While there are many factors to consider when buying your next vehicle, in the midst of soaring gas prices, none might be as important as “miles per gallon”, better known as MPG. And if you’re considering the purchase of a new or used sport utility vehicle, you’ve likely discovered that some SUVs get very poor gas mileage while others do as well or better than many cars. (Obviously, none currently beat the new Toyota Prius.)
With gas prices currently bouncing around between $2.50 and $3.50 per gallon, you can see how an SUV’s gas mileage can affect your annual cost of ownership (view gas prices by country here). As an example, if you drive an average of 12,000 miles per year in a sport utility that gets 30 mpg, your annual fuel consumption would be roughly 400 gallons. At $3.50 per gallon, that’s $1400.
If your SUV gets only 15 mpg, the same 12,000 miles would require 800 gallons, costing you $2,800 per year. That difference of $1,400 per year would total $7,000 in additional fuel charges over the course of just 5 years. Obviously, fuel costs are only one consideration in a much bigger equation. Case in point…for those considering a green suv, the additional “up front” cost of a hybrid vs. a traditional-gas model is often several thousand dollars.
Below is a chart of the average gas mileage for 2008 (and in some cases, 2007) model year SUVs. A more comprehensive fuel economy guide from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can be downloaded here. We will also be updating this chart as the 2009 SUV MPG numbers are made available. Another helpful tool is the hybrid gas mileage comparison calculator where you can see how much gas money you’d save by going green.
| Make and Model | Average MPG | Class | ||
| Ford Escape Hybrid | 32 mpg | Small | ||
| Mazda Tribute Hybrid | 32 mpg | Small | ||
| Mercury Mariner Hybrid | 30 mpg | Small | ||
| Lexus RX Hybrid | 26 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Saturn Vue Hybrid | 26 mpg | Small | ||
| Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 26 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Toyota Rav4 (4 cyl) | 23 mpg | Small | ||
| Jeep Compass | 22 mpg | Small | ||
| Nissan Rogue | 22 mpg | Small | ||
| Suburu Forester 2.5X | 22 mpg | Small | ||
| Toyota Rav4 (6 cyl) | 22 mpg | Small | ||
| Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid | 21 mpg | Large | ||
| GMC Yukon Hybrid | 21 mpg | Large | ||
| Honda CRV | 21 mpg | Small | ||
| Honda Element | 21 mpg | Small | ||
| Jeep Patriot | 20 mpg | Small | ||
| Suburu Forester Sports | 20 mpg | Small | ||
| BMW X3 | 19 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Ford Escape (V6) | 19 mpg | Small | ||
| Land Rover LR2 | 19 mpg | Small | ||
| Lexus RX | 19 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Mazda Tribute (V6) | 19 mpg | Small | ||
| Mercury Mariner (V6) | 19 mpg | Small | ||
| Mitsubishi Outlander | 19 mpg | Small | ||
| Acura RDX | 18 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Chevrolet Equinox | 18 mpg | Small | ||
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 18 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Hyundai Tucson | 18 mpg | Small | ||
| Infiniti FX | 18 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Kia Sportage | 18 mpg | Small | ||
| Mazda CX-7 | 18 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Pontiac Torrent | 18 mpg | Small | ||
| Suzuki Grand Vitara | 18 mpg | Small | ||
| Toyota Highlander (V6) | 18 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Acura MDX | 17 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| BMW X5 | 17 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Honda Pilot | 17 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Hyundai Veracruz | 17 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Kia Sorento | 17 mpg | Small | ||
| Nissan Xterra | 17 mpg | Small | ||
| Saturn Vue (V6) | 17 mpg | Small | ||
| Suzuki XL-7 | 17 mpg | Small | ||
| Toyota FJ Cruiser | 17 mpg | Small | ||
| Cadillac SRX (V6) | 16 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Chrysler Pacifica | 16 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Dodge Nitro | 16 mpg | Small | ||
| Ford Edge | 16 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Ford Taurus X | 16 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| GMC Acadia | 16 mpg | Large | ||
| Jeep Liberty | 16 mpg | Small | ||
| Lincoln MKX | 16 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Mazda CX-9 | 16 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Mercedes Benz M Class | 16 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Mitsubishi Endeavor | 16 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Saturn Outlook | 16 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Suburu Tribeca | 16 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Toyota 4Runner | 16 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Volvo XC90 | 16 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Audi Q7 | 15 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Buick Enclave | 15 mpg | Large | ||
| Chevrolet Trailblazer | 15 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Ford Explorer (V6) | 15 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| GMC Envoy | 15 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 15 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Jeep Wrangler | 15 mpg | Small | ||
| Lexus GX | 15 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Mercedes Benz GL Class | 15 mpg | Large | ||
| Mercury Mountaineer (V6) | 15 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Nissan Pathfinder | 15 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Chevrolet Suburban | 14 mpg | Large | ||
| Chevrolet Tahoe | 14 mpg | Large | ||
| Ford Explorer (V8) | 14 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| GMC Yukon XL | 14 mpg | Large | ||
| Hummer H3 | 14 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Mercury Mountaineer (V8) | 14 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Cadillac Escalade | 13 mpg | Large | ||
| Chrysler Aspen | 13 mpg | Large | ||
| Dodge Durango | 13 mpg | Large | ||
| Ford Expedition | 13 mpg | Large | ||
| Jeep Commander | 13 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Land Rover LR3 | 13 mpg | Mid-Sized | ||
| Nissan Armada | 13 mpg | Large |
Data for this article was gathered from several online sources, including MotorTrend, GreenHybrid, ConsumerReports (subscription), fueleconomy.gov, car mpg, and Yahoo Autos!. Some of these mpg ratings were estimated. Others were based on an average of the vehicle’s city and highway mpg ratings.
Related articles: SUV Safety Ratings: Which hybrid SUVs are the safest?
View 2009 Cars Gas Mileage & MSRP ratings here.
Update: March 6, 2010 - Planet Green includes two SUVs (one of which is a hybrid) in their “Top 5 Gas Guzzling Dinosaurs” video. Can you guess which hybrid made their list? I can’t say that I agree, but here it is…
I had read that the Toyota Rav-4 was one of the most fuel efficient, small suvs and with the exception of the hybrids, looks like this one would be a good option. I think it also has room for 7 in the new version, but I would guess that would be a tight squeeze.
[…] there are several hybrid suv’s on the market today, and a bunch more coming in the next year (SUV gas mileage comparison). While the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic hybrid are the perfect size for many, sport utility […]
this is very interesting to read, although like some of you, I am dissapointed at the gas mileage my current suv gets according to this article. I have a 6 cyl jeep commander, and it says I get 13 mpg… thank god it is incorrect… because I actually get about 18 to 20!
[…] 4 cyl 23 mpg … SUV gas mileage comparison.? While the toyota Prius and Honda Civic hybrid are …http://www.hybridsuv.com/announcements/best-suv-gas-mileageHIGHLANDER HYBRID: 0 FOR 2 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Vehicle …Review of the 2008 toyota highlander […]
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In your article, you meant to use the word “affect” instead of “effect”. Please correct this so my eyes stop bleeding, thanks.
Misspelling corrected…thanks for the note.