With rising gas prices, finding the best mpg SUV is a must in this modern day society. Whether its towing a boat or driving the kids to hockey practice, there will always be a need for the SUV. For the longest time, SUVs were not looked at as fuel-efficient vehicles. Now with the advanced hybrid technology, SUVs can gain better gas mileage and give the consumer all of the luxuries of an SUV. Two of the most popular hybrid SUVs are the Ford Escape and the Mazda Tribute. Both are a quality vehicle and have many similarities but do possess a few differences.

The engineers at Ford have produced what some say is the best mpg SUV. The Ford Escape can seat up to five people comfortably and has the ability to have 63.7 cubic feet of cargo space. The Escape Hybrid 2WD version can gain up to 32 miles per gallon when combining both city and highway driving. There is a 4WD version available that gets a little bit lower ratings but will still get right around 30 mpg. The Escape has a 2.5-liter 153-horsepower 4-cylinder engine, which is a little smaller than most SUVs but does have its benefits. The difference between the Escape and normal SUVs is the efficiency of the transmission. By giving the engine a smaller amount of horsepower, fuel efficiency is gained through the transmission. There are multiple upgrade options through Ford that make the Escape arguably the best mpg SUV on the market. Along with an affordable price tag, it is a consensus that the Ford Escape is one of the expert’s picks for the best mpg SUV.

Very similar to the Escape Hybrid is the Mazda Tribute Hybrid. The Tribute is considered among many car enthusiasts as the best mpg SUV on the market. It carries the same 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that the Escape does but has 133-horsepower engine. This smaller engine does not make a huge impact but it does help with fuel-efficiency so consumers are not losing out on power for no reason. The Tribute gets almost identical gas mileage as the Escape for both the 2WD and 4WD versions of the car, which gives consumers the ability to choose between hybrids without having to give up gas mileage. The cargo space is very similar as well but the Tribute actually has more maximum cargo space than the Escape with 67.2 cubic feet. Some consumers will say that the Tribute is the best mpg SUV due to the numerous amounts of optional upgrades available from Mazda. Another thing expert’s love about the Tribute is the price, very competitive and affordable compared to many cars in its class. In this economy price and the ability to save money is crucial and the Tribute helps greatly making it one of the best mpg SUVs.

Both of these cars have great value in their class and provide arguably the best overall performance. The prices are very consumer friendly and both of these companies excel at providing a car buyer with the overall best product that is on the market. If you are looking for a SUV with best gas mileage, these two are definitely worth considering.