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Real MPG: most economical SUVs (and the least)
What Car?'s Real MPG tests show what you can really expect from a car. Here, we reveal the top 10 most economical SUVs we've ever tested...
Filling up with fuel can be an expensive business nowadays, so finding a car that won’t have you taking too many trips to the petrol station is important.
To make matters even more complicated, the official WLTP and NEDC fuel economy figures you see in sales brochures aren’t always reflective of what your car will achieve in the real world.
That’s why we conduct our own Real MPG tests to see what sort of fuel economy you can expect to get in reality, without resorting to any unrealistic acceleration or ‘hypermiling’ techniques.
Here, we list the SUVs that performed the best in our tests, and that’ll manage the most miles between stops at the petrol station.
How we test for a car's Real MPG
We carry out our Real MPG testing in laboratory conditions, and the cars undertake a real-world-inspired driving route using a rolling road that comprises urban, motorway and country driving. This ensures that no uncontrollable variables, such as weather or traffic conditions, will affect the accuracy of our results.
Each car is weighed and we make sure its tyres are inflated to the manufacturer’s recommended levels. Climate control is set to 21 degrees, or if the car has manual air conditioning, the temperature dial is set to the midway point and the fan speed to its lowest setting. All other electrical equipment is switched off.
The Real MPG results are calculated using the average data from an exhaust connection, which measures the car’s emissions at every second.
Read more: How we test a car's Real MPG
Our pick: 1.5 Hybrid Design 5dr CVT
Strengths
- Very efficient
- Smooth driving manners
- Uncluttered dashboard is easy to use
Weaknesses
- Could be more spacious in the back seats
- Lots of road noise on motorways
- Not as fun to drive as the Ford Puma
WLTP MPG 62.7mpg | Real MPG Average 60.1mpg | Town 103.3mpg | Motorway 45.5mpg | Rural 70.5mpg
Not only is the Toyota Yaris Cross the most economical SUV to ever go through our tests, it’s also the overall most economical car we’ve ever seen. At the heart of this efficiency is its hybrid system, which combines the 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor. This means it can run purely on electric power if you’re driving at low speeds.
The Yaris Cross performs exceedingly well around town, and is the only car we’ve tested to score triple digits in the urban portion of our test. It’s also super comfortable and offers a nice lofty driving position, although the interior isn’t quite as plush as that of the Nissan Juke.
Read our full Toyota Yaris Cross review
Strengths
- Good fuel economy
- Spacious for a small car
- Nippy around town
Weaknesses
- Ride can be fidgety
- Dull steering
- Cheap-feeling interior
WLTP MPG 55.7mpg | Real MPG Average 59.9mpg | Town 51.3mpg | Motorway 53.3mpg | Rural 74.8mpg
Despite its small stature, the Suzuki Ignis is surprisingly roomy, and its 1.2-litre engine is decently peppy around town. Like the Yaris Cross, it’s also assisted by hybrid technology, to help it move along more efficiently.
The Ignis is significantly cheaper than other small SUVs on the market, such as the Ford Puma and Nissan Juke, but the Puma is miles ahead when it comes to all-out fun factor, and the Juke offers a lot more space inside.
Read our full Suzuki Ignis review
Strengths
- Spacious interior
- Bigger boot than sibling Nissan Qashqai
- Quiet petrol engines
Weaknesses
- So-so quality
- Grabby brakes
- Choppy ride on big alloys
NEDC MPG 46.3mpg | Real MPG Average 55.2mpg | Town 50.0mpg | Motorway 48.8mpg | Rural 69.1mpg
The Renault Kadjar is no longer on sale new, but this diesel version is worth seeking out if you’re after a frugal secondhand family SUV. Although it shares its underpinnings with the contemporary Nissan Qashqai, it beats that model for efficiency. The 1.5-litre diesel engine is a good option because delivers its power smoothly and has plenty of pull from low revs.
Other plus-points of this family-friendly SUV include a big boot and plenty of standard equipment, even in the lowest trim level. Used prices start from around £8000.
Read our full used Renault Kadjar review
Our pick: 1.3 DiG-T MH N-Connecta 5dr
Strengths
- Smooth ride over rough road surfaces
- Spacious interior with plenty of storage options
- Strong fuel economy, especially on diesel options
Weaknesses
- Some reliability issues reported by owners
- Restricted rear visibility without parking aids
- Higher trims can compromise ride comfort
NEDC MPG 61.4mpg | Real MPG Average 51.9mpg | Town 47.2mpg | Motorway 46.4mpg | Rural 63.5mpg
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of the Nissan Qashqai – in fact, it’s so good that we named it our overall What Car? Car of the Year in 2014. This second-generation version is a standout choice in the used family SUV market.
And if you do plump for this 1.5-litre diesel version, you’ll be getting a lot of car for your money, because the Qashqai is extremely comfortable, well-equipped and won’t empty your pockets when it comes to refuelling.
Read our full used Nissan Qashqai review
Our pick: 1.6T GDi 157 48V ISG 3 5dr
Strengths
- Spacious and practical interior ideal for families
- Good value for money as a used buy
- Petrol-engined Sportages have a good reliability record
Weaknesses
- Diesel-engined cars have a poor reliability record
- Handling is not particularly engaging or fun
- Ride can be badly unsettled by larger wheel options
- Some interior materials do not feel as premium as its rivals
NEDC MPG 74.3mpg | Real MPG Average 51.4mpg | Town 43.9mpg | Motorway 46.0mpg | Rural 65.8mpg
There’s a lot to like about this 2016-2021 Kia Sportage – it’s practical, affordable and will save you a packet in fuel costs. It’s equipped with a particularly frugal 1.7-litre diesel engine, which pumps out a punchy 114bhp.
This particular engine was also the best-selling option among UK buyers, which means there’s plenty on the used market to choose from. It’s not especially fun to drive, but that’s typical of a lot of SUVs in its class. It smooths out quite nicely at motorway speeds, though.
Read our full used Kia Sportage review
Our pick: 1.0 TSI 115 Match 5dr
Strengths
- Comfortable ride
- Surprisingly spacious interior
- Cheap running costs
Weaknesses
- Rivals are more fun to drive
- So-so interior quality
- Reliability could be better
WLTP MPG 51.4mpg | Real MPG Average 50.5mpg | Town 41.6mpg | Motorway 45.8mpg | Rural 62.5mpg
If you’re in the market for a coupé SUV, the Volkswagen Taigo is a great option that'll also keep your wallet happy. It's also extremely comfortable and doesn't need working too hard to get up to speed, so you'll never feel out of your depth on open roads.
Like many of the other cars on this list, the Taigo is exceedingly spacious inside, but it’s also pretty stylish to look at, so if you’re not a fan of boxy SUVs, then the Taigo is certainly worth considering. In our tests, it scored an impressive average of 50.5mpg, which is only 0.9mpg short of its WLTP figure.
Read our full Volkswagen Taigo review
Our pick: 1.5 TSI EVO SE 5dr
Strengths
- Spacious interior
- Class-leading handling
- Boot space pips rivals
- Good value used
Weaknesses
- Some rivals offer more flexible seating
- Interior isn’t that plush
- One or two are more economical
NEDC MPG 47.9mpg | Real MPG Average 50.2mpg | Town 47.3mpg | Motorway 44.1mpg | Rural 61.7mpg
The Seat Ateca isn’t just great to drive and attractive to look at, it’s also impressively spacious, well equipped and competitively priced compared with its VW Group cousins, the Skoda Karoq and Volkswagen Tiguan.
The punchy yet frugal 1.6-litre diesel engine we put through our Real MPG test is no longer available in a new Ateca, having been replaced by a 2.0-litre version as part of a mid-life update, but you can find examples on the used market.
Read our full used Seat Ateca review
Our pick: 1.6 GDi 127 Hybrid 2 Nav 5dr DCT
Strengths
- Cheaper than most hybrids to buy
- Low plug-in running costs
- Well equipped
Weaknesses
- Firm low-speed ride
- Normal hybrid not that efficient
- Anonymous inside and out
NEDC MPG 65.7mpg | Real MPG Average 50.1mpg | Town 49.0mpg | Motorway 44.0mpg | Rural 60.2mpg
The Kia Niro is proof that a car’s appearance doesn’t have to stand out from the crowd for it to be good at what it does. While it wasn’t nearly as futuristic looks-wise as the rival Toyota Prius and Hyundai Ioniq, the Niro does what every good family SUV should do – it’s well-equipped, spacious and, most importantly, cheap to run.
The Niro is also available as a plug-in hybrid version, which will really reduce your fuel costs, or, if electric cars are more your speed, you can go completely petrol-free with the Kia e-Niro.
Read our full used Kia Niro review
Our pick: 2.5 PHEV Design 5dr CVT
Strengths
- Exceedingly frugal
- Slow predicted depreciation
- Strong reliability record
Weaknesses
- Poor infotainment system
- Rivals are better to drive
- No seven-seat option
WLTP MPG 53.3mpg | Real MPG Average 49.0mpg | Town 91.9mpg | Motorway 37.9mpg | Rural 54.0mpg
It’s not our favourite car to drive, but if you’re in the market for an SUV with low running costs and an excellent reliability record, it’s easy to look past the more pedestrian driving experience that the Toyota RAV4 offers. In fact, Toyota was named the 5th most reliable car brand out of 31 in our annual Reliability Survey, and the RAV4 was the second most reliable family SUV so you shouldn’t be splashing out to repair your RAV4 too often.
A plug-in hybrid version is available, but this self-charging hybrid edition returned some impressive results in our tests, including a huge 91.9mpg around town.
Read our full Toyota RAV4 review
Our pick: 2.0 e-Skyactiv G MHEV Centre-Line 5dr
Strengths
- Spacious interior
- Sharp handling
- Good economy from petrol engine
Weaknesses
- Lots of road noise
- Ride firm on Sport models
- Drab interior
NEDC MPG 65.7mpg | Real MPG Average 48.3mpg | Town 41.6mpg | Motorway 43.2mpg | Rural 61.4mpg
This used version of the Mazda CX-5 proves to be excellent value for money, thanks to its solid reliability and frugal running costs. Despite its size, it’s surprisingly entertaining to drive, with a 2.2-litre diesel engine that has an abundance of pulling power, which means it feels impressively capable under acceleration.
The interior is sturdy but not the most flashy, which can certainly be appealing to those who prefer a clear, painless experience when controlling the car’s functions. On top of that, it offers plenty of space for your family and all their luggage.
Read our full used Mazda CX-5 review
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And the least economical SUVs...
NEDC MPG: 34.0mpg | Real MPG Average: 24.6mpg | Town: 17.8mpg | Motorway: 24.1mpg | Rural: 31.7mpg. This sporty Audi Q5 is more powerful than the diesel version that replaced it, but it’s also thirstier. Read our review
WLTP MPG: 29.1mpg | Real MPG Average: 25.3mpg | Town: 17.3mpg | Motorway: 25.1mpg | Rural: 33.2mpg. If fuel economy is a priority, you’ll be better off with a (now-discontinued) diesel-engined version of the agile Porsche Macan SUV. Read our review
OFFICIAL MPG: 28.8mpg | Real MPG Average: 25.3mpg | Town: 18.1mpg | Motorway: 24.6mpg | Rural: 32.8mpg. The GLC 43 AMG's result makes this a hat-trick for German sports SUVs at the bottom of the fuel economy pile. Read our review
FAQs
According to our real-world fuel economy tests, the SUV with the lowest fuel consumption – and, therefore, should be the cheapest to run – is the Toyota Yaris Cross.
This small SUV has a hybrid setup which combines a 1.5-litre engine with two electric motors, meaning it can run for short distances without using any fuel. That setup helped it to return an impressive 60.1mpg in our Real MPG test, and an astonishing 103.3mpg around town.
All of the SUVs which feature in our run-down of the most economical SUVs acheive more than 40mpg in everyday driving – and remember, our real-world tests reflect what's acheivable without resorting to any unrealistic hypermiling techniques.
A good number of SUVs will do significantly better than 40mpg, too, with many of our top 10 best-performing models returning an average of 50mpg or better, and one – the Toyota Yaris Cross – breaking into 60mpg.
Given that the brand topped our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, it's a good bet that any SUV made by Lexus – or indeed, its sister brand Toyota – would be a safe bet.
Both the previous and current-generation Lexus NX, as well as the Lexus UX, scored more than 99% in our survey, meaning very few models went wrong, and like Toyota, Lexus offers an impressive warranty.
