Best Fuel-Efficient Trucks For 2023

Now in its second year of production, the Ford Maverick once again glides to the top of the list of the most fuel-efficient truck on sale in the U.S. True, it’s a compact truck, but it’s the fuel-sipping hybrid powertrain under the hood that deserves most of the credit. 

So equipped, a Maverick with the standard hybrid powertrain returns an EPA-rated 37 mpg combined, 40 city and 33 highway. Fans of the Maverick will note the city rating is two mpg lower than in its 2022 debut year; Ford says it’s due to changes in the aerodynamic grille shutters.  

While some still dismiss it as just a toy for suburbanites, it does fit the definition by combining a genuinely usable bed with seating for five and the ability to tow either 2000 pounds with the hybrid or 4000 pounds with the non-hybrid model. Of course, that extra towing capacity comes with a thirstier turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine rated for 26 combined, 23 city and 30 highway, numbers still impressive for a truck of any size. The key is to not think of the Maverick as a wimpy alternative to a full-size truck but rather a fresh take on an old formula that provides 90% of the capability that 50% of truck buyers need. 

While the Maverick remains essentially unchanged for 2023, Ford did cook up a new Maverick Tremor version with off-road upgrades designed to appeal to buyers on the fence between this and the Hyundai Santa Cruz, or a midsize truck like the Ranger and Toyota Tacoma. 

Though half-ton and midsize diesel pickups seem to be fading in popularity, the 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-six in the Chevrolet Silverado is a fully modern interpretation of the oil-burner formula. Powerful, efficient and smooth for a diesel, it makes 305 horsepower and a thumping 495-pound-feet of torque, a significant boost over last year’s 277 hp and 460 lb-ft numbers. It can tow up to 13,300 pounds and handle 1,970-pound payload when called on. Best of all, the diesel helps the big Silverado earn EPA ratings of 26 mpg combined, 24 city and 29 highway in rear-wheel drive configuration. 

Even with diesel’s current price premium, those numbers can add up for users who put on lots of miles. There’s also a tendency for diesel engines—even when they share similar specs with a gasoline counterpart—to better maintain that efficiency when towing. It also simplifies fueling for heavy equipment operators and utility companies operating far off the beaten path where 90% of the machinery is already running on diesel. 

As for the Silverado overall, a significant redesign for the 2022 model year brought a new interior with upgraded infotainment and more standard safety features; 2023 sees the aforementioned power increase and three new colors, Radiant red Tintcoat, Sterling Gray Metallic and Harvest Bronze Metallic.   

Note that the 2023 GMC Sierra diesel shares the Chevy’s specs. 

 Ford sold nearly 600,000 F-series pickups in 2021 and earned many accolades along the way. But it’s the F-150 hybrid version that earned it a place on this list. Combined, the twin-turbo V6 and 47-hp electric motor produce 430 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque, enough to satisfy almost any old-school truck fanatic. But thanks to the modern powertrain residing underneath that class-exclusive, lightweight aluminum sheet metal, the F-150 hybrid is EPA-rated at 25 mpg across the board—city, highway and combined. Four-wheel drive models check in at 23 mpg. 

The turbocharged 2.7-liter V6, the smallest standard gasoline engine Ford offers, beats the hybrid by one mpg on the highway (26 vs. 25) but loses by three mpg combined and five mpg city, regulating it to second place in the Ford lineup. Crucially, its 325 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque aren’t even in the same league as the hybrid’s 430 hp and 570 lb-ft numbers. The rest of the lineup, including the venerated 5.0 V8 and the twin-turbo V6, come closer in power output, but none of them have the hybrid’s ingenious onboard mobile electric generator that provides up to 7.2 kW A/C in its most potent version. 

If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool Ford fan and are still on the fence about the new F-150 Lightning EV (or you simply don’t want to wait or pay over sticker), the F-150 Hybrid is a great choice as you transition to the future. 

Jeep may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of pickups, but the brand has a long history with them. Although preceded by the now collectible Forward Control Jeeps, the first consumer model to make an impact was the J10 “Gladiator” which ran in several variations from 1962 to 1988. The XJ Cherokee-based Comanche followed it for a seven-year run spanning 1986-1992. But if the current Jeep Gladiator has a true ancestor, it’s the CJ-based Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler. A blip on the timeline of the Jeep brand, the frequently overlooked CJ-8 was made from 1981 to 1986, selling less than 28,000 units over those six years. 

Thankfully, the Toledo-built Gladiator suffers none of the public awareness or sales issues of the Scrambler, selling just under 100,000 units in North America in 2021. And while few factory-fresh pickups can match the Gladiator’s off-road talents—particularly with the extra ground clearance of the Rubicon trim—the diesel version returns an EPA-estimated 24 mpg combined, 22 city and 28 highway. 

Even with diesel fuel running at a premium over regular gasoline, the Gladiators 3.0-liter turbodiesel (a version of the same engine used in the Ram 1500) 442 lb-ft of torque come in handy when crawling off-road and in slow-speed urban situations where torque is king. It’s also a usable and roomy daily driver, though its off-road optimization means it’s a little noisy and the on-road steering feel and handling aren’t great. 

 Though the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel has placed as high as second place on previous versions of this list, it has limited availability regulated to specific models for 2023. Even worse, it’s been officially discontinued. At last check, production was scheduled to stop in January 2023. However, it still has a significant presence on the manufacturer’s website, and the savvy shopper may be able to swing a serious deal on any leftover models taking up space on dealer’s lots. 

With those caveats in mind, the 2023 version returns 24 mpg combined, 21 city and 29 highway. That’s still impressive for a full-size rig, and it even matches the much smaller Maverick Hybrid’s 33 mpg highway figure. 

Given its compact size and four-cylinder engine choices, we figured the Santa would’ve made it into the top three of this list. To be fair, the five above vehicles earned their spots with either hybrid or diesel powertrains, and the Santa Cruz cruises in equipped with a naturally 2.5-liter four-cylinder, front-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. So equipped, it earns EPA fuel-economy ratings of 23 mpg combined, 22 city and 26 highway. All-wheel drive only extracts one mpg in city and highway, the crucial combined figure remains 23 mpg. 

Moving up to the vastly more powerful turbocharged version with all-wheel drive brings 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, compared to the base model’s 191 hp and 155 lb-ft of torque. Rated at 22 mpg combined and 19 city, it gets better highway fuel economy than the base engine at 27 mpg. However you run the numbers, the turbocharged version is far more rewarding to drive, and we’d take the minuscule fuel economy hit or the extra power any day. 

Overall, the Hyundai Santa Cruz is a uniquely civilized, sophisticated take on the genre. Less than 200 inches long, the compact Santa Cruz has the smallest bed on the pickup market and one with modest load capacity but offers athletic handling, bold style, a refined interior and plenty of tech. While the bed may be tiny, the Hyundai can tow as much or more than its rivals from Ford and Honda, and is a more livable, practical day-to-day vehicle than conventional midsize trucks. 

Remember the Ford Ranger? It returned to the U.S. marketplace for the 2019 model year after taking half decade off. Before that, it was one of the most popular and affordable small trucks from 1983 to 2021. The current Ranger continues to balance utility and capability while keeping the whole package relatively compact. 

Powered by a proven turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four and ten-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive, it returns solid EPA estimates of 23 mpg combined, 21 city, and 26 highway. It ties the above Santa Cruz in combined and highway ratings but gives up one mpg in the city rating and comes in just behind it. That said, the Ranger is more focused on the work crowd, while the Santa Cruz is heavily focused on the outdoor enthusiast side of life. 

The Ranger can be had with a wide array of active safety features, offers credible off-road and towing performance, and has class-leading payload capacity. The new Tremor package considerably boosts the truck’s off-road chops but also adds cost to what sometimes feels like an unrefined machine.

2022 is the Chevrolet Colorado’s last year in its current second-generation iteration. But the official EPA fuel economy estimates aren’t in yet for the new 2023 Colorado, so we’ll focus on 2022 for now and update when the official estimate becomes available. However, we can tell you that the diesel is gone at the end of this year, and the turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder will be the primary engine available in three states of tune. 

For buyers planning on scooping up a current version before the new-for-2023 model arrives, the current 2022 Colorado shares its platform and 2.8-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder with the GMC Canyon. Still, it offers a few configurations the GMC does not. While crew-cab models are broadly similar to the diesel Canyon and share its 23 mpg combined, 20 city and 30 highway fuel economy ratings and 7,700-pound maximum tow ratings, the Colorado offers a diesel in the off-road-oriented extended-cab ZR2 and ZR2 Bison models, which are more capable off-road than GMC’s AT4 model and more visually extroverted. The downside to the ZR2 is that it returns a combined fuel economy rating of only 19 mpg. As with the Canyon, the price of the diesel option varies by trim, from $3,500 to $5,680. For 2022, diesel Colorados will continue mostly unchanged.

Well, this is awkward. For the first time in recent history, Toyota’s full-size Tundra pickup is more fuel efficient than the smaller Tacoma. The reason, of course, is the new twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 hybrid and ten-speed automatic transmission powertrain.  

The most powerful of three available versions of the engine, the hybrid is also the most fuel-efficient. Rated for a combined 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque, the rear-wheel drive hybrid wears EPA-fuel economy estimates of 22 mpg combined, 20 city and 14 highway. (All-wheel drive versions subtract two mpg combined and highway and one mpg city.)  

Note that our Forbes wheels reviewer had difficulty extracting even 15 mpg in city driving of both the hybrid and the regular non-hybrid version. However, it’s output increase is undeniable, topping both the base SR5 (348 hp, 405 lb-ft) and standard (389 hp and 479 lb-ft) by a wide margin. So if it’s power you seek, the Tundra hybrid delivers; consider any fuel savings a bonus. 

 2023 marks the eighth year of production for the third-generation Tacoma. But changes are on the horizon, as the new 2024 model, possibly including an electrified variant, is rumored to be undergoing final testing. Until then, we’ve still got the beloved Taco to kick around. That’s not a slight; the Taco has a well-earned reputation for rugged simplicity and durability and shrugs off abuse with an almost supernatural ability. 

The downside is it is a comparatively barren experience, lacking the cutting-edge tech and features of some of its prime competitors. 

The naturally-aspirated 159-horsepower 2.7-liter four-cylinder with a six-speed auto and rear-wheel drive is the most efficient version, returning official EPA estimates of 21 combined, 20 city and 23 mpg highway. The 278-horsepower V6 improves drivability and doesn’t ask for much in return. It’s rated for 21 mpg combined, 19 city and even improves the highway number to 24 mpg. 

Like the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel and Chevy Colorado, the current Taco is not long for this world; if the current model appeals to you, now is the time to make a deal.  

The Honda Ridgeline has made a career out of straddling the line between true compacts like the Maverick and midsizers that utilize half-ton truck build techniques, and that’s by design. Honda’s intent was not to dethrone traditional trucks like the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma with the Ridgeline. Instead, it figured that current Honda owners would jump at the chance to add a pickup as a second vehicle, often replacing a pickup from a competitor. 

While that marketing formula seems to have met with some success, its fuel economy is only average. EPA-rated for 21 mpg combined, 18 city and 24 highway, it’s efficient, but not enough to be the sole reason for choosing it over its competitors. On the other hand, the 3.5-liter V6 pairs with a nine-speed automatic transmission and comes with standard all-wheel drive. Its main appeal is the reduced footprint, pleasant driving experience and comparatively serene cabin of the Ridgeline. 

The Frontier was redesigned for 2022 but retained a physical and spiritual thread to the Frontier models of yore. The exterior is like years more cohesive yet immediately recognizable as a Frontier. A standard 3.8-liter, 310 horsepower V6 delivers the most power in its class and can tow up to 6,720 pounds or handle a 1,610-pound payload.  

But remarkable fuel efficiency isn’t part of the program, as the rear-wheel drive version is EPA-rated 20 mpg combined, 18 city and 24 highway. To be fair, Frontier is only fractions behind the Tacoma and Ridgeline in fuel efficiency. However, the numbers are so close that styling, feature content or dealer experience could easily outweigh the minuscule differences in fuel efficiency.