Gas Hit $4.35 — Here's What Your Car Really Costs Now (Every Popular Model)

Same truck. Same driver. Same 15,000 miles a year. A Chevy Silverado 5.3 V8 now costs $1,086 more a year to fuel than it did last October — for doing absolutely nothing different. Regular gas averages $4.35 a gallon, September was the most expensive September on record, and diesel just set the all-time U.S. record. We ran the numbers for the most popular vehicles in America with government data — full-size trucks, family SUVs, sedans, hybrids and the best-selling EV — plus what high fuel prices are doing to trade-in values, the diesel that now costs more to fuel than the V8 it was supposed to beat, the used SUV selling above its new price, and the free move that saves about as much as a hybrid. No automaker pays this channel. Every number comes from government data or the sources below. ⏱ CHAPTERS 0:00 Same truck, $1,086 more 1:24 Where these numbers come from 1:59 How fast it happened: one gallon 2:50 Part 1: Full-size trucks 6:18 Part 2: The diesel trap 9:19 Part 3: Big SUVs & the premium fuel trap 11:28 Part 4: Family SUVs (the strange RAV4) 14:22 Part 5: Sedans 16:06 Part 6: Electric cars 17:37 Part 7: The map (by state) 18:53 Part 8: What your car is worth now 21:32 Part 9: What to do now 24:11 The gallon, one last time 🧮 HOW WE CALCULATED: 15,000 miles a year ÷ official EPA combined MPG × U.S. average weekly retail price (EIA). Same method the EPA uses on fueleconomy.gov. 📊 SOURCES U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), weekly U.S. retail prices: regular $3.124 (Oct 6, 2025), $2.937 (Feb 23, 2026), $4.500 peak (May 11, 2026), $4.354 (Oct 5, 2026); premium $5.400; diesel $3.809 (Feb 23, 2026), record $6.529 (Sept 21, 2026; previous record $5.810, June 2022), $6.199 (Oct 5, 2026) EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov vehicles database, updated Sept 29, 2026) — combined MPG for each vehicle shown; Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD kWh/100 mi AAA: national average above $4 on April 2, 2026 (first time since Aug 2022); record September average $4.33 (Oct 1, 2026); state averages (Oct 1, 2026); public EV charging ~42¢/kWh EIA: Strait of Hormuz oil flows (about 1 in 5 barrels of world oil); residential electricity price estimates Cox Automotive, Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index, September 2026 (205.9, −1.1% month over month; EV index +4.3% y/y; diesel days' supply 39, +27% y/y); quote by Jeremy Robb, Cox Automotive chief economist CarGurus Intelligence Report, Q3 2026: hybrid and EV sales trends, used 2026 RAV4 Hybrid at ~116% of original MSRP, days to sell by model, Maverick hybrid share Q3 2026 U.S. sales: Toyota electrified vehicles 363,367 (+28.5%); General Motors −5.5% fueleconomy.gov driving tips (aggressive driving, speed above 50 mph, tire pressure, extra weight, roof cargo boxes, premium vs. regular fuel) Costs are estimates at national average prices; your cost depends on your local price, miles and driving. The Manheim index is wholesale, not retail, and prices can move either way. Video: includes short excerpts of official videos from Toyota USA, Honda, Ford Motor Company, Ford Middle East, Chevrolet, GMC, Jeep, Jeep India, HyundaiWorldwide and Manheim / Cox Automotive, plus short excerpts (without their audio) from Winding Road Magazine, DPCcars, Strathmore Motor Products, Manheim Pennsylvania Auto Auction, The Washington Examiner, CBS19, CBS LA, ABC News, ABC30 Action News, KFVS12, WTWO News and Global News, used for commentary and news reporting. Photos: Wikimedia Commons — Alexander Migl (CC BY-SA 4.0); Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Benespit (CC BY-SA 4.0); BuickRiviera99 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Bull-Doser (public domain); Calreyn88 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Charles from Port Chester, New York (CC BY 2.0); Corqe (CC0); Damian B Oh (CC BY-SA 4.0); Dana60Cummins (CC0); Deathpallie325 (CC BY 4.0, CC BY-SA 4.0); DestinationFearFan (CC BY-SA 4.0); Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0); Elise240SX (CC BY-SA 4.0); Ghostofakina (CC BY-SA 4.0); HJUdall (CC0); Husskeyy (CC BY-SA 4.0); Kevauto (CC BY-SA 4.0); Lambodriver2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Matti Blume (CC BY-SA 4.0); MercurySable99 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Mr.choppers (CC BY-SA 3.0); NASA (public domain); Oleg Yunakov (CC BY-SA 4.0); OWS Photography (CC BY 4.0); RL GNZLZ (CC BY-SA 2.0, CC BY-SA 4.0); S5A-0043 (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Janae Chambers (public domain); UltraTech66 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unknown0124 (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photos were cropped, resized and darkened, with text and graphics added. Stock footage: Pexels (Pexels License). Music and sound effects: original, created for this channel. #gasprices #trucks #hybrid