The upside to pickup trucks often comes with concessions. If you’re looking for a balance between power and fuel mileage, these are the trucks you need to see.
Trucks are the workhorses of our lives. When you need to push, pull, carry, and tow anything, a truck is what we use to get the job done. Often, these pickups are considered thirsty and we chalk that added cost of fuel up as the price we pay for the benefits that trucks bring to our lives. Here are ten that aren’t quite as thirsty as the rest.
GMC Sierra 1500 – 4.3-liter V6 Engine
Many pickups keep you in the low teens when it comes to the MPG rating you’ll find, not the GMC Sierra. Using the V6 engine offered in the 2018 model, this half-ton pickup can achieve 20 mpg combined. That’s pretty good for a naturally-aspirated engine. In addition to the efficiency offered, this pickup tows up to 7,100 pounds and offers more than 280 horsepower. It might not be the most powerful pickup in the market, but it has what you need.
Hyundai Santa Cruz – 2.5-liter Four-Cylinder Engine
Is the Hyundai Santa Cruz cheating what you really want out of a truck? This is one of the trucks that delivers high fuel mileage numbers at 23 mpg combined. You won’t find the towing capacity of the full-size trucks, but if you need to tow a medium-sized load and want a small pickup with a smooth drive, its hard to argue with the Santa Cruz. Besides, this little pickup is one of the most affordable models in 2022.
Toyota Tacoma SR5 – 3.-5-liter V6
Another pickup you’ll have to find in the used market is the 2018 Tacoma. That’s the model with the V6 engine that’s rated at 21 mpg combined. This is pretty good for a midsize truck that’s made for some off-road fun. You can tow a large load with this Toyota, but the greatest benefit is the dependability. This truck is the unkillable model that always works and comes back for more. Treat your Tacoma right and it will last forever.
GMC Canyon – 2.8-liter Turbocharged Diesel Four-Cylinder Engine
GM gives you the efficiency you want in the midsize pickups with the turbocharged engines. For the GMC Canyon, this means 181 horsepower, 369 lb-ft of torque, and 23 mpg combined. With a RWD setup, this truck returns 30 mpg on the highway, which could push your average up where you want it. This is one of the top trucks in the market when you’re looking for fuel mileage that reaches the highest levels. Check out what the Canyon offers and see if this is the truck you want to drive.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybrid – 6.0-liter Hybrid V8 Engine
You have to look back to 2012 to find this truck, but a hybrid Silverado was part of the mix and it brought an average of 22 mpg to the market. This powerful truck wasn’t short on power, giving you up to 6,100 pounds of towing with this hybrid powertrain. When you want good fuel economy numbers and a truck that can get the job done, you’ll have a hard time doing better in the full-size truck market than this Silverado.
Jeep Gladiator – 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 Engine
Currently, the most efficient non-EV midsize truck is this Jeep Gladiator. Using the diesel engine, this model offers 24 mpg combined. When you want a truck that’s capable of handling your off-road needs and providing good fuel numbers, this is the one for you to drive. Stop looking for the midsize trucks with the best fuel mileage, you’ve found it. This Jeep can tow a heavy load and has the chops to take you deep into the wilderness for some amazing off-road adventures.
Ford F-150 – 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 Engine
This version of the Ford F-150 reminded ups that Ford knows how to deliver with a pickup truck. The 2018 version of this Ford truck brings combined fuel mileage numbers of 22 mpg. If you need to tow up to 8,500 pounds, you can do it with this Ford. If you’re looking for one of the top trucks in the market, you might find this impressive pickup at one of the used car dealers in your area.
Honda Ridgeline – 3.5-liter V6 Engine
One of the trucks that gets great fuel mileage and offers a smooth, comfortable ride on any road is the Honda Ridgeline. This truck achieves up to 23 mpg combined and it can tow up to 5,000 pounds. These numbers won’t blow you away, but when you want a versatile, capable, and efficient truck to drive, you can easily enjoy everything the Ridgeline brings to the market. Enjoy the sporty appearance and the quality ride that makes this a truck you want to take to the tailgate party, especially if you have the in-bed speaker system.
Ford Maverick – 2.0-liter EcoBoost Four-Cylinder Engine
If you want to have the highest average efficiency numbers you can find in a truck, the Ford Maverick delivers with 26 mpg combined. This does mean you’ve got a FWD truck with only 250 horsepower, but that might be all you need. The Maverick is a unique truck with various configurations and items you can add to the mix to have the storage and versatility desired when you’re driving around. Could this be the little truck you love to drive?
Ram 1500 – 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 Engine
The Ram 1500 with the diesel engine can push nearly 27 mpg combined and comes in with an easy 26 to give you one of the trucks in the market that delivers the best fuel mileage. You’ll have plenty of power to tow up to 5,500 pounds in the 2018 version of this truck. This is more than enough to pull a trailer filled with gear to where you’ve got to take it. You’ll love the RAMBox side bed storage system that makes it easy to find your tools when you need them.
Which one of these trucks offers the fuel mileage you’re after? You could have a great drive and save some gas money with any of these pickups.
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