Anyone gets >40mpg consistently in his/her xb?

[xbUser]

Hi! I want to know if anyone gets over 40mpg consistently in their scion xb. If you do, would you please share your driving technique and mod?


My FE history:
30mpg - normal driving at 80mph in freeway
32mpg - driving at 70mph in freeway
35mpg - pump up tires to 40psi, driving at 70mpgh, coasting downhill in neutral, traffic light planning, gentle acceleration
38mpg - everything is same, except driving <= 65mph.

My 2004 scion xb is everything in stock.

[SVOboy]

Welcome to ecomodder! I've definitely heard of people getting 40+ mpg in the xB. Consider some simple ecomods and some instrumentation,

[IndyIan]

We just got 48MPG out of a 2005 manual toyota echo(same drivetrain I believe). It's my friends car, we drove about 300 miles of pretty much highway at 60mph, we drafted abit but it didn't really show any benefits on the scangauge which was a surprise. It would consistently cruise at around 50MPG at 60 mph.
Try going slower and it might really pay off.
Ian

[whokilledthejams]

I've been averaging 33mpg in my 04 xB (with a best-tank of 34.5 where I never cracked 50mph or shifted over 2k). Other than claims on forums as to such, I've noticed, are just that: claims on forums. It's always 'oh, I shift at 3k and have my tires at 29psi. what's your problem?'

I don't doubt that 40mpg is possible, I just don't think it's that easy, especially with a stock vehicle. 40mpg could probably be done with low speeds, extreme hypermiling and aggressive aeromods.

@IndyIan: the Echo is, mechanically, identical to the xA and xB, but smaller, lighter, has a lower cD, and was available without power steering. It's vastly more efficient than an xB. The xA is much closer to the Echo in terms of configuration and dimensions, and efficiency follows as such.


Granted, I still can't complain about 33mpg on average-- in the Subaru Impreza I had previously, I was really happy with 25mpg in town and 30 on the highway.

[trikkonceptz]

If EOC is to dangerous for you to consider, then I agree, slow down to 55 or 60 and perhaps increase tire pressure to side wall max or 50 psi if you feel comfortable.

Also consider lowering the B and blocking off the mid grille on the B. Also if you shut off the B while sitting at a stop and perhaps give up drive thrus that alone may push you over the 40 mark ..

[xbUser]

I don't feel safe to EOC, since 90% are freeway driving. I can't afford to make one mistake, and that definitely will scare my passengers.

Driving 65mph is the slowest vehicle on the bayarea freeway. Even the big trucks pass me. I can't find one for drafting.... Driving down to 60mph maybe dangerous and selfish when others are driving >70mph.

I also tried tire pressure to 48psi, I feel the great loss of brake power. I am trying 44psi, which is acceptable.

I don't think blocking the grille has a big effect since now is summer. The car warm up very quick. Aeromod the bumper may take too much work for additional 2mpg.....

Few more things I am trying in this tank: 1) shift below 2k (5th @35mph) and accelerate very slowly. 2) Now, I am using AC 20% of freeway driving. Hopefully, the temperature won't go up to 100F again, so I can drive without turning AC on. 3) pump up the tires to 44psi from 40psi.

Any scion xb owner has scangauge? what is the best speed/gear combination in city and freeway?

[cfg83]

IndyIan -

Originally Posted by IndyIan

We just got 48MPG out of a 2005 manual toyota echo(same drivetrain I believe). It's my friends car, we drove about 300 miles of pretty much highway at 60mph, we drafted abit but it didn't really show any benefits on the scangauge which was a surprise. It would consistently cruise at around 50MPG at 60 mph.
Try going slower and it might really pay off.
Ian

Yup, slow down where you can. Even though the drivetrains may be the same, the Xb(oxy) shape hurts it on the freeway.

Also, EOC and Pulse-and-Glide don't work as well with the Xb because the "coasts and glides" don't have the same payback, .

You can still get great MPG in the Xb, it's just a tougher nut to crack.

CarloSW2

[Arminius]

You don't have to do EOC, but shifting into neutral will almost get the same results. Seriously, I think I could get 40 mpg in the summer on almost any small car doing that, along with testing and picking the best routes.

[Daox]

I agree with Arminius. Use pulse and glide, but use engine on coasting if your uncomfortable with engine off (although once you're used to it its invaluable, even for freeway driving IMO). That alone should bring you pretty close to 40 I would think. I've heard reports of xBs getting mid 40s with the combination of a few other techniques and no mods.

I would disagree that the grill block will do nothing for you in summer. Its still an aerodynamic modification and at freeway speeds its even more important. Also, do not accelerate slowly. Thats a good starting technique, but if you want more mileage you'll have to change that. Use a lot of throttle (1/2 to 3/4 normally) and shift so you keep rpms under 3000. This is generally the most efficient acceleration.

[whokilledthejams]

@Daox- I agree that the grille block helps. I blocked off half of my grille, and gained 1-2mpg with about an hour's worth of work.

I still need more mpg... and I have to check my tire pressure...

The other problem with the xB is the short gear ratios, especially compared to it's Echo relative. It makes the 1NZ-FE peppy in town, but high strung at highway speeds.

[xbUser]

Thanks for your advise. I will block the grille with duct tape in my next tank. See how much improvement it can achieve.
whokilledthe jams: pump up your tires. 29psi is too low. It hurts more than 10%. Try 40psi if you don't want to go to max. 44psi. By the way, can you show me the picture of how you block the grille? Duct tape is only for temporary use.

[Arminius]

I don't even P&G. I just look for every opportunity to shift into neutral without upsetting the flow of traffic. I've planned the best routes and studied the hills and potential stops. I'm guessing that 10% of every trip to work and back is coasting. The shortest coast distance is 1/8 of a mile, and the longest is 1.2 miles, every day.

[whokilledthejams]

Originally Posted by xbUser

Thanks for your advise. I will block the grille with duct tape in my next tank. See how much improvement it can achieve.
whokilledthe jams: pump up your tires. 29psi is too low. It hurts more than 10%. Try 40psi if you don't want to go to max. 44psi. By the way, can you show me the picture of how you block the grille? Duct tape is only for temporary use.

I run at 42psi. You misread what I wrote before, or I wasn't clear. Either way, my point was that lots of people claim to regularly see 40mpg in unmodified xBs, though when asked how they do it, they claim they aren't doing anything, that's just how they drive-- while shifting at 3k with 29psi in their tires.

I made a post about my grille blocking adventure:
I scored some coroplast today!
I gained ~1.5mpg or so from it. Not a bad return from about two hours of tinkering, and about $8 worth of fasteners. In a week or two, I'll see how it affected my in-town driving.

I still need a Scangauge.

[xbUser]

whokilledthejams: I saw your link. You did a fantastic job!! I saw your xB has racing disc wheel cover. Does it help in saving gas? I am thinking of buying a set. I found a website selling $70.

[xbUser]

By the way, I reached half of my goal today. 251.8miles/6.268gal = 40.17mpg!! I believe pumping 4psi more and using less A/C help. My another half goal is making 40mpg consistent.

[dremd]

[quote=whokilledthejams;44017 Either way, my point was that lots of people claim to regularly see 40mpg in unmodified xBs, though when asked how they do it, they claim they aren't doing anything, that's just how they drive-- while shifting at 3k with 29psi in their tires. [/QUOTE]


I find a lot of people lying about their MPG; it seems to be a state of denial.

Recent instances
2001 Power stroke 4wd, auto, big tires, shorter gears, camper top, tune, big exhaust, drives with cruise set at 75~77 gets 27~29 mpg. I'm sure that Big dave can tell us that that is baloney.

Buddies 240 sx Used to get (when asked) about 30. Now (when asked) gets about 20~21. Buying an Xb now . . .

I just think of it as part of Denial; don't let it bug you.

[IndyIan]

Wow, I am surprised that there is that much difference in MPG from the Echo to the Xb. This was an echo hatch back with power steering and running the AC for 2/3 of the trip.

We didn't get a chance to fill up the car again so this is a scangauge number and it maybe off by a couple MPG. My scangauge is usually right on for my Neon fill up but it could be off for an Echo.

Maybe the gear ratios are different for the Echo hatch and the Xb? I would assume the Echo sedan would be even more aerodynamic that the hatch as it has abit more of a tear drop shape before it has flow seperation. I have another friend with an Echo sedan that is automatic but on the highway it shouldn't matter much, I'll have to go for a ride in it with the scanguage and see what its like.
Ian

[xbUser]

You are right. Echo only weighs 2055lb, xB is 2425lb. xB is using celica transmission, which has much closer gear ratio, hence, more torque in city acceleration, but busier (higher rpm) in highway. Also, the shape is not that aerodynamic, close to the SUV; it is higher than normal sedan (bigger facial area) All that add up poor highway EPA. Its city EPA is not too bad.

[whokilledthejams]

Originally Posted by xbUser

whokilledthejams: I saw your link. You did a fantastic job!! I saw your xB has racing disc wheel cover. Does it help in saving gas? I am thinking of buying a set. I found a website selling $70.

Thanks. The Moon discs don't provide any benefit that I can perceive. I bought them originally because I like the look. They certainly can't hurt. Mine are aluminum, and the Mooneyes brand, so they were pretty pricey ($~130), but from what I hear, they fit better (i.e., don't fall off) than the steel knockoff that JCWhitney and the like sell. Granted, they're also fairly fragile and easy to scratch, but shine up nice with a coat of wax.

[NeilBlanchard]

Hello,

The two things working against the xB vs the Echo, is gearing (at highway speeds, the revs are high, right?) and the aerodynamics are probably the most important thing by far. Compare my xA to the Echo, and the largest difference is probably gearing -- my best MPG is 46.69 -- and that is with some aero mods...