gas-guzzlers.jpgWhile 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 will beat the 2009 Prius.)

With gas prices currently averaging more than $3.50 per gallon, you can see how an SUV’s gas mileage can affect your annual cost of ownership. 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


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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.