The 15 Most Gluttonous Engines Ever Put on Sale
Some cars sip fuel. These vehicles chug it. They burn premium like water. Owners weep at the pump. We are looking at the absolute worst gas mileage cars ever sold to regular people. These are the rolling gas tanks of history. Guys, explore more in Guides And Explainers and worst gas mileage cars ever.
The Supercar Snub: V12 Excess
Before hybrid tech existed, there were no rules. Manufacturers chased power. Efficiency meant nothing. A massive displacement engine was the ultimate flex.
1992 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
This full-size sedan carried a 5.7L V8. It weighed as much as a small whale. City mileage hovered near 11 mpg. Highway numbers offered no mercy either. It was a land yacht that ran on regret and leaded fuel.
Lamborghini Diablo VT
The Diablo looked mean. Under the hood sat a 5.7L V12. It produced 485 horsepower of pure waste. The all-wheel-drive system added weight. Real-world owners saw 8 to 10 mpg. It was a rolling fuel penalty box.
The Truck Era: Big Engines, Zero Sense
Trucks in the late 90s and early 2000s were dinosaurs. They had no aerodynamic respect. Engineers just dropped massive V8s into bricks.
2001 Dodge Ram 3500 Dual Cab
This crew cab weighed over 6,000 pounds. It ran a 5.9L Cummins turbo diesel, or a 8.0L V10 gasoline version. The gas V10 was a horror show. Owners averaged 9 mpg while hauling nothing.
Hummer H2 (2002-2009)
The H2 was a military mock-up for soccer moms. It used a 6.0L V8. The body was huge. The drag coefficient was terrible. Real mpg numbers flirted with 10 in the city. It was a symbol of excess before the crash.
The Forgotten SUVs: Gas Guzzler Champions
SUVs took over the world in the 2000s. Big brands built them without thinking about fuel. They assumed buyers never looked at the sticker price of gas.
2004 Ford Excursion
The Excursion was the longest SUV ever sold in America. It used a 5.4L Triton V8. It was longer than a Suburban. Payload capacity was zero. It existed only to destroy fuel economy. It returned 10 mpg at best.
Chevrolet Suburban (Early 2000s Models)
The Suburban is a legend. But the old models are notorious. A 5.3L V8 in a body this large is a bad math problem. Combined mpg sat around 13. It was a garage king that ate money.
Why These Gas Guzzlers Still Exist
Demand created the supply. Rich buyers wanted size. No one cared about the fuel gauge. Then the 2008 crash happened. Fuel prices quadrupled overnight. Brands scrambled to cancel these models.
Today, the EPA keeps a list of the least efficient vehicles on sale. You can check the official federal database here: Fuel Economy Data. The worst gas mileage cars ever built still serve as a warning. We learned that bigger does not mean better. Efficiency eventually wins.
The Lesson for Car Buyers
Do not buy a car with the worst gas mileage cars ever produced unless you have a second income. Fuel costs destroy budgets. A thirsty vehicle turns a commute into a financial burden. Choose wisely. Modern small cars outperform old monsters on every metric. The future belongs to efficient engineering.