2021 gas tank size

Recently picked up a TRD Off-road crew cab long bed. I did my research and found it had a 21.1 gallon tank. At the low end of the EPA estimates (18mpg) I thought I might get around 370 miles per tank. I am lucky if I get 320 miles per fill up.

Even worse, on my last fill up, the computer said I would only go 276 until empty!

Besides that, I have never been able to put more than 18.5 gallons in even when I ran it down near zero on purpose.

I am very disappointed. My truck is completely stock. My driving is 70/30% city/highway. I was expecting to get closer to 400+ on a road trip?

Am I lost here. Please discuss

 

welcome aboard

I get 400 per tank. and have a bit to spare.

 

I’m guessing you meant 70% highway 30% city?

 

They are all like that.

 

0 miles to empty is just about 1-2 gallons left.
You got a truck that is performing within normal parameters. No surprises here

 

Correct, for years manufacturers have been building in a hidden reserve* because of so many drivers not filling their tank until its on 'E'.

* By hidden reserve, there is not actual hidden gas, the manufacturer just calibrates the fuel gauge to read empty when there is still at least two gallons left in the tank.

 

Yeah you usually have a 50 mile buffer (give or take) once you hit 0. Figure you have around 2 gallons left and you can't actually use all 21.1 as there is no way to use every last drop plus I think it's bad for the fuel pump to run too empty as the fuel cools the pump.

I've kind of mastered the Kramer style of driving it till I absolutely need to get gas and I can get around 400-420 miles per tank but I have a 4 banger so doesn't really help you.

 

Or like my car, 5 gallons left when the light comes on... At 30mpg, that's 150 miles I can go after the light comes on.

 

Because there is a good portion of the population that fills up at 0, and toyota doesn’t want to leave them stranded because they will fault anyone but their stupid selves.

 

How many gallons are you putting back into your tank after you get about 320 miles on a tank? If you put in about 18 (which is what I usually put in mine after my fuel light has been on for a little while), then that means you are getting about 18 MPG (18x18=324). You have a 21 gallon tank, but you always have 2-3 gallons left once the fuel light comes on in a Toyota. If you add the miles you can actually go while your fuel light is on, to the 320ish miles you normally get out of a “tank” then you are actually getting right around the 370 you expected.

 

If you have an Auto it needs to learn you driving habits so your MPG may improve. Also with an Auto make sure the ECT button is off if you want higher MPG.

 

Ease off the gas and slow down. When I first got my truck, I was still driving like I was in my little Impreza, which got 33mpg cruising 75 on the highway. Doing that in the Tacoma was netting me about 18-20mpg all around. Dropped my cruise speed down, accelerating slower, and now I'm getting 21mpg all around, up to 24 if I'm on the highway more.

 

This is it!
Remember, we now have to protect the stupid, welcome to today.

 

Who else has a wife that doesn't fill up until the needle is pinned in the red? lol

 

wut don't you remember idiot lights?

 

I do, but the old fuel lights went on when you had 2 gallons left, not 4 or 5.

 

I do not, but my brother does. My sister in law does it constantly, and even worse, will take his car and leave her empty van without saying anything.

 

Miles/ tank is useless information. The only meaningful yardstick is the MPG's. If you're driving 320 miles on 18.5 gallons of gas that means 17.3 mpg. You still have 2.6 gallons in your tank. At that rate you can technically still drive another 45 miles until the engine dies. Or 365 miles, pretty close to your original estimate.

And you might just do that. You're 70/30 city/hwy driving is where you're going to get the worst fuel mileage. On a road trip you may well get 22-23 mpg. If you get 22 mpg and fill up at 18.5 gallons that is 407 miles.

While there is still about 2.5 gallons in your tank when the fuel gauge gets to "E" there are a lot of reasons to not wait that long. I rarely do so, but last week I waited until the fuel warning light came on. I drove another 20 miles to the gas station 1/2 mile from home. When I pulled in their system was down and they couldn't take cards. I didn't have cash, and not enough gas to get to the next station. I drove home and poured 5 gallons in the tank from a fuel can.

Once you get to the last 1-2 gallons the engine could die if you drive up, or down an incline when all of the remaining gas goes to one end of the tank and may not be picked up by the fuel pump.

I've been stuck in traffic before for hours in August heat with the AC running while major car crashes were cleared on the road too. Several cars around me ran out of gas that day.