Top 10 most fuel-efficient luxury SUVs

Gas mileage isn’t the only reason crossovers are catching on. “Fuel economy definitely plays a part in what makes the new crop of CUVs more popular than the SUVs they’re replacing, but their newfound popularity goes beyond that,” says Aaron Bragman, an analyst at research firm Global Insight.

Crossovers ride better, are generally quieter, handle more capably and can swallow nearly as much gear, cargo and kids as SUVs can. They even provide some of the rough-and-tumble image that made SUVs such a hit. “At the height of their popularity, SUVs were seen as much for styling statements as they were for utility,” Bragman says. “People are starting to realize that you can have the utility in a much more sensible package.”

Yet while crossovers and SUVs may share a bit in the styling department, some in the auto industry don’t think it’s fair to compare the two. “Crossovers and SUVs are distinct markets,” says John M. MacDonald, a General Motors spokesperson. “There might be some [SUV and crossover] cross-shopping done, but there’s also some done between sedans, wagons and crossovers.”

In fact, some of the closest competition for crossovers may not come from their SUV fraternal twins, but from car-based minivan cousins. “Crossovers are favored by consumers currently looking for a vehicle beyond the minivan, although I believe that the minivan will survive its current status as unfashionable,” says Paul Taylor, chief economist for the National Auto Dealers Association. “Both crossovers and minivans represent practical boxes that are quiet, can be parked easily in a standard parking spot, and ride comfortably and quietly.”

Fuel-efficiency winners
ForbesAutos.com’s list of the top 10 most fuel-efficient SUVs focuses exclusively on luxury brands and uses the EPA’s recently released 2008 Fuel Economy Guide to rank vehicles based on fuel economy estimates for combined city/highway driving. For the sake of simplicity, we’ve included crossovers under the umbrella category of SUVs.

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Not surprisingly, a hybrid tops the list: Lexus’ RX 400h gets the best mileage of any luxury SUV thanks to its hybrid electric powertrain that drastically reduces fuel consumption in city driving.

A trio of new Mercedes-Benzes, all equipped with the same diesel engine, also rank high on the list. Beyond that, the rest are smaller models, such as the Acura RDX, BMW X5, Infiniti FX35, Land Rover LR2 and Lincoln MKX, whose relatively compact size and reduced weight give them an advantage over larger SUVs.

For models that offer several drivetrain configurations with different EPA ratings (like the Infiniti FX35, which gets 18 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive and 17 mpg combined with all-wheel drive), we averaged the combined fuel-economy numbers.

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