What Fuel Mileage Does the New Toyota Tundra’s Turbocharged V6 Truly Get While Towing?
Toyota shocked the truck world when it rolled out its third-generation Tundra. It was the first full-size truck with no V8 option. Instead, every new Tundra has some version of the same twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V6. The EPA rated the 2WD Tundra at a respectable 24 mpg on the highway. But what fuel mileage does the V6 Toyota Tundra get while towing? Find out the mpg results from four real-world towing tests.
The new Toyota Tundra is an excellent tow rig
Motorbiscuit tested the Toyota Tundra 3rd gen pickup truck but has yet to test its towing capacity. Luckily, the review team at MotorTrend hooked up their 3,100 lbs 16-foot Airstream to the latest Tundra. After a full day of towing, they found the V6 Toyota Tundra’s mileage was 15 mpg.
Even with a 6,100 lbs trailer, on steep grades, MotorTrend found the truck to be “stable and confident in all towing situations.” The team even set up the heavy trailer with the maximum amount of tongue weight, yet while driving “forgot we were towing anything at all.”
Toyota completely redesigned the Tundra’s suspension. The 3rd-gen truck has rear coils and a five-link setup. It also offers optional auto-leveling rear air suspension, which may be why it did a good job towing the Airstream with maximum tongue weight.
The 2022-present Toyota Tundra comes with two drive modes for towing: Towing and Tow/Haul+ which has lower shift points for the 10-speed automatic transmission. The Toyota Tundra’s towing capacity maxes out at 12,000 pounds.
Some 3rd-gen Toyota Tundras have already clocked 40k miles
Chris Zaldain is a full-time pro angler. His life on the road includes towing his 2,400 lbs bass boat around the country to Bassmaster Elite Series events. On his YouTube, Zaldain revealed he’s already put 42,780 of mileage on his V6 2022 Toyota Tundra 1794 Edition–mostly towing. So Zaldain has some valuable data.
Though his boat is only 2,400 pounds, it creates more turbulence than many covered trailers. In addition, Zaldain admitted that he uses Tow/Haul+ almost exclusviely, because he likes to keep moving. He says he expects 9.0 mpg while towing his boat.
Rob Miller owns Revere Overland, and bought a 2022 Toyota Tundra to modify and drive off-road. Because he lives in Kentucky and completes many expeditions out west, he has already put 40,781 miles on his Tundra. Miller often tows additional gear, so he has recorded towing mileage for his V6 Toyota Tundra as well.
On his YouTube, Miller reveals that a head wind cuts into his towing mileage even more than his aftermarket 37-inch tires. Towing an aerodynamic trailer, even one that weighs 9,000 lbs, Miller got 12.5 mpg. But pulling a taller 7,000 lbs trailer into a headwind, this plummeted to 7.5 mpg.
Toyota’s hybrid V6 might improve the Tundra’s mileage while towing–up and down hills
The top engine option in the Toyota Tundra is the i-FORCE MAX hybrid. This V6-based Toyota Tundra engine option isn’t engineered for improved fuel mileage as much as increased power. The i-FORCE MAX makes 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque.
If you are towing a heavy load up a hill, and then back down, the hybrid Tundra will recharge its own batteries as it slows the truck. So while the V6 hybrid Toyota Tundra’s mileage may not be much better on a flat highway, it might be a good option for folks who live in the mountains.
The team at TFL truck took a hybrid and non-hybrid Tundra over Ike’s Gauntlet in Colorado. Unfortunately, they pulled very different trailers, so we don’t have a clear head-to-head. But you can see multiple V6 Toyota Tundra’s towing fuel mileage in the table below:
| Setup | Mileage | Test |
| 3,100 lbs Airstream trailer | 15.0 mpg | MotorTrend |
| 9,000 lbs aerodynamic trailer (aftermarket tires) | 12.5 mpg | Rob Miller |
| 7,000 lbs tall trailer w/ tail wind (aftermarket tires) | 10.5 mpg | Rob Miller |
| 6,000 lbs Airstream trailer (with maximum tongue weight) | 10.0 mpg | MotorTrend |
| 2,400 lbs bass boat in Tow/Haul+ | 9.0 mpg | Chris Zaldain |
| 7,000 lbs tall trailer w/ headwind (aftermarket tires) | 7.5 mpg | Rob Miller |
| 8,000 lbs trailer over Ike Gauntlet (7% grade) w/ regular V6 Tundra | 4.7 mpg | TFL truck |
| 10,000 lbs trailer over Ike Gauntlet (7% grade) w/ hybrid Tundra | 3.5 mpg | TFL truck |
Next, read the secrets to the hybrid Toyota Tundra’s diesel-like flat torque curve or watch TFL Truck tow 10,000 pounds over Ike’s Gauntlet in the i-FORCE MAX Toyota Tundra in the video below:
