Bad Gas Mileage

[jkgecko]

OK, so I get the same gas mileage (25 mpg) as I used to get with my old 2000 Elantra. To make things even worse, I only get 25 mpg if i'm extremely ginger with the throttle. I used to be all over the 'Lantra's pedal and shifter and she still gave me decent gas mileage. Now, I don't mind getting 25 mpg because only 1 person I know gets better mileage than me and he has a mid nineties protogay (protege) that isn't capable of acceleration.

What is wrong with my car and why isn't it showing the incredible numbers Toyota advertised when I bought my '05 XR? Something tells me Toyota way over estimated their little ZZ motors or mine is defective in some way, though she runs as smooth as could be.

Any thoughts?

[Jayleav]

I bought my '05 XR last April and all summer/fall i got 35-38 mpg. All winter I barely got 30. Now that we're approaching spring the last two tanks I have got 35 + mpg. I'm not sure that there isn't a difference in the gas in the winter months . I will say that the higher I keep the air pressure in my tires (about 36 lbs.) the better mileage I get. If nothing else, get your dealer to check it out.

good luck

[metfan]

According to the Office of Energy Efficiency website you should get 36 mpg, depending on the model you own. Here in Canada, it got a few prizes for its fuel efficency in the station wagon category.

Still can't think of it as a station wagon, with its silhouette.

[coquelicot]

I have an '05 XR, too, and I have yet to get less than 30 MPG. Most times it's between 32-34. There are quite a few things that can affect gas mileage, such as your speed on the highway, keeping your windows rolled down at a high speed, running your A/C a lot, whether or not you're keeping your speed consistent, etc.

I'll echo jayleav--check these things as well as your tire pressure. If they're all as they should be, might be time to let the dealer take a look at the car.

[ksbrace]

Without knowing which version of XR you got (auto, manual, 2 or 4WD) and your driving conditions (speed, traffic, stops, length of trip, temperature) it is impossible for anyone to judge whether your 25 MPG is expected or not. If you fill in the blanks we can offer better advice.

2WD vs 4WD is a big factor, city-vs-highway is huge, and highway speed is also a big one. Consumer reports noted in their annual auto issue their Camry got 40 MPG at 55 MPH, but only 30 at 75. And everybody knows congested city driving fuel economy is terrible on an auto transmission.

[TRDfrankie]

I'm getting kickass mileage!!! My previous record was 564.8Km and I pumped in just over 48L and my tank is 50L!! My new record will be blown away, so far as of this morning I'm at 660.5Km and counting!! I'll fill up after work!!

My mileage is great!! And I'm doing a mix of hiway and city to boot.

Frankie

[jkgecko]

I am extremely knowledgeable regarding what causes gas mileage to go up and down. I know that my trix should get 30/36 on 87 oct pump in a stock configuration. The purpose of this thread was to find out if anyone else was getting unusually low mileage and what the cause and resolution was. I'm thinking there may be a blockage in the air intake and am going to install a grounding kit with a K&N drop in filter (or TRD but the K&N is only $35 and TRD is $55) after I thoroughly inspect the air inlet. If anyone has anything else to add, please do because there is not much I can do to the TB due to the electronic throttle wire.

I'll stop now but I have lots and lots of tricks for normal TB cars and cars with normal spark plugs but the Matrix has a pretty goofy motor and a lot of those don't work.

[2006matrix]

jkgecko - I have the same issue with my car, a 2006 XR 4WR. The MPG barely hits 25 for a mix of local (60%) and highway (40%) driving. I understand 4WR version carries some extra weight, but I am disappointed with the poor gas efficiency.

I did install a drop-in k&n air filter. It adds some peppiness, but does little to improve gas mileage.

[Turbolovin84]

what do u mean with goofy spark plugs? there normal plugs try switching fuel grades, maybe instead of "EL-CHEAPO" grade get mid or shit.........try 1 month of mid and 1 of premium. see what happens.

[stuts]

Hey guys sorry to hear your MPG on your Matrix is not doing as well as you hoped let me just say this I was also looking at purchasing a Matrix but the Gas Mileage was not their so I decided to go with the Yaris Looks aside do you guys actually need/use the Matrix added room and is this added engine power on the Matrix that much more worth it what I am saying would the Yaris have been a better choice in the end maybe you should of looked at a smaller car next time like I did

[acrylucs]

umm yes. the space has been the best part of the car. do i need it? yes. do i use it? all the time. is the engine power worth it? yes. Yaris is too much of a city car. only good for human transport and thats it. I fit 5 friends, 5 bikes and 5 people's worth of gear in and on my car. Love it.

[metfan]

Like acrylucs says, the Matrix's cargo space cannot be compared with the Yaris. One is considered a family/small sport utility car while the other is a compact. Two different perspectives of usage.

[stuts]

Acrylucs and Metfan first of all I voiced my opinion in the Matrix forum because I just wanted to say people should not bitch about bad Gas Mileage when you buy a part wagon part SUV even though the Matrix got nominated for Canada EnerGuide 06 MPG award best in class lets face it 100% of the time when I see people driving a matrix its just them and no one else in the car no bikes no canoes no nothing I have a guy down the street who has a Matrix the only thing he every uses it for is work and home and by me saying 100% of people use them just for that I am not wrong maybe Mr Acrylucs may use his Matrix once in awhile to go on a day bike ride or what not but people have to get away from this big is better deal my Yaris does everything that your Matrix does it has a lot to offer in a sense more than the Matrix first better Gas Milage lower insurance rates I can also hold a pile of bikes like Mr acrylics Matrix I can also hold five people tight maybe but I can with gear I can always purchase a enclosed car-top carrier if I need to move a lot of gear and with the power in the Yaris trust me if you have not drove a Yaris yet you should not say another word and a city car I don’t think so its beautiful on the highways peace

[jkgecko]

Stuts: You really should pay attention to the thread you're posting in. First off, this is not a discussion over which car is better. I am not going to rehash what this discussion is about because it is Clearly covered in the first few posts.

Turboluvin84: The sparkplugs on the Matrix are not "ordinary" and are very expensive. So far thre is only 1 aftermarket replacement (that I know of) and they cost well over $100 US just for the plugs. The coil is built into each wire and sits directly (well pretty close to) on the plug itself.

BTW: I don't remember where I saw the aftermarket plugs so please don't ask. If you know of a plug/wire kit feel free to post a link to it, please.

[Troy Jollimore]

I'm pretty sure the 'plugs' are just standard Iridium plugs. Is it the Coil-On-Plug ignition wires that you're thinking of? (:

As for fuel economy, we have a base Vibe and have been seeing 30-35MPG out of it on average. It drops over the winter because they do change the gas formulation (here in Canada, anyway), and my wife's driving sucks compared to mine. I use an '88 Tercel to commute to work. When I drive the Vibe for an appreciable amount of time/distance, it's MPGs go up a little.

As for the Yaris, yes it is enough car for most anyone. Myself, I wanted more cargo space for when we need it, more power, better handling, higher seating and a nicer ride. When you compare the two in real world situations, the Vibe/Matrix is not far behind the Yaris for fuel economy, and the Corolla is even closer.