I seem to be getting 26 mpg. I was hoping to do better - LOTS better...
Will you guys that keep your mileage (and everybody should, 'cause it's a harbinger of trouble when it drops) post what your Avalon does on what type of fuel, please?
26 mpg ........overall?
Seems normal
You should get up to mid 20's in stop and go traffic and up to 30 on the open highway.
Hoping for more? good luck, the laws of physics dictate otherwise.
go to any o'riley's auto parts. ask for greased lightning teflon oil treatment (don't let them tell you they don't have it - they do). add 1 can with an oil change. repeat with next oil change, then once every 6 months, thereafter. cost = $ 6. results... well, don't take my word, try it!
This is a full size car that was built in America in 1997. It's in the leagues with Impalas, Intrepids, Chargers, Taurus' and well... other big cars. I haven't seen one Impala, Intrepid, Charger, or Taurus that got 26 miles to the gallon. I get 24 and have the tendency to drive like a drunk Michael Schumacher (no I don't drive drunk, but I can imagine that if Schu were drunk, he would be as much of a maniac as I am). Plus I live in Milwaukee and put any 89 octane gasoline I can find in my Avalon (gas stations are few and far between in my part of town).
So feel lucky, you've got plenty of space, inviting leather, the top luxury Toyota will give to the masses and the fuel economy that is unheard of in a large sedan from the mid-90s. My 2002 Saturn L300 got 24 on a good day. In the city we were hitting 18 or 19 in stop and go traffic. My Avalon scoffs at numbers like that, even when I decide to go 40 down a pot hole ridden 25 and whip around corners like I'm the criminal in a 70's cop movie I can get 24 miles to the gallon.
Grab some Lucas Oil Fuel Treatment. It's basically a shower for the inside of your engine. Over the same stretch of highway, exact same route and traffic my MPG went from 27 to 30.
Obviously it won't have permanent effects because it is basically an engine cleaner. But I have gone through 30 to 40 gallons of gas since my last use and my mpg hasn't even dropped 1 mpg. That could be attributed to anything from traffic, construction, the weather and even my mood. Plus that 30 number was 95% highway 5% bad Milwaukee traffic.
Here in the NW burbs of Chicago I'm LUCKY to see 22mpg, It may be that I drive like a city cab driver, or that I end up stuck in traffic a fair bit, But I'm not that concerned considering that it's quite a comfortable ride, and it's never let me down when I need power out of it.
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Black 95 Avalon XLS 170k
Spectra Blue 02 Celica GT(Rolling Chassis)
2009 Kenworth T-660 (Cat c-15) 447k
ok... did the lucas thing today. immediate gain of 3 mpg - from 25 to 28. bought a 36 oz can and will definitely put about 2.5 oz per 10 gallons of fuel, from now on.
this was using regular. i only did 2 tanks of regular. the car runs like crap on regular. so it's back to spending the extra $3 (or so) per tank ($.24/gallon). i'm shootin' for 30 m.p.g. overall and i'm just the gut to accomplish it!
Lucas Oil Fuel Treatment is definitely worth it. You might want to try some of their other treatments, transmission, oil etc etc. Those areas can also be hindering your gas mileage. You can also buy a TRD washable air filter. It's a tad expensive for the kit, but the air filter will last longer and you can clean it as much as you'd like which will result in less power loss over time. It pays for itself eventually. It may seem dumb to pay more to get better fuel economy, but 10-50 cents per gallon is worth it.
As for that extra 2 mpg. Changing your driving style can work wonders. If you're on the high way stick at 55 or 60, if you wander too high above 55 wind will start winning its battle against your car and it will do so by destroying your fuel economy. It may result in time loss, but the difference between 55 mph and 75 mph can be 10 to 20 percent of your fuel economy lost.
Also instead of braking right as you get to a light, try to anticipate lights and coast to them. That extra 1000-1500 rpm you spend my maintaining a speed that you're just going to diminish results in a lot of fuel that is basically wasted. I'm not saying you drive like a maniac, I haven't the faintest idea as to your driving style. I just remember managing 16 mpg in a midsize sedan in a small town when I first got my license. Then a few years as a delivery driver and I boosted that to 22 mpg simply by changing my driving style. If you're really gutsy, start drafting trucks. I don't, but I've seen it done and it works.
Good luck on your quest for a better mpg. I'm glad to see I'm not the only large sedan owner that cares to get better than 25 mpg combined.
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maybe could be because of bad O2 sensor? anyone else would know why?
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