If you’ve shopped for a truck recently, you’ve probably noticed that fuel economy now matters almost as much as towing, payload, and capability. The best MPG trucks for 2026 give buyers more ways to lower fuel costs without giving up everyday utility.
In this guide, you’ll find our picks for the most fuel-efficient new 2026 trucks, including compact, midsize, full-size, hybrid, diesel, and select 2027 models worth watching.
Quick Answer: What Truck Has the Best MPG in 2026?
The Ford Maverick Hybrid is the undisputed champion for fuel economy in 2026. Equipped with its standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain and front-wheel drive (FWD), it delivers an EPA-estimated 42 city, 35 highway, and 38 combined MPG. With it, you’ll enjoy the benefits of a truck but have a compact car’s fuel costs.
The table below highlights the most fuel-efficient configurations available across the compact, midsize, and full-size truck segments for 2026.
Best MPG Trucks in 2026: Ranked Table
| # | Truck | Class | Best MPG Config. | City | Highway | Combined | Starting MSRP (est.) | Best For | Main Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford Maverick Hybrid | Compact | FWD Hybrid | 42 | 35 | 38 | $28,000 | Commuters, first-time truck buyers | Limited towing capacity |
| 2 | Hyundai Santa Cruz | Compact | FWD 2.5L | 22 | 30 | 25 | $29,750 | Buyers who want an SUV-like ride | No hybrid option |
| 3 | Toyota Tacoma Hybrid | Midsize | i-FORCE MAX RWD | 23 | 24 | 23 | $46,000 | Off-road capability with efficiency | Hybrid trims cost more |
| 4 | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Duramax | Full-size | 3.0L Duramax 2WD | 23 | 29 | 26 | $45,000 | Heavy towing + highway efficiency | Diesel premium upfront |
| 5 | Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid | Full-size | 2WD Hybrid | 25 | 26 | 25 | $43,000+ | Balanced power and efficiency | Real-world MPG often runs lower |
| 6 | Toyota Tundra i-FORCE MAX | Full-size | RWD Hybrid | 20 | 24 | 22 | $55,000 | Toyota reliability reputation | Costs more than Tacoma |
| 7 | Ram 1500 Pentastar V6 | Full-size | 2WD V6 | 20 | 25 | 22 | $41,600 | Smooth ride, no hybrid premium | Less towing than Hurricane I-6 |
Note: Fuel economy figures are based on EPA estimates and manufacturer data. Starting MSRP figures are estimates based on InvoicePricing.com data where available, and manufacturer data where a model is not available in our system. Fuel economy can reduce ownership costs, but purchase price still matters. Before choosing a truck, it helps to understand how invoice price works and compare pricing where available.
Best Compact Trucks for MPG
Compact trucks dominate this list because they’re lighter and smaller, which is exactly what fuel economy rewards.
Ford Maverick Hybrid
The clear winner here. Its standard hybrid powertrain pairs a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with an electric motor, for a class-leading EPA estimate of 38 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 37 mpg combined with all-wheel drive. Edmunds testers found real-world results matched up well, regularly beating 40 mpg combined in mixed driving.
If you choose the non-hybrid EcoBoost engine instead, expect closer to 25-26 mpg combined. Still solid, but well behind the hybrid.
Hyundai Santa Cruz
The other compact pickup option. With the base 2.5-liter engine and front-wheel drive, the naturally aspirated Santa Cruz is EPA-rated at 22/30/25 mpg city/highway/combined with FWD and 21/29/24 mpg with AWD. The turbocharged engine, only paired with all-wheel drive, drops to 20 mpg combined.
Since the Santa Cruz has no fuel-sipping hybrid option getting more than 30 mpg, the Maverick stays the efficiency champion in this class.
Best Midsize Trucks for MPG
Midsize trucks trade some MPG for more towing, payload, and off-road capability than compact pickups offer.
Toyota Tacoma Hybrid
The segment leader. With the i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain, most trims earn an EPA-estimated 22 city / 24 highway / 23 combined MPG, while the Limited i-FORCE MAX RWD configuration nudges slightly higher to 23/24/23.
The non-hybrid Tacoma’s best configuration, the SR5 4×2, comes in at 21 city / 26 highway / 23 combined, nearly matching the hybrid on paper. However, the hybrid generally edges it out in real-world city driving thanks to electric assist at low speeds.
Best Full-Size Trucks for MPG
Full-size trucks have the biggest gap between best and worst MPG, since engine choice ranges from small turbo fours to V8s.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Wins this class thanks to its available Duramax diesel. The Duramax 3.0L turbo-diesel achieves EPA ratings of 23 MPG city and 28 MPG highway for a combined 25 MPG. The 2WD combined figure is slightly higher at 26 mpg.
Either way, it’s the best-in-class result for a traditional gas or diesel full-size truck, beating some competitors’ hybrids on combined fuel economy, with a range that can exceed 600 miles. The GMC Sierra 1500 shares the same Duramax engine and may deliver essentially identical fuel economy.
Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid
The 3.5-liter PowerBoost Full-Hybrid V-6 achieves 22/24/23 MPG (city/highway/combined) in 4WD, while the 2WD configuration gets up to 25 city, 26 highway, and 25 mpg combined.
Toyota Tundra
Features a twin-turbo V6 i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain that focuses more on muscle than pure fuel savings, delivering up to 22 mpg combined, 20 city, and 24 highway. Toyota sandwiches an electric motor generator between the 3.4-liter twin-turbo engine and the 10-speed automatic transmission instead of using the hybrid system strictly to cut gas consumption.
Choosing popular 4×4 packages or the rugged TRD Pro package with heavy off-road tires will drop your efficiency by 2 or 3 mpg.
Ram 1500
Offers the most engine variety. The base 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 with 2WD is the efficiency leader at 20 city / 25 highway / 22 combined. If you’re looking at the Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six, know that it trades some MPG for towing and power, so expect around 21 mpg combined in standard-output form.
Best Hybrid Trucks for MPG
Trucks with hybrid powertrains generally have good city MPG, since electric assist helps during stop-and-go driving and regenerative braking recovers energy that would otherwise be lost. But “hybrid” doesn’t automatically mean “cheapest” or “best deal.”
The Ford Maverick Hybrid is the top pick because it’s affordable and efficient. The Tacoma and F-150 hybrids closely trail it. The Toyota Tacoma i-FORCE MAX and Ford F-150 PowerBoost utilize their electric motors to boost horsepower and torque. While they improve city mileage, their main objective is to provide strong towing power without requiring a massive, thirsty engine.
Best Diesel Trucks for MPG
The Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500’s Duramax 3.0L inline-six diesel is the only light-duty diesel pickup currently offered new for 2026 among mainstream full-size trucks. Most manufacturers are beginning to reserve their diesel engines for heavy-duty (HD) trucks rather than light-duty, half-ton pickups.
What About Electric Trucks?
Electric pickups don’t use MPG; they’re rated in MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) or simply by driving range. That’s a different measurement that shouldn’t be mixed into a gas or hybrid MPG comparison. The Silverado EV, for example, rates between 64 and 70 MPGe depending on configuration, and the F-150 Lightning sits in a similar range.
The Rivian R1T also offers decent low per-mile driving costs if you can charge it cheaply at home overnight.
2026 vs. 2027: Should You Buy Now or Wait?
Buy a 2026 model if the fuel economy, financing, and pricing already work for your budget. For most shoppers, there’s no reason to wait for a 2027 truck unless a manufacturer has confirmed a change that directly affects fuel economy, powertrain availability, pricing, or release timing.
The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 are the main 2027 models worth monitoring because updates could affect their engine lineup, trims, or fuel economy. Official 2027 EPA fuel economy figures have not been published yet, so buyers should not delay a purchase based on MPG expectations alone.
2027 Trucks Worth Watching
2027 Silverado 1500 / Sierra 1500
Worth watching if the 2027 updates affect engine availability, trim mix, pricing, or fuel economy. These trucks should not be ranked against confirmed 2026 models until final data is available.
2027 Ford F-150
Worth checking again once official 2027 specs are published. Without confirmed MPG-related changes, compare against the confirmed 2026 PowerBoost Hybrid numbers.
2027 Ram 1500
Worth checking again once official 2027 specs are published. Performance trims or special editions should not affect the MPG recommendation unless Ram confirms changes to mainstream fuel-efficient powertrains.
How to Choose a Fuel-Efficient Truck
A few things matter more than the headline MPG number on the window sticker.
Combined vs. city vs. highway MPG
If you mostly commute in stop-and-go traffic, weigh the city number more heavily, since that’s where hybrids show their biggest advantage. If you drive mostly highway miles, the highway figure (and a diesel’s torque-rich efficiency at steady speeds) should matter more to you.
Drivetrain
Front-wheel-drive and 2WD configurations almost always beat their 4WD/AWD counterparts by 1-3 mpg combined, because of the added weight and drivetrain friction. If you don’t need 4WD for weather or off-roading, skipping it saves fuel.
Towing reduces real-world MPG significantly
Pulling a loaded trailer can cut your fuel economy by 20-40%. If towing is a regular part of your truck use, prioritize a high-torque engine, like a diesel or turbo six, over a smaller engine with a slightly higher EPA number, since the smaller engine will work harder and burn more fuel under load.
Tires, trim, and off-road packages
Off-road trims with aggressive all-terrain tires and lifted suspensions carry a notable fuel economy penalty compared to standard street trims of the same truck. When available, compare invoice pricing by trim before contacting dealers.
Compact trucks usually win on MPG simply because they weigh less and have a smaller frontal area. Full-size trucks may still be the better choice for towing and work use, even with a lower MPG number, if you regularly need their payload and towing capacity.
MPG Is Only One Part of Total Truck Cost
A truck with better MPG isn’t automatically the cheaper truck to own. Hybrid and diesel powertrains usually carry a higher purchase price, and that premium needs to be weighed against actual fuel savings over your expected ownership period.
A buyer who drives 8,000 miles a year in light, local traffic may never recoup a hybrid’s price premium in fuel savings, while a high-mileage highway driver or frequent tower often will.
Final Recommendation
As a cost-conscious shopper who doesn’t need heavy-duty towing, the Ford Maverick Hybrid is the easiest fuel-economy recommendation on this list. It combines the best MPG of any new 2026 truck with one of the lowest starting prices in the segment.
If you need more towing and payload ability but still want strong efficiency, look at the Toyota Tacoma Hybrid in the midsize class, or the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Duramax for full-size capability. Both give you the best fuel economy a traditional powertrain can offer.
FAQ: Best MPG Trucks in 2026
What truck has the best MPG in 2026?
The Ford Maverick Hybrid leads the entire truck market with an EPA-estimated 42 MPG city, 35 MPG highway, and 38 MPG combined for the FWD version. The MPG drops a bit with the AWD version.
What new truck gets 30 MPG or better?
Only compact trucks achieve over 30 MPG. The Ford Maverick Hybrid achieves 42 city, 35 highway, and 38 MPG combined, while the gas-powered Hyundai Santa Cruz reaches up to 30 MPG on the highway.
Are hybrid trucks worth it for gas mileage?
Yes, especially if you do a large percentage of your driving in urban areas or heavy traffic where the electric motor handles low-speed acceleration. They are less cost-effective if you only drive at steady highway cruising speeds.
What full-size truck has the best gas mileage?
For full-size trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (and its twin, the GMC Sierra 1500) equipped with the 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel engine have excellent gas mileage: around 23 mpg city and 29 mpg highway, for a combined 26 mpg.
What midsize truck has the best gas mileage?
The Toyota Tacoma Hybrid (i-FORCE MAX) is the most fuel-efficient midsize option, achieving up to 23 city and 24 highway MPG.
Should I wait for a 2027 truck?
Only wait if a confirmed 2027 update changes fuel economy, powertrain availability, pricing, or timing for a truck you’re already considering. Otherwise, confirmed 2026 models are the safer comparison point, especially if current pricing or incentives already work for your budget.
Do diesel trucks get better MPG than gas trucks?
Diesel engines achieve superior highway MPG and maintain better efficiency than gas engines when pulling heavy loads. However, higher diesel fuel prices and DEF maintenance costs often cancel out those savings for non-commercial drivers.
Is MPGe the same as MPG?
No. MPGe stands for miles per gallon equivalent. It is a standardized formula used by the EPA to measure the energy efficiency of electric vehicles.
