Need a four wheel drive with the best gas mileage? Get ready to downsize. None of the best gas mileage four wheel drives (4WDs) are jumbo-sized sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
Simply put, the aerodynamics and vehicle weight of the bulkiest SUVs cause gas mileage to suffer, leading to many a painful transaction at the pump. The trick is to get small(er), lighter, and more slippery. Credit Subaru for getting the ball rolling with popularizing economical 4WD drive passenger cars in the early days. Since 1997, every vehicle Subaru’s offered in America has been all wheel drive.
These days, it’s not just Subaru. There are plenty of four wheel drive choices that are neither truck nor SUV. And forget the notion of pint-sized economy cars. You’ll find a generous helping of 4WD luxury from manufacturers including Audi, Volvo, Cadillac, and Lexus … in fact, you’ll find many of their offerings in the 2008 list of best gas mileage four wheel drives.
Purists will gladly share that there’s a difference between four wheel drive and all wheel drive (AWD). And surely there is … but for a great many folks, it comes down to two simple questions: will it go in the snow and will I go broke feeding it?
At the other end of the spectrum, the little Suzuki SX4 delivers plenty of bang for the buck, by combining the best four wheel drive gas mileage with a low sticker price (for those who don’t just think miles per gallon … but miles per dollar.)
Along with its corporate cousins, the Ford Escape Hybrid proves the exception to the rule as the highest all around mile per gallon (MPG) four wheel drive vehicle. If you can’t get a great deal on an Escape Hybrid at your local Ford dealer, take a look at the Mercury Mariner Hybrid. And if you happen to live in Southern California, the Mazda Tribute Hybrid HEV might be an option … as long as you’re able to snag one of the 350 Tribute HEVs built for this test market.)
The Hyundai Entourage is based on Kia’s Sedona minivan and was introduced to America in the 2007 model year. The Entourage seats seven and achives gas mileage ratings of 16 city and 23 highway miles per gallon (MPG). Like the Sedona, the Entourage earned a class-topping 5-star crash safety rating from the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and was named a “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The 2008 Hyundai Entourage is fitted with a DOHC 3.8 liter V-6 that produces 242 horsepower (HP). Hyundai provides a 10-year / 100,000 mile limited power train warranty, along with a 5-year / 60,000 mile new vehicle limited warranty, and a 7-year / unlimited miles anti-perforation warranty.
Thirty miles per gallon (MPG) on the highway isn’t too much to ask. As the chart below shows, the 30 MPG car isn’t a rarity in America these days. Alas, it’s not nearly as common as it was 25 years ago. Looking back at the lists of high MPG cars built in the early 1980s might be a surprise to some, for the lists were long and the fuel efficiency ratings were high. The 30 MPG car was not an oddity back then … it was more part of our nation’s mindset.
The mid-sized Hyundai Veracruz was introduced for the 2007 model year, as Hyundai’s move into the upmarket crossover SUV waters. Room for seven passengers, competitive pricing, and reasonable gas mileage make the Veracruz an interesting alternative to the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot, although the competition’s bound to get tougher in the coming years. Highway gas mileage ratings in the low twenties miles per gallon (MPG) range should be the bottom range for seven-seat SUVs, going forward.
All models of the domestic 2008 Veracruz are fitted with a 3.8 liter V-6 engine that produces a healthy 260 horsepower, mated with a six-speed automatic transmission. The Veracruz is currently Hyundai’s largest SUV.
The Hyundai Tucson was introduced in 2005. The Tuscon produces acceptable gas mileage for a compact crossover SUV, but falls a bit short of the competition (i.e.: Jeep Compass and Patriot, Honda CR-V, and Chevy HHR), when it comes to highway gas mileage ratings.
The Tucson GLS is equipped with with a 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine rated at 140 horsepower (HP), while the Tucson SE and Limited are fitted with a 2.7 liter V-6 rated at 173 HP. A 2.0 liter common rail turbo-diesel (CRDi) four-cylinder engine is available internationally in the Tucson, but not in the USA.
