Find An SUV That Is Fuel Efficient

Best Mileage Suv

As gas prices steadily increase, we all want to find the best deals in fuel economy. Many people with large families, or other situations that require a larger vehicle, are looking for the best mileage SUV they can find. They need the room or the power, but not the extra cost for fuel. By researching what is on the market, you can find an SUV that doesnt such the wallet dry every time you pass a gas station.

The most fuel efficient SUVs are the mid-size ones. The Ford Escape Hybrid ranks right at the top of the list. The 2WD is rated at 34 mpg in the city and 30 on the highway. Of course the four-wheel drive decreases the fuel efficiency in any make and model. If you opt for the 4WD, the city mpg drops to 29 and the highway number drops to 27. That is still extremely better than the traditional mpg numbers for other SUVs. The beauty of buying the hybrid lies in the tax credit that you may be eligible for by going green. In 2006 the full credit for a 2WD was $3,000 and for a 4WD it was $2200. These amounts will phase out at more of the vehicles are sold.

Best Mileage Suv

Two other hybrid SUVs offer similar gas mileage as the Ford Escape. The Mazda Tribute Hybrid and the Mercury Mariner Hybrid both offer 34/30. All three of the hybrid SUVs have 4 cylinder/ 2.3 liter engines. If you are looking for a lot of power, these will not suit your needs. They will offer the extra space needed for kids and luggage at a reasonable fuel economy level. These three are also automatic, which is nice for those of us who never learned to drive with a manual transmission.

Two non-hybrid SUVs also make the list of being reasonable when it comes to gas mileage. The Jeep Compass is rated 23 mpg in the city and 28 on the highway in its two wheel drive version. The four-wheel drive option doesnt drop it too much with a rating of 22 in the city and 27 on the highway. Both of these options have a 4 cylinder engine, but with 2.4 liters and a manual transmission. The Jeep Patriot has exactly the same ratings. Once you opt for the automatic transmission the ratings drop more with 20 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway.

What should you avoid if youre looking for the best mileage SUV? Stay away from the Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG four wheel drive. This SUV does not offer any more space than the others, but with its 8 cylinder engine it drinks gas at an outstanding 11 mpg in the city and 13 on the highway. In addition to the already bad gas mileage, it requires the more expensive premium gasoline. Most of the SUVs with the larger engines like this one will fall in the same category of being least efficient in fuel economy even if they do not require premium gasoline.