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Avoid Buying These 14 Gas Guzzlers in 2024

February 27, 2024

6 min Read

Written by Angela Mae

Edited by Molly Sullivan

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Despite their growing popularity, electric vehicles haven’t yet replaced all traditional vehicles. And while this is good news for people who prefer fuel-powered cars, even newer vehicles aren’t always fuel-efficient.

Even today in this eco-conscious society, many car manufacturers still produce gas guzzlers. If you’re in the market for a new car this year, here are some cars to avoid due to their poor mileage.

Light-Duty Trucks and SUVs

“When a customer buys a truck (Medium Duty like the Ford F250 and F350), they need to haul or tow, and they know MPG is not going to be great,” said Chris Pyle, a trained auto mechanic and car expert at JustAnswer. “So, I will exempt those from the data and stick to cars and SUVs.”

With that in mind, these are the top vehicles in this category that Pyle recommended avoiding (and their estimated mpg, according to EPA data):

2023 Toyota Tundra 5.7 — 20 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway
2023 Ford F150 5.0 — 17 mpg in the city, 20 mpg on the highway
2023 Nissan Armada 5.6 — 13 mpg in the city, 18 mpg on the highway
2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 — 19 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway
2023 Infiniti QX 80 5.6 — 14 mpg in the city, 20 mpg on the highway
2023 Dodge Durango 5.7, 6.2, 6.4 — 19 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway

“Basically, any light-duty truck, or SUV that has a V8 engine tops the list of poor fuel mileage,” Pyle said.

Melanie Musson, an automotive expert at AutoInsurance.org, had a few additional suggestions for which cars to avoid in 2024:

2024 Jeep Wrangler — 13-20 mpg in the city, 21-24 mpg on the highway
2022 GMC Canyon 4WD — 19 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway
2023 Ram 1500 TRX 4WD — 10 mpg in the city, 14 mpg on the highway

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“The Canyon is a small truck, but it requires a lot of fuel. 4WD models tend to be gas guzzlers, so if you’re considering the benefits of 4WD, make sure you consider the cons, namely fuel consumption,” Musson said.

As for the RAM 1500, Musson noted that it requires more fuel than some three-quarter and one-ton truck models — the very definition of a gas guzzler.

Heim Levi, the managing director of Auto Almanac, suggested avoiding two other vehicles this year due to their poor mpg :

2023 Ford F-150 Raptor — 15 mpg in the city, 18 mpg on the highway
2024 Chevrolet Suburban — 20 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway

Select Sports or Super Cars

Although many sports cars do have great mileage, many fall short in this area, including the Dodge Challenger Hellcat. This vehicle averages 13 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway.

“The Dodge Challenger Hellcat, while exhilarating to drive, guzzles fuel at an alarming rate, making it less than ideal for those prioritizing efficiency,” Levi said.

Not every auto enthusiast includes sports cars among the list of gas guzzlers, though, even if they notoriously get lower mpg than other, more efficient vehicles.

“I did not include the Mustang, Charger, or Camaro,” Pyle said. “Folks are looking for whiplash there, not mpg. The vehicles with 4 or 6 cylinders and turbocharged are getting mpg numbers well above 20.”

But if fuel economy is a priority for you, here are some additional sports vehicles to avoid:

2023 Ford Mustang — 15 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway
2023 Dodge Charger — 15 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway
2023 Chevrolet Camaro — 14 mpg in the city, 20 mpg on the highway

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Why Are There So Many Gas Guzzlers?

When asked why there are still so many gas guzzlers out there, here’s what Pyle said:

“Car manufacturers have to meet an mpg average goal. If they sell 10 cars that get great mileage and one car that gets poor mileage, they can then put a gas-guzzling large engine into that one car because their complete model line is meeting the standard. This is why Nissan, Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, and VW have been the leaders in high mpg cars, unlike Dodge, Chevy, and Ford who sell big trucks and SUVs that drink gas.

“So, the car companies have to build engines in small cars to get GREAT mpg and small engines with turbos in their larger vehicles to make them get OK mpg. For a lot of manufacturers, the numbers are getting much closer, but the American Big 3 still struggle to meet their goal because more people buy the Ford F150 compared to the Ford Focus.”

Alternatives to Gas Guzzlers

“Fuel economy is just one of many factors to look into when buying a new car, but with the current environmental concerns, I’d say it’s a crucial factor,” said Blake Shaw, the go-to automotive expert at All About Wheels.

“Cars that stand out for their fuel economy are usually compact cars, hybrids, and electric vehicles (EVs),” Shaw said. “Many of the latest hybrid models combine efficiency and performance really well.

If you’re looking for a newer eco-friendly alternative, here are a few cars: