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2025 Buick Enclave vs Honda PilotCompact SUVs with the Best Gas Mileage
Not all SUVs are created equal! This is proof of that because you’re about to find out which compact SUVs get the best gas mileage.
Compact SUVs That Can Save Money
Everyone wants to save some money, right? You probably also want to get the most out of whatever it is that you buy. Well, that’s what this list is for. Today, we’re looking at government data, press releases, and test drive numbers to determine which compact SUVs have the best gas mileage. We already talked about Small SUVs with the Best Gas Mileage, but here we’ll focus strictly on compact SUVs (we’ll save those luxury compacts for another time).
Most of the compact crossovers have fuel efficiency that gets over a combined 30 miles per gallon (MPG), but some don’t. Still, all of these SUVs get over 30 MPG in some way, whether it’s on the highway, in the city, or combined. As you’ll find out, some outperform the others.
2024 Chevy Equinox
Kicking off the list of compact SUVs with the best gas mileage is the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox. It barely makes this ranking, but it does get over 30 MPG. First, there aren’t different powertrain and drivetrain variations, so the entire 2024 lineup is equipped with a 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder engine. Mating with that is a six-speed automatic transmission. Every 2024 Equinox is also AWD. All of the models also have the same fuel efficiency numbers. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the 2024 Equinox gets a combined 26 MPG with 24 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway. As I said, it barely makes the list, but it does thanks to 30 MPG on the highway.
2024 Buick Encore GX
Next up is the 2024 Buick Encore GX. The EPA estimates that the Encore gets 31 MPG on the highway for all trims and 30 MPG on the Preferred trim and 29 MPG on the Sport Touring and Avenir. Those numbers are with all-wheel drive (AWD).
Switching to front-wheel drive (FWD) drops the fuel efficiency down to 26 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on the highway. The Preferred has an Ecotec 1.2-liter Turbo engine, while the other trims are equipped with a 1.3-liter turbo. Each of them have a nine-speed automatic transmission.
2024 Mazda CX-5
The Mazda CX-5 topped our list of the Best Compact SUVs of 2023 for several reasons and it makes it on our list here, but it doesn’t win as the compact crossover with the best gas mileage. The 2024 Mazda CX-5 comes in multiple trim levels, but fuel efficiency comes down to just a few numbers. The 2.5-liter Turbo costs more and offers more luxury but it delivers worse fuel efficiency. In the city, the turbo engine gets 22 MPG in the city and 27 MPG on the highway. That averages out to 24 MPG. The lower trims, however, without the turbo offer 26 MPG in the city and 31 MPG on the highway. That’s a combined number is 28 MPG.
2024 Kia Sportage
Seven different trims of the 2024 Kia Sportage offer up a couple of different sets of fuel efficiency numbers. They all have a 2.5-liter inline-four cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission, but the AWD and FWD makes a difference. The trims all get 23 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on the highway with AWD. Combined they get 25 MPG. FWD goes higher, getting 25 MPG in the city, 32 MPG on the highway, and a combined 28 MPG.
2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300
There are two GLC models to choose from: a GLC 300 and a GLC 300 4Matic. The GLC 300 4Matic is better for off-roading, but not as good on fuel efficiency. The 4Matic gets 23 MPG in the city and 31 MPG on the highway. The regular GLC 300 ups those numbers to 23 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway. Both models have AWD and a 2.0-liter inline-four turbo but the 4Matci has an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission while the GLC 300 has a nine-speed transmission.
2024 Subaru Forester
The EPA lists the 2024 Subaru Forester as getting up to 26 MPG on the highway and 33 MPG on five trims: the Base, Premium, Sport, Limited, and Touring. The only trim that doesn’t do as well is the Wilderness with 25 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on the highway. All of the models have a 2.5-liter four-cylinder Subaru Boxer engine. They’re all also AWD.
2023 Lincoln Corsair
The 2023 Lincoln Corsair is another vehicle that almost doesn’t reach the 30 MPG mark, but one trim level saves it. On the lower side of things are the Standard and Reserve trims, getting 22 MPG in the city and 29 MPG on the highway. That’s with FWD. An AWD version of those two trims gets 21 MPG in the city and 29 MPG on the highway.
However, the 2023 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring (only available in AWD and as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) makes it to 34 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway. That’s a combined 33 MPG. There’s 28 miles of all-electric driving range for 78 MPGe. The 2024 Lincoln Corsair is also available, but the fuel efficiency hasn’t been officially tested yet.
2023 Nissan Rogue
Almost every 2023 Nissan Rogue drivetrain and powertrain combination in every trim passes that 30 MPG mark. Let’s go through it. The 2023 Nissan Rogue S and SV get 28 MPG and 35 MPG on the highway with AWD. A FWD setup makes 30 MPG in the city and 37 MPG on the highway. Then there’s the 2023 Midnight Edition, making 28 MPG in the city and 35 MPG on the highway with AWD. Switching to FWD on the Midnight Edition gets 30 MPG in the city and 37 MPG on the highway.
At the top are the 2023 Nissan Rogue SL and Platinum trims. Both trims get 28 MPG in the city and 34 MPG on the highway. FWD achieves 29 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway. The 2023 Nissan Rogue Sport, with an Xtronic CVT on all models, doesn’t do as well as the regular Rogue in fuel efficiency, though a FWD Rogue Sport will get 32 MPG on the highway. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a hybrid, it’s not available with the Nissan Rogue yet.
2024 Hyundai Tucson
The three trims that are available with the 2024 Hyundai Tucson all come with a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission, so, of course, they all have the same gas mileage, too. The FWD SE, SEL, and XRT models are the best way to go with 25 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway for a combined 28 MPG. It’s that highway driving number that lands the Tucson on this list. Meanwhile, the AWD dips down to 23 MPG in the city, 29 MPG on the highway, and 25 MPG combined.
However, there are hybrid and PHEV options, too. The 2024 Hybrid Tucson gets a much more impressive 37 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway for a combined 37 MPG. That’s across the board, all three hybrid trims. Meanwhile, the PHEV Tucson can deliver 33 all-electric miles, a combined 35 MPG, and 80 MPGe. Click on our 2024 Hyundai Tucson review to read about every new feature on this model.
2023 Ford Escape
Like some of the other top performers here, the 2023 Ford Escape comes in multiple variations. There are FWD and AWD models. There are three available powertrains in the form of gas engines, hybrids, and PHEVs.
First, there’s the base engine, a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine. With FWD, that engine gets 27 MPG in the city and 34 MPG on the highway for a combined 30 MPG. AWD drops it just a little to 26 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway. It gets a combined 28 MPG. A 2.0-liter, four-cylinder AWD setup can get a combined 26 MPG with 25 MPG in the city and 31 MPG on the highway. That’s available on the ST-Line Select and ST-Line Elite trims. That’s with AWD.
The hybrid version, available on the 2023 Ford Escape ST-Line, Active, ST-Line Select, Platinum, and ST-Line Elite, comes standard with AWD, a 2.5-liter inline-four, and an electro continuously variable transmission, otherwise known as an eCVT. It all works together to deliver 42 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway. The combined average is 39 MPG.
The PHEV version of the 2023 Ford Escape delivers similar numbers but does just a bit better than the regular hybrid models. The EPA says the Escape PHEV gets 42 MPG in the city and 37 MPG on the highway, averaging 40 MPG. It has an all-electric range of 466 miles and a 111 MPGe in the city with a 91 MPGe on the highway. It should be noted that there is a 2024 Ford Escape currently available, but the EPA hasn’t released any fuel economy estimates yet.
2023 Toyota RAV4
We described it as safety focused and fuel efficient in our review of the 2023 Toyota RAV4, and that’s still true as we get closer to finding out what the most fuel efficient compact SUV is. The 2023 Toyota RAV4 comes as a regular RAV4 and a RAV4 Hybrid. It’s the RAV4 Hybrid that gets the best mileage. The EPA estimates put the 2023 RAV4 Hybrid Limited and Hybrid XSE at 41 MPG in the city and 38 MPG on the highway for a combined 40 MPG. Both of those models come with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, CVT, and AWD.
The adventurous TRD Off-Road doesn’t have a hybrid engine but does have AWD, so it drops down to 25 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway. The regular 2023 RAV4 is in between with 27 MPG in the city, 34 MPG on the highway, and an average of 30 MPG.
2024 Honda CR-V
Next up is the 2024 Honda CR-V. A 1.5-liter Turbo gasoline engine gets 28 MPG in the city and 34 MPG on the highway in FWD. That’s a combined 30 MPG versus the AWD which gets a combined 29 MPG. The AWD 2024 CR-V gets 27 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway. Those are the lowest numbers you’ll get on any 2024 Honda CR-V. That’s not bad for the worst possible numbers with this vehicle.
The CR-V Hybrid is where the numbers go up. 43 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway make a combined 40 MPG. That’s on the Sport Hybrid, Sport-L Hybrid, and Sport Touring Hybrid models with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder automatic and FWD. The numbers only drop to 40 MPG in the city and 34 MPG on the highway with AWD. It combines for 37 MPG. If you’re ready for an in-depth analysis on trim levels, safety features, and infotainment, click on our full 2024 Honda CR-V review.
