You can't please all the people all the time. And in 2014, some readers were definitely not pleased with our list of the most fuel-efficient trucks.
The gripe was that the list only showed the trucks' two-wheel-drive
versions with base engines. Some asked: What about the fuel economy for
trucks' four-wheel-drive versions? In other words, the trucks most people really buy. We heard you, and present a different kind of list for 2015.
It's true that most truck shoppers opt for four-wheel drive (nearly 75 percent of buyers so far this year for the 2015 Ford F-150, for example). So that's what this list ranks. V8s also are crushing V6
models in terms of 2015 sales to date. So in addition to showing fuel
economy for the four-wheel-drive trucks with the more fuel-efficient V6
engines, we also show you what to expect at the pump if you opt for a
V8.
You won't see a breakdown based on cab type, bed length or optional
axle ratio, however. Those variables are not treated as separate cases
on an EPA window sticker.
A longer, heavier configuration with a high-numeric axle ratio for
maximum towing will be less efficient than a lighter version with
standard low-numeric gearing, but the official published fuel economy
will not show a difference.