4 Hybrid SUVs With The Best Fuel Economy (And 4 With The Worst)

Fuel economy is a matter of great concern for anyone who is looking to buy a new gas-powered SUV, especially given the cost and environmental factors modern consumers are faced with. But while hybrid SUVs are the go-to option for those wanting to save money at the pump due to better fuel efficiency, not all hybrid SUVs will match your expectations with respect to fuel saving. And so to help you understand how fuel economy can differ across hybrid SUVs and also give you an idea of what you can possibly expect from your next purchase, we've identified four new hybrid SUVs with the best fuel economy and four with the worst.

This list only considers full and mild hybrids, and doesn't take into account plug-in models. As well, to ensure consistency, we based the selections on the EPA's (Environmental Protection Agency) fuel economy estimates rather than manufacturer-published figures. All hybrid SUVs were evaluated based on their combined city-highway fuel economy.

The Corolla Cross is Toyota's smallest SUV, and as you'd expect for a car its size, it comes with a tiny price and incredible savings at the pump. According to EPA ratings, the 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid earns 45 mpg in city driving, 38 mpg on the highway, and 42 mpg combined – making it the fourth-best hybrid SUV on the market with regard to fuel economy. The powertrain ensuring that great return is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine that works alongside three electric motors to generate 196 total horsepower, with that output making its way to the wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

As for its price, the base 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid S trim begins at $28,220 (MSRP), and opting for that means you'll benefit from standard all-wheel drive, 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, heated outside mirrors, remote keyless entry with push-button start, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a Wi-Fi hotspot, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. If you would prefer something more recent, the 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is also available at a marginally higher but still-reasonable price tag of $28,395. As there were no major changes for 2025 (just some new colors and Toyota's Beyond Zero badge on the trunk), you can expect to find a very similar hybrid SUV to the 2024 model.

Not only is the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 the top-of-the-range model in the GLS-Class, but it also sets standards when it comes to opulence and exclusivity in the high-end luxury segment. The two-row SUV is heavily stocked with luxurious treatments ranging from power, heated, and cooled multicontour front seats with massage function to multicontour rear seats with massage, heated armrests for front and rear passengers, a heated steering wheel, four-zone automatic climate control, as well as Napa leather upholstery, ceiling, door sill, and console trim.

Sadly, fuel economy is not as impressive, even if the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600's 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 (with a mild hybrid system) generates a staggering 550 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque, as that massive output comes at the expense of fuel economy, given the large luxury SUV's paltry 13 mpg city, 18 mpg highway, and 15 mpg combined return, which is 1 mpg less than the 16 mpg that the GLS580 4matic manages to achieve.

The Sportage is one of the most reliable Kia models ever built. Not only that, it is also stylish, roomy, quiet, posh, and reputedly comfortable to drive. Add in the more economical hybrid tech, and you're left with a package that understandably appeals to buyers, especially when you work in its accessible price tag. The hybrid crossover SUV comes with a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid engine that makes 227 total horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. That power is routed to the front or all four wheels, depending on trim level. The base LX grade comes standard with front-wheel drive (but can be specified with AWD), and so equipped, it delivers an EPA-estimated 42 mpg in the city, 44 mpg highway, and 43 mpg combined.

With regard to price, the 2025 Kia Sportage Hybrid starts at $28,590 (MSRP), which makes it one of the cheapest luxury SUVs out there. That amount gets you a reasonably equipped vehicle with 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, power outside mirrors, keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 12.2-inch digital gauge cluster, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

You'll most certainly have expected the BMW X6 M Competition to place among the hybrid SUVs with the worst fuel economy. After all, it is an imposing, mean-looking brute that doesn't hide its gas-guzzling intentions. Power comes from a big, thirsty 48-volt mild-hybrid twin-turbo V8 engine that unleashes 617 horsepower and 553 lb-ft, while returning 13 mpg in city driving, 18 mpg on the highway, and 15 mpg combined. Those numbers mean the X6 M Competition is one of the least-efficient new hybrid vehicles out there, with only the Lamborghini Revuelto being less efficient, due to its 12 combined return.

That being said, if you have a need for speed, trading in some mpg could well work in your favor, as BMW claims the X6 M Competition can do 0-60 in 3.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 155 mph. That's half a second faster than the 523-hp BMW X6 M60i, which requires 4.2 seconds to hit the same speed.

The 2025 Lexus UX 300h is a great option if you're looking for something that has that classic Toyota durability. A J.D. Power reliability score of 85 out of 100 points suggests it has superb quality levels, and that excellent build quality goes hand-in-hand with a swanky interior replete with niceties such as standard power front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a leather-covered steering wheel, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, navigation, a Wi-Fi hotspot, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and many more.

Needless to say, the Lexus UX 300h is also incredibly efficient, delivering up to 45 mpg in the city, 41 mpg on the highway, and 43 mpg combined from a 196-hp 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder hybrid powertrain that pairs with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and standard front-wheel drive. If you pair the four-cylinder engine with the available all-wheel drive, fuel economy drops slightly to 44 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, and a 42 mpg combined, which is a similar to what you'd get with the outgone 2024 Lexus UX 250h.

Anyone familiar enough with BMW performance cars will know not to expect too much when it comes to fuel economy, even if they have pretensions to being hybrid. Like the X6 M Competition above, the 2025 BMW X5 M Competition gains a measly 13 mpg in the city, 18 mpg on the highway, and 15 mpg combined, which, unsurprisingly, makes it one of the most expensive cars to run. The X5 M Competition comes with a hefty price tag, too, with pricing for the midsize performance SUV starting at $127,200 (MSRP) before options and packages.

Of course, any parallels between the X5 M and X6 M Competition is not pure chance because those two have more in common than just their fuel economy ratings. As a matter of fact, both performance SUVs share the same hybridized twin-turbo 4.4-liter S68 V8 engine, meaning 617 horsepower, 553 lb-ft of torque, and a 0-60 sprint time of 3.7 seconds for the X5 M Competition as well.

With a combined EPA-rated fuel economy of 53 mpg, the 2025 Kia Niro is the hybrid SUV with the best fuel economy. That also means it is a lot more efficient than many hybrid cars out there, including the Lexus ES 300h (44 mpg combined), Honda Accord Hybrid Sport and Touring trims (44 mpg), Toyota Corolla Hybrid AWD (44 mpg), Hyundai Sonata Hybrid (47 mpg), Hyundai Elantra Hybrid (50 mpg), etc. Then again, that maximum return applies only to 2025 Kia Niro models with the 16 alloy wheels, namely the Kia Niro LX, EX, and SX. The EX Touring and SX Touring come standard with 18-inch wheels, which sees their combined city-highway fuel economy dip slightly to 49 mpg.

To go with that outstanding efficiency, the Kia Niro is the cheapest model on this list, taking into account its $26,990 starting MSRP. That price gets you power and heated outside mirrors, a heated windshield, rear privacy glass, remote keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, among other things.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 is yet another German machine with gas-guzzling tendencies. It utilizes a mild-hybrid twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine that returns a lowly 14 mpg in the city, 16 mpg highway, and 15 mpg combined. On the bright side though, the handcrafted, 577-hp V8 engine is hugely capable, as it can propel the AMG G63 to 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds. You can also tow up to a healthy 7,000 pounds. So, its inefficiency ratings aside, there's a lot to like about this boxy SUV (assuming its eye-opening $186,100 base MSRP is no object).

You also get niceties like heated power outside mirrors, heated seats upholstered in Napa leather, memory settings for the front seats, microfiber headliner, heated and cooled cupholders, a heated steering wheel, tri-zone climate control, a 12.3-inch touchscreen display with matching 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster display, navigation, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.