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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...
The official WLTP (previously NEDC) fuel economy figures published in car sales brochures can tempt you into buying a particular model, but they often don't reflect the economy you'll see in the real world.
Fortunately, What Car?'s Real MPG test tells you what sort of fuel economy you can expect to get in the real world, with our results reflecting what's achievable if you drive gently and stick to speed limits, without resorting to any unrealistically slow acceleration or special 'hypermiling' techniques.
Fun fact: the Toyota Yaris Cross at the top of this list isn’t just the most economical SUV, but the most economical car ever to face our Real MPG test. Indeed, it proved more efficient than even its own small car sibling, the Toyota Yaris.
Read on to find out how we conduct our unique test, then scroll down to find out which other models made the top 10...
How we test for a car's Real MPG
We perform our Real MPG tests in a laboratory under strictly controlled conditions. That means you can rely on them being a true comparison of one model against another, because there is no chance that the weather or traffic conditions can skew the results.
Although the tests are done in a lab, they are realistic because they're based on a route we’ve chosen, which includes town, motorway and rural sections.
All cars undergo a thorough preparation process, including having their tyre pressures tested to match the manufacturer's recommendations. They're kept in a temperature-controlled chamber, too, so that all cars are at the same temperature when tested. During testing, we keep the headlights off, and if they have air-con, it’s set to 21 degrees and the lowest fan setting.
The fuel economy figures are calculated using measurements of the car’s exhaust emissions, and this is turned into our Real MPG economy figure.
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
The Toyota Yaris Cross is a hybrid, which uses a combination of a 1.5-litre engine and an electric motor to improve economy and performance. Of course, it’s the former that has landed it at the top of this list – in impressive fashion, too.
Indeed, in the town portion of our Real MPG test, the Yaris Cross returned more than 100mpg. However, it’s worth noting that many of the top 10 use less fuel than our winner at motorway speeds.
Read our full Toyota Yaris Cross review
Our pick: 1.2 Dualjet 12V Hybrid SZ-T 5dr
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
Don't be fooled by its small size; the tiny Suzuki Ignis is deceptively spacious inside. It may be one of the smallest small SUVs on sale, but it is at least roomy enough to accommodate four adults in relative comfort – something some similarly priced small cars fail to do.
Its peppy 1.2-litre petrol engine uses mild-hybrid technology to increase efficiency at low speeds. Some rivals – most notably the Ford Puma – offer more in the way of driver engagement, though.
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
Strengths
- Quiet and comfortable
- Sips fuel
- Lots of equipment
Weaknesses
- Poor reliability
- Ride suffers on 19in wheels
- Limited rear visibility
NEDC MPG 61.4mpg | Real MPG Average 51.9mpg | Town 47.2mpg | Motorway 46.4mpg | Rural 63.5mpg
The second-generation Nissan Qashqai was our overall Car of the Year in 2014, and remains a standout choice in the used family SUV market to this day. Indeed, 10 years on, you can pick up a used example for as little as £5500.
And you'll be getting a whole lot of SUV for that money, because the Qashqai is comfortable, practical and – if you choose one equipped with this punchy 1.5-litre diesel engine – pleasingly frugal.
Read our full used Nissan Qashqai review
Our pick: 1.6T GDi 157 48V ISG 3 5dr
Strengths
- Spacious and practical interior
- Good value for money used
- Neat steering
Weaknesses
- Diesel engine can be noisy
- So-so ride and handling
- No automatic emergency braking on some models
NEDC MPG 74.3mpg | Real MPG Average 51.4mpg | Town 43.9mpg | Motorway 46.0mpg | Rural 65.8mpg
A 2016-2021 Kia Sportage like this one makes a great used buy because it's both practical and affordable. It should prove cheap to run, too; partly thanks to the frugal 1.7-litre diesel engine, and partly because many are still covered by Kia's seven-year warranty.
As well as being the most economical choice, this 114bhp 1.7-litre variant was also the most popular diesel-engined Sportage with UK buyers. That’s great news because it means there are plenty of used examples to choose from.
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 after a new coupé SUV that won’t break the bank to buy or own, the Volkswagen Taigo should be on your shopping list.
The Taigo has a comfy ride and a surprisingly spacious interior, and offers the prospect of low running costs if you choose the lower-powered of its 1.0-litre petrol engines. In our test, the 94bhp Taigo managed 45.8mpg on the motorway, and upwards of 62mpg on faster country roads.
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 variant 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 2016-2022 Kia Niro stood out against contemporary rivals like the Toyota Prius by, frankly, not standing out at all. It may look rather conventional, but the first-generation Niro is a well-equipped, fine-driving and – crucially – affordable family SUV.
Its average Real MPG result of 50.1mpg is good, but if you really want to slash your running costs then take a look at the plug-in hybrid version, or even the all-electric Kia e-Niro.
Read our full used Kia Niro review
Our pick: 2.5 VVT-i Hybrid Design 5dr CVT
Strengths
- Exceedingly frugal
- Regular hybrid has 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
The Toyota RAV4 has consistently ranked among the most reliable large SUVs in What Car?’s annual Reliability Survey, making it one of the more dependable choices in the class. This year was no exception (it came first in its class), but a few owners did experience problems with the battery, non-engine electrics and infotainment system.
You can get the RAV4 as a plug-in hybrid, but we reckon the self-charging hybrid variant we tested here is frugal enough – it returned 91.9mpg in the town section of our test; a seriously impressive result for a spacious large SUV.
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 model was replaced by a newer Mazda CX-5 in 2017, but as our real-world figures show, a used Mazda CX-5 can still be a very frugal choice – and the good news there is that secondhand prices are pretty reasonable.
It's well kitted out and nicely made inside, and there's plenty of space for your family and all of their luggage. It's good to drive, too, offering sharper handling than many rival SUVs.
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 Q5 version 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 diesel-engined version of this agile 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.
