Nothing else comes close. The Maverick Hybrid gets better city mileage than most sedans, and it does it while offering a usable truck bed and 2,000 pounds of towing capacity. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder paired with a hybrid system and CVT is tuned entirely for efficiency, and it delivers. At roughly $28K, it is also the cheapest new truck on the market. The trade-off is modest power and FWD only, but for daily commuting and light-duty hauling, the math is hard to argue with. You could realistically spend under $30 a week on gas with this truck.

The Tacoma Hybrid pulls off something unusual: it pairs the best fuel economy in the midsize class with genuinely strong towing (6,500 lbs) and 326 horsepower. That hybrid system adds low-end torque that makes the truck feel more capable than the base engine, not less. The highway number of 24 MPG might not look dramatically better than the gas Tacoma’s 26 MPG, but the city figure and the overall driving experience make the premium worth it. The Tacoma also holds its resale value better than anything else in this segment, which offsets the higher entry price over time.

This is the efficiency king of the full-size truck world. Thirty-three miles per gallon on the highway from a truck that can tow over 13,000 pounds is a remarkable number. The 3.0-liter inline-six turbo diesel (also available as the GMC Sierra 1500 Duramax) runs quietly, shifts smoothly through a 10-speed automatic, and delivers nearly 500 lb-ft of torque at low RPM. The diesel premium over the base engine is only about $2,400, which pays for itself within a year or two of regular driving. If you want one truck that can do everything while burning the least fuel possible, this is it.

The PowerBoost is the most powerful standard engine in the F-150 lineup, and it also gets the best fuel economy. That combination of 430 horsepower, 570 lb-ft of torque, 12,700 lbs of towing, and 23 MPG combined is unmatched by any gas truck in this class. It also includes Pro Power Onboard, which turns the truck into a mobile generator capable of running power tools, appliances, or an entire tailgate setup. The entry price is steep at nearly $57K, but the fuel savings and capability justify it for buyers who use their truck hard.

The Ram 1500 in HFE (High Fuel Efficiency) trim with the mild-hybrid eTorque V6 matches the F-150 PowerBoost’s 23 MPG combined rating while costing roughly $15,000 less. The eTorque system is subtle; it smooths out stop-start behavior and adds a small boost during acceleration. With 305 horsepower and 8,480 lbs of towing, it handles real truck duties without issue. The Ram’s interior is also widely considered the best in the full-size truck class, which makes it a strong daily driver.

Heavy-duty trucks are not required to carry EPA fuel economy ratings, so we rely on real-world owner data here. The Ram 2500 Cummins consistently leads the HD segment in fuel efficiency, with owners regularly reporting 18-20 MPG on the highway when unloaded and 16-17 MPG in mixed driving. The Cummins inline-six design is inherently more efficient than the V8 diesels used by Ford and GM, and the 1,075 lb-ft of torque is best-in-class for the segment. Cummins engines also have a well-earned reputation for lasting 300,000+ miles with basic maintenance, which brings long-term ownership costs down significantly.

The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel was discontinued in 2022, but used examples are plentiful and represent terrific value. The 3.0-liter turbo diesel V6 delivered 32 MPG on the highway while towing up to 12,560 pounds, and the Ram’s coil-spring rear suspension makes it one of the smoothest-riding trucks on the market. Later model years (2020-2022) addressed the early reliability issues that affected 2014-2016 trucks. If you can find a clean 2020 or 2021 with reasonable miles, it remains one of the best overall packages for fuel economy in a full-size truck.