It was back in the summer when Ram announced it would be putting a V6 diesel into the 1500, and that this would result in best-in-class fuel economy. Fuel economy was never something which mattered much in this segment, as it always seemed to come at the expense of much-needed power. But then Ford put a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost into the F150, the 1500's biggest rival, and the game was suddenly on.

For the American market, diesel engines in pickups have generally been built with really serious hauling in mind. Those wanting more power out of a light duty pickup could always order a gasoline V8, and everyone was generally happy with that. But diesel has come a long way, and Ram believed it was high time to revisit the light duty diesel question. This piqued the curiosity of Motor Trend, who put the truck through an 88-mile real-world drive cycle, and found that it indeed produced a best-in-class 28 mpg on the highway. All the while offering the same hauling performance as the 5.7 V8 option.

Check out all trucks with good gas mileage.