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Pickup trucks are notorious for having poor fuel economy. Today, fuel economy is more important than ever before because of the global climate crisis. Many countries have taken legislative action to reduce carbon emissions. As a result, poor fuel economy is much more taboo because of all the alternatives available today. Here are three used pickup trucks with the worst fuel economy.

The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX burns plenty of fossil fuel

A silver Ram 1500 TRX is parked on a hill.
The Ram 1500 TRX | Ram

The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is one of the most exciting trucks on the market because of its Hellcat engine. The TRX uses a 6.2-liter V8 engine that makes a massive 702 horsepower. Few trucks are as quick or as powerful as the TRX.

The pickup truck may be fast, but it has horrible fuel efficiency. It gets a measly 10 miles per gallon in the city and 14 miles per gallon on the highway. Filling up the full-size pickup’s 33-gallon gas tank will cost you at least a cool $100+ in most states in America.

The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX has an estimated max driving range of about 350 miles before needing to refuel. If you purchase a TRX, be prepared to burn money as quickly as the pickup burns gas because this thing is costly to refuel. Owners can easily spend over $250 a month on gas using the TRX as a daily driver.

The 2017 Ram 2500 is one thirsty truck

A white Ram 2500 is towing a small bulldozer with a trailer.
The Ram 2500 is towing a small bulldozer with a trailer | Ram

The Ram 2500 is one of Ram’s heavy-duty pickup truck models. Heavy-duty pickup trucks are often purchased as work trucks for drivers that need to tow and carry heavy loads. Heavy-duty pickup trucks are powerful, but they often come at the cost of good fuel economy.

Large heavy-duty pickup trucks devour gas. The 2017 Ram 2500 is one of the thirstier heavy-duty pickup trucks to be released in recent years. The Ram 2500 gets about 14 miles per gallon combined. That’s only roughly two more miles per gallon than the more powerful Ram 1500 TRX model.

The 2020 Ford F-350 Super Duty is a nightmare at gas stations

A brown Ford F-350 is on display.
The Ford F-350 is on display | David Graff/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The last full-size truck on our list of used trucks with the worst fuel economy is the Ford F-350 Super Duty. Ford F-series trucks are American automotive industry staples. Ford produces the quintessential work truck year after year, and the 2020 F-350 fits the mold.

The 2020 F-350 uses a 6.2-liter V8 engine to make 385 horsepower. It has an available 6.7-liter turbo diesel engine option as well. According to Car and Driver, the 2020 Ford F-350 gets about 14 miles per gallon combined. The moral of the story is, heavy-duty pickup trucks have high costs of ownership and produce plenty of carbon emissions.

Used pickup trucks can have high costs of ownership

The Ford F-350 is towing a trailer | Ford

You may find a used pickup truck that is thousands of dollars below market value but use caution before making a purchase. Large pickup trucks like the Ram 2500 and Ford F-350 can quickly burn through gas money. There are plenty of used pickup trucks on the market with great towing capacity that have lower costs of ownership.

Today, as more powertrains are electrified and more hybrid options are offered, there may be hope on the horizon for drivers in need of heavy-duty pickup trucks that don’t break the bank. Who knows, an F-350 Lightning may come sooner than we think.

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The Ram 1500 TRX Isn’t as Great as It Seems