Owning a truck doesn’t have to mean pain at the pump.

When is a pick-up truck worth it? For many of us, that’s a tough call. We all love the hauling capacity and ruggedness of even light pickups compared to SUVs, but they can chug gas like a thirsty man at a water fountain. But if you know where to look, you can find a pickup that hauls while still sipping gas.

Toyota Tacoma

At 19 city and 24 highway, the Tacoma has enjoyed a strong reputation among truck fans for a while, but the mid-size pickup offers quite a bit of power and options for a mid-size, and it’s only improving over time. It also offers two and four-door options and has up to 278 horsepower under the hood. You can also get it with a manual transmission, to ensure you save even more gas.

Chevrolet Silverado

The Silverado gets 18 mpg in the city and 24 on the highway, which is impressive for a full-size pickup, notorious for being a gas hungry category. Part of that is the Chevrolet EcoTec engine, which is designed with a whole host of fuel-saving innovations in mind. It’s also one of the most technologically advanced trucks on the market, with Bluetooth antenna, Apple support, USB ports, and streaming radio tools as options.

Nissan Frontier

Also known as the Nissan Navara, the Frontier gets great mileage in part because of its diesel options and the ability to get a manual transmission, pulling up to 19 mpg in city and 23 on the highway. To give you an idea of just how well-engineered it is, though, the Mercedes Benz X-Class is built in the same factory, using some of the same technology, and the Renault Alaskan as well. It’s an unexpected, but useful, seal of approval.

Get more out of your pickup on the road.

Dodge Ram 1500

The 1500 might be the most fuel-efficient full-size pickup, at 21 city and 29 highway, but don’t be fooled by some of the hype. The claims of an “exclusive” manual transmission is only because full-sizes don’t generally come with manual transmissions, so there’s no special engineering or anything to consider. It does, however, have plenty of engine options available and has one of the better safety records among pickups.

Ford F-150

The F-150 does best on the highway, averaging 26 miles to the gallon, but in the city it offers a decent 19 mpg. That said, the F-150’s big advantage has nothing to do with features and everything to do with popularity: As the best-selling vehicle in America, an honor it’s held for years, it’s easy to find a budget-friendly F-150, whether new or used, on lots across America.

GMC Canyon

Easily the best mileage of any pickup, compacts or otherwise, the Canyon gets 22 miles to the gallon in the city and 30 on the highway. It’s also known as the Chevy Colorado, although you have more options and upgrades with the Canyon, and it has an MSRP to match those options. So if you’re looking for a lower-budget equivalent, the Colorado will fit the bit, but the Canyon is a bit more luxurious if that’s your desire.

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