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I’m an Auto Expert: 11 Trucks and SUVs That Cost More To Drive Than They’re Worth

March 26, 2025

3 min Read

Written by David Nadelle

Edited by T. Woods

The 2023 Suburban High Country front three-quarter view parked.

©Chevrolet

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According to Kelley Blue Book, the average new car buyer in America paid $49,740 at the close of 2024, close to an all-time high. So obviously, new-vehicle prices remain inflated in 2025.

Everything related to driving is expensive now, from gas and manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRPs) and financing, to repairs and insurance. As Forbes notes, it cost $12,182 a year, or $1,015 a month, to own and operate a new car, up 13.6% from 2022 when the total cost was $10,728 a year, or $894 per month.

And as car companies continue to make bigger vehicles and Americans continue to buy them in droves, most drivers aren’t saving much money on the purchase or on fuel economy. Larger vehicles burn through more gas than smaller cars, but some bulkier models are less fuel efficient than others.

According to Jeff S. Bartlett, managing editor for the autos team at Consumer Reports (CR), “there is particular pain at the pump for large vehicles with low fuel economy. We see this play out with full-sized SUVs and trucks because those vehicles tend to be the thirstiest and have the biggest tanks.”

The following 11 SUV and pickup truck models are the worst wallet raiders, according to Bartlett. All have CR miles per gallon (mpg) test results ranging from 14 to 18 (combined city and highway driving) and cost between $83 to $110 to fill their tanks. Also listed are gas tank capacities and 2024 MSRPs, per Consumer Reports.