When it comes to pickup trucks, American manufacturers provide the best combination of fuel efficiency, capability and performance. It’s no surprise that hybrids and diesel powertrains make their good fuel economy possible.
And note that no Asian pickup truck made the list, including the new Hyundai Santa Cruz, which the Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t consider to be a pickup truck. Besides, it would have just squeaked into the bottom of the list at 23 mpg.
Fighting fuel inflation
You might not think so, but you can a get a more fuel-efficient pickup truck, and you don’t have to give up size to do it.
We’ve gathered up the most fuel-efficient 2022 model-year pickup trucks, according to the EPA. One caveat to our list: we have excluded battery-electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), as some 40% of Americans have no access to regular charging. So this list consists solely of vehicles powered by traditional internal combustion engines (ICE), as well hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that pair and an ICE with a battery pack and do not need to be plugged in.
Most fuel-efficient ICE pickup trucks
1. Ford Maverick HEV FWD: 37 mpg
Cost to fill the tank: $50
Payload: 1,500 pounds
Towing: 2,000 pounds
MSRP: $19,995
With a 1,500-pound payload and a 2,000-pound towing capacity, this Maverick is a great daily driver. It offers room for four, more than 33 cubic feet of cargo space in the bed, and incredible fuel economy — our hypermiling test drive returned 52 mpg. Even the non-hybrid returns 26 mpg, good for second place, while towing 4,000 pounds.
2. Ram 1500 2WD/1500 HFE 2WD/Chevrolet Silverado RWD/GMC Sierra RWD: 26 mpg (tie)
Cost to fill the tank: $136 (Ram); $126 (Chevrolet, GMC)
Payload: 2,090 pounds (Ram); 1,990-2,240 (Chevrolet, GMC)
Towing: 12,560 pounds (Ram); 9,300-13,300 pounds (Chevrolet, GMC)
MSRP: $40,190 (Ram); $50,960 (Chevrolet); $51,920 (GMC)
How do you make a full-size pickup fuel-efficient? Equip it with a diesel engine. That said, diesel fuel costs more than gasoline. Friday’s national average price for a gallon of diesel is $5.066, while a gallon of gas costs $4.274, a 15.6% difference.
But given a V-8 pickup returns an EPA-rated 18 mpg — a 30.8% difference in mileage — you still come out ahead. If you need all-wheel drive, mileage drops to 24 mpg, still a good result.
3. Ford F-150 Pickup 2WD HEV: 25 mpg
Cost to fill the tank: $132
Payload: 2,090-2,120 pounds
Towing: 11,000-12,700 pounds
MSRP: $42,195
With more than 700 miles of range, the F-150 Hybrid’s 430 horsepower and 570 pounds-feet of torque is far more than the 250 hp and 440 lb-ft generated by the F-150’s diesel engine. It’s available with any F-150 crew cab for $4,495. And best of all, there’s no pricey diesel fuel to deal with.
4. Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel 4WD: 24 mpg
Cost to fill the tank: $115
Payload: 1,075-1,325 pounds
Towing: 6,000-6,500 pounds
MSRP: $35,040
The Gladiator’s 3.0-liter turbocharged EcoDiesel V-6 and 8-speed automatic produce 260 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque and is shared with the Ram 1500. Being a diesel, the additional emissions systems and overall added weight reduce its payload and towing capacities. If that doesn’t bother you, you’ll find it’s a fast, sweet ride. And like the Wrangler, you can remove any number of body panels.
5. Chevrolet Colorado 2WD/GMC Canyon 2WD/Ford F150 Pickup 4WD HEV/Ram 1500 HFE 2WD: 23 mpg (tie)
Cost to fill the tank: $110 (Chevrolet, GMC); $112 (Ford); $112 (Ram)
Payload: 1,415-1,430 pounds (Chevrolet, GMC); 1,810-1,830 pounds (Ford)
Towing: 7,700 pounds (Chevrolet, GMC); 11,000-12,400 pounds (Ford);
MSRP: $37,120 (Chevrolet); $45,706 (Ford); $43,935 (Ram); GMC price not available
This group is a mixed bag, with the turbodiesel-powered Chevrolet and GMC providing some of the best numbers for towing and payload among midsize pickups. But the Ford and Ram gas-electric hybrids offer more capability, albeit at higher prices. Note that GMC will not reveal pricing on its diesel-powered Canyon, noting that consumers should “see dealer for pricing.” Now there’s something to look forward to.
