The Most Fuel Efficient Trucks of 2017 Will Keep You on the Job Longer

So you’re looking for the trucks with best gas mileage? Or have you already bought a truck and now you’re wondering how it stacks up? Fuel efficiency is a huge concern in today’s market for buyers and car makers alike.

Take a quick look at the most fuel efficient trucks of 2017. We’ll give you the basic rundown of each model and the powertrain that puts it on the list. It might help you decide on the right truck for you.

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2017 Toyota Tacoma

This midsized pickup truck stakes its claim as one tough contender. It can be loaded up with the TRD-Pro package for serious offroading, but that’s not the model that gets the best fuel efficiency. Instead, you’ll be looking at the entry-level trim lines.

With 19 miles per gallon in the city and 23 miles per gallon on the highway (EPA ratings, of course), the 2017 Toyota Tacoma does respectably well. That’s equipped with the 159-hp 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine, six-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive. It’s just enough for the very occasional hauler. The Toyota Tacoma is also one of the cheapest new trucks, so you can save at the pump and dealership.

2017 Nissan Frontier

Don’t worry, not every truck will be a midsized truck on the list of trucks with best gas mileage, but this one is too. The 2017 Nissan Frontier isn’t usually known for its fuel efficiency, but there’s a configuration that should be considered. Check out the 2017 Nissan Frontier King Cab at the bottom end of the trim lines.

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If you pick a king-cab Frontier with the 152-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder, five-speed manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive, you can scrape out 19 miles per gallon in the city and 23 miles per gallon on the highway, according to EPA ratings. Its 0-60 time is … hang on a second … wait, it’s still trying to get to 60. We’ll touch base later on that.

2017 Honda Ridgeline

Now we’re cooking with gas (but only a little). The 2017 Honda Ridgeline nearly doubles the Tacoma and Frontier in horsepower but does better on gas mileage. Go figure. The best part about the Ridgeline might be its new design, though. The unusual side stanchions that made so many people hate on the Honda pickup are now gone.

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Honda gets 19 miles per gallon in the city and 26 miles per gallon on the highway from its midsized and only pickup. The sole engine option is the iVTEC 3.5-liter V6 with 280 hp, but the fuel ratings listed here are for the two-wheel-drive version. With AWD, it drops just out of these ratings with 18/25 mpg respectively.

2017 GMC Canyon

Surprisingly, domestic trucks have figured out fuel economy quite well, unlike the SUV category. The GMC Canyon is the first domestic truck on the list of trucks with best gas mileage, but not the best one. Its recent redesign takes it from an absolutely boring, utilitarian vehicle to a well-equipped and capable midsized pickup.

With the 2.5-liter four-cylinder VVT engine, 200 horsepower are produced. Paired with a six-speed manual transmission and just rear-wheel drive, the Canyon is capable of an EPA-rated 19 city MPG and 26 hwy MPG in the Extended Cab, and the Crew Cab does 1MPG better in the city. We’ll take it, until something better comes along.

2017 Ford F-150

All hail the best-selling pickup truck in America! It’s also pretty great on fuel, but not the tops in the fuel efficiency category. As one of just two full-size pickups on our list of the trucks with best gas mileage, Ford should be proud. Maybe the aluminum body debacle actually pays off somewhere.

The 2017 Ford F-150 matches the numbers of the GMC Canyon and Honda Ridgeline. But, because it’s a bigger, more capable truck, it goes higher on our list of trucks with best gas mileage. That’s when it’s equipped with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost with twin turbochargers, pushing 325 hp. RWD and a six-speed automatic SelectShift transmission do their part towards its 19/26 mpg EPA ratings.

2017 Chevrolet Colorado

It almost doesn’t seem fair to put the Colorado ahead of its sibling, the Canyon. But, because we can do what we want, that’s how it is. Actually, it’s because the Colorado uses an automatic transmission, not a manual rower, that it goes ahead.

The 2017 Colorado Extended Cab and Crew Cab can achieve 20 miles per gallon in the city and 26 MPG highway when it’s paired with a six-speed automatic tranny and just rear-wheel drive. That’s using the same 2.5-liter, 200-hp four-cylinder as the Canyon. See? We can be objective.

2017 Ram 1500 Eco-Diesel

In terms of trucks with best gas mileage, it isn’t even all that close. The 2017 Ram 1500 pickup truck walks away with the title of Most Fuel Efficient Truck of 2017. It does so without digging to the bottom of the trim line either.

The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel has a modest 240 hp but a massive 420 lb-ft of torque, making it a great truck for hauling. The transmission is an 8-speed automatic, offering multiple overdrive gear ratios for its insane highway rating. With rear-wheel drive, the 2017 Ram 1500 Eco-Diesel gets 21 miles per gallon through the city and 29 miles per gallon on the highway.

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