- A gasoline pickup truck costs $2,033 per year to fuel at 12,000 miles, 54% more than the $1,319 for a compact car.
- The range from the most efficient to the least efficient class spans 18.3 to 29.2 MPG, a 60% difference.
- SUVs have grown from 20% to 48% of new vehicle configurations in the EPA database between model years 2000 and 2025, while cars dropped from 58% to 38%. These are counts of configurations offered, not sales.
- At high gas prices ($4.50/gallon), the annual cost gap between a compact car and a pickup grows to $1,036. Diesel trucks narrow this gap with better fuel economy.
01 Introduction
The vehicle you drive determines more about your annual fuel cost than where you live or how much gas costs. A compact car averaging 28.2 MPG uses about 65% of the fuel per mile that a pickup truck averaging 18.3 MPG does. Over a year at 12,000 miles, that efficiency difference translates to roughly $714 in extra fuel spending.
EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide database, gasoline-fueled vehicles (including hybrids), model years 2024–2025 (unweighted average of comb08 by EPA VClass)This article uses EPA test data from 1,479 gasoline-fueled vehicle configurations across model years 2024 and 2025 to compare fuel economy and annual cost across every major vehicle class. All fuel economy figures are EPA combined ratings (55% city, 45% highway weighting).
EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide database: combined rating methodology uses 55% city/45% highway weighting02 EPA Vehicle Classes Explained
For this analysis, we consolidated the EPA's detailed classes into seven categories:
EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide database vehicle classes (VClass)- Compact Car: EPA "Compact Cars" class.
- Midsize Sedan: EPA "Midsize Cars" class.
- Large Sedan: EPA "Large Cars" class.
- Small SUV: EPA "Small Sport Utility Vehicle" 2WD and 4WD combined.
- Minivan: EPA "Minivan" 2WD and 4WD combined.
- Standard SUV: EPA "Standard Sport Utility Vehicle" 2WD and 4WD combined.
- Pickup Truck: EPA "Standard Pickup Trucks" 2WD and 4WD combined.
03 Fuel Economy by Vehicle Class
Fuel economy varies dramatically across vehicle types. The most efficient class in this data is actually the midsize sedan (29.2 MPG), narrowly ahead of the compact car (28.2 MPG); the least efficient is the pickup truck (18.3 MPG). SUVs fall in the middle, with small SUVs (26.1 MPG) performing significantly better than standard SUVs (19.6 MPG).
EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide database, gasoline-fueled vehicles (including hybrids), model years 2024–2025 (unweighted average of comb08 by EPA VClass)| Vehicle Class | City MPG | Hwy MPG | Combined MPG | Vehicles Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midsize Sedan | 26.6 | 33.5 | 29.2 | 204 |
| Compact Car | 25.6 | 32.7 | 28.2 | 152 |
| Minivan | 24.6 | 29.7 | 26.5 | 17 |
| Small SUV | 24.3 | 29.0 | 26.1 | 482 |
| Large Sedan | 22.3 | 29.7 | 25.0 | 88 |
| Standard SUV | 17.8 | 22.6 | 19.6 | 362 |
| Pickup Truck | 16.7 | 20.7 | 18.3 | 174 |
Minivans and small SUVs land within half an MPG of each other on average: see minivan vs SUV fuel cost for a direct model-by-model comparison if you're cross-shopping the two body styles.
Estimate your vehicle's driving cost using official EPA fuel economy data.
Use the Calculator04 Annual Fuel Cost by Class
At 12,000 miles per year and the current national average gasoline price of $3.10 per gallon, the annual fuel cost ranges from $1,274 for a midsize sedan to $2,033 for a pickup truck. That is a difference of $759 per year for the same amount of driving.
Calculated: 12,000 ÷ MPG × $3.10. Gasoline price: EIA, Short-Term Energy Outlook, September 2026, Table 2: Energy Prices; 2025 annual average regular gasoline retail priceThe gap between sedans and SUVs is particularly notable because most Americans are choosing between these categories when buying a new vehicle. A small SUV costs $106 more per year to fuel than a compact car. A standard SUV costs $579 more. Over a five-year ownership period, that adds up to $531 and $2,894 respectively.
Calculated: Small SUV $1,425 vs Compact $1,319 = $106 difference; Standard SUV $1,898 vs Compact $1,319 = $579; five-year totals at constant rates05 The SUV Shift
The fuel cost picture matters more today than ever because the mix of vehicles offered has shifted toward SUVs. In model year 2000, cars made up about 58% of the configurations in the EPA database, with SUVs at roughly 20%. By 2025, SUVs grew to 48% of new configurations while cars dropped to 38%.
EPA FuelEconomy.gov vehicle dataset: configuration counts by macro-category (Cars, SUVs, Trucks/Vans) for model years 2000 and 2025Within the SUV category the range between models is wide: see the most and least fuel efficient SUVs and crossovers ranked by EPA combined MPG.
Analysis based on EPA class average fuel costs at 12,000 mi/yr and $3.10/galEstimate your vehicle's driving cost using official EPA fuel economy data.
Use the Calculator06 Cost at Different Gas Prices and Mileage
Annual fuel cost depends on both your vehicle type and your annual mileage. A standard SUV driver covering 20,000 miles per year spends more than twice as much on fuel as a compact car driver covering 10,000 miles. The heatmap below shows the full matrix.
Calculated from EPA class averages. Formula: Annual Miles ÷ MPG × Gas Price ($3.10/gal)The cost escalation is steepest for pickup trucks and standard SUVs. A pickup driver covering 20,000 miles per year spends $3,388 on fuel, compared to $2,199 for a compact car driver at the same mileage. That is a difference of $1,189 per year, or roughly $99 per month.
Calculated: Pickup 20,000/18.3 × $3.10 = $3,388; Compact 20,000/28.2 × $3.10 = $2,19907 Data Sources
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: FuelEconomy.gov Vehicle Dataset, model years 1984 to 2026. fueleconomy.gov
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices, U.S. Regular All Formulations. eia.gov
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: The 2025 Automotive Trends Report (EPA-420-R-26-001), fleet composition trends. epa.gov