In an era of high fuel prices and increased focus on protecting the environment, the gas mileage offered by new vehicles is a key factor for many car buyers. Items that affect a vehicle's fuel efficiency include whether it is a hybrid vehicle, uses a manual or automatic transmission, and is two- or four-wheel drive. If you're in the market for a sport utility vehicle (SUV) or minivan, here's a look at those 2010 models offering some of the best miles per gallon (MPG).
Hybrid vehicles use electricity as well as fuel, which reduces gas consumption; they are gas mileage leaders among 2010 vehicles. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid each get 34 miles per gallon in the city and 31 on the highway in their two-wheel-drive versions.
Each of these small SUVs features a four-cylinder engine and offers seating for five. Ford lists the starting price of a new Escape Hybrid as $29,860. Mercury starts pricing for the Mariner Hybrid at $30,105.
The Lexus RX 450h ranks second among SUVs on the government's list for best gas mileage. Its front-wheel-drive version gets 32 mpg in the city and 28 on the highway, closely followed by the all-wheel-drive model at 30 city and 28 highway. The Lexus base price for the front-wheel-drive model is $42,685. This luxury vehicle offers seating for five.
If the hybrid price tag is too steep for you, consider some traditional vehicles that offer good fuel mileage at a lower cost. The 2010 Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass offer 23 MPG city and 29 highway in their two-wheel-drive versions with manual transmissions. The automatic transmission and four-wheel-drive models of these vehicles offer very similar results. Jeep notes Compass pricing starts at $19,350 and lists $18,425 as a base price for the Patriot. Each vehicle holds five passengers.
The Chevrolet Equinox is a midsize SUV offering 22 mpg city and 32 mpg highway in its front-wheel-drive model. This version has a four-cylinder, 2.4-liter engine with an automatic transmission and seating for five passengers. The Equinox starts at $22,615.
Minivans don't offer the same fuel efficiency options as SUVs, but there is one model offering more than 20 miles per gallon. The Mazda 5 leads the Department of Energy's minivan rankings with a manual-transmission model reaching 22 mpg city and 28 on the highway. Choosing the automatic transmission drops the miles per gallon by one in each category. Mazda says pricing for this front-wheel-drive model starts at $18,745 with three rows of passenger room seating a total of six.
There are several minivans offering 17 mpg city and 23 to 25 mpg on the highway. These are all six-cylinder minivans with automatic transmissions: the Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona and Volkswagen Routan. The Sedona offers the lowest starting manufacturer's price in this group at $22,195, followed by the Grand Caravan SE at $23,995. Each of the minivans in this fuel mileage group offers seven-passenger seating in its base model; upgrading to a higher trim level may give you an additional seat, depending on the manufacturer.
