2016 Lexus RX
You don’t need to sacrifice fuel economy to get a larger vehicle
SUVs are very versatile vehicles for transporting passengers and cargo, and now you don’t have to sacrifice fuel economy to get the space you want. Many SUVs now have fuel economy on par with large sedans. There are a few hybrids and diesel SUVs, but regular gasoline engines can be gas sippers in SUVs, as well.
Among Consumer Reports’ more than 50 vehicle tests are fuel economy measurements. Our fuel economy numbers come from our measurements using a precision flow meter and are rounded to the nearest mile per gallon (mpg).
Our overall mileage is calculated from equal portions of city and expressway driving.
The chart that follows features the most fuel-efficient SUVs that Consumer Reports has tested:
* = MPGe, mile-per-gallon equivalent.
Rank |
Make & model |
CR Overall MPG |
City MPG |
Highway MPG |
1 |
Tesla Model X 90D |
92* |
90* |
94* |
2 |
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid XLE |
31 |
26 |
36 |
3 |
Lexus RX 450h |
29 |
24 |
33 |
4 |
Lexus NX300h |
29 |
23 |
34 |
5 |
Honda HR-V LX |
29 |
20 |
39 |
6 |
Mazda CX-3 Touring |
28 |
20 |
36 |
7 |
Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 |
26 |
19 |
35 |
8 |
Subaru Crosstrek Premium |
26 |
19 |
34 |
9 |
Mini Countryman S |
26 |
19 |
33 |
10 |
Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium |
26 |
18 |
35 |
11 |
Hyundai Tucson Sport (1.6T) |
26 |
18 |
35 |
12 |
BMW X1 xDrive28i |
26 |
17 |
37 |
13 |
Mazda CX-5 Touring 2.5L |
25 |
19 |
32 |
14 |
Chevrolet Trax LT |
25 |
18 |
34 |
15 |
Toyota Highlander Hybrid Ltd. |
25 |
18 |
32 |
16 |
Honda CR-V |
24 |
18 |
31 |
17 |
Lexus NX 200t |
24 |
17 |
33 |
18 |
Hyundai Tucson SE (2.0L) |
26 |
18 |
35 |
19 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee LImited (diesel) |
24 |
17 |
32 |
20 |
Toyota RAV4 XLE |
24 |
17 |
32 |
21 |
Mitsubishi Outlander SEL (4-cyl.) |
24 |
17 |
30 |
22 |
Nissan Rogue |
24 |
17 |
30 |
23 |
Jeep Renegade Latitude |
24 |
16 |
32 |
24 |
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport |
23 |
17 |
30 |
25 |
Buick Encore Leather |
23 |
16 |
32 |
26 |
Kia Sportage LX |
23 |
16 |
32 |
27 |
Fiat 500X Easy |
23 |
16 |
31 |
28 |
BMW X3 xDrive28i |
23 |
16 |
30 |
29 |
Mazda CX-9 Touring |
22 |
15 |
32 |
30 |
Ford Escape SE (1.5T) |
23 |
15 |
31 |
31 |
Jeep Cherokee Latitude (4-cyl.) |
22 |
15 |
31 |
32 |
Mercedes-Benz GLC300 |
22 |
15 |
31 |
33 |
Jeep Compass Latitude |
22 |
15 |
29 |
34 |
Acura RDX |
22 |
14 |
31 |
35 |
Lexus RX 350 |
22 |
14 |
31 |
36 |
Volkswagen Tiguan SEL |
21 |
16 |
27 |
37 |
Nissan Murano SL |
21 |
15 |
29 |
38 |
Jeep Patriot Latitude |
21 |
15 |
28 |
39 |
Acura MDX Tech |
21 |
14 |
31 |
40 |
Buick Envision Premium |
21 |
14 |
31 |
41 |
Ford Edge SEL (2.0L EcoBoost) |
21 |
14 |
31 |
42 |
Chevrolet Equinox 1LT (4-cyl.) |
21 |
14 |
30 |
43 |
Kia Sorento EX (V6) |
21 |
14 |
30 |
44 |
Audi Q5 Premium Plus |
21 |
14 |
29 |
45 |
Jeep Cherokee Limited (V6) |
21 |
14 |
29 |
46 |
BMW X5 xDrive35i |
21 |
14 |
28 |
47 |
Land Rover Discovery Sport |
21 |
14 |
28 |
|
N.B: The higher the MPG, the more fuel efficient the vehicle is.
Source: Consumer Reports.