by Zoe Trudeaux

Created on: May 06, 2008   Last Updated: November 07, 2008

With national gasoline prices averaging at $3.62 and climbing, consumers are looking for ways to stretch their fuel dollar. Soccer moms everywhere can now rejoice as crossovers, hybrids, and car-based SUVs enter the market. These style-savvy models are more fuel efficient than their predecessors, produce less harmful emissions, and still offer the amenities consumers have come to expect from a SUV.

Sport utility vehicles have come a long way in the last 18 years. Before the 1990s, "utility vehicles" (such as the Jeep), were used primarily by people who needed 4-wheel drive transportation in rugged terrain.

SUVs became widely popular during the 1990s, after the introduction of the Ford Explorer, which was far more comfortable and stylish than anything before it. With its high passenger carrying capacity, and "go anywhere" attitude, the SUV quickly replaced the mini van as a family favorite. However, despite all of the wonderful attributes, these early models of SUVs had extremely poor fuel efficiency.

THE HYBRID

Once again, Ford led the way in 2006 by releasing the first commercially available Hybrid SUV, called the Ford Escape Hybrid. The introduction of the Hybrid allowed consumers to save on gas and still have the passenger carrying capacity and sporty look they desire.

The Hybrid works by using two sources of power: the gasoline engine and the electric motor. The distribution of power between the gas engine and the electric motor is determined by driving conditions. The electric engine gets power when the breaks are used, such as during start-and-stop city driving. The gas engine operates during freeway driving. Once the electric engine can provide enough power to run the vehicle, the gas engine shuts off and the electric engine takes over.

Other vehicle manufacturers soon followed in the footsteps of Ford, and now there is a wide array of guilt-free choices for consumers who love SUVs. These new fuel-efficient models can be divided into three different classes: small, mid-sized, and full-sized. They vary from inexpensive and basic to expensive and fully-loaded.

2008 MOST FUEL EFFICIENT SUVs BY CLASS

The 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid and its corporate twins get the top three honors, as the SUVs with the best gas mileage. The mid-sized and large SUVs, with the highest mpg rating in their class, are also listed. These rankings were established by using the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) miles-per-gallon ratings for city and highway travel.

SMALL CLASS

#1. Ford Escape

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