Top 9 Most Fuel-Efficient Trucks for 2014

For the past several years, the best-selling vehicle in the nation has been a pickup . It's not difficult to understand why Americans love trucks. Pickups offer the kind of unassailable utility that makes them a natural fit for anyone who frequently hauls outsize cargo.

Certain trucks offer another benefit: outstanding fuel efficiency. The nine models shown offer the best gas mileage in the segment. Our list is shorter than the usual 10 due to a shrinking talent pool. GM's hybrid trucks made appearances on last year's list, but for 2014, GM has dropped these hybrids from its lineup.

Our list this year includes fuel-efficient gas-only models like the Nissan Frontier, Ram 1500 and Toyota Tacoma. Note that each model is allowed just one appearance on our list, for its most fuel-efficient powertrain.

Each vehicle's ranking is determined by its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) combined fuel economy rating. The EPA's combined fuel economy rating is based on miles-per-gallon ratings for city and highway travel, using the following formula: 55 percent of city mpg rating plus 45 percent of highway mpg rating.

1. 

   1. Toyota Tacoma — 23 mpg combined (21 city/25 highway) (tie)