Every driver in America is well aware of today’s high gas prices, but a new study puts some hard numbers on just how much our fuel spending has gone up in 2026, and those numbers are bleak. The average annual fuel cost to drive a gas-powered car went up by $706 dollars between January and April. And if you have a big SUV, you’re looking at spending about $1,500 more per year for gas than you did just five months ago if things don’t turn around.
This study, put together by iSeeCars, “analyzed over 2.1 million 3-year-old used cars sold in 2025 to calculate annual mileage and compare annual fuel costs using the cost of fuel (gas or electricity) in January and April 2026.” The broad takeaway—bad gas mileage equals higher operating costs—is pretty obvious. But looking at these actual numbers and thinking about how many people drive around in Suburbans, Tahoes, Yukons, and Sequoias really makes you realize how beat-up we’re getting at the gas pumps these days.
View Price on AmazonNaturally, this is also an opportunity for EVs to shine. The iSeeCars study also looked at the changes in operating costs for electric and hybrid cars, and also broke out fuel-spending averages by vehicle body type. So if you’re car shopping and cost is a consideration (is it ever not?), taking a look at this data might encourage you to opt for something a little smaller than a three-row body-on-frame GM behemoth.
I’ll share iSeeCars’ tables here wholesale for you to examine and discuss. You’ll find a writeup of the study methodology on the data firm’s site. Since the calculation factors in the average-driven miles of each vehicle, this data is more a reflection of what real American drivers are experiencing rather than a direct comparison of fuel economy from one model to another. And of course, we’re using accumulated data to make inferences about the future here—just because the average cost of regular-octane gasoline is $4.56 in the US right now doesn’t mean it’ll be high forever. Still, this is empirical substantiation of just how rough it is to drive a gas hog when fuel prices are volatile.
Source: thedrive.com
