by Mark Hamburger

Created on: May 02, 2008   Last Updated: November 07, 2008

SUVs had gotten a bad reputation as huge, gas-guzzling tanks that spewed out more green-house gasses than any other vehicles on the road when they first became popular. All of that has changed, although many still think SUVs are evil. Today, there are many SUVs that are capable of well over 20 miles per gallon, as good as many cars, and much better than was available just a few years ago. Many new SUVs are available with hybrid drive-trains, which has helped to significantly improve mileage.

The SUVs with the best mileage are of course the compact to mid-size, both Hybrids and conventional gasoline engines, as well as new diesel-powered SUVs that are able to provide great mileage without sacrificing power.

Small and Mid-size SUVs With The Best Fuel Economy:

The Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner/Mazda Tribute hybrids have a combined average (city/highway) of 32MPG on the front wheel drive models, and the 4-wheel drive models are at 28 MPG. Like most SUVs, these have seating for 5 and enough cargo room for a small family to vacation in. While not as fuel-efficient as a hybrid car, such as the Prius, these three are far better suited for families than the smaller cars. At a base price of $26,640 for the Escape, these are a very affordable alternative to smaller and less efficient vehicles.

The Ford, Mercury, and Mazda models are closely followed by Toyota's Highlander hybrid at 26 MPG combined, Which is better than Toyota's Avalon at 22 MPG and Camry 4 cylinder 5-speed at 25 MPG. at a base price of nearly $39,000, the Highlander is fairly expensive compared to the Ford, Mercury, and Mazda models.

If you're leary about driving a hybrid, the Jeep Compass and Patriot 4 cylinder 2wd, at 25.5 MPG are attractive alternatives. The Compass starts at $17,055 and is a smaller, more contemporary-styled, crossover-type SUV, while the Patriot start's at $16,055, and is slightly larger with more classic Jeep styling, similar to the older Jeep Cherokee.

Another SUV with great mileage is the Lexus RX 400h 2wd and 4wd at 25.5 and 25 MPG, respectively. The RX 400h is a hybrid luxury SUV, and priced accordingly, the base price is $42,680. You, of course, get quite a bit for that amount of money, with many standard features that you would expect on a Lexus.

One of the few mid-size SUVs with an available diesel is the Jeep Grand Cherokee with the CRD 3.0L turbo-diesel, which makes 23 Hwy and 18 City MPG for a combined average of 20.5 MPG, which gives it a range of 450 miles on a single tank. Compared

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