What are people buying? You might be surprised. Even with national gasoline prices hovering around $4 a gallon, we find shoppers are gravitating toward new small and midsized SUVs, based on a recent survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. While traditionally versatile vehicles, SUVs are often not the thriftiest choices. But as in every vehicle class, there are some that are better than others, and below we highlight the most fuel-efficient models in our ratings.

These lists feature our latest tests of the most fuel-thrifty small, midsized, luxury, and large SUVs currently on the market. But since there is more to choosing a car than fuel economy, we’ve also noted models that are recommended, which means they meet Consumer Reports strict requirements for performance, reliability, and safety.

Small SUVs
Recommended	Model	Price	MPG
	Ford Escape Hybrid	$32,575	26
	Nissan Juke SV	$23,300	24
	Toyota RAV4 (4-cyl.)	$25,405	23
	Mitsubishi Outlander Sport ES	$23,995	23

Midsized SUVs
Recommended	Model	Price	MPG
	Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited	$47,225	27
	Chevrolet Equinox 1LT (4-cyl.)	$26,350	21
	GMC Terrain SLE1 (4-cyl.)	$26,745	21
	Hyundai Santa Fe Limited (V6)	$31,330	20
	Kia Sorento EX (V6)	$32,390	20
	Kia Sorento LX (4-cyl.)	$26,590	20

Luxury & Large SUVs
Recommended	Model	Price	MPG
	Lexus RX 450h (hybrid)	$53,576	26
	Volkswagen Touareg TDI (diesel)	$49,505	24
	BMW X5 35d (diesel)	$62,375	22
	Lexus RX 350	$47,381	21

For more information on saving fuel, see our guide to fuel economy.