Shelf order · Small Pickup Trucks 4WD
Most efficient
Most efficient
small pickup trucks 4wd
10 models ranked on the EPA's own combined figure — no manufacturer claims, no road tests, no paid placement. Topped by the Ford Maverick AWD at 25 MPG.
Ranked on the test sheet, best first
| # | Model | Combined | Fuel/yr | Per mile | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford Maverick AWD | 25 MPG | $1920 | $0.128 | 2022–2026 |
| 2 | Toyota Tacoma 4WD | 21 MPG | $2286 | $0.152 | 1995–2026 |
| 3 | Chevrolet Colorado 4WD | 19 MPG | $2526 | $0.168 | 2004–2026 |
| 4 | GMC Canyon 4WD | 19 MPG | $2526 | $0.168 | 2004–2026 |
| 5 | Nissan Frontier 4WD | 19 MPG | $2526 | $0.168 | 1998–2026 |
| 6 | Chevrolet Colorado Cab Chassis inc 4WD | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 2007–2012 |
| 7 | GMC Canyon Cab Chassis Inc 4WD | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 2007–2012 |
| 8 | Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab 4WD | 17 MPG | $2824 | $0.188 | 2004–2012 |
| 9 | Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD | 17 MPG | $2824 | $0.188 | 2017–2026 |
| 10 | GMC Canyon Crew Cab 4WD | 17 MPG | $2824 | $0.188 | 2004–2012 |
Current model-year figures, $3.20/gal fixed JUL 2026, 15,000 miles a year. Electric models are rated in MPGe and are not directly comparable on fuel cost.
SOURCE·US EPA fuel-economy test data·FUEL ASSUMED AT $3.20/GAL FROM JUL 2026·REVIEWED JUL 2026
How this is worked out
- Start from the EPA combined figure for the model year — a laboratory test cycle run to a fixed procedure, not a road result. Where a year sold several engines or drivetrains, the trims are averaged and the trim count is printed beside the row so you can see how much averaging is behind it.
- Fix a pump price. This site keeps one reference price, $3.20 a US gallon, fixed JUL 2026 and printed next to every dollar figure it produces. It is an assumption with a date on it, not a quote — put your own price in.
- Fix an annual distance. Every annual figure on this site uses 15,000 miles a year, roughly the US average. A cost per year with no stated distance is not a number, it is a mood.
- Divide distance by economy for gallons, multiply by price for the year's fuel, divide price by economy for one mile. The per-kilometre line is that last figure divided by 1.609344 — the same money, in the unit most of the world drives in.
- Stop there. No depreciation, no tyres, no insurance, no servicing. This is the fuel line of the ledger and it is labelled as one; depreciation usually dwarfs everything on it.
gallons/yr = miles/yr ÷ MPG fuel $/yr = gallons/yr × $/gal cost $/mi = $/gal ÷ MPG cost $/km = cost $/mi ÷ 1.609344
The full method, the licence note, and what a test figure cannot tell you →
