Which Trucks Have the Best Gas Mileage?

When you think about buying a truck, features like the truck’s towing capacity, payload capacity, drivetrain, and powertrain stand out as being the most important factors in your decision. No matter how you use your truck, it’s important to have one that’s fuel-efficient. Here are several trucks that can help you save money when it comes to filling the fuel tank up.

Full-Size Trucks With V-8 Gas Engines

When you need a powerful truck with impressive towing capabilities and high payload capacity, choose a truck with a V-8 engine. Generally, V-8 engines aren’t known for their fuel economy, yet these three trucks stand out as having the best gas mileage in their class.

Ford F-150

The most fuel-efficient truck with a V-8 engine is the Ford F-150. Choose a trim that has the 5.0-liter V-8 engine that produces 395 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission for the best gas mileage. The F-150 gets a combined 19 mpg, 17 mpg in the city, and 23 mpg when you’re driving on the highway.

GMC Sierra 1500

The next in line for fuel efficiency is the GMC Sierra 1500. Under the hood of this workhorse is a 5.3-liter V-8 engine that delivers an impressive 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. Paired with the engine is a six-speed automatic transmission. When you choose the rear-wheel-drive version of the Sierra 1500, you get 17 mpg combined, 15 mpg in the city, and 21 mpg for highway driving.

Chevrolet Silverado 3500

The Chevrolet Silverado 3500 is a large full-size pickup truck. When you want maximum power and towing capacity, choose the 6.6-liter V-8 engine that delivers 401 horsepower and 464 pound-feet of torque paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. With the rear-wheel-drive version, the Silverado 3500 gets 18.5 mpg combined. Expect to get 12 mpg driving in the city and 17 mpg for highway driving.

Trucks With a Diesel Engine

When you want a full-size pickup truck that delivers the best fuel efficiency, choose one that comes with a diesel engine. Check out the fuel economy of these three trucks that come with a diesel engine.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with a turbodiesel Duramax engine has the best gas mileage for trucks in this class. Under the hood of this truck, you’ll find a 3.0-liter V-6 engine that produces 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. This powerful engine pairs with a 10-speed automatic transmission, and with rear-wheel drive, the truck gets 27 mpg combined, 23 mpg in the city, and 33 mpg for highway driving.

Ram 1500

Next in line for a fuel-efficient diesel truck is the Ram 1500 with an EcoDiesel engine. Powering the Ram is a 3.0-liter V-6 engine that delivers 260 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque and comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Ram 1500 has 26 mpg combined with an estimated 22 mpg for the city and 32 mpg for highway driving.

Ford F-150

The third best fuel-efficient diesel truck is the Ford F-150. This truck has a 3.0-liter Power Stroke V-6 diesel engine with 250 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. Mated to the engine is a 10-speed automatic transmission. The diesel F-150 has 25 mpg combined with 22 mpg in the city and 30 mpg when driving down the highway.

Midsize Trucks

Midsize trucks, like the Chevy Colorado and Toyota Tacoma, are quite popular because they’re affordable and versatile, and they generally have a good fuel economy. Let’s look at three midsize trucks that have good gas mileage.

Chevrolet Colorado

The Chevrolet Colorado has the best gas mileage in this class of trucks. Choose the rear-wheel-drive model with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers 200 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque and pairs with a six-speed automatic transmission for the best gas mileage. The Colorado gets a combined 25 mpg, 20 mpg driving in the city, and 26 mpg driving down the highway.

Ford Ranger

The second in line for a fuel-efficient midsize truck is the Ford Ranger. With the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque and the 10-speed automatic transmission, the Ranger gets 23 mpg combined, 21 mpg in the city, and 26 mpg driving down the highway.

Honda Ridgeline

Third up for a midsize truck is the Honda Ridgeline. All trims come with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine delivering 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque mated with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The all-wheel-drive version of the Ridgeline gets 21 mpg combined with 19 mpg in the city and 24 mpg for highway driving.

Four-Wheel-Drive Trucks

Trucks that have a four-wheel-drivetrain are generally heavier. Because of the extra weight on these trucks, fuel-efficiency generally decreases. However, these three four-by-four trucks stand out for their good gas mileage.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Once again, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with a gas engine comes ahead for fuel efficiency. The 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 310 horsepower and 348 pound-feet of torque paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission is the best choice for good gas mileage. The Silverado 1500 gets 20 mpg combined, 19 mpg in the city, and 22 mpg for highway driving.

Toyota Tacoma

Second up for good fuel efficiency in a four-wheel-drive truck is the Toyota Tacoma. Choose the 3.6-liter V-6 engine that delivers 278 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque paired with a six-speed automatic transmission for the best fuel ratings. The Tacoma gets 20 mpg combined, 19 mpg in the city, and 22 mpg driving down the highway.

Nissan Frontier

The third truck with four-wheel drive that gets decent gas mileage is the Nissan Frontier. When paired with the six-speed manual transmission, the Frontier is powered by a 4.0-liter V-6 engine that produces 262 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque. Expect to get 18 mpg combined, 16 mpg in the city, and 21 mpg on the highway.

As you can see from this list, there are several trucks that get impressive fuel economy. Stop by Cochran Chevrolet today to take one of our trucks for a test drive, learn more about them, and to find the perfect one to fit your needs.