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Finding the right truck isn’t always as easy as walking onto a dealership lot. Compact pickup trucks offer the best of both worlds. These trucks are small enough to fit in a garage or a parking spot but still have all of the utility of a truck. So what are the best compact pickup trucks for highway fuel economy in 2022?

Ford Ranger is one of the best compact pickup trucks for highway fuel economy

The best compact pickup trucks for highway fuel economy
The Ford Ranger compact pickup truck on display | Guillaume Payen/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The 2022 Ford Ranger is on the low end of this group of the best compact pickup trucks for highway fuel economy. Consumer Reports reported getting 27 mpg on the highway during testing. That worked out to be about 20 mpg overall, which is still alright for a pickup truck. The annual fuel cost is estimated to be $2,685. Consumer Reports gets these fuel numbers during testing, but the EPA does its own testing and came out with 26 mpg on the highway and 21 mpg in the city.

EPA estimated highway fuel economy: 26 mpg

The Honda Ridgeline is one of the best compact pickup trucks for highway fuel economy

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline is essentially a sport utility vehicle with a truck bed, which seems to have benefitted the highway fuel economy numbers. Consumer Reports noted that the Ridgeline got 29 mpg in highway fuel economy during testing. That evened out to around 20 mpg overall and 13 mpg in the city. The fuel numbers from Honda and the EPA sort out to be 18 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. Consumer Reports estimates the annual fuel cost to be $2,755.

EPA estimated highway fuel economy: 24 mpg

New to the game is the Ford Maverick truck

The 2022 Ford Maverick compact pickup truck has been making waves since it was first announced. Thanks to its standard hybrid powertrain, the Maverick has a lot of fuel economy to offer buyers. During testing with Consumer Reports, the Ford Maverick returned 32 mpg on the highway. That worked out to be 23 mpg overall and 16 mpg in the city. From the EPA, the numbers were more like 42 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 37 combined. The estimated annual fuel cost is $2,345.

EPA estimated highway fuel economy: 33 mpg

The Hyundai Santa Cruz has excellent highway fuel economy

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is another brand-new compact pickup truck option that hit the market this year. During the testing at Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, the Santa Cruz returned 34 mpg on the highway. That’s a good fuel economy, but the EPA has different numbers. The EPA estimated fuel economy numbers were 21 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway for the front-wheel-drive model. The all-wheel drive option gets more like 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. For the annual fuel cost, Consumer Reports put it at around $2,255.

EPA estimated highway fuel economy: 26 mpg

There are plenty of options for new compact pickup trucks, but not all of these options will be great on the highway. The four trucks above won’t leave you getting off at the next exit for gas regularly, only stopping for a quick trip to Chick-fil-A.