Compare the best economical SUVs
High quality economical SUVs from rated and reviewed dealers
Last updated June 21, 2024 by
Darren Cassey
Most economical SUVs of 2024
There’s a lot to love about SUVs – the great driving position and practical body shape makes them excellent for family car duties. However, their size does mean they can be quite heavy, which can be detrimental to fuel economy. If this is a concern to you, Carwow's expert reviews team has put together a list of the most economical SUVs you can buy in 2024.
There are some caveats, of course. We’ve excluded plug-in hybrid SUVs, because official figures are incredibly impressive, but in the real world it’s very dependent on the type of journeys you do and how often you can charge. With that in mind, we have included so-called self-charging hybrids, because official stats are a bit more realistic, alongside non-electrified models – though how close you get to these figures is very much down to your driving style and the type of driving you do. Use Carwow’s fuel chooser tool to figure out which would work best for you.
It’s also worth noting that this list is ordered with the most economical SUV at the top, rather than being ranked by wowscore.
2024
Urban Living Award
Highly Commended
What's good
What’s not so good
The self-charging 116hp 1.5-litre hybrid engine in the Toyota Yaris Cross delivers diesel-like economy figures but with the smoothness of a petrol engine. The ride can get bumpy on poor surfaces, but the Yaris Cross handles well and looks pretty smart, too. The raised ride height gives a good view out and the boot is spacious, but back seat passengers may get a bit cramped on longer journeys. It’s worth noting that the top Excel trim gets larger wheels and is a bit heavier, so economy drops from 64mpg to 57mpg. That’s a surprisingly big difference, and worth keeping in mind if fuel economy is your priority.
Battery range up to 40 miles
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The Kia Niro has a choice of self-charging and plug-in hybrid engines, but it’s the self-charging ‘127 Hybrid’ we’re focusing on here. That’s because it gets an impressive 64mpg, being particularly good on fuel if you’re driving it around town. The Niro is also really refined and comfortable to drive over long distances, while the interior is put together well with lots of room for passengers and their things. That hybrid system isn’t the smoothest around, though.
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Under the skin the Lexus LBX shares most of its mechanicals with the Toyota Yaris Cross, so it’s no surprise to see it’s also high on this list. It does feel a lot posher inside and it’s quieter and more comfortable to drive, but you still get those rock bottom running costs thanks to fuel economy of up to 63mpg. You also get a decent amount of space in the cabin for a car this size, but the boot really is tiny.
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What's good
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The Hyundai Kona is a spacious, comfortable SUV with an economical hybrid engine that’s made all the more impressive by the fact that this is not a particularly small SUV. That means you don’t have to sacrifice space to save on fuel, because the Kona has a roomy cabin and a spacious boot. The hybrid engine isn’t particularly smooth or pleasant to drive, though – the all-electric version is much better of the two. But if you’re not ready to go electric just yet, economy of 63mpg is mighty tempting. Whichever you go for, you have to put up with Hyundai’s constant driver assistance bings and bongs…
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The Citroen C4 is a curious hatchback/SUV crossover kinda deal, but whether or not you really consider it an SUV, we wanted to include it in this list because it’s great value and has a fantastically economical ‘hybrid’ engine. Well, it’s technically a mild hybrid rather than a full hybrid, but the fact it can run short distances on electricity at low speeds helps boost economy at up to 62mpg. As you’d expect from a Citroen, the C4 is really comfortable over bumps and has distinctive looks, though the boot is tiny for the size of car.
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It’s stylish outside and funky inside, with a good infotainment system and a very frugal engine. The Peugeot 2008 clearly ticks a lot of boxes, and gets the same 136hp 1.2-litre ‘hybrid’ engine as the Citroen C4 above, capable of 62mpg. The (pricier) all-electric e-2008 is available if you want to switch to EV motoring, while there's also a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes.
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If you like the idea of an economical Toyota hybrid, but the Yaris Cross is a bit small for you, check out the C-HR. It’s bigger so you get more room in the cabin, though it’s worth noting the boot is still not particularly impressive. Still, if efficiency is key it’s a great shout, because the 1.8-litre hybrid engine sees up to 60mpg in official tests, and it’s not impossible to get close to that in the real world. It’s a bit noisy thanks to the CVT gearbox, but the trade off is fewer trips to the pumps…
Battery range up to 28 miles
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The Renault Captur’s stylish looks might make you think this is a cool and quirky SUV, but actually it’s very much a head over heart purchase. If that’s what you want from a car, then the Captur makes a strong case for itself with a big boot, spacious cabin and a range of efficient engines. The 1.6-litre 145hp hybrid is the pick of the bunch, and it’s also available in the Renault Arkana with identical 60mpg efficiency figures. The Captur is the more practical pick of the two, though.
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Another style-focused hybrid Renault, the Austral is a bit bigger than the Captur and Arkana, but still benefits from a fuel-sipping hybrid engine that hits 60mpg in official tests. Like its smaller siblings, the Austral isn’t the most engaging thing to drive, and while economical, the hybrid engine isn’t the smoothest. Practicality isn’t bad though – the boot’s an okay size in its standard format, but you can slide the rear seats forward to unleash more space.
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Once upon a time this list would have been dominated by diesels, but these days it’s all about the hybrids. However, the Volkswagen T-Roc bucks the trend and proves there’s still a place at the table for the fuel. The T-Roc’s 2.0-litre diesel engine promises up to 59mpg, and you won’t be far off that if you spend most of your time on the motorway, with hybrids typically at their best around town. The T-Roc itself? It’s smart, has a big boot and is pretty good fun to drive down a twisty road, though this does mean it’s not the most comfy over bumps.
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