Pickup Trucks That Get 28 Miles Per Gallon
by Suzanne Akerman
A few standout models of small pickups balance the need for power with the need for fuel-efficiency. Mileage per gallon will vary depending on the condition of the vehicle, so mileage calculations are averages. In general, the four-wheel drive pickups fall short of 28 mpg, while the two-wheel drive models are more likely to be easy on the environment and your wallet. Driving a manual transmission rather than an automatic will stretch your miles per gallon even farther.
Newest Fuel-efficient Pickup Trucks
Few trucks beyond the models manufactured in the 1980s come close to the 28-mpg mark. For 2010, the pickup that comes closest is the two-wheel drive Ford Ranger, which gets 22 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway. This vehicle was the most fuel-efficient pickup in 2008 and 2009, although it only performed at 26 mpg on the highway during these years. In 2007, the Mazda B2300 matched the Ranger for fuel-economy, and both pickups actually achieved 29 miles per gallon on the highway. In the city, both ran at 24 mpg. None of the trucks in recent years has achieved 28 mpg combined for city and highway efficiency.
Pickup Trucks from the '90s and 2000s
In the 1990s, several small pickup trucks averaged 27 mpg driving on the highway, but none came close to 28 mpg for their combined fuel economy. Notable makes and models are the 1996 Isuzu Hombre, the 1997 Chevy S10, and the 1991 Ford Ranger and the 1996 GMC Sonoma. According the Fuel Economy Database, the only trucks from the early 2000s to come close to 28 mpg were the 2000 Chevy S10, the 2000 Isuzu Hombre and the 2000 GMC Sonoma, all of which get 27 mpg on the highway, but still run at only 22 mpg combined.
Pickup Trucks from the 1980s
The decade with the highest number of fuel-efficient pickup trucks was the '80s. More than a dozen '80s model trucks from several different car companies get an average of 28 mpg. GMC's 1985 S10, the 1985 Chevy S10 and the 1985 Mitsubishi pickup are a few of the small pickup trucks with a combined fuel economy that hits 28 mpg. A few pickup trucks even climb higher than 28, with the 1985-87 Isuzu two-wheel drive trucks reaching more than 30 mpg combined.
References
Writer Bio
Suzanne Akerman began writing in 2000. She has worked as a consultant at Pacific Lutheran University's Writing Center and her works have been published in the creative arts journal "Saxifrage." Akerman holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in education from Pacific Lutheran University.
