available in Florida. It then slipped to 25.0 mpg. Our latest highway calculations were 39.1 and 40.5 mpg at no greater than 60 miles per hour. Faster speeds reduced mpg to 35.7 and 34.9. Those speeds were as great as 80 miles per hour. I used traditional methods to calculate mpg. PS Our car has 3792 miles on it; I have recorded every drop of gas put in this car.

terceltom · November 2008

Yea, that sounds right in line with my city MPG. We also have 10% Ethanol in our gas in PA plus I have a lead foot in the city so I get 23 MPG. or less.

roadie2 · November 2008

Your mileage will vary, but with my 09 Corolla I havn't gotten less than 30 mpg with my day to day driving, even when the car was brand new. After the first couple of tanks of fuel, I'm getting 35 / 36 mpg just driving to work, but I do drive the legal speed limits. The most miles I've gotton out of a tank of fuel has been 480 miles in the summer months. I did notice that using the air cuts about 2 mpg . I have not even tried the car on a long highway cruise, but I'm sure the car will get over 40 mpg on the highway.

terceltom · November 2008

Now when you say day to day driving is that the 5 to 10 minute trips of mostly city driving we were comparing or is that some highway?

jimwwhite · December 2008

I bought a new '09 LE last week and did some local running around the Statesville, NC area over the weekend and then this week commuting back and forth to work which was about 60 miles each way. I filled up this morning after 314.9 miles with 8.2 gallons which is a whopping 38.4 mpg!!! My commute is about 95% interstate with no slow downs or serious grades. I set the cruise control to the posted speed and let it go. I do drive very conservatively.

Color me most happy!!!

tucson_mike · December 2008

Congratulations on your new '09 LE MPG. I have an '06 5-speed and get about 33MPG city and 42MPG highway. With gas at $1.70/gal (Tucson) that works out to about $0.05/mile for gas in the city. I see dozens of Prius' every day and, while they get a bit better MPG, I feel for them on recovering the higher initial cost over the Corolla. I still think the Corolla is the best bang for the buck from a total operating cost standpoint. Hopefully you will find that to be true also.

jimwwhite · December 2008

I love the car, especially the mpg. It has good get up 'n go. It looks nice. I believe it will last a long time like the Volvo 850 it replaces. My only complaint is I could use a tad more leg room. I'm 6'3" and I'd hate to have to do a lot of in town driving. Fortunately I don't. But is anyone out there aware of anything like seat rail extenders for a Corolla?

jimwwhite · December 2008

I've had a new '09 LE for three weeks now and on my third tank of gas I got 39.1 MPG. That's 320.6 miles on 8.2 gallons. I drive about 95% interstate with no slowdowns and on flat terrain. It's mostly 65-70 MPH along the way. I set the cruise right at the posted speed and rarely ever have to get over. Nice commuting car. It's got everything I need plus.

I'm a happy camper!

zheton · January 2009

I have the same problem with my new Hyundai Elantra 08. Car has 4200 miles and gets only 17 mpg in the city. I also went to my dealer and they refused to run any tests on the car explaining that car needs at least 10000 miles to break in. The interesting part, when I drove the vehicle for the first 3500 miles I was getting 22 mpg in the city and 35-41 mpg highway. After the first oil change and fuel pump replacement (recall) my mileage dropped dramatically. I am just wondering if somebody has any ideas what happened to the car? Thanx.

debjeff · January 2009

I have noticed that my 2007 Corolla used to get 30 mpg city driving here in Florida. Presently, I am getting only 23-27 mpg. The dealership told me this is due to the ethanol in the gas. I want to know if this is entirely accurate.

hoopitup2000 · January 2009

Gasoline is oxygenated in the cooler months.(October-April) The added oxygen is sensed by your cars computer, and it adjusts the air/fuel mixture to compensate. This results in decreased fuel economy; but less air pollution. Doesn't seem to make sense, but that is what you are experiencing.(More fuel consumed; but less pollution; WTF!!)

tucson_mike · January 2009

That seems like an extreme dropoff - I have tracked my MPG on a 2006 manual over 1yr now and hold pretty steady in city at 32 to 34MPG. I would make sure you check your tire inflation (which seems to have the most adverse impact). And of course your driving habits might have changed.

run2w8s · January 2009

My 2008 Toyota Corolla LE 5-speed manual has achieved an average of 46mpg over the it's first year of life. (13000 miles) I use the hypermiling techniques taught at the www.cleanmpg.com website. The ScanGuage II is a very useful device that shows several pieces of fuel economy information simultaneously. Have found that a TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) reading of 19 gives really great MPG on the highway.

terceltom · January 2009

Sorry but regarless of what kind of sensor your using unless you converted that puppy to a hybrid there ain't no way your gonna average 46MPG. Perhaps you might gain a high of 46 with highway driving but you'll never average 46 highway and city combined.

backy · January 2009

Maybe he only drives it on long commutes on the highway? Obviously very few stops, and at a low speed e.g. 55-60 vs. 70-80. Probably over-inflated tires and in a warm weather state too. I can see where 46 mpg would be possible under ideal conditions, but hard to get in general. Try getting 46 mpg today in the Twin Cities for example, with -25 F (that's NOT the windchill) and traffic crawling along due to black ice. Not likely.

kipk · January 2009

I don't find "run2w8s" report to be unbelievable, especially under good driving conditions.

I have a Scan Gauge ll and it gives extremely accurate readouts, once it has received corrected data from fill ups, actual speed, and so forth.

Recently took a short trip, with rolling hills the norm. About 20% was backroads with a few traffic lights. About 80% was X-Way at 55 mph. The occational flat sections of road at 55mpg showed 31-35 mph. Average mileage for the trip (going) was 28.2 mpg.

Coming back I stepped up the speed to 60 on the X-way portion, and the average for that return trip was 26.7 mpg. The X-Way portion on flat ground was more like 28-33. This is 3+/- less than the same sections at 55mph.

Upon returning, I refilled the tank. The gallons used, total miles driven, as well as the MPG were dead on between the Scan Gauge, the gas pump, the odometer, and manually figuring the MPG.

Understanding mileage like this is nothing to get overly excited about for a Corolla. However this was done with a 4400#, 3.5 liter V6, 4wd, automatic, Honda Pilot pushing a lot of air. It has an EPA rating of 15/20 or something like that. Locally it is getting 19+/- mpg for the entire tank.

Driving conditions, weight of the drivers foot, and willingness of the driver all contribute to mileage. Hyper milers employ techniques that I personally would not.
For me, common sense and courtesy to others prevail. Example: If I'm on a 2 lane X-Way and traffic is moving fast, I will generally run the posted limit and stay in the RH lane. On local and back roads I generally run 5mph over the posted limit. If some jerk wants to ride my bumper, I will seek a way to let him pass. Nobody wins in a wreck!

Keep in mind, it is not that you pressed the peddle, but how you press the peddle. :shades:

Kip

terceltom · January 2009

I'll take your word for it as you seem like more of a Corolla expert then I. When you speak of averages at 46 mpg. your are saying at some point you were getting even higher than 46 and this just seems so unlikely to me.

backy · January 2009

I am not a Corolla expert, but I've driven enough small cars in over 35 years (including Corollas) that I have a good idea of what they are capable of under different driving conditions. For example, I have achieved over 40 mpg under ideal conditions with my Elantra 4AT with an iron block 2.0L engine that is far less efficient than the Corolla's 1.8L mill, and upper 30s on a 328Ci I6. And that was using only basic gas-saving techniques, not all the hypermiler tricks. So I think mid-40s on a Corolla using hypermiler techniques is very doable.

The key thing is, "YMMV". Someone who averages 46 mpg may have a much different daily driving route than most other drivers.

Burgundia · February 2009

I have a 97 Corolla DX, I do about half surface and half freeway driving every week. I get around 28mpg. When I do majority freeway driving I get 32-33 mpg.

I''ll be trading it in soon for a new Corolla, only because after 11 years the maintenance costs are starting to get significant...plus I just want a new car. :-)

jimwwhite · March 2009

I bought my Corolla back on 12/1/08 and now I've driven it 9K miles. It's almost ready for the second oil change. This is one fine car! It's everything I wanted plus. During the colder winter months here in NC which aren't all that cold I averaged right around 37 mpg. Now that the weather is warmer and my two last tanks were 41.2 and 40.7 mpg. I drive about 95% interstate each day with very little slow down or traffic and the road is pretty flat. I'm also a conservative driver in that I set my cruise control on 65 mph as soon as I get on the interstate and rarely have to take it off until I get to work. It's a 60 mile each way commute.

Great car!

kipk · March 2009

Good post.

It would be interesting to learn what your mileage would be at 60 mph. It would only add 5 or 6 minutes to the drive.

Kip

terceltom · March 2009

Yes, highway mileage is superb but there is quite a noticable difference when city driving is your primary mode. City driven Corollas can expect to get anywhere around 23 mpg. Keep in mind this is all start and stop city driving. Just curious, your model is an XLE or an LE?

hoopitup2000 · March 2009

If you are using the trip computer, those numbers are usually inflated. It is only an estimate. Try estimating your mileage using a calculator to get the true mileage. You will know for sure after a few fill-ups. Those numbers seem a bit high with the winter fuel formulation.

frostbyte3964 · March 2009

Using the trip meter in the 2009, I was getting 43+ on my 60 miles per day commute to work averaged over 2000 miles of driving. I didn't check with actual fill up's, but I know it was good. I am a very conservative driver though and loved to see how high I could get it. That was at 65 MPH mostly.

dvd0060 · August 2009

Does any know why the 2010 Corolla LE lost 1 mpg in city and highway?

terceltom · August 2009

I don't understand your question, could you expand or elaborate?

dvd0060 · August 2009

Mpg for 2009 for Corolla LE 27-35
Mpg for 2010 26-34
I was wondering why. I did notice that they changed the tire for 2010 from good years to bridgestones

mnf · August 2009

My 2009 came with Continental tires what is the weight differance between the 2009 and 2010.

MNF

mcdawgg · August 2009

I think I read something in ToyotaNation about the Engine Control computer programming being changed, and that changed the fuel mpg. Maybe someone here can explain?

crazedmom · August 2009

I have a 2009 corolla purchased new 10 months ago, I travel about 45 mi day and frequently use cruise control, and get 39 mpg. Not many street lights to stop at though. I must say that if i don't use cruise control the numbers are closer to 34 or 35 mpg, I get much more smooth ride up hills if i click into cruise, seems to hold at the speed instead of a constant up / down shift. If i travel on flat freeways on cruise set at 68 mph I get 60 + mpg it is great! I have a LE 4 cl. automatic

dsorgnzd · August 2009

My 2010 Corolla LE (1.8 automatic) has averaged 37.7 mpg overall for its first 2000 miles. That is based on actual gallons purchased and actual miles driven, not the indicator on the instrument panel. Much of my driving is on the highway (at 65-70 mph), but I've also done quite a bit in town, and on secondary roads at 35-45 mph. Compared to the "clunker" I traded in (a minivan rated at 18 mpg combined) this is a fantastic improvement.

dvd0060 · August 2009

I had the closed tot he same experience averaging 45.3 mpg with the ac on, hilly terrain

roxy11 · August 2009

the 2009 corolla had the TSB on a possible excessive use of oil under certain conditions. toyota's answer for this was to reflash the ECU. it has been theorized over at toyotanation that the only way this would help with the oil consumption problem is by detuning the engine, resulting in reduced hp and/or reduced mpg.

since all the 2010's had the updated ecu programming already, some of us believe that is connected to the city and highway mpg going down by 1 mpg.

however, the manual transmission models in the base and s versions of the 2010 did not lose anything from their '09 rating, remaining at 26 city and 35 highway, so perhaps the manual transmissions werent afflicted w/ the oil consumption problem in the first place. i know one member got a response from toyota that they tweaked the testing to better comply with the epa requirements, thus resulting in the drop on the automatic tranny. it remains a mystery for now.

at any rate, i never had an oil consumption issue. i have the 5 speed manual and easily get 40+ mpg (calculated) on mostly suburban and hwy driving without making too much effort.

i will say that the computer mpg readout is fairly accurate compared to many other economy cars out there. my computer readout is consistently within .5-2 mpg off from my actual calculated mileage.

wirelesslink · September 2009

I am getting 39-40 mpg+ combined city/hwy, if I accelerate gradually and cruise at a leisurely 62 mph in the slow lane on the freeway. I think that if I drove all highway miles, my mpg would be higher. I use cruise control and take my foot off the gas and naturally de-accelerate if I know I will be decreasing speed for a turn, off ramp or stoplight. If I am in a hurry, drive quickly and cruise at 70mph, my mileage can drop to 36+ mpg. If you drive it like a Prius, you will be rewarded. Reset the trip gauge and the mileage computer settings at each fill-up and see if you can get 400+ miles per tank.

I think I would get better mileage with the smaller rims/narrower tires.
I drop 1 mpg (I think) when I use the air conditioner, which is rarely.

I plan to use the 0w-20 synthetic oil for fuel efficiency, and maximum oil flow in the engine during start-up. Personally, I wouldnt use the 5w-30, because the dealer said it was OK. Factory fill and Toyotas bottled Ow-20 is a full-synthetic made for Toyota. I hear the additive package was specially developed for Toyota. What could be better than a custom full synthetic oil.

deure · September 2009

Just purchased a used 2002 LE Corolla last weekend. First tank of gas was 33 mpg, second was 31mpg. I am disappointed. What things can I do to help increase it? Reviews on Consumer Reports listed mpg as much higher.

terceltom · September 2009

Your disappointed? Wow, I'd gladly trade the gas mileage I get in my 2009 XLE Corolla for that any day. I haven't topped 27 mpg. in the city yet.

I can only suggest keep tires inflated correctly, slower starts, no A.C., make sure spark plugs are okay(they should yet even if they're the originals yet).

tucson_mike · September 2009

The first thing you want to do it figure out if you need to adjust your reported odometer distance. I have a 2006 Corolla 5speed that I thought was getting about 33MPG in city driving  when I got new tires, it dropped to 28.5 immediately. Two issues there, first the odometer is counting shaft rotations and converting it to mileage based on assumed circumference of the tire. As my mechanic said, worn tread on the old tires was giving more rotations to go the same distance  so was reporting a longer distance than I was actually going - giving me a high MPG calculation. So I compared my current odometer distance to the mile marker distance on a 100mile stretch of interstate one day. Found, with the new tires, I was getting about 99.2 miles for a 100mile stretch  this meant I needed to adjust the odometer up by a factor of 1.01. Not much in this case but the new tires are bit taller than the odometer is expecting giving me a bit further rolling distance per revolution. I am guessing the old tires would have read about 103 miles over the same distance.

So that was interesting, but I still lost MPG with the new tires. My mechanic added that most tire pressure targets are set for comfort  he suggested I target a pressure in the middle between what is on the door frame and the max. pressure shown on the tire. That meant, for me, going from 30PSI to 36PSI. That in fact raised my MPG from 28.5 to 31MPG and did make the ride a bit stiffer but still fine. Still not where I used to think I was with the old tires but I am thinking now that 2MPG difference was tire height difference.

On the highway I get about 38MPG (I used to think it was 41)

psciortino · October 2009

We have just returned from a 3045 mile trip from Florida to Cape Cod and return with a few side trips such as Myrtle Beach. We used cruise control and never went over 60 miles per hour. Our highest mpg for a tank full was 44 and the lowest 38.9. Our average was slightly over 40 MPG. Adding the two numbers (44 & 38.9)will not get the average because most of the tanks full were about 40MPG.
Some conclusions: use cruise control and drive at a moderate speed if MPG is important.

gizzer777 · October 2009

Plz make sure your air filter in the engine compartment is reasonably clean and free of debris. I also get 40+ on the hwy but low 20's in heavy city driving. ..2009 1.8L XLE Automatic. A dirty air filter will kill your MPG! Does your gasoline have ethanol mixed....also bad news

jimwwhite · October 2009

I've had my '09 LE for almost a year now and I've got almost 30K miles on the odo. Great car! I can't say enough about it. I drive 120 miles a day with about 95% of that on the interstate. The remaining is on country roads and about 2 miles of in town driving with only a few red lights. I average 39.4 MPG. When I get on the interstate I click in at 65 and it stays there until I exit. I've tried 70 and I've seen no difference. I keep my tires at 40 PSI and I rotate them each oil change because of all the highway driving and they're wearing very well. I've gotten 42.2 on a long road trip up I-95 from Raleigh to the DC area and back. Great car! I brag on it to everyone who'll listen. Most run away now when I get going... :P

PS: And I've not had any problems with the car whatsoever!

terceltom · October 2009

Nice to hear that you don't have any issues with the new EP steering. Some on this forum seem to think that EVERY Corolla is infected with some kind of faulty steering problem. I agree whole heartily with your fondness of the Corolla as I fully enjoy driving my 2009 XLE. I would just question the safety of over inflating your tires.

tucson_mike · October 2009

I have been experimenting with the tire PSI. Being underinflated is generally agreed as dangerous and poor for MPG. I have been stepping up the pressure each month looking for the point of no further improvement in MPG. At 37 PSI right now and it seems to be leveling off at about 32.5MPG mostly city with a little interstate driving. I think there probably is a point on the high end where the MPG might improve slightly but the decreases safety outweighs that. Each tire is different also - I got the Michelin HydroEdge which I think says 44PSI is the max on the sidewall.

mcdawgg · October 2009

Be careful about going too high. You will get less traction, because there will be less tire surface area on the road. Great for MPG, bad for safety. I add 3 lbs to what the sticker inside the door says.

xbubblehead · October 2009

I filled up in Damascus (Oregon) and drove to Salem (Oregon). As I was leaving I-5 to go to Highway 22 my gas mileage peaked at 48.0 mpg! I filled up with Union 76 gas (regular) in Damascus. I was easy on acceleration but did run into some traffic in Clackamas. I drove conservatively using the cruise control set at about 58. While on I-5 I was going about 65 and did some drafting behind trucks for a portion of the trip.

terceltom · October 2009

Excellent MPG !

Can I ask how do you like the EPS steering in your new Corolla?

rara · December 2009

I'm in a very unhappy state right now. I bought my daugther a new Corolla LE and
she's had it about three months. I finally got around to having her begin to
check the mileage by noting miles driven between compete "to the top"
fillups & dividing by gallons. When she told me ahe was getting around
15 miles per gallon I told her to let Dad to it, as she obviously didn't
know what she was doing. I wish I could say she didn't. I filled it myself
for her last 2 fills and we're getting 15.7 mpg on a 4 cylinder Corolla.
Consistently. Checked the odometer accuracy and it seems to be
right on. Is this result even possible? No one seems to be stealing
her fuel as best we can tell (if they were they;re damn consistent
about precisely leaving us 15 mpg results) This now makes about
4 or 5 fills with that result. Note, it's about 90% city driving but that
still should be no where near this bad!?!?!? ps driving the car nothing
feels or sounds out of the ordinary. I'm an experienced driver.
I could have bought her a Suburban and be no worse off.

terceltom · December 2009

90% City driving should be getting around 24mpg. This is what I get with my "09". When I take it on a highway trip I can get 40mpg. Big difference between City and Highway. But you obviously have some kind of problem going on. Take it back to the dealer and let them know.

dudleyr · December 2009

Does she wait in line at the drive through with the engine running. Does she warm the car up in the morning and let it run for a while. Does she accelerate hard and brake late? All of these will make the mpg worse and all are pretty typical of how kids drive - not sure of her age though.

Swap cars with her for a tank and see what you get with hers and she gets with yours. That will be the best test.

Toyota Corolla Real World MPG

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