2014 Nissan Titan Mileage, 5.6L V8 (don't laugh too hard!)

[ghengis86]

Hello All,

Before you bust a gut laughing or letting me know how inefficient this beast is...I know already! Been a longtime lurker, reader and enjoyer of this site.

However, I noticed a deficit in truck threads, so I started this one and will update from time to time so that any poor soul who actually buys this truck will know what you're actually getting into.

First, this is a work truck and I didn't purchase it nor pay for the gas. I would have gotten that new Ram with the little turbo diesel if I had to buy a truck on my own.

Second, I drive city/rural/expressways in the midwest and will occasionally make the 1000+ mile trip for work.

Third, here's what Big Brother says the truck gets:
http://fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2...an_Titan.shtml

Gas Mileage of 2014 Nissan Titan

I've got the crew cab, 4x4, so I should expect 12city/17hwy/14comb. Completely stock vehicle, no modifications right now.

I have to record my mileage and fuel anyhow, so I figured I could at least post some relevant info.

"Normal" driving habits, 50/50 city/highway, I'm averaging ~15.36 mpg. This is not paying particular attention to street light timing, coasting as much as possible, etc. Not drag racing from a light either, but not too conservative in my book.

"pseudo-hypermiler" driving habits, 50/50 city/highway ~16.79. This is over a couple tanks, over the same routes this fall. I call it 'pseudo' because I could still do better on my driving techniques, but overall this is accelerating more smoothly, paying attention to lights/stale greens, coasting to intersections, reduced overall max speed, etc. I was pretty happy to get a 9.3% increase in mpg and ~33 more miles per tank with some pretty basic driving technique modification.

200+ mile highway trip averaging ~80-85mph I was ~12.8 mpg. I was running late to an event and had to lay the hammer down. I think I could actually see the gas needle moving down...not recommended!

200+ mile highway trip averaging ~70-75mph ~16.30

I'll be making another 200+mile trip and will try to keep it between 60-65mph. This is probably the sweet spot for making decent time on a long trip and getting the best mpg while not getting run over by the semi-trucks. I'll let you know what happens.

As the thread progresses, I'll try to update with more and more info on engine RPM, gears/gearing, tire pressure, ABAB mileage calculating runs, etc. Everything above is semi-scientific, so it's a pretty good place to start for general info. I hope to help others by detailing my experiences, much as I have been assisted from reading the forum in the past!

Cheers!

[CAPTAIN CHAOS]

I too own a big, evil, gas-sucking monstrosity (Ford Expedition) but I use it primarily for towing our camper and occasional family trips. Having 3 boys means the extra room (ie; the kids don't have to be 'touching' each other) is sometimes worth the tradeoff in mpg's. Lol!
The daily drivers for the wife and I are considerably more 'frugal' though. As much as I love our Expedition the though of driving that every day (and filling that gas tank) makes me queasy.


Getting close to 17mpg in mixed city/hwy is actually pretty good for something that size.
Keep working on your timing and on developing a 'feather-foot' and I don't think 18-19 is out of the question.
A little tip; coasting cannot be over estimated. It works miracles for mpgs so utilize it as much as possible. Work on extending out your coasting distances, which should be easy since you seem to have a semi-set route.

As far as the highway; leave earlier and drive slower if possible. That 85mph run you made was horrifying!
My best advice there is to drive slower (duh) and maybe find a big truck (semi, delivery van, etc) to tuck behind and follow on highway trips. Even without resorting to 'drafting', following a large truck can easily be worth 1-2mpg's.

[ghengis86]

Thanks for the input!

Yes, the top speed run wasn't the smartest for mpg.

Trying to adjust habit/route so that I can go easy on the stupid pedal. I think I could hit close to 20 mpg on the highway at 55mph. At that speed I'm only spinning ~1300 rpms. Need to get an ultra gauge or something similar. I forget which sticky thread it is, but I need to go over some basics with regard to tire pressure, fluids, etc.

[Baltothewolf]

Most of us on ecomodder don't care if you drive a gas guzzler. This site is about how much you can beat EPA ratings and having fun eco-driving. Hell, I drive a '91 Mustang and getting only 14mpg!

[UltArc]

The worse the mileage, the better the challenge!

If one of these lottery tickets works, my next garage entry will either be an FF or a GT500...and me ecomodding the crap out of it!

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by ghengis86

Need to get an ultra gauge or something similar.

Absolutely. But doesn't the truck have a factory gauge?

Also, a nit to pick...

here's what Big Brother says the truck gets

Actually, that's what NISSAN says the truck gets. Whether they follow the spirit/letter of the testing methodology laid out by the EPA is another matter!

Another thing I like to point out when people talk about improving the fuel economy of thirsty vehicles is: the apparently small differences between "trying" and "not trying" can be misleadingly small on the "MPG" scale. When in fact going from 14 to 15.5 MPG represents a significant savings in volume of fuel burned (as opposed to going from, say 44 to 45.5).

Sounds like you're having fun, anyway, and that's always a good goal.

Welcome to the forum!

[ghengis86]

The truck has a factory 'gauge' that can display 'real time MPGs', which is t accurate but helpful to gauge efficiency. It also compiles mpg data over time, which again isn't accurate compared to the hard numbers but a good qualitative measurement. I was looking to get an UltraGauge that gives me more precise RPM data, engine/trans temps, etc. I still don't understand why manufactures don't include a diagnostic readout of what the ECM is already collecting rather than analog gauges. For example, my LR3 temp gauge needle was either in the "OK" range or "meltdown", even though the ECM was reading exact engine coolant temp. The logic was just a simple, "if <220, then needle position at OK. If >220, then needle position to HOT and turn on warning light on dashboard". That always bothers me


Ok, latest update; a longer highway trip at 60-65 and about 30% surface streets with moderate driving habits, I returned ~16.98 mpg. I was hoping to break into the 17's. I know I can still improve on coasting up to intersections/stops. Plus I'll need an oil change soon and will revisit the synthetics, filters, tire pressure, etc. but we're getting into the winter blends of petrol, so another factor too consider.

I'll update accordingly

Thanks for te input, advice and comments;much appreciated!

Cheers

[JRMichler]

Cooler temperatures kill mileage. So does rain, snow, headwinds, and cross winds. See my fuel log for a good example of the effect of temperature.

Spend the winter working on technique, the results will become obvious next summer.

[ghengis86]

Originally Posted by JRMichler

Cooler temperatures kill mileage. So does rain, snow, headwinds, and cross winds. See my fuel log for a good example of the effect of temperature.

Spend the winter working on technique, the results will become obvious next summer.

Re temp; why is that and why so dramatic? Cold tranny fluid and increased driveline resistance? Too much engine cooling and reduced combustion efficiency? I thought that winter gas blends had less energy per liter than summer too.

/curious

[MetroMPG]

I'm sure you're already in winter blend.

And of course the falling temperatures are going to be making things tougher in general -- "peak MPG season" is well past for another year for most of us in northern climes.