gas mileage

Toyota Tacoma Gas Mileage

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The highly-popular Toyota Tacoma pickup truck was introduced in 1995 and redesigned for the 2005 model year. Solid gas mileage ratings are a proven factor in the Tacoma’s appeal. Currently the best-selling compact pickup truck in America, the 2WD Tacoma delivers as many as 25 miles per gallon on the highway when equipped with the 4-cylinder engine.

The 2009 Toyota Tacoma is available with two engines: a DOHC 2.7-liter 4-cylinder rated at 159 horsepower (HP) and a DOHC 4.0-liter V-6 rated at 236 HP. A diesel engine is not currently available in the Tacoma here in the States. It’s a different story overseas, where a torque-filled 3.0-liter DOHC turbo-diesel inline four can be found under the hood of the Toyota HiLux pickup. (Outside of the United States, the HiLux fills the Tacoma’s spot in Toyota’s lineup.)

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Nissan Frontier Gas Mileage

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First introduced in 1998 as a compact pickup, the Nissan Frontier grew to become a mid-sized truck with a 2005 redesign. The Frontier’s gas mileage ratings fall a shade behind the Toyota Tacoma, with the current model’s highway ratings topping out at 23 miles per gallon (MPG) in the 4-cylinder manual transmission-equipped 2WD. The 2008 Nissan Frontier is available with two engines: a 2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder rated at 152 horsepower (HP) and a 4.0-liter DOHC 24-valve V-6 engine rated at 261 HP.

While a diesel engine is not currently available in Frontiers sold in North American a torquey 2.5 liter DOHC intercooled turbo-diesel is available under the hood of the Frontier overseas, where it is known as the Navara. As a point of comparison, manual transmission-equipped diesel King and Double cab Navaras are rated at 23.9 urban / 32.8 extra urban MPG in the UK. That’s roughly 19.9 city and 27.3 highway here in the States.

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Nissan Titan Gas Mileage

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The rugged full-sized Nissan Titan was introduced in 2004 to compete with the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, and Dodge Ram pickup trucks. Nissan boasts about having the most powerful standard V-8 in its class, but the Titan’s gas mileage ratings lag behind the competition, with the E85-capable versions offering the dubious distinction of single-digit city ratings.

The 2008 Nissan Titan is available in crew cab and king cab configurations, and is equipped with a brawny 5.6 liter DOHC 32-valve V-8 engine that produces 317 horsepower. Flex Fuel capability is available as an option. All versions of the 2008 Titan (4×2 and 4×4) are rated at 12 miles per gallon in the city and 17 miles per gallon on the highway. The Titan is slated for a redesign for the 2009 model year. It is likely that a diesel engine option will be added at that time.

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Mazda B Series Pickup Truck Gas Mileage

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The Mazda B Series pickup doesn’t just deliver some of the best gas mileage ratings of all small pickup trucks sold in America, it’s also one of the longest running small pickup model lines sold here in the States. Their are two engine choices in the current B Series range. The regular cab 2WD 2.3 liter four-cylinder manual-transmission B2300 produces 143 horsepower and delivers a very respectable 26 miles per gallon on the highway. The B4000 is fitted with a 4.0 liter six cylinder engine rated at 207 horsepower.

Even though the Mazda B Series tops the charts of 2008 pickup truck gas mileage, it’s overshadowed by the B Series trucks produced in the early 1980s, when the B Series delivered highway mileage was as much as 60% higher than the current ratings. It was not unusual for Mazda B2000 pickups to achieve as much as 40 miles per gallon, back in the day.

The fuel efficient 2.5 liter turbo diesel engine, currently available in the B-Series overseas, could help Americans in search of a pickup truck that achieves better than 30 miles per gallon.

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Chevrolet Tahoe Gas Mileage

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Introduced in 1995, the full-size Chevrolet Tahoe is a true American SUV. Granted, the Tahoe’s gas mileage ratings, have never been something to write home about … until now. 2008 might just mark the dawn of a new era, with the Tahoe Hybrid offering a remarkable 50% improvement in city gas mileage ratings over the standard models. It isn’t just a case of bolting in an electric motor and a bank of batteries. Chevy dropped the Tahoe hybrid’s suspension, made aerodynamic tweaks to the hood and front end, and put some components on a diet to ease the load on the two-mode hybrid system. (Both the hood and tailgate are lightweight aluminum.)

The estimated gas mileage for the Tahoe Hybrid (shown above) is 21 city / 22 highway in 2WD trim, and 20 city / 20 highway for the 4WD model. The Tahoe Hybrid is slated to ship in early 2008.

The 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe is available with four engine choices, dependent on model. The two-wheel-drive LS comes standard with the 4.8 liter Vortec V-8, while the LT1, LT2, LT3 and LTZ are equipped with one of two versions of Chevy’s 5.3 liter Vortec V-8. The Chevy Tahoe Hybrid is fitted with a hefty 6.0 liter Vortec V-8 along with the two-mode hybrid electric propulsion system. (And you were expecting a wimpy little engine?)

Twenty miles per gallon in the city is be a good start for the Tahoe Hybrid but there’s plenty of ground to make up. An equivalent boost in highway mileage would be more than welcome. Continuing the effort to lighten the big SUV and dropping the 6.0 liter gasoline-burning V-8 in favor of a more economical turbo-diesel would be likely next steps.

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