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2016 Compact SUV Driving Ranges

img 1928459452 1466620313783 jpg 2016 Toyota RAV4 | Cars.com photo by Angela Conners

CARS.COM — SUVs are the hot ticket in the auto market, and compact models that offer more utility than most passenger cars but without a major gas-mileage penalty are in one of the hottest segments. The four best-selling SUVs — the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue and Ford Escape — are in this category, which also has several entries from luxury brands.

Related: 2017 Compact SUV Driving Ranges

Though compact SUVs generally provide better fuel economy than larger SUVs, their smaller dimensions leave less space for the fuel tank, so you won’t find any vehicles in this category that can carry more than 20 gallons of fuel.

That effectively limits the driving range — how far a vehicle can go between fuel stops — of some compact SUVs compared with larger ones. However, higher fuel economy and the availability of gas-electric hybrid technology on some models helps these smaller SUVs stretch the distance they can go on a tank of gas or diesel fuel.

The driving range of any vehicle depends on the engine, transmission, choice of two- or four-wheel drive when offered, and your own driving style and mix of city and highway driving. Some compact SUVs come with only one engine and transmission, and some only with standard 4WD, limiting the options for increasing the range. On some vehicles where 4WD is optional, those models have smaller fuel tanks (to make room for the hardware to drive the rear wheels), reducing the range even more.

The information here lists the estimated driving range for model-year 2016 compact SUVs based on the EPA combined city/highway rating for the powertrain configuration (engine, transmission and number of drive wheels) that produces the most miles between fuel stops.

EPA combined ratings are based on 55 percent city driving and 45 percent highway driving, so extended periods of highway driving should increase the range. Conversely, driving mostly in a congested urban area, carrying heavy cargo or frequently accelerating aggressively could reduce the range. Bear in mind that these are estimates.

Driving Range for 2016 Compact SUVs

Acura RDX
Configuration: 3.5-liter V-6, six-speed automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 23 mpg
Fuel capacity: 16.0 gallons
Driving range: 368 miles

Audi Q5
Configuration: Turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, eight-speed automatic transmission, 4WD
EPA combined rating: 22 mpg
Fuel capacity: 19.8 gallons
Driving range: 436 miles

Audi Q5 Hybrid
Configuration: Turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, eight-speed automatic transmission, 4WD
EPA combined rating: 26 mpg
Fuel capacity: 19.0 gallons
Driving range: 494 miles

Audi SQ5
Configuration: Supercharged 3.0-liter V-6, eight-speed automatic transmission, 4WD
EPA combined rating: 21 mpg
Fuel capacity: 19.8 gallons
Driving range: 416 miles

BMW X3
Configuration: Turbo-diesel 2.0-liter four-cylinder, eight-speed automatic transmission, 4WD
EPA combined rating: 30 mpg
Fuel capacity: 17.7 gallons
Driving range: 531 miles

BMW X4
Configuration: Turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, eight-speed automatic transmission, 4WD
EPA combined rating: 23 mpg
Fuel capacity: 17.7 gallons
Driving range: 407 miles

Buick Envision
Configuration: Turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, six-speed automatic transmission, 4WD
EPA combined rating: 22 mpg
Fuel capacity: 17.3 gallons
Driving range: 381 miles

Chevrolet Equinox
Configuration: 2.4-liter four-cylinder, six-speed automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 26 mpg
Fuel capacity: 18.8 gallons
Driving range: 489 miles

Ford Escape
Configuration: Turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder, six-speed automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 26 mpg
Fuel capacity: 15.5 gallons
Driving range: 403 miles

GMC Terrain
Configuration: 2.4-liter four-cylinder, six-speed automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 26 mpg
Fuel capacity: 18.8 gallons
Driving range: 489 miles

Honda CR-V
Configuration: 2.4-liter four-cylinder, continuously variable automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 29 mpg
Fuel capacity: 15.3 gallons
Driving range: 444 miles

Hyundai Tucson
Configuration: Turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder, seven-speed automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 27 mpg
Fuel capacity: 16.4 gallons
Driving range: 443 miles

Infiniti QX50
Configuration: 3.7-liter V-6, seven-speed automatic transmission, 2WD or 4WD
EPA combined rating: 20 mpg
Fuel capacity: 20.0 gallons
Driving range: 400 miles
(City/highway/combined ratings are 17/24/20 mpg both with 2WD and 4WD)

Jeep Cherokee
Configuration: 2.4-liter four-cylinder, nine-speed automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 25 mpg
Fuel capacity: 15.8 gallons
Driving range: 395 miles

Jeep Compass
Configuration: 2.0-liter four-cylinder or 2.4-liter four-cylinder, five-speed manual transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 25 mpg
Fuel capacity: 13.6 gallons
Driving range: 340 miles
(City/highway/combined ratings are 23/30/25 mpg with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 23/28/25 mpg with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder)

Jeep Patriot
Configuration: 2.0-liter four-cylinder or 2.4-liter four-cylinder, five-speed manual transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 25 mpg
Fuel capacity: 13.6 gallons
Driving range: 340 miles
(City/highway/combined ratings are 23/30/25 mpg with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 23/28/25 mpg with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder)

Jeep Wrangler
Configuration: 3.6-liter V-6, six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission, 4WD
EPA combined rating: 18 mpg
Fuel capacity: 18.6 gallons
Driving range: 335 miles
(City/highway/combined ratings are 17/21/18 mpg both with the manual and the automatic)

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
Configuration: 3.6-liter V-6, six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission, 4WD
EPA combined rating: 18 mpg
Fuel capacity: 22.5 gallons
Driving range: 405 miles
(City/highway/combined ratings are 16/21/18 mpg with the manual and 16/20/18 mpg with the automatic)

Kia Sportage
Configuration: 2.4-liter four-cylinder, six-speed automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 23 mpg
Fuel capacity: 15.3 gallons
Driving range: 352 miles

Lexus NX 200t
Configuration: Turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, six-speed automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 25 mpg
Fuel capacity: 15.9 gallons
Driving range: 398 miles

Lexus NX 300h
Configuration: 2.5-liter four-cylinder, continuously variable automatic transmission, 4WD
EPA combined rating: 32 mpg
Fuel capacity: 14.8 gallons
Driving range: 474 miles

Lincoln MKC
Configuration: Turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, six-speed automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 23 mpg
Fuel capacity: 15.5 gallons
Driving range: 357 miles

Mazda CX-5
Configuration: 2.0-liter four-cylinder, six-speed manual or automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 29 mpg
Fuel capacity: 14.8 gallons
Driving range: 429 miles
(City/highway/combined ratings are 26/34/29 mpg with the manual and 26/33/29 mpg with the automatic)

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
Configuration: Turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, nine-speed automatic transmission, 2WD or 4WD
EPA combined rating: 24 mpg
Fuel capacity: 17.4 gallons
Driving range: 418 miles
(City/highway/combined ratings are 22/28/24 mpg with 2WD and 21/28/24 mpg with 4WD)

Mitsubishi Outlander
Configuration:
2.4-liter four-cylinder, continuously variable automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 27 mpg
Fuel capacity: 16.6 gallons
Driving range: 448 miles

Nissan Rogue
Configuration: 2.5-liter four-cylinder, continuously variable automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 28 mpg
Fuel capacity: 14.5 gallons
Driving range: 406 miles

Porsche Macan
Configuration: 3.0-liter or 3.6-liter turbocharged V-6, seven-speed automatic transmission, 4WD
EPA combined rating: 19 mpg
Fuel capacity: 19.8 gallons
Driving range: 376 miles
(City/highway/combined ratings are 17/23/19 mpg both with the 3.0-liter and 3.6-liter engine)

Subaru Forester
Configuration: 2.5-liter four-cylinder, continuously variable automatic transmission, 4WD
EPA combined rating: 27 mpg
Fuel capacity: 15.9 gallons
Driving range: 429 miles

Toyota RAV4
Configuration: 2.5-liter four-cylinder, six-speed automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 26 mpg
Fuel capacity: 15.9 gallons
Driving range: 413 miles

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
Configuration: 2.5-liter four-cylinder, continuously variable automatic transmission, 4WD
EPA combined rating: 32 mpg
Fuel capacity: 14.8 gallons
Driving range: 474 miles

Volkswagen Tiguan
Configuration: Turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, six-speed automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 23 mpg
Fuel capacity: 16.9 gallons
Driving range: 389 miles

Volvo XC60
Configuration: Turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, eight-speed automatic transmission, 2WD
EPA combined rating: 26 mpg
Fuel capacity: 18.5 gallons
Driving range: 481 miles

Cars.com Data Integrity Analyst Bryan McTague contributed to this story.

Rick Popely
Contributor Rick Popely has covered the auto industry for decades and hosts a weekly online radio show on TalkZone.com.
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