What's the Most Fuel-Efficient SUV?
SUVs remain the most popular body style for their combination of roominess, high seating position, cargo flexibility and attributes ranging from safety to performance. However, fuel economy has traditionally not been a trait attributed to SUVs of any size. Yet automakers have responded to consumer demand, as well as government regulations, by offering more fuel-efficient SUVs than ever before, ranging from the growing class of battery-electric vehicles down to small SUVs with three-cylinder engines.
Related: What Are the Best 2025 Hybrids for the Money?
We’ve gathered the three most fuel-efficient SUVs on sale for the 2025 model year in each of four powertrain classes: gas-only, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full battery-electric. The ratings rely on EPA estimates and, as always, your mileage may vary. It’s important to note that fuel economy diminishes with larger tire and wheel packages. Also, since the dividing line between SUV and car has been so muddled by automotive marketing, the vehicles on our list must be offered with all-wheel drive even if the two-wheel-drive version is the most efficient.
Most Fuel-Efficient Gas-Only SUVs
Automakers continue to innovate with gas-only powertrains to squeeze the most energy out of every drop of fuel. Continuously variable automatic transmissions get smoother with each year of development, and many of them now mimic the shifts expected in a standard automatic transmission, while turbochargers help return the kind of efficiency only found in the smallest cars from a decade ago.
1. 2025 Nissan Rogue
The most efficient gas-only compact crossover is the Nissan Rogue with front-wheel drive, and it bodes well for the automaker until it launches a hybrid Rogue. Powered by a small but strong turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 201 horsepower and 225 pounds-feet of torque, the Rogue earns an EPA rating of 30/37/33 mpg city/highway/combined with the FWD S and SV trims. The FWD SL and Platinum trims lose 1 mpg, and AWD versions drop at least 2 mpg.
2. 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross
Of course a Toyota would make the list. The Corolla Cross comes with a 169-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a CVT powering the front wheels as standard. In that configuration, it’s rated at 31/33/32 mpg; adding AWD lowers fuel economy to 29/31/30 mpg. For about $4,000 more, shoppers can opt for a better-equipped Corolla Cross Hybrid with AWD and a 42 mpg combined rating.
3. 2025 Hyundai Kona
The quirky Kona utilizes an electric platform to drop in a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that pokes out 147 hp but returns 29/34/31 mpg, according to the EPA. A CVT works with FWD, but even with available AWD, the Kona remains relatively frugal with fuel with an EPA-rated 27/29/28 mpg.
Most Fuel-Efficient Hybrid SUVs
The hybrid powertrain is finally proliferating through the compact SUV class, which is the most popular segment for car shoppers. Smaller and larger SUVs have also got in on hybrid powertrains, which feature a gas engine in charge of propulsion and a small motor handling the electrical load and stop-start actions.
1. 2025 Lexus UX 300h
Sold only as a hybrid, the little UX behaves more like a hatchback with an EPA rating of 45/41/43 mpg. It uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder paired with a small electric motor that generates 196 hp combined. The AWD version only drops 1 mpg combined, to a 44/40/42 mpg rating.
2. 2025 Kia Sportage Hybrid
Sold in gas, hybrid and plug-in hybrid options, the Sportage targets the Toyota RAV4, but because the hybrid can be had in FWD, it achieves an EPA-rated 42/44/43 mpg rating that tops the list for compact SUVs; with AWD, it doesn’t sacrifice much efficiency, with a 38 mpg combined rating. The Sportage Hybrid uses a 1.6-liter four-cylinder and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic; its turbocharger provides a significant power boost to a total of 227 hp and 258 pounds-feet of torque.
3. 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid
The hybrid version of the Corolla Cross comes with standard AWD and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with three motors, including a propulsion motor at the rear axle. It makes a total of 196 hp, so it’s quicker, more powerful and more efficient than the gas-only Corolla Cross for only about $4,000 more. The EPA rates it at 45/38/42 mpg.
Most Fuel-Efficient Plug-in Hybrid SUVs
Plug-in hybrid SUVs represent a fast-growing segment. A PHEV combines a gas engine with a single or multiple electric motors for propulsion, as well as a battery pack that allows the vehicle to travel on electric power only for a limited time.
1. 2025 Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid
The best RAV4 in terms of power, ride quality and efficiency might be the hardest to find, as Toyota limits production of the PHEV variant of its bestselling SUV. The RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid features a two-motor system for standard AWD, which is paired to a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine for a total system output of 302 hp. It also outpaces the competition on electric-only power with a range of what Toyota claims is again 42 miles for 2025 (per the automaker, 2025 specs match those of the equivalent 2024 RAV4 Prime). Otherwise, it gets 94 mpg-equivalent when using both power sources, or 38 mpg combined on gas only.
2. 2025 Lexus NX 450h Plus
It should be no surprise that this close relation to the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid should crack the list, as it has the same mechanical setup as its Toyota cousin but is tuned slightly differently, weighs slightly less and rolls on 20-inch wheels that eat into efficiency. The NX 450h Plus has an EPA-rated electric range of 37 miles, 84 mpg-e and a 36 mpg combined rating when the electric power is out.
3. 2025 Kia Sportage PHEV
Kia takes the Sportage Hybrid’s turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder and binds it to a single rear-mounted motor fed by a 13.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack. This adds up to 261 hp and an EPA-rated electric range of 34 miles, 84 mpg-e and a 35 mpg combined rating when the battery depletes. The six-speed automatic can be hesitant to downshift, but like the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid, it’s the most potent Sportage.
Most Fuel-Efficient Battery-Electric SUVs
Electric vehicles are powered solely by electricity. Arguably the most important metric for them is range, or how far the EV can travel on a single charge, and an EV’s efficiency is measured in how many kilowatt-hours it uses over 100 miles. The mpg-e rating takes a backseat here, but we’ll include it for consistency. Also, more than with any other propulsion type, wheel and tire sizes have a significant impact on range and efficiency.
1a. 2025 Lexus RZ 300e
The base Lexus RZ 300e goes light on power and range, but far on efficiency. With a 72.8-kWh battery pack feeding a single electric motor that powers the front axle, it makes 201 hp and goes up to 266 miles, per Lexus. The RZ 450e adds a second motor for AWD for more power but less efficiency and range. Stick with the base variant, and its 18-inch wheels to optimize efficiency at a rate of 27 kWh used per 100 miles, or a 125 mpg-e combined rating.
1b. 2025 Tesla Model Y Long Range RWD
The base version of Tesla’s bestselling vehicle has the same mpg-e and efficiency rating as the RZ 300e (125 mpg-e combined and 27 kWh per 100 miles), but it goes much farther on a single charge with an EPA-rated range of 337 miles. The Model Y Long Range rolls on 19-inch wheels and uses a single motor to power the rear axle; a dual-motor AWD variant is available.
3. 2025 Toyota bZ4X
Related to the Lexus RZ 300e, the Toyota bZ4X inverts its battery pack sizes, with the FWD version using a slightly smaller 71.4-kWh pack. According to Toyota, that results in a range of 252 miles, as well as an efficiency of 28 kWh per 100 miles. The same 201-hp motor powers the 18-inch wheels up front.
More From Cars.com:
- Electric Cars With the Longest Range
- Which Compact SUV Has the Best Real-World MPG?
- How Much Does a Hybrid Save on Fuel Compared to Its Gas Equivalent?
- What’s the Difference Between a Hybrid and a Plug-In Hybrid?
- Find Your Next Car
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