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Top 10 Fuel Sipping SUVs for 2006
With
some analysts predicting that gas prices will approach
the $4 per gallon mark this summer, current car shoppers
are understandably obsessed with fuel mileage; yet better
fuel economy often means less roominess and practicality.
Such is the conundrum of real-world car buyers: who
desperately want — and in many cases need — to save
at the pump, but simply can't fit their families or
cargo into a small car.
Fortunately,
there are practical and efficient vehicle options on
the market including many in the oft-described "dinosaur"
SUV category. In fact, just as many dinosaurs evolved
to become more "bird-like," many SUVs are
evolving into crossovers, hybrids and other offerings
that sip fuel at the pump "like a bird" (at
least compared to their gas-guzzling predecessors).
To
help in-market shoppers learn about these "evolved"
SUVs, Autobytel's has selected its Top-10 Most Fuel-Efficient
SUVs for 2006, providing analysis and buying
advice for SUVs that get at least 24 miles per gallon.
Top-10
Fuel-Efficient SUVs for 2006
(Vehicles are ranked according to which vehicles are
recommended most highly overall. Each vehicle was test-driven.)
1. Toyota RAV-4 — The more stylish
2006 model makes the already-impressive original look
like a shop-class experiment. It's similar in price
to our 2nd-place finisher, the Honda CRV, but with 100
extra horsepower. The V6, amazingly, gets 25 mpg combined.
2. Honda CR-V — "Quirky" design aside,
it's safe, roomy and reli-able, with 25 mpg for the 2WD automatic drivetrain. The bottom
line: It delivers what people need in an SUV
efficiently.
3. Honda Element — An even quirkier design, but again, it gets the job done in terms of utility, drivability and fuel economy: 24 miles per gallon in combined driving.
4. Subaru Outback — A good, safe ride, with
Subaru's signature all-wheel drive, powered by a clean
PZEV-rated 175-horsepower engine that generates a respectable 25 mpg.
5. Ford Escape Hybrid — Offers excellent fuel
economy (33 mpg
combined) and good utility. Low power ratings belie
surprisingly good acceleration. Cheap interior materials contributed to
our middle-of-the-pack ranking.
6. Subaru Forester — Again, a characteristically solid Subaru
offering, but lacks the clean ULEV, SULEV, or PZEV ratings of many new cars. Other drawbacks include odd styling and an uncomfort-ably tight back seat. Forester gets 25 mpg combined for the base, Premium and L.L. Bean versions.
7. Lexus RX 400h — A super-charged hybrid? Can drivers really have it both ways? Not necessarily at the same time: dig deep into the 268-horsepower V6 and the promise of 30 mpg mileage vanishes — or go for the fuel economy and forsake the performance aspects of a $44,000 SUV.
8. Mercury Mariner Hybrid — Eerily similar to the Escape Hybrid, but costs significantly more to get the same fuel economy.
9. Toyota Highlander Hybrid - This vehicle's reported 30 miles per gallon in mixed driving comes at a $30,000 price tag. This may prove to be an excellent, optimistic fuel economy number when it comes to everyday SUV use.
10. Chevrolet HHR — EPA classifications aside, many may not consider this 5-passenger wagon to be an SUV, and many may want a better ride from their sport ute. Still, it gets 25 mpg for a price starting at $15,000.
Do Your Online Homework
As we can see, in the SUV category alone there are plenty of new vehicles on the market that combine fuel-efficiency, affordability and practicality. And third-party sites like Autobytel.com make it easy to identify them, not only through expert reviews, but also with a range of online research tools that let shoppers break down vehicles according to the factors that matter most to them.
Autobytel.com's vehicle comparator tool, for example, lets shoppers enter all of the vehicles they're considering and easily assess how they stack up in terms of not only fuel economy, but also emissions, price, performance/safety ratings and in-depth specifications. So if you're looking for a vehicle that'll pay off at the pump and on the road, be sure to do your (online) homework!
(Source: Autobytel) |
