I bought the 2021 Venza about
I bought the 2021 Venza about 3 months ago and am puzzled by some of the imprecise math involved in reporting gas mileage. During a drive of approximately 350 miles from Athens GA to the Great Smokies, then backtracking to Roswell, GA, and later a return to to Athens, I got 44.1 mpg, This was true despite several ascents daily of up to 3,000 feet above sea level. In the temperate weather of 60-70 degrees, I drove mostly 65-70 mph highway speeds but for an hour or two at 40-50 mph. If we compute the 44.1 mpg after a 12 gallon fill-up of the 14.5 gallon tank, my predictable range would be 529 miles. In this instance, I am referring to the MILEAGE PER TANK instead of PER FILL-UP because the two measures are not the same. If the tank were completely depleted, in fact, and the fuel monitor reading empty, the projected range would be a whopping 639 miles. In other words, the fuel monitor presumes 0-2.5 gallons held in reserve even when the gauge itself reads empty. This is a safety feature designed to protect drivers from running out of gas.
Many peeved owners refuse to acknowledge that the car allows from 66 to 132 drivable miles even when the fuel gauge reads empty. The problem lies less in Toyota's deception than the purchaser's most literal miscalculation..