There is no question that pickup trucks can be great vehicles to own, especially when they are used for working purchases. This is largely because these vehicles are built to last and have an immense amount of power to go with it. Many people have had wonderful experiences with pickups, but of course, they do come with some problems. Pickups tend to always be slower because of their heavier structures and of course, are extremely expensive when it comes to gas a lot of time. However, this is not always the case if they are built to run through other methods as well.

With all that has been stated thus far, we will be looking at 14 smaller pickups that are downright thirsty and six more that are big, but surprisingly fuel efficient. Now, it is essential to note that these trucks are not good or bad for having these qualities. However, it is always good to know what to expect from these vehicles before deciding to purchase one. At the end of the day, a lot of these pickups are definitely strong ones for their power, but others had a lot of issues during their times on the primary market. At the end of the day, fuel efficient trucks definitely need to be seen more and this article will show us as to why.

Nonetheless, let’s look at the 14 small pickups that are downright thirsty and the 6 big ones that are fuel efficient!

20 Small And Downright Thirsty: 2001 Subaru Baja

The 2001 Subaru Baja is one that definitely was not very liked around the automobile community. This vehicle was built far too weak and its smaller stature did not help with this whatsoever. Also, issues with these vehicle came out far too often as well. However, for a smaller pickup, it is surprising to see that it was a pretty thirsty truck.

Owners would have to refill it very often as it would take only 15 MPG.

That really is a low number when seeing how it was supposed to be smaller and lighter. Overall, this really made it an annoying pickup to drive.

19 Small And Downright Thirsty: 1991 GMC Syclone

The 1991 GMC Syclone is a very solid model and is one that a lot of individuals in the automobile world would love to own for their collection. Also it is not the biggest nor strongest truck on the market, it was a fast one that was very fun to drive at the end of the day. It is very important to note that this model was actually dependent on many trips to the gas station, even though it was a smaller vehicle. In fact, when observing the fact that it would tend to get 16 MPG while driving in city conditions. That really would require many trips to the gas station for more fuel. It was worth it though, as this truck could fly!

18 Downright Thirsty: 2005 Chevy SSR

The 2005 Chevy SSR is one of the worst models to have ever been released and it is shocking when seeing how spectacular the car manufacturer has always been. However, this “pickup” is extremely weak, very ugly, and would go through countless repairs that never should have been needed.

However, what makes this model even more annoying is the fact that it always needed to be taken to the gas station.

When observing it in more depth, this vehicle was absolutely horrendous with its 12 MPG statistic, as well as 18 MPG on the highway. Overall, it was just a useless pickup.

17 Big But Fuel Efficient: 2011 Chevy Silverado 3500

The 2011 Chevy Silverado 3500 is a model that definitely is beloved in the automobile community and many individuals still are using them today. When seeing how strong this vehicle is, it definitely is able to get all the daily tasks done for work and contains a long life cycle. For a bigger pickup, one may actually be surprised by how fuel efficient it actually is. Now, that is not to say that it is the best that ever has been released, but for a work truck to possess a combined 21 MPG rating, that is very solid for a vehicle of this mammoth size. Overall, it is surprisingly fuel efficient.

16 Small And Downright Thirsty: 2005 GMC Canyon

There is no question that people love the 2005 GMC Canyon and that makes a lot of sense. It is a truck that has an abundance of strength and is the perfect one for work. These models had some minor mechanical issues at times, but overall, it definitely was one that was solid enough. However, the one area that this pickup seemed to have a lot of issues  with was its necessity for constant refuelling. With a combined MPG rating of 17, it is quite clear that this smaller truck needed to always be filled up. At the end of the day, this is one part of it that would become a burden.

15 Small And Downright Thirsty: 2008 Nissan Frontier

The 2008 Nissan Frontier definitely had some major issues that ended up hurting its overall customer satisfaction status. The biggest problem this vehicle seemed to possess was the fact that it often would have a failing transmission, which of course, was very unfortunate.

However, this model definitely is one that ends up losing a lot of its overall credit when seeing how much fuel it constantly needed to consume.

When it came to driving on regular areas, this car had an astronomically low 14 MPG, while also having a 19 MPG when on the highway.

14 Small And Downright Thirsty: 2006 Dodge Dakota

The 2006 Dodge Dakota had a lot of potential to become a very solid pickup truck, but that definitely ended up not being the case. This is largely because of the fact that this vehicle was clearly rushed into production, meaning the smaller truck turned out underpowered on release. However, for a smaller truck, it also was known for needing too many trips to the gas station. This is largely because of the fact that it has a combined city/highway rating of 16 MPG, which clearly is not the best. If this was a bigger truck, it would be acceptable, but that is just not the case.

13 Big But Fuel Efficient: 2017 Nissan Titan PRO-4X

The 2017 Nissan Titan PRO-4X is a pickup that is definitely getting a lot of positive attention and very well is worth investing in at this time. This is the prime definition of a true work truck because it not only has an abundance of overall strength, but it also is built to last. For a bigger truck, this is a pickup that definitely is pretty fuel efficient. In fact, it actually has a far better rating than many of these smaller trucks already. With a combined city/high rating of 19 MPG, this is one that is definitely worth investing in and makes it an all around solid truck.

12 Small And Downright Thirsty: 2010 Ford F-150

The 2010 Ford F-150 was a rare hiccup in the amazing pickup series and definitely was a complete letdown for many of its owners. Perhaps the biggest issue when it came to this vehicle was that it was prone to having a lot of engine problems at an alarming rate.

This vehicle was also known for being a very thirsty one for a smaller truck, or at least the smaller of the Ford offerings.

When seeing the fact that it has a city MPG rating of 17, it is clear that it is one that constantly needs to go to repair shops. At the end of the day, this was a rare lemon from one of the best series ever.

11 Small And Downright Thirsty: 2007 Honda Ridgeline

The 2007 Honda Ridgeline ended up being a complete and utter disaster when it was released and this can largely be blamed on the clear fact that it was rushed far too quickly into production, When seeing how many major issues it had right away, this makes a lot of sense. However, this car also was not the best when it came to fuel efficiency and often need many trips to the gas station because of this. In fact, this vehicle had a city MPG of 16 and a highway rating of 21 MPG. At the end of the day, this just is not good enough for a smaller truck.

10 Small And Downright Thirsty: 2008 Chevy Avalanche

The 2008 Chevy Avalanche is one that received an abundance of criticism and that makes a lot of sense when seeing how astronomically underpowered it was for its size. This truck wasn't exactly small, but it really wasn't designed for efficiency and that would make it unappealing to those who used it everyday. Later models would offer a larger bed option that would eliminate much of the passenger space, making it feel like a small pickup. When observing how much gas this vehicle would lose at a quick rate, it is apparent that this was just an awful model. This vehicle normally would go 12 MPG while driving in the city, with it being 17 MPH on the highway. At the end of the day, this was just a complete and utter mess.

9 Big But Fuel Efficient: 2017 Toyota Tundra

The 2017 Toyota Tundra is already a smash hit and an abundance of buyers have grown to love it immensely. Toyota really did well the development of this truck because it is quite clear that it has been built to last, but also have an immense amount of power to go with it.

What may come to a surprise to some is that this model does exceptionally well for a bigger truck when it comes to MPG.

In fact, it possesses a combined city/highway MPG ratio of 18. This definitely is pretty solid for a bigger truck, so that will definitely attract more buyers.

8 Small And Downright Thirsty: 2014 Chevy Silverado

There is no question that the 2014 Chevy Silverado did gain a lot of attention from its buyers and thus far, it has been a very solid model. This should not come as a surprise to any because Chevy has consistently been one of the top manufacturers when it comes to trucks for a number of years. However, the one major downside of this specific vehicle is that its MPG is astronomically bad. In fact, it has a combined city/highway MPG number of 13, so that definitely means it will have a lot of trips to the gas station. However, this one flaw does not take away from the truck's quality like with others.

7 Small And Downright Thirsty: 2001 Dodge Ram 1500

The 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 is definitely one that did well in sales, but it also had some issues. With that being said, it is not the best model from the series, but it did well enough. Aside from its interior problems and common engine ones as well, this was a strong pickup. This vehicle is one that is not necessarily a big truck, but it did require its owners to always take it to the gas station regardless. This car had an awful 13 MPG combined city/highway number, so it is clear that this was one of the big weaknesses of it. It definitely would grow to be annoying.

6 Small And Downright Thirsty: 2016 Toyota Tacoma

The 2016 Toyota Tacoma is a recently released model that definitely is doing well on the primary market. It is clear that this model was built to last because it is very powerful and structurally sound.

This is one model that has helped Toyota immensely when it come to its sales.

However, this pickup is not fuel efficient at all, especially when seeing it is more on the smaller side. When taking a look at its combined city/highway number, it is at 16 MPG, which definitely is not as good as it should be. Yet, this is still a great model that is worth investing in.

5 Big But Fuel Efficient: 2015 GMC Sierra

The 2015 GMC Sierra 3500 is a very popular model and is one that would definitely be worth investing in at this present time. When seeing how strong it is, it definitely is a pickup that will be able to handle the most difficult of tasks with a no problems whatsoever. What may come as a surprise to some individuals of the automobile world is that this vehicle is very fuel efficient, especially with it being a larger pickup. When seeing that it currently carries a combined city and highway MPG rate of 20, that definitely makes it very solid for a bigger model.

4 Small And Downright Thirsty: 2005 Ford F-150

The 2005 Ford F-150 is another from the series that turned out to be a massive lemon and that is definitely a shocking fact. However, the reason why this model turned out to be a horrible one is that it simply was rushed into production and came with far too many issues with this. Among many of its clear massive problems is the fact that it also was in need of fuel extremely often. In fact, it normally had a 10 MPG loss in the city and a 14 MPG while on the highway. At the end of the day, it is clear that this was quite the thirsty vehicle at the end of the day.

3 Small And Downright Thirsty: 2004 Chevy Colorado

The 2004 Chevy Colorado was a vehicle that came with a mix of opinions and that makes a lot of sense. This was a model that definitely was able to get the job done without much trouble at all, but at the same time, it did come with issues later down the road that were not ideal. When looking at its fuel efficiency, it is quite clear that this is one that simply was not whatsoever. For a smaller truck, this definitely can come as a surprise. However, with this model having a combined city and highway MPG at 16, it definitely was not ideal at the end of the day.

2 Big But Fuel Efficient: 2010 Dodge Ram 3500

The 2010 Dodge Ram 3500 is one of the most popular pickups to have ever come from the manufacturer. This makes a lot of sense because of the clear fact that this is one of the most powerful models ever from them and also has been able to maintain its strength throughout it. For a much larger pickup, it actually was very fuel efficient and deserves an abundance of praise for that. With this being known primarily as a work truck, the fact that it carries an combined city and highway MPG at 18 shows that it was not bad at all for a huge pickup.

1 Big But Fuel Efficient: 2014 Ford F-450 Super Duty

The 2014 Ford F-450 Super Duty is an absolutely amazing work pickup truck and one that will always get the job done without any problems whatsoever. This is largely because of the fact that this model is primarily known for its immense strength and amazing build quality. This will definitely come as a surprise to many people of the automobile world, but this model is fuel efficient for a bigger model. When looking at the fact that this model has a combined highway and city MPG at just under 20, this is definitely a large model that tries to maintain being environmentally friendly.

Sources: fueleconomy.gov, jalopnik.com, caranddriver.com