Fuel consumption survey (3.5L Kluger)

[PeterEC]

I'm going back a bit in time I know but having recently joined I'd still like to comment. This is regarding Cookies query in December 2007 about using LPG for her AWD Grande.

For anyone considering this move who hasn't used LPG in a car before, have a think about the following:

In every service station, there is usually only 1 LPG pump. I found it a pain in the neck having to wait in line nearly every time before I could use it. The fuel connection between pump and car is a screw on and you have to line it up just right. Try it when you are in a hurry with people banked up behind you.

The fuel is cheaper but you don't get as many kilometres to the litre.

They don't tell you that your new system requires serviceing just as the engine in your car does so you are up for double the service costs.

You lose luggage space.

You need to run a tank of petrol through your car once a month to keep things on an even keel.

To stop your valves from burning out, you pay another couple of hundres dollars to have an oil injector mounted so that it squits or drips oil into the fuel at regualr intervals. The oil costs a 'million dollars' or seems to and comes in a 1 litre container if I remember right.

And lastly, I had this system mounted in my 80 series Landcruiser and stuffed the engine within 12 months. The Toyota workshop foreman just shook his head when he saw it and told me not to bother doing anything with it but just get rid of the car.

I took his advice and bought a new Kluger KXS. That was back in November 2007. Anyway, it's probably some food for thought even if things have changed these days.

[CROCO]

The biggest problem with using gas is voiding warranty, when I say warranty I mean factory warranty, not the bloke who installed your gas conversion, not his warranty.

The price of gas here dubbo where I live has skyrocked, I think the last time I looked it was 98.9 cents a litre, so the time you add up all the cost of getting the conversion done, the oil squirters, the oil, the chance ruining your engine, voiding your warranty, personly I would give the gas a miss .

I dont think your any better of using gas.

[OZchris]

Picked up a 2012 KX-S today. We did a quick run to Phillip Island and back; approx 240km - averaged 10.0 litres/100km according to the computer.

[CROCO]

just came back from newcastle and averaged 8.7l100, thats pretty good especialy when Im not the most slowest drivers, people who know me will tell you ,klugers are simply amazing on fuel, especialy for a 2ton v6 wagon. .

[Yenchy]

I have had a 2004 CVX since new and have recorded every drop of fuel put into it since I bought it. Current mileage = 228,000K I use an excel spreadsheet for calculations and it has averaged 14.19L per 100K since new.

Does country 30%

Normal City 30% (if anything about Sydney can be called normal)

Kids to school - local shops etc (worse scenario) 40%

Before I retired and started kids thing it was getting 13.8L 100K

Stopped using unleaded after about 5,000K - Too much pinging

Now use only 98RON unless only 95RON available in country.

Tyres set at 40PSI coldish

Pirelli Scorpion - Road tyres

Usual occupants 1.3

Junk always carried in car - about 4K

Driving style - Getting slower in old age but always to speed limit with occasional burst., I use 4th and 3rd a lot on hills

It achieves <10L per 100K on long trips and it is usually full - 4 adults and four big bags

Car has never looked like giving trouble except for 1 wheel bearing and one window clamp needing replacement.

Happy motoring guys and girls

Cheers

Yenchy

[bisdake]

Consistent 8.4 li / 100kms on highway.

[Klugersaurous]

Just done my first refuel on the kluger. Done 500km on a full tank. Mostly around town. No highway driving. Good?

[11/16Aurion 12Kluger]

KX-R 2WD

I'm half way through my second tank now Kevin.

The first full tank was supplied by the dealer and I am not sure if they put in premium or regular unleaded?

That first tank took me 580 km and whilst the gauge was very much at the bottom of the scale the fuel warning still had not come on. The readout said it still had a range of 120km remaining!! This is with 2/3 city and 1/3 freeway and a lot of cold short runs in that mix. The refil took 58lt and that matched the readout of 10/100 exactly.

As the Kluger is so powerful I tend to drive it like a granny... letting the speed build up rather than rapid acceleration all the time, there is no need to push it.

When I refilled it I put in Shell Unleaded and it still runs well it is just not as good as what the dealer used. I must find out what they use. Toyota don't make petrol do they??? :-(

So far with the Shell it is returning the same figures.

Will try some Caltex premium next time.

Why would you bother with a oil burner when these things are so economical?

Edited June 3, 2012 by KX-R & ACV40R

[CROCO]

Thats better than I got, 580kms out of 58 litres is really good mate, I filled mine up on friday and it took 63 litres on 546kms, my warning light came on at 35kms remaining it has done this the last three times, my biggest problem is probadly my right foot, I try and beat your economy barney.

The last vechicles I bought from toyota dealerships they put caltex in it, I guess what servo is the closest.

I found the best fuel for economy was shell vpower, but I still like bp fuel the best, I find the car feels more responsive and revs out better, especialy with bp ultimate.

[Klugersaurous]

Barney, that is superb! Did I mention mine was AWD too? That may explain the low milage too.... I somehow like v power but just stick to the ron91. I was told before that the price difference between a ron91 and ron98 is not worth the difference in milage. Anyone been able to tabulate that?

[11/16Aurion 12Kluger]

I was told before that the price difference between a ron91 and ron98 is not worth the difference in milage. Anyone been able to tabulate that?

I know that with my 07 Camry 4 cyl it seems to run better and give better economy on std unleaded (non e10). I had a yr 2000 v6 Camry before that and it preferred the premium... you could definitely notice it in that car.

It must be something to do with the different engine?? or even the ecu settingsl??

Keen to see the difference with the next fill up with premium in the Kluger.

Yes Kevin... I find it hard to believe Toyotas figure of only .5 of a lt /100k difference between the 2wd and awd. Powering all that extra drive train and 2 more wheels must take it's toll? Subarus are well known for being a bit thirsty just for that exact reason.

I'm half way through my 2nd tank.. caltex unleaded non e10 and it is delivering the similar milage to last tank. Showing 10.1. Definitely not as spirited with the unleaded though.. they must have put premium in it at the dealership.

David " I try and beat your economy barney" >>> LOL... mate I drive like a granny most of the time.. you will be causing traffic jams everywhere if you try to beat my figures... :D :D :D

I drive in the left lane that much people try to wave me down as a govt bus.

I will admit I do give it a kick now and then just to feel the G force and the roar.... it's good for the circulation and I get the "Kluger grin". B)

I wondered today when I gave it a little extra oomph taking off that it must seem odd for those behind you to see a car that size just disappear into the distance like some F1 car?

Cheers all.

[RICE RACING]

Klugersaurous you need to read my mega thread front to back, best talk about fuel consumption, oil, performance and everything to do with proper testing of the kluger mate.

[11/16Aurion 12Kluger]

2012 Kluger KX-R 2WD

Just returned from a 2000k round trip Newcastle to Brisbane. Most of the way it returned 8.3/100k constant.

On the road from Surfers to Caboolture the consumption dropped dramatically to low 7's and for the last 50k or so was steady on 7.0/100k travelling at 100-110kph.

This is brilliant for the size of the motor and the weight it carries.

The only load onboard was myself and my luggage and some junk so that would make a difference. I would not expect these figures with 4 passengers and a heap of luggage.

The car is a dream to drive on long distance, everything is so effortless and very comfortable.

I used Caltex premium going up and BP Ultimate on the return journey. The car did seem to respond better to the BP Ultimate but returned similar consumption figures.

Around here it seems that Caltex unleaded and premium are the same thing so i wont be wasting my money on caltex premium any more but will buy BP Ultimate whenever possible.

Edited June 17, 2012 by KX-R & ACV40R

[11/16Aurion 12Kluger]

Pic of the readout for the last 50k on Brisbanes better roads..

[CROCO]

Barney thats brilliant, I reckon yours is the best economy that I have read so far on this thread and I reckon it would be hard to beat, I dont think anyone has got as good as economy as you, we should se if any one can match it or beat , but I would doubt anyone could, the best I have acheived is 7.5L100 and thats going down the blue mountains beetween 75 to 80kmh with the missus and my self and one suit case.

BP ultimate is all I use in the kluger , I swear by it, the car runs smoother and idles smoother and revs out better.

The kluger is absolute surprise package with fuel economy conserned, I went with a mate to sydney, he took his ra4 4cylinder, I took my kluger, we both drove the same distance and same speed and same route I followed him all the way, we both filled our fuel tanks up at the same time before we left and filled up before we left and my kluger used less fuel than the rav4, we swapped cars, he drove the kluger for a while and I drove the rav4, I certainly wont be swapping the rav4 for the kluger any time soon, I didnt exspect it to go as well as the kluger being a 4 cylinder, but once you jump into another car you realize how well the klugers 3.5v6 actually go, the ra4 didnt like climbing the mountains with all rugrats and all gear we had and my mate left me for dead going up the mountains driving my kluger and especially overtaking, I nearly didnt make around a semi overtaking I didnt think it would take that long to overtake, I had to wrestle my mate to get my keys off him, he thinking of buying a kluger now, I have never owned a car that delivers that kind of power and economy, the closest car matching the kluger would have to be the prado, it delivered outstanding economy for a 4wd, I could average the late 9s early 10s on a trip and around town 12 and 13 L100, the kluger can average under 9L100 on a trip easly and the most mine it will use around town is 12L100, those v6 vvti engines rule, my love affair with toyota v6 engines will continue in the future, it will be a sad day when they stop building them, bugger the oil burners, let them power a tractor, give me petrol v6 muscle any time.

[RICE RACING]

Barney thats brilliant, I reckon yours is the best economy that I have read so far on this thread and I reckon it would be hard to beat, I dont think anyone has got as good as economy as you, we should se if any one can match it or beat , but I would doubt anyone could, the best I have acheived is 7.5L100 and thats going down the blue mountains beetween 75 to 80kmh with the missus and my self and one suit case.

BP ultimate is all I use in the kluger , I swear by it, the car runs smoother and idles smoother and revs out better.

The kluger is absolute surprise package with fuel economy conserned, I went with a mate to sydney, he took his ra4 4cylinder, I took my kluger, we both drove the same distance and same speed and same route I followed him all the way, we both filled our fuel tanks up at the same time before we left and filled up before we left and my kluger used less fuel than the rav4, we swapped cars, he drove the kluger for a while and I drove the rav4, I certainly wont be swapping the rav4 for the kluger any time soon, I didnt exspect it to go as well as the kluger being a 4 cylinder, but once you jump into another car you realize how well the klugers 3.5v6 actually go, the ra4 didnt like climbing the mountains with all rugrats and all gear we had and my mate left me for dead going up the mountains driving my kluger and especially overtaking, I nearly didnt make around a semi overtaking I didnt think it would take that long to overtake, I had to wrestle my mate to get my keys off him, he thinking of buying a kluger now, I have never owned a car that delivers that kind of power and economy, the closest car matching the kluger would have to be the prado, it delivered outstanding economy for a 4wd, I could average the late 9s early 10s on a trip and around town 12 and 13 L100, the kluger can average under 9L100 on a trip easly and the most mine it will use around town is 12L100, those v6 vvti engines rule, my love affair with toyota v6 engines will continue in the future, it will be a sad day when they stop building them, bugger the oil burners, let them power a tractor, give me petrol v6 muscle any time.

You just can not make this sh7t up :)

These are the greatest motors on earth I say, bang for buck, and performance with economy, it's gag factor good!

[11/16Aurion 12Kluger]

Someone on this forum made a statement in a post that made me decide to buy the Kluger... it went a bit like this...

"the engine and the transmission are a match made in heaven".

I can verify that is no lie! I drove it 800km in one day and wanted to keep going.

That result of 7.0/100 was achieved on possibly the best bit of road in OZ. Next to no hills or bends and no stopping all the way from Surfers through to Caboolture. The remainder of the trip was a solid 8.3/8.4 with frequent movement of the accelerator for overtaking and hills.

BTW... Dealer set my tyre pressure @ 40psi and confirmed that is what they feel is the best. Steers and rides great so I won't argue.

@Dave... Interesting re the Rav4 and proves again what we know! Yes, they can keep those oil burners, give me a quality motor and transmission any day.

@Peter... I agree,... just too often we are seeing this. Mates BMW mechanic told him to go buy a Kluger even..!!!

One part of my trip I had a Ford Territory itching for a run... no doubt, you know the go, accelerate & back off, accelerate & back off. I waited for a hill to appear and let the Kluger go for it. Territory looked like it was saying back in the distance.... WTF???

I reckon that Territory headed straight for the closest Toyota dealership... LOLL

The Kluger can sure launch itself!! This old driver needs to control himself from now on... nothing to prove.

I did find my first complaint with it today... I washed it for the first time... ooohhh my gawdl there is a lot of car to wash. I thought I was washing 3 cars instead of one. I can live with that. Used a milk crate to get over the roof and even that was a struggle.

Cheers all.

Edited June 18, 2012 by KX-R & ACV40R

[Double Klugger]

Barney that is amazing economy.

I often get between 7.2 and 7.4 on that same stretch of road with 2 kids and 2 adults plus gear in the car, AC on and a surfboard on the roof.

I use 91 ron shell and 38 psi. It reverts back to about 8.4 lts per 100 on other highway driving.

These 2wd klugers are excellent on the fuel.

[11/16Aurion 12Kluger]

Thanks for the backup David... I was hoping someone here would as the figures are difficult to believe with a vehicle of this size/weight/motor/power.

You would easily do the 7.0 or better then without a load and aircon.

I would love to see a pic of a sub 7.0 !!! C'mon... someone can do it..!!

When the word gets out the streets should be full of Klugers?? They would make the perfect taxi?

Edited June 19, 2012 by KX-R & ACV40R

[am3037]

Its amazing the difference in climate can make. I drove my kluger home to Darwin from Melbourne last year, in June (dry cool weather for NT, brass monkeys for VIC).

Sitting on 130 between Coober Pedy and Marla Bore, (cruise on) it returned 10.9 (BP Ultimate) heavily loaded.

Sitting on 110 from Bordertown to Adelaide (cruise on, with many overtakes of B-Doubles) it returned 9.3

Sitting on 170-180 From Tenant To Darwin overtaking everything at WOT, it guzzled like a porno star at 15.9l/100

Having basically raced the car back home in time for my sons birthday, it returned a shocking 11.9 for the 4000km journey !!!! Obeying the speed limits would have netted around 10 flat.

All the above are in relatively dry and cool conditions.

Now in January, the middle of the Wet season, with average humidity in the OMG range, a 130km/h trip down the highway takes 11.5 l/100 at night time!!

Driving arround town ( I mean, a tankful of 98 without ever going over 80km/h for more than a minute) in Wet Season darwin, and its wearing the glass heels again sucking down 12.5-13.3 l/100

Fill up with that E10 junk from United (Either that or push 2020kg to the next BP) and its a 14.7l/100 drive around town.

Now its dry season again, and around town driving is back in the 11's.

[CROCO]

Hi mate, I was reading your last post and I was surprised that the humidity adds that much to your economy, im comparing it to the economy of my kluger, we have actually the same kluger, mines pearl white 2wd kxs, only difference mines 2007, my kluger will do under 10L100 regardless if you drive it like you stole it, on adverage mine will adverage under 9L 100 hundred thats sitting 110to 120kmh, around town mine adverages 11.5L100,I use bp ultimate, I have tried e10 sh!t, It made it drink like booney on a international flight, I found the best fuel so far that gives the best economy is shellvpower, but you probadly got a heaver foot than, and that climate doesnt do your economy any favours, cricky mate 170 and 180kmh, I thought I was rev head any mate look forward to chatting to you in the future

[11/16Aurion 12Kluger]

Sitting on 170-180 From Tenant To Darwin overtaking everything at WOT, it guzzled like a porno star at 15.9l/100

170-180 ! ?? Would I love to let mine loose like that! @ 110 seems like "get out and walk" :-(

4WD Version am3037?? EDIT>... Just saw your other post... 2WD.

Edited June 28, 2012 by KX-R & ACV40R

[CROCO]

There must not be any speed cameras in the northen territory , now there dropped the open speed limit, Im to scared to open mine up like that, here new south wales the cops and speed cameras are pretty savage, mine you I have open mine up a couple of times to go around semis and slow coaches, but only for a bit, the kluger got a good turn of speed, it never fails to surprise me.

[am3037]

Its a pity about the rated tyres. The kluger definately has a lot more left in it, and its unbelievably stable at those speeds, lane changes and overtakes are very confident. Its a very soft cut when you hit the limiter, it feels more like the FBW throttle is being overidden, rather than the ignition being cut.

Edited June 28, 2012 by am3037

[CROCO]

Its a pity about the rated tyres. The kluger definately has a lot more left in it, and its unbelievably stable at those speeds, lane changes and overtakes are very confident. Its a very soft cut when you hit the limiter, it feels more like the FBW throttle is being overidden, rather than the ignition being cut.

I forgot about those speed rated tyres, I had mine up to 160kmh and its still pulling like a train, I never been quiet game to see what she capable of, I had the same problem with the prado it had a certain speed rating on the tyres and I have seen guys on you tube driving their prados at 195kmh, it was the same the prado it use to surprise me how well it use to go for a big heavy 4wd, you gotlove those mighty vvti v6 engines.

.