Why does my F150 work truck get better gas mileage than my Taco?

My work truck is a full-sized (double cab) 4X4 Ford F150 with a base V6. It regularly achieves a little over 22.5 mpg combined driving. However, my TRD Tacoma (double cab) barely gets 19 mpg. Both are stock and driven by me only. What gives?

 

Tough to answer without knowing the details and how you're comparing them.

 

Reg cab?

 

Both double cab.

 

Is the F150 an automatic? Is your taco? Agree with @CT Yankee that we need details on driving style and use. Also, the year of the f150 if we’re going to armchair into the land of nitpicking…

 

Dose the f150 have a 10 speed trans?

 

Yes, both are brand new. My taco is a manual and the Ford is a 10-spd automatic. Both are driven about 50/50 highway/city.

 

Toyotas are notoriously detuned for reliability. When an engine isn’t optimized for power output or (to a lesser extent) efficiency, it theoretically thumps along under very little stress. I’ve got a 4.0 MT Taco and get 13-14 mpg with tires and armor on the highway. My buddy’s ‘18 2.7 ecoboost F150 gets 28mpg (stock) on the highway AND makes more power. One of the few losing deals that comes with owning a taco, as much as I love it. We’ll see who’s still on the road in another 150k though.

 

Not really. We all know Toyota de-tunes their engines to keep up the reliability metrics. Almost every half ton pickup gets better fuel economy with more performance than our trucks. It's a trade off if you want longevity vs short term economy. Toyota has always built their vehicles on longevity.
All that being said, I still hate the 3.5 motor and yet I've bought two of them

 

You left out more power as well.

Tires make a difference. when my 2020 was new it go 25.5 mpg, after installing 1/2" larger 10 plys, it dropped tp 21.5 mpg.

The ecoboost turbo also help with mpg. When your on it and in to the boost, the mpg will be worse the the Toy3.5, when cruising out of the turbo, your getting better mpg.

 

Fords F150 base v6 is a 3.3 na v6 producing 290 hp. Very similar in displacement and hp to Tacomas 3.5 278 hp mill. My son replaced a Tacoma 4x4 DC 4l auto with a f150 DC 5l auto. No change in fuel economy. Couple years ago switched to a Ridgeline. Big increase in fuel economy. It's 3.5 l engine produces 280 hp.

 

Ford most likely has 323, or 355 gear ratio, plus 10 speed. Where yours has what 430's

 

Could be a host of factors, but the reality is that trucks are bricks on wheels and they all get mediocre mileage.

 

My 2022 SR5 V6 auto was getting 21-22 before I put the bigger wheels and tires on it. Still less than the Ford but as others have said, the Toyota will likely make it far more miles with far less problems. A similarly equipped Ford F150 was also quite a bit more expensive from what I saw when I was shopping.

 

25 mpg? Not buyin it.

 

I've noticed this too but like others have said, the 3.5 is pretty detuned for reliability it just chugs along doing its thing at the expense of performance and fuel economy. I have a buddy that has an f-150 ext cab 4x4 with the 5.0 and 6spd on 34" tires. He knocks down 15-16mpg when he stays around town and on back country roads and 18-20mpg over the road depending on the speeds. Whereas my 6MT Tacoma on 285/70's gets 13-15mpg on the same back country roads and 15-16mpg on the highway depending on the speed. Heck, my previous truck a 2016 Ram 2500 4x4 6MT diesel averaged 17-19mpg on the highway at 68-75mph. Its just a Tacoma thing I guess lol.

 

I call bs on the 25 mpg.

 

My 2019 Silverado got the same gas milage as my 3rd gen.

 

Imo, the taco being a manual probably has a different axle ratio than the f-150 one which allows the ford better fuel economy. Op didn't say if their truck has been modified in any way like changing the size tires, or lifted which will have an effect on fuel mileage. I think the manual tacoma was built more for off road capability than the f-150 ever was. Also 2 very different truck to make a fair comparison. The sr5 would be a better choice to match up against the f-150 for fuel economy. In good weather i'll get 23 mpg and change with mine doing 40% city, 60% highway.

 

It’s the raptor lights for sure