My driving typically consists of early morning start-up - followed by many more thoughout the day - but normally the engine never cools down enough for the 'blue' light to come on. So, maybe 10 (probably fewer) startups spread out across the 175 mile average daily drive.

 

WOW!!! I consistantly get about 33-35mpg. The other week when gas prices were over $3/gal I babied it and was able to squeeze out 38mpg. I am also running Mobile1 synthetic oil. Not sure if that really helps or not, but I was told it reduced friction more then conventional oil, thus helping the engine run better, in turn improving gas mileage.

 

by less tire wear i meant. less tire life. the tire's wear is signifigantly accellerated.

 

If I prematurely wear out the edges by inflating them lower than is recommended by the tire manufacturer, how am I getting less tire life by inflating them to the max recommended pressure and getting even wear/life across the width of the tread?
I'm not arguing - just asking for clarification.

 

i think we're getting confused here... the MAX tire pressure listed on the tires (44 psi) is the MAX ALLOWABLE pressure you can put in the tire... on the car itself, i think in the door jamb, is a sticker which lists toyota's recommended tire pressure... which i believe is 29 psi... that is the RECOMMENDED tire pressure for the xB... 29 psi is chosen by toyota as the ideal weight factoring in handling, safety, comfort, weight, cargo etc (i'm assuming)...

29 psi being the toyota recommended pressure, 44 psi would be considered overinflating... therefore, the centers of the tread would wear out faster...

 

your problem is that your tire size is messing up your odo.

 

possibly, if they don't rev it high to hear the 'sound' ;) i guess it is his rims then that is doing it.

 

if my tires are stamped 44, id run them between 35-40. If you want to fine tune handling then you can have the front higher than rear for a little less understeer. check them often, i know i've been lazy lately ;P

 

Supercharged with I, H, E, Plugs, Synthetic Oil, 17"rims:

I get to 220-235 miles and light comes on. Fill up usually around 9.5-9.8 gallons at that point.

Roughly 25mpg, that is driving with a heavy foot, 75%HWY 25% City

Best I have gotten after the supercharger was abou 28 mpg on a long trip.

Kinda sux but I wouldn't lose my s/c!

 

moving to power hungry

 

Mine is used for business... a lot of short hauls, pick and delivery that sort of thing and I get 30+ all the time with a stock setup, manual.... just had to gloat!

 

So wait, I'm really getting more? or less lol. I know sure I get pretty far though, because I do quite a bit of driving. Also. I have the issue of having the cold engine light coming on often. When I drop off my siblings, go to work, leave work, leave the beach after a surf. When I go driving, It's rarely for more than 15 minutes of driving. Everywhere I need to go is within 10 miles of where I live, and no more than 15 minutes away including traffic.

 

BTW the blue cold engine light goes out somewhere between 135-140 degrees coolant temp. Just FYI Mine will be staying on longer pretty soon since I'm in Alaska and winter is on its way! Will be interesting to see what my mileage is then! [/quote]

 

05 Auto with a K&N air intake
Avg: about 33.5 miles per gallon
worst ever: 28.5 mpg
best: 37mpg

As for time though, when I get in my car it's ususally for no less then 40 mintues. This is both City and high way driving mixed in the washington DC area.

I don't know if it matters or not but I use Premium Gas. Some people say it doesn't matter what grade it is and there is no reason for me to use it. The Owners Manual said to experiment with other grades of gas, so I did. I did this after like 600 or 700 miles and I started getting better Averages since. In fact since using Premium and added a cold air intake. I have never had a tank of gas fall below 30 miles per gallon and it's been a while since that happened. I use the A/C on and off and Keep up with traffic.

Probably nobody cares, it's just my 2 cents on the matter.

 

If you want to see EXACTLY what the contact pattern on your tire looks like, make a wide chalk mark across the width of the tread. Drive a little, then check to see what part of the chalk rubbed off.

 

Pumping high octane premium into the xB is really silly. I've never had a tank fall below 31 miles per gallon and it is just keeps getting better. I do a city/highway mix of driving of about 60% highway and 40% ciry.

I use regular 87 octane fuel.

Your engine needs to get 3,000 to 5,000 miles on it before you should even really bother much measuring fuel economy. Don't sweat it.

You do not need to waste your money on high octane fuel.

 

hmmm, I only have 1k on my box and my worst tank was 32mpg.

 

The Low-Down on High Octane Gasoline

Are you tempted to buy a high octane gasoline for your car because you want to improve its performance? If so, take note: the recommended gasoline for most cars is regular octane. In fact, in most cases, using a higher octane gasoline than your owner's manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It won't make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner. Your best bet: listen to your owner's manual.

The only time you might need to switch to a higher octane level is if your car engine knocks when you use the recommended fuel. This happens to a small percentage of cars.

Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money, too. Premium gas costs 15 to 20 cents per gallon more than regular. That can add up to $100 or more a year in extra costs. Studies indicate that altogether, drivers may be spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year for higher octane gas than they need.

What are octane ratings?
Octane ratings measure a gasoline's ability to resist engine knock, a rattling or pinging sound that results from premature ignition of the compressed fuel-air mixture in one or more cylinders. Most gas stations offer three octane grades: regular (usually 87 octane), mid-grade (usually 89 octane) and premium (usually 92 or 93). The ratings must be posted on bright yellow stickers on each gasoline pump.

What's the right octane level for your car?
Check your owner's manual to determine the right octane level for your car. Regular octane is recommended for most cars. However, some cars with high compression engines, like sports cars and certain luxury cars, need mid-grade or premium gasoline to prevent knock.

How can you tell if you're using the right octane level? Listen to your car's engine. If it doesn't knock when you use the recommended octane, you're using the right grade of gasoline.

Will higher octane gasoline clean your engine better?
As a rule, high octane gasoline does not outperform regular octane in preventing engine deposits from forming, in removing them, or in cleaning your car's engine. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that all octane grades of all brands of gasoline contain engine cleaning detergent additives to protect against the build-up of harmful levels of engine deposits during the expected life of your car.

Should you ever switch to a higher octane gasoline?
A few car engines may knock or ping - even if you use the recommended octane. If this happens, try switching to the next highest octane grade. In many cases, switching to the mid-grade or premium-grade gasoline will eliminate the knock. If the knocking or pinging continues after one or two fill-ups, you may need a tune-up or some other repair. After that work is done, go back to the lowest octane grade at which your engine runs without knocking.

Is knocking harmful?
Occasional light knocking or pinging won't harm your engine, and doesn't indicate a need for higher octane. But don't ignore severe knocking. A heavy or persistent knock can lead to engine damage.

Is all "premium" or "regular" gasoline the same?
The octane rating of gasoline marked "premium" or "regular" is not consistent across the country. One state may require a minimum octane rating of 92 for all premium gasoline, while another may allow 90 octane to be called premium. To make sure you know what you're buying, check the octane rating on the yellow sticker on the gas pump instead of relying on the name "premium" or "regular."

For More Information
If you're concerned about the accuracy of an octane label - or if you don't see a yellow octane sticker on a gasoline pump, write: Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

 

I use regular old 87 octane, 35 psi in the tires. Header is aftermarket, and stock cat-back. Intake plumbing is original with factory air box, drive about 60% hwy/ 40% city and i see normally around 32-34 mpg driving at 70 on freeway and shift points around 2500 rpm. Also as a sidenote I use synthetic mobil 1 motor oil and mobil 1 75W90 gear lube in the gearbox. Although I have seen my box reach a s high as 40 mpg on long trips.

 

the reason you are getting poor gas mileage is because you aren't giving your xB enough gas with the throttle. If you bog down your engine with low RPMs your engine has to work harder to move your vehicle. Thus needing more gas to move. Yes, it is using more gas than if you would actually give it some gas. You shouldn't be driving in that low of RPMs unless: you are still within your first 500 miles (break-in period), you are stuck in traffic, or you are cruising in 5th gear at a speed under 60 MPH.