Vehicle fuel efficiency has improved drastically over the last 15 to 20 years. Some crossovers and pickup trucks are capable of getting fuel economy that was once reserved for midsized sedans. That hasn’t always been the case. Even now with engine tech the way it is, there are still some vehicles out there that get sinfully bad gas mileage that can be downright ridiculous.
Take the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, for instance. While Jeep’s biggest SUV is no longer powered by Stellantis’ 6.4-liter Hemi V8, it debuted with the engine. I drove it a couple of years back and averaged just over 11 mpg, which I thought was nuts. One trip took that down under 10 mpg. During my week with the Jeep, my family and I took a short drive to Southern California’s High Desert which required a trek up the Cajon Pass; both I-15 and the San Andreas Fault run through the pass. It’s also a nice little climb up to the 3,777-foot elevation that you eventually get to when arriving in the High Desert. Unfortunately, the climb wasn’t too great on the Grand Wagoneer’s gas mileage. Three rows of passengers and a massive V8 engine on a highway with a near 4,000 foot elevation meant gas mileage in the pass was just 9.6 mpg, the worst I had ever seen on a vehicle.
Now we ask you, dear Jalopnik reader. Think back of all the vehicles you’ve encountered and tell us what’s the worst gas mileage you’ve ever seen. Let us know in the comments.
