Most Fuel-Efficient Fords by MPG at Ed Martin Ford in Central Indiana

The Most Fuel-Efficient Ford You Can Buy

The most fuel-efficient gas Ford you can buy is the Maverick Hybrid, rated at an EPA-estimated 42 city / 35 hwy / 38 combined MPG in front-wheel drive. It is a pickup truck that catches most people off guard, because the mileage leader is supposed to be a small car. Those ratings are miles per gallon (MPG), estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and they are given three ways: city, highway (hwy), and combined.

Once you know that, the question changes. If the highest-mileage gas Ford in the lineup has a bed and a hitch, then "good on gas" and "actually useful" are no longer opposite choices. The rest of the lineup makes the same point: an SUV that hits 27 MPG combined, a sports car that rates 26, and a full-size truck that rates 23 and still pulls a trailer.

Below, every current Ford is ranked on those figures: the hybrids, the turbocharged gas engines Ford calls EcoBoost, and the Explorer's V6, with the best configuration of each powertrain shown. The all-electric Mustang Mach-E is not in that ranking, because an electric vehicle is not rated in MPG at all; it has a section of its own further down. Powertrain just means what moves the vehicle: a gas engine on its own, a hybrid that pairs a gas engine with an electric motor, or an electric motor alone.

Several models appear more than once, because a different engine or a different drivetrain carries its own rating. Between two drivetrains of the same model, the gap is usually one or two combined MPG, small enough that traction is a fair reason to take all-wheel drive. It is worth seeing that gap before you choose.

Every Current Gas Ford Ranked by EPA Combined MPG

Here is the full current Ford gas lineup sorted by combined MPG, best to worst. Combined is the fairest single number to rank by, because it blends city and highway driving the way most people really drive. City alone would flatter the hybrids. Highway alone would flatter the gas engines.

The table uses the short forms for front-wheel drive (FWD), rear-wheel drive (RWD), two-wheel drive (2WD), and all-wheel drive (AWD). Four-wheel drive appears as 4x4 on the F-150 PowerBoost and as 4WD everywhere else, including the Ranger, the Bronco, and the Expedition. Both labels mean four-wheel drive.

Rank	Model	Powertrain	EPA-Estimated Combined MPG	Body Style
1	Maverick Hybrid FWD	2.5L hybrid	38	Compact pickup
2	Maverick Hybrid AWD	2.5L hybrid	37	Compact pickup
3	Bronco Sport	1.5L EcoBoost	27	Compact SUV
4	Maverick FWD	2.0L EcoBoost gas	26	Compact pickup
5	Mustang	2.3L EcoBoost	26	Sports car
6	Maverick AWD	2.0L EcoBoost gas	25	Compact pickup
7	Explorer AWD	2.3L EcoBoost	23	Midsize SUV
8	Bronco Sport	2.0L EcoBoost	23	Compact SUV
9	Ranger RWD	2.3L EcoBoost	23	Midsize pickup
10	F-150 PowerBoost 4x4	3.5L hybrid	23	Full-size pickup
11	Explorer RWD	3.0L V6	21	Midsize SUV
12	Ranger 4WD	2.3L EcoBoost	21	Midsize pickup
13	Bronco 4WD	2.3L EcoBoost	20	Midsize SUV
14	Expedition 2WD	3.5L EcoBoost	19	Full-size SUV
15	Expedition 4WD	3.5L EcoBoost	18	Full-size SUV

All figures are EPA-estimated, with the best configuration of each powertrain shown. Your actual mileage will vary with driving habits, load, weather, and how you maintain the vehicle.

Three things jump out of that table.

First, four of the top six spots belong to the Maverick. In hybrid or gas form, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, the smallest Ford pickup is never worse than sixth in its own lineup, which is why it is the first name we bring up when somebody walks in asking about gas mileage.

Second, the spread from the top of the table to the bottom is more than double, 38 combined against 18. The powertrain you pick matters far more than any driving tip you will ever read. No amount of gentle driving closes a 20 MPG gap.

Third, the middle of the table is crowded. Four vehicles sit at 23 combined, and they could hardly be less alike: a midsize SUV, a compact SUV, a midsize pickup, and a full-size hybrid pickup. Once you are shopping in that part of the table, mileage stops deciding anything, and size, towing, and seating take over. That is worth knowing before you talk yourself out of the vehicle you actually need.

The bottom of the table deserves a look as well. The Bronco, which is a separate model from the compact Bronco Sport higher up, rates 20 combined, and the Expedition rates 19 with two-wheel drive and 18 with four-wheel drive. If one of those is the vehicle the job calls for, its rating is something to know going in rather than the number that picks the vehicle for you.

The Most Efficient Ford in Every Category

Nobody shops all fifteen of those rows side by side, and they are not fifteen different vehicles anyway: they are engine and drivetrain versions of eight models. Most people walk in already knowing they need a truck, or an SUV, or something fun to drive. So the practical question is not which Ford tops the table. It is which Ford leads the category you are already shopping in. Start from the shape of vehicle you need, take the mileage leader in that category, and the question of which model fits your driving is mostly answered.

Category	Winner	EPA-Estimated Rating	Best For
Most efficient Ford overall, and most efficient pickup	Maverick Hybrid FWD	42 city / 35 hwy / 38 combined	High-mileage commuters who still want a bed and a hitch
Most efficient Ford SUV, and most efficient of the Fords ranked in MPG above without a hybrid system	Bronco Sport 1.5L EcoBoost	25 city / 30 hwy / 27 combined	Compact SUV shoppers who want the mileage lead without a hybrid system
Most efficient Ford sports car	Mustang 2.3L EcoBoost	22 city / 33 hwy / 26 combined	Interstate drivers who want a car they enjoy on weekends
Most efficient midsize Ford SUV	Explorer 2.3L EcoBoost AWD	20 city / 27 hwy / 23 combined	Midsize SUV buyers who want all-wheel drive
Most efficient full-size Ford SUV	Expedition 3.5L EcoBoost 2WD	16 city / 24 hwy / 19 combined	Buyers who need a full-size SUV and want the better rated of its two drivetrains
Most efficient midsize Ford pickup	Ranger 2.3L EcoBoost RWD	21 city / 25 hwy / 23 combined	Midsize truck buyers who spend most of their miles with an empty bed
Most efficient full-size Ford truck that still tows	F-150 PowerBoost hybrid 4x4	22 city / 24 hwy / 23 combined	Full-size truck buyers who tow up to 11,600 pounds and still want 23 combined
Electric option	Mustang Mach-E	EPA range 240 to 320 miles by configuration	Drivers who can charge where they park

Three rows in there are worth a second look.

The F-150 PowerBoost, the hybrid version of the F-150, is the one that changes minds. At an EPA-estimated 23 combined in 4x4 it matches the rear-wheel-drive Ranger, a smaller midsize truck, and it still tows up to 11,600 pounds when properly configured. In a full-size Ford truck, the efficient choice is not the compromised choice.

The Bronco Sport takes two of those categories in a single row. It is the most efficient Ford SUV at 27 combined, and among the Fords ranked in MPG above, it is the most efficient one without a hybrid system in it. If you want the mileage and not the hybrid, that 1.5L EcoBoost is where the lineup tops out.

The Mach-E sits in that table on range rather than MPG. The section below explains why an electric vehicle's efficiency figure should never be set beside a gas vehicle's MPG.

Ford Hybrids Lead the Lineup

Ford builds two hybrid models in the current lineup, shown here in three drivetrain versions, and the Maverick Hybrid beats its own gas version by 12 combined MPG. The two sit at opposite ends of the truck market: one is the mileage champion of the whole brand, the other is a full-size work truck.

Hybrid	EPA-Estimated City / Hwy / Combined
Maverick Hybrid FWD	42 / 35 / 38
Maverick Hybrid AWD	40 / 34 / 37
F-150 PowerBoost 4x4	22 / 24 / 23

The Maverick Hybrid is the headline at an EPA-estimated 42 city / 35 hwy / 38 combined in front-wheel drive, and 40 city / 34 hwy / 37 combined with all-wheel drive. Look at the shape of those numbers. City mileage sits above highway, the opposite of a normal gas vehicle and the clearest sign a hybrid is doing its job. A gas engine is at its worst idling at a light or crawling away from a stop sign, and that is exactly where the electric side takes over. Adding all-wheel drive costs one combined MPG, a small price for the traction if you want it.

The F-150 PowerBoost applies the same idea to a full-size truck, rated at 22 city / 24 hwy / 23 combined in 4x4. That puts a full-size Ford pickup on the same combined rating as the midsize Ranger in rear-wheel drive, without giving up serious towing. Its city and highway figures sit close together instead of leaning hard toward the city, which tells you a heavy truck asks more of the gas engine at every speed than a compact pickup does.

Those two trucks are the whole hybrid story in the current Ford lineup, and the split between them is easy to read. One is built around city miles, which is why its city rating sits above its highway rating. The other is built around pulling weight while still holding a 23 combined rating. Which one suits you comes down to which of those two jobs you do more often.

Efficient Gas Fords: The EcoBoost Engines and the Explorer V6

You do not have to buy a hybrid to get good mileage out of a Ford. EcoBoost is Ford's name for its turbocharged gas engines, which use a turbocharger to get the power of a bigger engine out of a smaller one, so the engine uses less fuel while you are just cruising and calls on the turbo when you ask for power. Four of them sit in the top six of the ranking table above, and none of them add a hybrid's extra complexity. The Explorer's 3.0L V6 sits in the table below as well. It is not an EcoBoost, and it is there as the comparison that shows what the turbo engines are doing.

Model	Engine	EPA-Estimated City / Hwy / Combined
Bronco Sport	1.5L EcoBoost	25 / 30 / 27
Maverick FWD	2.0L EcoBoost	23 / 32 / 26
Mustang	2.3L EcoBoost	22 / 33 / 26
Maverick AWD	2.0L EcoBoost	22 / 30 / 25
Explorer AWD	2.3L EcoBoost	20 / 27 / 23
Bronco Sport	2.0L EcoBoost	21 / 27 / 23
Ranger RWD	2.3L EcoBoost	21 / 25 / 23
Explorer RWD	3.0L V6	18 / 25 / 21
Ranger 4WD	2.3L EcoBoost	19 / 24 / 21

A few things worth knowing before you shop.

The Bronco Sport with the 1.5L EcoBoost is the efficiency champion among Ford SUVs at an EPA-estimated 27 combined. Stepping up to the 2.0L EcoBoost trades four combined MPG for more power, dropping the same vehicle from 27 to 23. That is the clearest engine call in the lineup, and it is worth making on purpose.

The gas Maverick with the 2.0L EcoBoost still returns 26 combined in front-wheel drive, which puts the non-hybrid version of this truck fourth in the whole lineup. Its 32 highway figure is second-best among the gas engines. For somebody who spends the day on open road instead of at stoplights, the gas Maverick closes much of the gap to the hybrid, because the hybrid's big lead is a city lead.

The Mustang with the 2.3L EcoBoost posts the highest highway figure of any gas Ford here at 33 MPG. A sports car that will run 33 on the interstate is a real commuter, not just a weekend car, and at 26 combined it rates the same as a front-wheel-drive gas Maverick.

The Explorer shows the EcoBoost advantage most plainly, because it is the one model here where a small turbo engine and a larger V6 sit in the same body. The 2.3L EcoBoost rates 23 combined with all-wheel drive; the 3.0L V6 rates 21 with rear-wheel drive, so the turbo engine leads by two combined MPG while carrying the drivetrain that costs mileage. The same two-MPG gap holds in city driving, 20 against 18, which is where the stoplight miles of a local commute are spent.

The Ranger's 2.3L EcoBoost rates 23 combined in rear-wheel drive and 21 combined in 4WD. The compact Maverick Hybrid beats the rear-wheel-drive Ranger by 15 combined MPG. If you are looking at a midsize pickup mainly because it feels like the sensible middle choice, check first whether the smaller truck does the job, because the step between those two is one of the biggest mileage jumps in the lineup.

The All-Electric Option: Mustang Mach-E Range and MPGe

The Mustang Mach-E is Ford's fully electric model, and we left it out of the MPG ranking above on purpose. Here is why.

An electric vehicle (EV) is not measured in MPG, because it burns no gasoline. It is measured in MPGe, which stands for miles per gallon equivalent. MPGe converts the electricity a vehicle uses into the energy content of a gallon of gasoline, so regulators have one yardstick across very different vehicles. It is not a measure of gasoline, because the Mach-E does not use any and has no fuel tank to fill.

Setting the Mach-E's 110 MPGe combined beside a 38 MPG gas rating would be stacking two different units against each other, and it would tell you nothing useful about what the vehicle costs to run. A gas number tells you how often you stop at a pump. An MPGe number tells you how efficiently a battery turns stored energy into miles.

For an electric vehicle, the number that governs your daily life is range.

Measure	Mustang Mach-E
EPA range	240 to 320 miles depending on configuration
Longest-range configuration	RWD with the extended-range battery, 320 miles
EPA-estimated efficiency	Up to 115 city / 104 hwy / 110 MPGe combined (RWD extended range)

The distance between the shortest and longest configuration is 80 miles, which is the difference between a vehicle that covers a long day of errands and one that also handles a long round trip without you planning stops. Configuration matters more on an EV than anywhere else in the lineup.

Notice that the Mach-E, like the Maverick Hybrid, rates higher in the city than on the highway, at up to 115 city MPGe against 104 highway. Electric drive is at its most efficient in the low-speed, frequent-stop driving that punishes a gas engine. That is the one thread that holds all the way through: a hybrid or electric powertrain pays off most where the traffic is worst.

What Better MPG Means on a Central Indiana Commute

Central Indiana runs on trucks. That is not marketing, it is what is parked in the driveways around Anderson, Pendleton, Elwood, and Alexandria, and it is why the most fuel-efficient Ford being a pickup matters so much here. In a lot of markets, the efficiency conversation opens by asking somebody to give up the vehicle they actually use. Here it does not have to. You keep the bed and the hitch and still sit at the top of the mileage table.

Think about the run down I-69 from Anderson to Indianapolis. A large share of Madison County makes that drive, and it is exactly the mix a hybrid is built for: slow going at each end, steady cruising in the middle.

Over that drive, a 38 MPG Maverick Hybrid uses a little over half as much fuel as a 21 MPG Ford. A narrower version of the same story sits inside one model. The ranking table above shows the F-150 as the PowerBoost hybrid, rated at an EPA-estimated 22 city / 24 hwy / 23 combined in 4x4, against 16 city / 24 hwy / 19 combined for the same truck with the 5.0L V8 in 4WD. That is 23 against 19 overall, and 22 against 16 in the city, which is where a commute like this one starts and ends. Either gap, repeated over a few years of driving, adds up to real money, whatever the pump happens to say on any given morning.

There is a second Central Indiana reality worth naming. Winter driving, short trips, and a lot of idling all hurt gas mileage, and all three describe an Indiana January: a cold engine that never fully warms up on a six-mile run, a few minutes of idling in the driveway, then stop-and-go on salted roads. A hybrid's advantage shows up strongest in exactly that kind of driving, which is one reason the Maverick Hybrid's city rating of 42 sits above its highway rating of 35. The Mach-E follows the same rule. The worse your conditions are for a gas engine, the more a hybrid or an electric vehicle is worth to you.

So the honest recommendation is not the same for everybody. For a commute that is mostly open interstate, a gas EcoBoost closes much of the gap, and the choice comes down to what you want to drive. For short, cold, stoplight-heavy miles, the hybrid earns its keep every week of the year.

Ed Martin Ford is the only Ford dealership in Madison County, and we keep the fuel-efficient models in stock, with the Maverick and Bronco Sport regularly on our lot. That matters here, because a mileage ranking is only worth reading if you can go sit in the winner. If the exact version you want is not on the lot, you do not have to settle for something close. We will factory order the exact model, engine, and drivetrain you want, so the choice between 38 combined and 37 combined on a Maverick Hybrid is yours to make, not one the lot makes for you. If you are watching the budget as closely as the mileage, our most affordable new Fords page is a good place to start.

Find Your Fuel-Efficient Ford at Ed Martin Ford

Ready to put these vehicles in front of you? Browse our new Ford inventory for what is in stock in Anderson right now, or look at our current Ford offers before you settle on a powertrain.

If you want a straight recommendation between a Maverick Hybrid, a Bronco Sport, and an F-150 PowerBoost for how you really drive, contact our team and we will line up back-to-back test drives so you can feel the difference instead of reading about it. Tell us how long your commute is and how much of it is stoplights, and the right answer usually sorts itself out in one afternoon.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ford Fuel Economy

Which Ford has the best gas mileage?

The Maverick Hybrid, at an EPA-estimated 42 city / 35 hwy / 38 combined MPG in front-wheel drive. With all-wheel drive it rates 40 city / 34 hwy / 37 combined. No other Ford model comes close on combined MPG: the next-best model, the Bronco Sport, rates 27 combined. See the Maverick in stock at Ed Martin Ford.

Is the Maverick a hybrid?

The Maverick is offered both ways. The hybrid rates an EPA-estimated 38 combined MPG with front-wheel drive, or 37 once you add all-wheel drive. The gas 2.0L EcoBoost version rates 26 and 25 combined across those same two drivetrains. Both are compact pickups with the same body, so the choice is between two powertrains, not between two different trucks.

What is the most fuel-efficient Ford SUV?

The Bronco Sport with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine, at an EPA-estimated 25 city / 30 hwy / 27 combined MPG. The Explorer with the 2.3L EcoBoost and all-wheel drive is next among Ford SUVs at 23 combined, tied with the Bronco Sport fitted with the larger 2.0L EcoBoost engine. Browse the Bronco Sport to compare.

Which full-size Ford truck gets the best gas mileage?

The F-150 PowerBoost hybrid, at an EPA-estimated 22 city / 24 hwy / 23 combined MPG in 4x4. That ties the combined rating of the much smaller rear-wheel-drive Ranger. See the F-150 lineup.

Do fuel-efficient Fords still tow?

Yes. The F-150 PowerBoost hybrid tows up to 11,600 pounds in 4x4 form when properly configured, while returning an EPA-estimated 23 combined MPG. Efficiency and towing are not an either-or in the current Ford truck lineup, which is why the PowerBoost belongs in a mileage conversation at all.

Which all-wheel-drive Ford is the most fuel-efficient?

The Maverick Hybrid with all-wheel drive, at an EPA-estimated 40 city / 34 hwy / 37 combined MPG. Among Ford SUVs, the Explorer with the 2.3L EcoBoost and all-wheel drive rates 20 city / 27 hwy / 23 combined. Adding all-wheel drive to the Maverick Hybrid costs one combined MPG against the front-wheel-drive version.

How far does the Mustang Mach-E go on a charge?

The Mach-E has an EPA range of 240 to 320 miles depending on configuration. The longest-range version is rear-wheel drive with the extended-range battery, rated at 320 miles. Details are on our Mustang Mach-E page.

What is MPGe, and is it the same as MPG?

No. MPGe means miles per gallon equivalent, and it translates the electricity an EV uses into the energy content of one gallon of gasoline so regulators can compare vehicles on one scale. An electric vehicle uses no gasoline, so its MPGe should never be ranked against a gas vehicle's MPG. For an EV, judge it on range.

Does all-wheel drive lower a Ford's gas mileage?

Yes, but only by one or two combined MPG on the models offered with and without it. The Maverick Hybrid rates an EPA-estimated 38 combined with front-wheel drive against 37 with all-wheel drive. The gas 2.0L EcoBoost Maverick steps from 26 combined down to 25 across the same pair. The Ranger shows a two-MPG step of its own between drivetrains, at 23 combined in rear-wheel drive and 21 combined in 4WD.

Which Ford has the best highway MPG?

The Maverick Hybrid front-wheel drive at an EPA-estimated 35 highway MPG, followed by the Maverick Hybrid all-wheel drive at 34 and the Mustang 2.3L EcoBoost at 33. If most of your miles are interstate miles, those three are the ones to compare, and notice that the top two on the highway are both hybrids, with the Mustang EcoBoost the best of the gas engines. The hybrid's biggest lead is a city lead. See the Mustang for the sports car option.

Is a fuel-efficient Ford worth it for a short commute?

Yes, and more so than for a long one. Short, slow, stop-and-start driving is exactly where the hybrids pull furthest ahead. The Maverick Hybrid is rated higher in the city, at an EPA-estimated 42 MPG, than on the highway at 35, and the Mach-E shows the same pattern at up to 115 city MPGe against 104 highway. A gas engine does its worst work in traffic, and a hybrid does its best.

Which engine should I pick on a Bronco Sport?

Pick the 1.5L EcoBoost unless you specifically want the extra power. It rates an EPA-estimated 25 city / 30 hwy / 27 combined MPG against the 2.0L EcoBoost's 21 city / 27 hwy / 23 combined, and that 27 is the highest combined rating of any Ford SUV. It suits most buyers. Choose the 2.0L when the added power is worth four combined MPG to you. Compare both on the Bronco Sport page.

Can I order a fuel-efficient Ford if it is not on the lot?

Yes. Ed Martin Ford will place a factory order for the exact model, powertrain, and drivetrain you want, so the only thing ordering costs you is time, not the engine or drivetrain you actually wanted. We are the only Ford dealership in Madison County, and ordering is a normal part of how we sell.

Where can I see current deals on these models?

Our Ford specials change monthly, so see our new vehicle specials page for the latest deals on new cars, trucks, and SUVs. You can also contact our team to have someone walk through what applies to the model and powertrain you are considering.

Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained on this site, absolute accuracy cannot be guaranteed. This site, and all information and materials appearing on it, are presented to the user "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. All vehicles are subject to prior sale. Price does not include applicable tax, title, and license charges. ‡Vehicles shown at different locations are not currently in our inventory (Not in Stock) but can be made available to you at our location within a reasonable date from the time of your request, not to exceed one week.

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