Sport mode means the ICE is going to be on a lot more so a lot less EV. I’d say the 10-15% fuel economy penalty reflects it accordingly. Don’t use Sport mode for a tank and you can find out for sure. You’ll have to drive like you’re not trying to replicate the performance, though.

 

Short trips will use more fuel than longer trips. Our 2020 Highlander Hybrid AWD / LE has been averaging over 42 MPG according to fuelly.com under "Pearl". I have noticed on round trips over 50 miles your MPG will gradually go up
when driving at speeds from 30 MPH to 55 MPH. Our last tank with over 500 miles calculated to 47 MPG, now the dash gauge read 45.3 MPG. This is driving in our semi rural area here in northwestern Oregon with the max. speed limit on Highway 101 @ 55 MPH, which is our major highway going through most of our county. Also check you tire pressure ours are all at 50 PSI, max. cold tire pressure is 51 PSI as listed on the tire sidewall...

 

Hello. Traded in my 2019 Rav 4 Limited Hybrid for a 2020 XLE Highlander Hybrid for more space ( new addition to family) and at 4500 miles only getting 31.7 overall MPG. Very disappointed! My wife drives vehicle in mostly suburb driving..... we’ve done a few highway trips and likely get 32- 34 MPG on those trips going 65mph. I’ve noticed compared to the RAV4 the EV light does not go on as much when vehicle has been driving and battery charging. We drive in sport mode but can this explain the low MPG?

I wanted to put a Thule car rack on. How much would that decrease MPG? Appreciate feedback and experience with this. Thank you.

Well, you drive in Sport mode....
I remember a thread where the husband and wife each had a Prius, and she got 10 mpg less than him, so before they took it to a dealer, they switched cars...now the other car got 10 mpg less...guess which one????
As alster said, inflate the tires.
Short trips really cuts mileage, as does cold weather, and A/C usage.
Reset the average mpg monitor for the next trip.
Nobody excels in anything without some effort. In the link below....how long did this little guy practice this before his performance, as shown? Effort...practice...without these two things...no performance....

 

Thanks for the suggestions. To clarify, probably in sport mode like 60% of the time. I'll inflate the tires as that needs to be done. I do think the EV light does not go on when it should-such as braking and decelerating after driving around for awhile (vs. the 2019 Rav4 Hybrid I traded in). I'll see where I'm at in several thousand miles but right now only 30.6 miles overall since I last put the post. Even with my wife driving fast, in sport mode and short trips, can't image it being that low MPG as the advertised 35/36 for the Hybrid.....

 

Even with my wife driving fast, in sport mode and short trips, can't image it being that low MPG as the advertised 35/36 for the Hybrid.....

Actually, 30 - 32 MPG seems reasonable to me given all those variables that you control that are working against getting the 35/36. I know it's easier to think that it's something wrong with the car, but until you've eliminated some of those other variables, it sounds like it's working the way it should.

 

I drive ECO mode all the time, except when towing which has to be normal, except while passing a truck uphill and towing which is in sports mode.

I beat (by a thin margin) the announced rating (in ECO mode only). So there is no free lunch: if you want the power, you have to give up the fuel economy!

 

On fuelly.com our current average mpg with our 2020 Highlander Hybrid / LE/ AWD as been over 42 MPG. Mostly due to speeds usually less than 60 mph. Our main highway is Highway 101 on the Northwest Oregon coast, with speeds limited to 55 MPH. Even if we only obtained and average 30 MPG that would be great gas mileage for a full size 8 passenger SUV / AWD.

 

Well thank you 🙏 for recommendations and took your guidance. Inflated tires to 50 psi, all eco driving and followed tank mpg. I realized some of you may have slightly higher mpg with Fwd Drive vs AWD. Rated 35/35 for AWD. So driving mostly highway 75% wuth 70 mph mostly flat and no major hills or passes getting 32mpg for tank.... some trips avg 35mpg. It’s the short “city” driving that cuts miles! We have mostly hills and it eats up the mpg. All in ECO.... again comparing to my trades in 2019 RAV4 Hybrid so have to get over fact not as efficient.

 

I would strongly recommend not inflating your tires to 50psi. Check the drivers side door sill recommended tire pressure to verify but it's probably 36 psi. Running 50 psi will result in a rough ride, excessive center of the tire wear and poor handling. Anyone who recommends you inflate your tires to the maximum value on the tire sidewall is an idiot.

 

Out of curiosity what mpg were you getting in rav4? I had exact same one which I lemoned for fuel tank issue and with my heavy foot I was getting 30 mpg in city driving

 

We just got a HH Limited AWD and fuel mpg has been about 31 for the first 500 miles. Does it make a difference on which setting you have your trip setting, of the three choices, Trip, Tank or All? Coming from a Prius, I know how to get maximum mpgs and are pretty disappointed in these numbers. Tires are inflated at 41.

 

I'm getting around 31-33 mpg. I think your tire pressure is high. It should be around 36 cold. If it's over inflated, you'll have uneven wear and the car will not handle well.

 

Coast, coast, coast and coast some more There is a real strategy to getting better MPG, use downhills to get some battery charge (if there are any). Cold weather beats up your MPG. Short trips compounds that. Try to combine trips for fewer cold starts. Do all those and keep the top speeds lower (in right lane flowing with traffic when possible and you will get over 40 MPG in summer (without AC)
Try to reach every light where the traffic is almost back up to speed, versus slamming on brakes and then having to use that much more fuel to get back where you just were speed wise.

 

Having had a Prius I do all that and my 4 year average for 70k miles was 56 mpg. My Prius gave better mileage in city driving than highway. I would think the Highlander would be the same? Since Toyota rates it at 35/35 city/highway for AWD model.
Since some manufacturers got sued do to overly inflated mpg figures, many posted lower numbers. It appears Toyota did not do that and perhaps has posted numbers that are not achievable by normal driving habits.

 

The EPA can't wipe it's ass right with directions. When the Wife bought her 2012 Sorento it was the first year for the GDI engine and was rated at 32 highway. First time I drove it for 90 miles I knew that was fraud, I could barely get 32 at 55 MPH. Her current Rogue rated at the same 32 MPG will pull close to 40 at a steady 55 MPH, with the same highway rating. KIA got sued because they fudged the rolling resistance values for their EPA ratings and they got sued and sent refund checks to owners yearly.
It wasn't enough money and did not even address the effect on resale value due to the lower actual MPG figures. Now she is averaging a little over 31 MPG long term, never did a tank to tank fill to fill calculation. I had my ultra gauge calibrated on the ECHO that the 45 days I drove it on 21.9 gallons used 17.5 gallons and the final calculation was 44.57 at the pump and 44.58 on the gauge, for 780 miles in 45 days almost all winter weather.

 

You really should do the calculations by hand, paying attention to how you top off the tank, rather than go by what the computer is estimating. Regarding the topping off method, one way to do it is to let the pump shut off automatically, wait 30-60 seconds, and then pump again. Because it’s hard to tell when the tank is full, you almost have to measure average mpg over several tankfulls.

I’m getting 34.9 mpg over 12K miles over 5 months.

 

Yea good point, I’m going to start using an app to calculate a more accurate number. However, by some post on this forum, the calculator is not usually far off from manual calculations.
Another issue is that the most I’ve gotten on two tanks, is 400 miles to empty. Some get almost 200 miles more. I’ll try top off method. How many gallons do you get in the tank if tank is near empty?

 

I took a trip across the rural Wisconsin the other day when it was 50° calm wind. Had the cruise control set on 56 miles an hour running rural Country Roads and went through a few small towns and some curvy roads slowed me down a little bit to which always adds to the fuel mileage. I am pretty anxious for summertime and summer gasoline which I think will make things even better. 2021 a

d limitted.

 

My first topped-off tank ran for 622 miles (Limited AWD in the Fall, mixed driving on Normal) with DTE of 11 miles left. I was able to get 16.7 gallons in. I think my actual tank capacity may be 18 or 19 gallons as there should be at least 2.5 gallons in reserve.

If you really top it off you can get 2-3 more gallons in after the pump stops. However, I’m not topping off that aggressively anymore due to fear of messing up the evap system.

The DTE reading is usually way off in the beginning. After I filled up the first time, above, the DTE read 463 miles which was underestimated what I actually got by about 150 miles. Set a trip odometer after fill-up and you will see that the sum of your DTE plus miles driven increases a lot as you empty the tank because the error range of the DTE estimate decreases. In Winter driving, the more common tank range is in the low 500s.

 

MPG has nothing to do with how many gallons of gas you put into tank.
There is dedicated thread about inability to fill tank completely.
2 different topics to discuss.
This is poor mpg thread, not can't filll tank thread.

 

I just receive my new 2020 Hybrid limited LE AWD. So far I get around 30-32 MPG running mostly in ECO mode. I think the MPG is really good since i'm in Canada, the temperature right now is between -10 and -20 Celsius. Also, I run a set of agressive winter tires at about 35 psi, that surely affect the MPG. I run all equipment, the heated seat, the HVAC, the windows defroster since its pretty cold outside now. I think the 35+ mpg is doable with summer and optimal condition. I'm overall personally impressed with the MPG for this kind of vehicle, coming from a 2017 4Runner limited that is about the same weight but was getting only lowish 13 mpg.

It will never be a prius, its a big 3 row SUV. Even my little fwd 4cyl RAV4 only get 19 MPG...

 

EPA numbers are numbers given to the EPA after the manufacturers conduct the tests.

Fuelly seems to be pointing towards 32 as the normal mpg.

Would love to know what a 100% interstate run gives you guys. I have to do 2000 miles on interstates every other month so range and mpg matters.

 

EPA numbers are numbers given to the EPA after the manufacturers conduct the tests.

Fuelly seems to be pointing towards 32 as the normal mpg.

Would love to know what a 100% interstate run gives you guys. I have to do 2000 miles on interstates every other month so range and mpg matters.

I got about 43 MPG on a pure interstate day trip a few months ago. My overall average is 35.3 MPG with 5619 total miles driven. My calculated MPG via the CarFax Car Care App is slightly better than the built in trip computer. Another reason to keep track of your fill ups.

 

Hello all,

I purchased a new 2021 Highlander Hybrid XLE AWD back in the beginning of May. Right away I was getting 33mpg as a low and have hit 38mpg as a high per tank. One road trip of about 750miles, about 6 weeks into ownership yielded the following: 28mpg going up a mountain pass, 33mpg in the flats going to two different cities, and then 42mpg coming home down that mountain pass. Our MPG average was about 34 for the whole trip(this was driving at up to 79mph on the highway).
Recently I have not been able to get above 28mpg. The battery stays in the 30% to 60% area of charge consistently. EV mode is almost always unavailable (only try to use it in my neighborhood under 15mph), I just hit 3000 miles on the odo. Tire PSI is 37-38 cold. I have been really trying to baby it to the point my wife gets pissed and still cant get over 29mpg. The driving also feels a little different, like slightly more sluggish.

We have a 2019 Prius and that consistently gets 50mpg (give or take 1mpg), and has never been a problem. I do live in Las Vegas, and our MPG issues started around the same time the temps got above 105 daily (we had a bunch of days over 112). I don't know if high heat comes into play.

We don't use sport mode, just normal mode. My commute is 5 miles of suburban driving(5 stop lights and 45mph), then 27 miles of highway driving at 70mph.

When we do a lot of errand and stop and go driving the MPG gets much worse, like a non-hybrid vehicle. This is not what I experience in my Prius.

Called the dealer, and they got me in for an appointment next week. They did say that it should get better than what I am seeing.

I just wanted to see if anyone may have experienced the same or if any ideas on what may be causing this.

 

Maybe try ECO mode?
We got 8.8l/100km while towing a 3000 pound trailer this summer in normal mode, which is about 26 mpgus, so you number are high (or low, depending on the perspective).

jf

 

When we had a Prius a few years ago, we consistently got 47-49 mpg with relative ease with the stock rolling-resistance tires. When we switched to better handling Michelin tires, it immediately averaged 42-45 mpg. That said, Prius forum members often state that they can get 50-55 mpg easily by being light on the gas pedal. Coast more often. Don't accelerate too hard and fast from a full stop. Also, hybrids always get lower fuel economy on the freeway compared to the city. On road trips up and down CA, I always got only 35-40 mpg in my Prius.

I currently drive a Subaru Crosstrek and am looking to buy the HiHy as soon as the inventory shortage gets better. My Crosstrek usually gets around 28-29 mpg. However, since the pandemic, I've changed my driving habits to the "Prius" style with a "gentle" gas pedal foot. I'm now getting 32-35 mpg on a traditional gas engine with AWD!

The Highlander is a pretty big and heavy SUV. I think if you have the same light footed approach, you can easily get 35-40 mpg as stated here on this forum by many members.

And yes, hybrid cars tend to get lower fuel economy numbers in colder weather (since the engine will run a bit longer to warm up the car) and when you run the A/C in hot weather.

 

2020 Limited AWD, 19,100 miles, 13 months, 30.4 mpg using Fuelly. Eco mode.

 

my new 2021 just rolled over 2800 miles on the odo. overall I am getting about 32. So OP is not far off IMHO. I will never get the 40-ish mpg others are claiming because I live in Texas - land of high speed limits. I can never do 55 in a 70+ speed limit zone. Doing that can get you killed.

 

First - mine is a 2021 Hybrid Platinum with about 6,000 miles on it. I decided to do an experiment to see what the MPG would be if driven in the same Drive Mode from one fill-up to the next. All driving was city and the miles between fill-ups was roughly the same in all cases. Here is what I got. MPG shown was what the car's computer stated and my own calculations, which interestingly enough matched what the computer was showing.

Eco Mode - 35.7 mpg
Normal Mode - 35.5 mpg
Sport Mode - 38.7

The Sport mode results seemed wrong from we all would expect, so I did a second test of Sport mode. Results were the same.

Don't ask me how or why, I don't know. I've been driving in Sport mode ever since and haven't seen any change in results.

 

First - mine is a 2021 Hybrid Platinum with about 6,000 miles on it. I decided to do an experiment to see what the MPG would be if driven in the same Drive Mode from one fill-up to the next. All driving was city and the miles between fill-ups was roughly the same in all cases. Here is what I got. MPG shown was what the car's computer stated and my own calculations, which interestingly enough matched what the computer was showing.

Eco Mode - 35.7 mpg
Normal Mode - 35.5 mpg
Sport Mode - 38.7

The Sport mode results seemed wrong from we all would expect, so I did a second test of Sport mode. Results were the same.

Don't ask me how or why, I don't know. I've been driving in Sport mode ever since and haven't seen any change in results.

You aren't crazy.
I'm seeing the same thing with my Avalon, though maybe not quite as extreme... you're picking up almost 10%.

Sport mode firms up the steering so overall feel is better.
A common theory that I've heard for years is that Eco mode makes the vehicle feel more sluggish, so the driver tends to lay on it a bit more to get the driving feel that they are used to.
It follows that Sport mode would be the opposite... a more spirited response from the vehicle would lead the driver to back off the gas a bit.

I never saw any difference between regular and sport on my '16 Corolla, but the Avalon get maybe 1-2mpg better on average.
And sport mode makes the conservative acceleration when using cruise control a bit more tolerable.

 

Make a 320-mile road trip, running in Sport mode the whole trip. Got 38.1 mpg...and it was confirmed with the fill-up after the trip.

 

I’ll have to try Sport mode for a tank. If there’s no fuel economy penalty then why does it reset each trip vs Eco mode which stays on? I always figured it was required for the EPA mileage rating..