Shelf order · Vans, Passenger Type
Most efficient
Most efficient
vans, passenger type
15 models ranked on the EPA's own combined figure — no manufacturer claims, no road tests, no paid placement. Topped by the GMC Safari 2WD (Passenger) at 16 MPG.
Ranked on the test sheet, best first
| # | Model | Combined | Fuel/yr | Per mile | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GMC Safari 2WD (Passenger) | 16 MPG | $3000 | $0.200 | 2000–2005 |
| 2 | Ford Transit T150 Wagon | 15.5 MPG | $3097 | $0.206 | 2015–2019 |
| 3 | Ford Transit T150 Wagon FFV | 15 MPG | $3200 | $0.213 | 2015–2019 |
| 4 | Chevrolet Express 1500 2WD Passenger | 14 MPG | $3429 | $0.229 | 2009–2014 |
| 5 | Chevrolet Express 1500 AWD | 14 MPG | $3429 | $0.229 | 2003–2008 |
| 6 | Chevrolet Express 1500 AWD Passenger | 14 MPG | $3429 | $0.229 | 2009–2014 |
| 7 | Chevrolet Express 1500/2500 2WD | 14 MPG | $3429 | $0.229 | 1996–2008 |
| 8 | GMC Safari AWD (Passenger) | 14 MPG | $3429 | $0.229 | 2000–2005 |
| 9 | GMC Savana 1500 2WD (Passenger) | 14 MPG | $3429 | $0.229 | 2009–2014 |
| 10 | GMC Savana 1500 AWD (Passenger) | 14 MPG | $3429 | $0.229 | 2003–2014 |
| 11 | GMC Savana 1500/2500 2WD (Passenger) | 14 MPG | $3429 | $0.229 | 2000–2008 |
| 12 | Chevrolet Express 2500 2WD Passenger | 13 MPG | $3692 | $0.246 | 2011–2017 |
| 13 | GMC Savana 2500 2WD (Passenger) | 13 MPG | $3692 | $0.246 | 2011–2017 |
| 14 | Chevrolet Express 3500 2WD Passenger | 12 MPG | $4000 | $0.267 | 2011–2017 |
| 15 | GMC Savana 3500 2WD (Passenger) | 12 MPG | $4000 | $0.267 | 2011–2017 |
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 →
