There’s no doubt that filling up the tank of anything bigger than a Toyota Prius can really hurt from time to time. Considering how in-flux fuel costs have been, spending over $100 to refuel any run-of-the-mill pickup is painful, no matter how you slice it.
Thankfully, automakers have re-introduced small and even midsize trucks over the past few years that give consumers their best selection in decades. These include car-based truck options, similar to the small off-road-ready rigs of the early ‘80s, like the Subaru BRAT.
There are now three of these car/truck hybrids—one an actual hybrid—and it feels like this new class of pickups finally has some staying power, not to mention better mpg ratings. We’re looking forward to seeing this change continue in the future with improved efficiency, aerodynamics, and emissions.
Let’s highlight a handful of the best trucks when it comes to saving some coin at the pump.
The Best Gas Mileage Trucks of 2025
- Chevrolet Colorado
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500/GMC Sierra 1500
- Ford F-150
- Ford Maverick
- Ford Ranger
- Honda Ridgeline
- Hyundai Santa Cruz
- Nissan Frontier
- RAM 1500
Chevrolet Colorado
Equipped with Chevrolet's 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Colorado is expected to return an EPA-rated 19 miles per gallon (mpg) city, 24 highway, and 21 combined. Those numbers won't impress someone cross-shopping their pickup against a sedan or a hybrid crossover, but they're nonetheless commendable in the pickup truck segment.
Admittedly, to achieve those numbers, you'll need to buy a rear-wheel-drive Colorado, which provides up to 1,700 pounds of payload but limits your towing capacity to 3,500 pounds. With a 4WD Colorado, towing tops out at 7,700 pounds and EPA fuel estimates come in at 18 mpg city and 23 mpg highway.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500/GMC Sierra 1500
An available diesel engine provides the best fuel economy, though you will pay a premium. For the 2025 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra, the 3.0-liter Duramax inline six-cylinder will set you back about $2,400 and deliver an EPA-estimated 23 mpg city and 29 mpg highway in RWD form. That's significantly better than the 18 mpg/23 mpg you'll get from the standard turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder. Not surprisingly, the diesel also promises greater towing capability, though not as much as the available gas-powered 6.2-liter V8.
Ford F-150
The cost of buying an F-150 goes up just about every year, and that hasn't changed this year. The EPA hasn't released figures for the 2025 model, but the most efficient configuration of 2024 4WD F-150 featured a PowerBoost V6 that yielded 23 mpg in 2024. Any F-150 with the PowerBoost engine will include the mid-level 2.4-kW version of the Pro Power Onboard feature allowing the truck to generate electric power for use with power tools, tailgating equipment, or practically anything else you may want to plug in.
Prices for the 2025 F-150 RWD start at about $37,000, or $42,000 with 4WD . Of course, you can load up a PowerBoost-powered 4WD F-150 to $60,000 in nothing flat, but it’s nice to know that you can still buy a bare-bones, 4WD pickup in XL trim as well. These are capable, powerful trucks, and the 10-speed automatic transmission makes the absolute best use out of it.
Ford Maverick
The Maverick is the only truck on this list that gets you the best mpg: up to 42 mpg in the city, according to the EPA. And despite steady climbs since its debut that have brought the base price up to $27,000, there's no denying the 2025 Ford Maverick is a heck of a bargain for the light-duty pickup buyer. In fact, this compact Ford carries the award of least expensive and most fuel-efficiency truck in the US.
The level of efficiency requires front-wheel drive (FWD) and a hybrid 2.5-liter engine mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). New for 2025, the Maverick's thrifty hybrid powerplant is available with a 4,000-pound tow capacity and an AWD system that's standard on models equipped with a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine.
Ford Ranger
For the 2025 model year, the Ford Ranger SuperCrew (crew cab) with 4WD and the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine remains the cheapest way to get into a pickup with a low-range transfer case. The Maverick is cheaper, but it has a less-capable AWD system.
Fuel economy out of the 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine is decent, with an EPA-estimated 22 mpg combined in RWD or 4WD guise. However, for the cheapest 4x4 pickup on the market today, it’s also technologically advanced, as the Ranger features Ford’s fantastic 10-speed auto.
Honda Ridgeline
The Ridgeline barely holds its place on the list of fuel-efficient pickups. That says more about other trucks' improved efficiency than this Honda's lack of it.
With the Maverick and Santa Cruz now established and using the same type of architecture, unibody pickups like the Ridgeline are less controversial than they once were. With a base price of $40,000, the Ridgeline is significanclty more expensive than those smaller alternatives, but its still acheives an EPA-estimated 24 mpg highway in all but the ruggest TrailSport trim. All versions feature AWD, a 280-hp V6, ample interior space for a midsize crew-cab truck, and an incredibly versatile cargo bed.
Hyundai Santa Cruz
Compared to the hybrid version of the Maverick, the Santa Cruz's EPA-estimated fuel economy fails to impress, but 30 mpg on the highway from a pickup truck isn't exactly something to hang your head over. That's in front-wheel-drive (FWD) form with the standard 191-hp four-cylinder engine and a base price just a tick under $29,000. Slice off 1 mpg if you want AWD, or you can opt for a turbocharged 281-hp engine with your AWD and see that highway rating drop as low as 26 mpg. The latter comes on upper trims priced from about $40,000.
In addition to it being efficient, the Santa Cruz is a surprisingly fun and useful vehicle. We've stuffed one thousand pounds of flooring under its roll-top tonneau cover and had a great time driving around with the entire four-person family. Plus, its small dimensions make parking in tight spots a breeze.
Nissan Frontier
The most fuel-efficient Nissan Frontier will deliver 19 mpg in the city, 24 highway, 21 combined. That's for the King Cab (extended cab) S or SV trim level with RWD, and while those numbers don't look all that impressive, they're bundled in a stout package that performs truck duties without a sweat. You won't confuse the Frontier for a unibody crossover from behind the wheel, and that tough-truck feeling is worth a lot to many shoppers.
All 2025 Frontiers feature a 310-hp V6, making this and the Ridgeline the only small or midsize pickups to still utilize a naturally asprited engine. In the base S trim described above, Nissan claims you can tow up to 7,150 pounds and accommodate up to 1,620 pounds of payload. Of course, don't expect to see 20+ mpg while maxing out those capacities.
RAM 1500
The Ram 1500 with the hybrid-assisted (eTorque) 3.6-liter V6 gas engine and eight-speed automatic gearbox is one of a number of pickups that offer a 23-mpg combined fuel-economy rating , according to the EPA. That efficiency comes from RWD HFE trim, which starts at $41,000.
Despite online comments may suggest, this is a good powertrain. With 305 hp, it delivers power equiavalent to what you once got from a V8, and the transmission does a nice job of handling the output. The Ram 1500 HFE can tow up to 8,480 pounds and haul a 1,190-pound payload. If you opt for the available "Hurricane" twin-turbo six-cylinder, which replaces the Hemi V8 as the top engine choice, those capacities reach 11,600 and 2,360 pounds, respectively. A RWD Ram 1500 with that boosted powerplant is expected to achieve an EPA-estimated 21 mpg combined.
