Since we've established weight as one of the enemies of efficiency, it should come as no surprise that trucks with the best fuel economy are generally those that are smallest and lightest. For the 2005 model year, the miles-per-gallon champs of pickup trucks are the Ford Ranger and Mazda B2300 twins, both equipped with the 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine and manual transmission, achieving 24 city and 29 highway mpg.
Likewise, the biggest and heaviest trucks garner the worst mpg figures. Among the least efficient are the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size 4WD pickups with a powerful 6.0-liter V-8, coming in at 14/16 city/highway mpg, and the 4WD Dodge Ram 1500 with its 13/17 mpg city/highway rating. Fun as the Dodge Ram SRT-10 is, those interested in fuel economy should probably steer clear of this formidable pickup, since its 500-hp Viper-sourced engine propels it rapidly toward a rather dismal 9/12 city/highway rating.
| Pickups and SUVs arguably enjoy the widest array of factory-customizing options in the business, and your choices can have a big impact onbottom-line fuel economy. |
The fuel economy leader for SUVs is the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid, the lone hybrid electric vehicle entry in this class. The 2WD version gets 36/31 mpg city/highway fuel economy, while the 4WD variant comes in at 33/29 mpg. Beyond that, the same basic rule of size and weight applies, with the diminutive 2WD Toyota RAV4 earning a 24/30 mpg, the best fuel economy among non-hybrid SUVs. At the other end of the spectrum are Land Rover's Range Rover with 12/16 mpg city/highway ratings and Mercedes-Benz' G-Class, a vehicle that defines the term "boxy styling." The G500 is rated at 13/14 mpg city/highway fuel economy, while its high-powered G55 AMG compatriot gets one mile per gallon less in city driving.
Do-it-yourself fuel economy
So what can you do to squeeze some extra mileage from your truck? Pickups and SUVs arguably enjoy the widest array of factory-customizing options in the business, and your choices can have a big impact on bottom-line fuel economy. For instance, the fuel-thrifty Ford Ranger assumes some gas-guzzling traits when optioned-out with the 4.0-liter V-6, an automatic transmission, and 4WD. Such a configuration brings an additional 59 hp to bear, but also slashes fuel economy by more than 60 percent, to 15 city and 19 highway mpg.
Fuel economy can also suffer when owners delve into the realm of aftermarket accessories, equipping their vehicles with aggressive and oversized off-road tires, roll bars, and body-lift kits, to name just a few of the dozens of popular items available. That's not to say that personalizing a pickup or SUV is a bad thing. On the contrary, making our vehicles singularly "ours" is part of the fun. But generally speaking, anything that adds weight, increases rolling resistance, or creates aerodynamic drag will hurt fuel economy, so it's worth noting.