12 Cars That Made Owners Pray for a More Efficient Engine

Some cars are pure joy to drive until you glance at the fuel gauge. Whether it’s a muscle car that drinks like a sailor or a luxury SUV that treats fuel economy as an afterthought, these rides make owners question their life choices every time they refuel.
Sure, the power and presence are undeniable… but so is the pain at the pump.

Here are 12 cars that made even die-hard fans pray for mercy or at least a few extra miles per gallon.

Ford Excursion with the V10

Oh man. The Excursion. It was basically a building on wheels. I mean, you could fit, like, a small village in there. But that V10 Triton engine… uhm, it was a monster. And not in a good way. You’d be lucky to see 12 miles per gallon. On a good day, going downhill. It was a $40,000 truck that required a second mortgage just for your weekly commute. It was great for towing, I guess, but for anything else? You felt like you were personally single-handedly funding an oil company.

Hummer H2

This is the obvious one, right? I mean, it was a status symbol. You were making a statement. The statement was “I am not concerned with fuel economy.” It was heavy, it was brick-shaped, and the engine was just… thirsty. We’re talking 10 MPG, maybe. For a vehicle that cost over $50,000, you’d think they could have figured out a better way. It was less of a car and more of a mobile protest against efficiency.

Cadillac Escalade (early 2000s)

It’s the same story, really. All the bling, none of the efficiency. That big V8 just guzzled gas, and because it was a luxury vehicle, you didn’t even want to think about the cost. You just swiped the card and tried not to cry. For $60,000, you got a lot of presence, but you also got a very intimate relationship with every gas station attendant on your route.

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8

This one is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Well, a wolf in a Jeep’s body. It looked like a normal-ish SUV but then it had this massive, glorious, 6.1-liter Hemi V8. And it was fast. Seriously, stupidly fast for an SUV. But the fuel economy? I think the computer just displayed a sad face instead of a number. You’d get maybe 13 MPG if you drove like a grandma, but who buys an SRT and drives like a grandma? It was a $40,000 paradox.

Land Rover Range Rover (the older ones)

So much class. So much sophistication. You feel like royalty driving one. And then you look at the fuel gauge and it’s like, “ha ha, peasant.” The older models, with their complex V8s, were lucky to hit 15 MPG on the highway. And that was when they were running perfectly. For a vehicle that could easily crest $80,000, the running costs were just… astronomical. You paid for the prestige at the dealership, and then you kept paying for it every single week.

Dodge Durango with the Hemi

Another family hauler that thought it was a muscle car. That Hemi engine is a legend for a reason—it makes great power. But in a big, heavy Durango? You’re not getting any of the benefits of a hybrid, that’s for sure. You’re looking at 14 MPG on a good day. It was a lot of car for maybe $35,000, but “a lot of car” also meant a lot of stops at the pump.

Chevrolet Suburban 2500

The official vehicle of… well, of needing a huge vehicle. They’re incredibly practical, I’ll give them that. You can tow a boat, fit the entire soccer team, and still have room for groceries. But the fuel consumption is just brutal. That big block V8 was designed for work, not for sipping fuel. You’d be in for over $50,000 new and then just watch your money evaporate out of the tailpipe.

BMW X5 M (E70)

This thing was a beast. A super-SUV. It could shame sports cars. But the price for that performance, besides the $90,000 sticker, was a fuel appetite that was just insane. The twin-turbo V8 would barely crack 15 MPG if you were really, really careful. But who buys an M car to be careful? It was a phenomenal engineering achievement that completely ignored the concept of “miles per gallon.”

Mercedes-Benz G550

The G-Wagen. The boxy, military-derived status symbol. It’s incredibly capable off-road and has that undeniable presence. But it aerodynamically resembles a brick, and the V8 under the hood doesn’t care. The fuel economy is, frankly, appalling for the modern era. We’re talking 13 MPg. For a vehicle that costs well over $100,000, it’s a statement that you are completely beyond such mundane concerns as “fuel prices.”

Audi S8 (D3)

A sleeper sedan. It looked like a normal, nice Audi A8, but under the hood was this Lamborghini-derived V10 engine. It was sublime, smooth, and sounded amazing. And it drank premium fuel like it was water. The fuel economy was in the low teens. You paid over $90,000 for this Q-ship, and the trade-off for that intoxicating power was constantly visiting the gas station.

Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor

Okay, not a car you bought new, but so many people bought these used! And they’re tanks, super reliable. But that 4.6-liter V8, especially after years of idling for hours, was not exactly efficient. You’d be lucky to see 18 MPG. It was a $3,000 car that had the fuel appetite of a $50,000 luxury car. A great beater, but a painful daily driver if you had a long commute.

Chevrolet Camaro Z28 (LS1, late 90s)

This is the one that hurts, because it’s a classic American sports car. The LS1 engine was a masterpiece—light, powerful, and efficient… for what it was. But “for what it was” is the key. In the real world, if you enjoyed that power at all, you were looking at 15-16 MPG. For a $25,000 sports car, it was a trade-off: you got the fun, but you paid for it at the pump every time you put your foot down.