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.