Looking for a list of the most fuel efficient diesel pickup and SUV models in the US market that get the best gas mileage? You’ve come to the right place.
Americans love their SUVs.
They’re tall, so mom has a commanding view of the road, and they’re big enough to haul a team of soccer players, complete with their gear. (If you’re single, they’re big enough for your dogs/mountain bikes/entire Star Wars collection). Plus, some of them can even go off road (handy if the soccer field gets wet).
Pickup trucks are equally popular with Americans, but usually for more practical reasons. They can go from the jobsite to the football field and still look good. You can go through all sorts of terrain, while carrying massive amounts of…whatever. In fact, those Super-Duper Duty ones can even tow trains and jumbo jets.
But the one thing that neither of these kinds of vehicles are good at is getting good fuel mileage – just look at some scary MPG stats from dedicated truck owners. Until now, that is.
More and more consumers are demanding an alternative to expensive, gas burning engines, which is one reason that hybrids have become so popular. However, some schools of thought suggest that mining for the raw materials used in a hybrid battery can cause even more environmental damage than the emissions from a diesel.
With an eye on US environmental regulations, many European car makers are designing diesel engines that will comply with our strict emission rules.
American automakers are getting on the diesel bandwagon too, by offering more powerful and efficient diesel engines in their most popular trucks.
But sadly, there isn’t much of a selection yet.
For diesel powered SUVs, there’s the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI, the 2011 BMW X5 xDrive35d, the 2011 Audi Q7 TDI and the Mercedes ML350 BlueTEC.
Although these are expensive, they are luxury SUVs. Don’t forget, “what you see on today’s luxury car, will be standard on tomorrow’s base model”. So, think of these as a sign of things to come.
2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Sport
Base price: $47,950
Engine: 3.0 liter V6 TDI – 225-hp – 406 lb-ft torque – AWD
Fuel Economy: 19/28
Fuel Tank Capacity: 26.4 gallons
Greenhouse Gasses Emitted per Year: 7.66 (tons)
Highlights: Standard navigation, leather, xeon headlights, rear-view camera, Bluetooth/iPod, 18-inch wheels.
2011 Mercedes Benz ML350 BlueTEC
Base price: $50,490
Engine: 3.0 liter V6 TDI – 210-hp – 400 lb-ft torque – AWD
Fuel Economy: 18/25
Fuel Tank Capacity: 25.1 gallons
Greenhouse Gasses Emitted per Year: 8.02 (tons)
Highlights: The Mercedes doesn’t offer much in the way of standard equipment. So, if you want one that has leather and navigation, you’re going to have to order the Leather Package for $1,780, & the Premium 1 package for $4,000. Otherwise, you’re going to get vinyl seats and a steering wheel…for Fifty-Grand.
Base price: $51,450
Engine: 3.0 liter V6 TDI – 225-hp – 406 lb-ft torque – AWD
Fuel Economy: 17/25
Fuel Tank Capacity: 26.4 gallons
Greenhouse Gasses Emitted per Year: 8.42 (tons)
Highlights: Standard leather, LED tail lights, parking sensors, heated seats, power tailgate, Bluetooth/iPod, 19-inch wheels & 7-passenger seating.
Base price: $51,800
Engine: 3.0 liter inline-6 TDI – 265-hp – 425 lb-ft torque – AWD
Fuel Economy: 19/26
Fuel Tank Capacity: 22.5 gallons
Greenhouse Gasses Emitted per Year: 7.66 (tons)
Highlights: Standard navigation, leather, rear-seat TV system, satellite radio, head-up display, parking sensors.
Diesel trucks
Diesel powered pickups are limited to the Ford SuperDuty, the Chevrolet HD, and the Dodge 2500/3500. However, these are ¾ ton – 1 ton trucks.
None of the popular ½ ton models are available with a diesel engine. And, none of the ¾ ton (and up) trucks are required to have their fuel mileage certified by the EPA.
This is because they’re considered to be commercial vehicles. Plus, there’s a mind-boggling array of mechanical options (like axle ratios, transmissions, etc.) which can effect the fuel mileage.
Since there are no official MPG numbers for these trucks, the fuel mileages listed below are based on owner accounts, and can vary based on the model, and chosen equipment.
The base prices listed are for a ¾ ton, regular cab, 2WD with an automatic transmission, diesel engine, and standard equipment. Once you start adding on the options, these diesel pickups can eclipse $40,000 real quick.
Base price: $27,450
Engine: 6.7 liter inline-6 TDI – 350-hp – 650 lb-ft torque – RWD
Fuel Economy: 13-15 mpg (est)
Fuel Tank Capacity: 34 gallons
NOx Gas Emitted per Mile: 0.2 grams
Highlights: The Cummins diesel in these Ram trucks uses special chambers to collect polluting gasses, then the system heats up, burning off the pollutants. Here, some tips for drivers tailored to the Dodge owner.
2011 Ford F250 / F350 / F450 / F550 SuperDuty
Base price: $36,340
Engine: 6.7 liter V8 TDI – 400-hp – 800 lb-ft torque – RWD
Fuel Economy: 15/22 (est)
Fuel Tank Capacity: 37.5 gallons
NOx Gas Emitted per Mile: 0.2 grams
Highlights: Ford’s Power Stroke diesel uses an injector to spray urea into the exhaust. The heat from the exhaust turns the urea to ammonia, which then turns the NOx gasses into nitrogen gas, and water inside of a specially designed catalytic convertor. Drivers are already reporting first-hand on higher MPG here and here.
2011 Chevrolet 2500HD / 3500HD
Base price: $37,355
Engine: 6.6 liter V8 TDI – 397-hp – 765 lb-ft torque – RWD
Fuel Economy: 13/19 (est)
Fuel Tank Capacity: 36 gallons
NOx Gas Emitted per Mile: 0.2 grams
Highlights: Chevrolet’s Duramax diesel uses a similar urea injection system as Ford’s Power Stroke diesel.
But regardless of how you look at the high initial cost, you still wind up with a vehicle that gets good fuel mileage for its class, and that’s a real boon with predicted gas hikes what they are. Plus, the long-term reliability of diesel engines is better established and proven than the more complicated hybrid.
Teddy Field got his start in the auto industry at the age of 17. He is a recognized car dealer sales & management consultant, an automotive journalist, and a regular contributor to http://www.bestcardealsnewyork.com.
I noted that the regular gas burning Subaru Outback (2010 Motortrend SUV of the Year) beats all of the SUVs above, getting 22/29 mpg with the 2.5L CVT auto tranny.
And since this is a practical environmentalist website, you can get or order one with PZEV (partial zero emission vehicle, see https://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/air-quality/pzev-vehicles-and-why-you-probably-cant-get-one-in-your-state.htm )
Forgot to add that it starts at under $24,000.
The above comment makes no sense by itself, because my preceding comment wasn’t posted!
In it, I noted that the reg gas Subaru Outback in 2.5 liter auto cvt trim offered better mpg, 22 city. 29 highway, than these hybrids, and was Motortrend’s SUV of the year for 2010. Also lists for under $24k which is considerably less than the four above.
We’re trading out of a Toyota Highlander hybrid for the Subaru.
You forgot the Mercedes Benz Sprinter! My dear.