If you’re in the market for a new car for the first time in a couple years, you might be surprised at the sheer number of fuel-efficient SUVs and crossovers available your local dealership lots. Especially those of the hybrid electric (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) variety. Automakers have really stepped up their game in this department, and without sacrificing passenger room or cargo space.
Let’s run though an extensive list of SUVs with the best mpgs. Both hybrid and gas-powered, these are the most fuel-efficient SUVs currently on the market from a variety of classes and brands. As an added bonus, we consulted the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website for estimated annual fuel costs on a few of them, too. That way, you can factor what you’ll expect to pay at the pump into your research.
We won’t focus on used SUVs, towing capacity, ravenous turbo engines, or cargo room that’ll mimic a pickup truck’s—just mpg ratings. Across an absolutely massive chunk of the new car market, these models offer the best fuel economy.
The Best Gas Mileage SUVs of 2025
- Ford Escape Hybrid
- Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid
- Honda CR-V Hybrid
- Hyundai Venue
- Lexus NX Hybrid
- Lexus UX Hybrid
- Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid
- Nissan Kicks
- Toyota Highlander Hybrid
- Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
Ford Escape Hybrid
Kicking off our list of of great hybrid models is the 2025 Ford Escape Hybrid, priced from about $32,000.
The Escape Hybrid's powertrain combines a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, plus a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery. It comes standard with front-wheel drive (FWD) and excellent fuel economy ratings of 42 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, and 39 mpg combined. All-wheel drive (AWD) offers the same efficiency. The Escape remains a great way to get a practical SUV at an affordable price.
Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid
Both hybrid versions of the 2025 model year Escape come powered by a combination of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine and an electric motor, but the PHEV also gets a 14.4-kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery pack. Rated for 210 horsepower, the Escape PHEV's powertrain should deliver 37 miles of all-electric range, then and 42 mpg city and 37 mpg highway once the battery has been depleted. It’s a great way to get an SUV that looks and feels mainstream but is a lot more efficient than what you might be used to.
Honda CR-V Hybrid
The Honda CR-V is regarded as one of the best values in the compact crossover SUV segment, and it underwent a full redesign for the 2023 model year.
The CR-V Hybrid is yet another example of a hybrid crossover that makes more power than the regular gas-powered version upon which it is based. The CR-V Hybrid’s powertrain consists of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and two electric motors. The system is rated for 204 hp and 247 pound-feet of torque—a considerable improvement over the traditional CR-V’s ratings of 190 hp and 179 lb-ft of torque. Not only is it more efficient, but it’s also more fun to drive. FWD comes standard and AWD is available.
According to the EPA, a FWD CR-V Hybrid is good for 43 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, 40 mpg combined, with a budget of $1,350 per year for fuel. AWD adds $100 to fuel costs and shaves mpg figures to 40/34/37.
Hyundai Venue
The Hyundai Venue was introduced for the 2020 model year. Though the brand had just entered the subcompact crossover space with the Hyundai Kona, the Venue managed to carve out a niche as a sub-subcompact model by undercutting the Kona in price and performance. To wit, the Venue’s available with only a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 121 hp and 113 lb-ft of torque, paired with FWD, but it comes close to some hybrid SUVs with fuel economy ratings of 29 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 31 mpg combined.
The powertrain leaves the Venue’s driving dynamics on the dull side, but for an affordable city-friendly vehicle, it’s a great choice, even if you disagree with the EPA’s classification of the Venue as an SUV and think of it more as an efficient compact hatchback. As you’ve seen from the vehicles we’ve already looked at, there’s no real reason to avoid a hybrid or plug-in hybrid SUV, but the affordable Venue manages to return very good fuel economy with a traditional gas engine.
Lexus NX 450h+
The 2025 Lexus NX is just below the Lexus RX in size. The PHEV model, dubbed the NX 450h+, combines a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with three electric motors that deliver an AWD layout. When it debuted as the first-ever Lexus vehicle with plug-in capability, it yielded 84 MPGe with an annual fuel cost of around $1,150. When its 37-mile electric range is depleted, the NX 450h+ returns a combined 36 mpg.
The NX 450h+ is essentially an upscale Toyota RAV4 Prime, but the NX stands out thanks to its top-notch interior quality. Its 46.9 cubic feet of cargo space is below average, even for a compact luxury SUV. The all-new infotainment system is bright and shiny, but it has a steep learning curve. An available F Sport trim adds a bit more agility, but the ride is still comfort-focused.
Lexus UX Hybrid
The Lexus UX Hybrid is a peppy subcompact crossover with sporty looks and engaging, if not exactly exciting, driving dynamics. It’s on the expensive side for what it is, but it’s hard to argue with its fuel economy estimates. The UX Hybrid comes in a range of trims, all dubbed the 300h. Above the base trim, you have the Premium, F Sport Design, and F Sport Handling. All are powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, two electric motors, and a battery pack. The combination is paired with the choice of FWD or AWD, and a continuously variable transmission (CVT), and it is rated for 196 hp. It’s quick off the line thanks to the electric motors but is otherwise comfortable rather than actually sporty. The EPA says the UX Hybrid AWD is good for 44 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, and 42 mpg combined, with an estimated $1,100 per year fuel cost. FWD models are good for 45, 41, and 43, respectively.
Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid
Mitsubishi’s top model may be the most underrated option on this list. It’s not that well-known, but the Japanese brand has offered its handsome compact crossover as a PHEV since 2013—well before most everyone else. This latest generation of the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid, however, has been around since the 2022 model year.
Its heart is a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated inline-four cylinder engine bolted up to one-speed gearbox. That’s right, just one speed—this is because its primary job is to generate electricity for its 20-kWh battery pack, which then dispenses volts to each axle’s motor. The engine will help feed power to the front wheels for extra oomph when needed, but there’s no driveshaft sending fuel-fed power to the rear wheels.
Power output is rated at a combined 248 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque, which enable it to reach 60 mph in around 6.5 seconds. EPA-rated fuel economy reaches 25 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, 26 combined, and its electric-only range tops out at 38 miles—impressive by any metric in 2025. Not only that, but it feels good n’ peppy on the blacktop due to the added shove of electrification.
Nissan Kicks
The redesigned Nissan Kicks is another SUV with a regular gas engine that’s efficient enough to hang with its hybrid rivals. This subcompact SUV slots in below the Nissan Rogue and Rogue Sport in size, but it features the same family-friendly design and value-oriented pricing structure as the other members of the brand.
The 2025 model year Kicks comes standard with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 141 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque. This new generation of the Kicks comes with AWD, unlike previous model years. Despite the added capability, the Kicks still lands great EPA fuel economy ratings without employing hybrid technology that would inevitably increase its starting price. According to the EPA, the Kicks is good for returns of 28 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and 32 mpg combined with FWD and 27, 34, 30 with AWD.
Toyota Highlander Hybrid
The Toyota Highlander is consistently a great choice in its class, offering full-size capacity in a midsize SUV shell, but if you have more money to spend, the Highlander Hybrid is an even better choice. The Highlander Hybrid looks good and will help keep every member of your family safe and comfortable, and it’s one of the most efficient three-row SUVs on the market.
The Highlander Hybrid is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and three electric motors, collectively producing 243 hp. For 2025, AWD is standard and delivers a manufacturer-estimated fuel economy of 35 mpg combined.
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is a more efficient—and more powerful—version of the brand’s popular and long-running compact SUV model. It’s comfortable to drive, comes with a list of standard safety features, and offers good space for passengers and cargo. The RAV4 Hybrid gets a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine combined with two electric motors—one on each axle—and a third electric motor that functions as a starter and generator. It’s rated at a combined 219 hp, which is a 16-hp boost over the regular RAV4. That, too, makes the RAV4 Hybrid worth a look if the base RAV4 has been on your radar.
For most trims, the latest RAV4 Hybrid is rated for an impressive 41 mpg city, 38 mpg highway, 39 mpg combined, despite coming standard with AWD. If you’re looking for even more efficiency out of a RAV4, check out the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid with its 42-mile electric-only range.
