Crossover fuel economy champs (2014 edition)

[haven]

http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/...h-the-best-highway-fuel-economy-for-2014.html

Edmunds lists the 10 most fuel efficient crossovers for 2014. The data is from the EPA's website, www.fueleconomy.gov

Most of the vehicles on the list are compact front wheel drive models. They are more fuel efficient by one or two mpg than when equipped with AWD. A couple of vehicles on the list do have AWD:

-- Subaru XV Crosstrek (33 mpg highway from the 2.0L gas engine, CVT and AWD)

-- Mercedes GLK (33 mpg highway from a 2.1L turbodiesel, 7 speed automatic and AWD)

It will be interesting to see if the new subcompact models from Jeep, Honda and others will deliver fuel economy that's any higher than this.

Also of note is the Chevrolet Equinox with 2.4L four cylinder gas engine, 6 speed automatic and AWD. Its rating of 32 mpg highway is best for AWD in the midsize class.

 

[zelatore]

These numbers upset me. I just picked up a new Nissan NV200 mini cargo van, and even with it's puny little 130 hp and CVT it's only rated at 24 city/25 highway. And this was 'best in class' (class being the Transit Connect and Ram C/V) until the '14 Transit Connect ecoboost appeared just in the last couple months, though at a considerable premium.

I can only speculate that even though it's a very small van, it's still a box on wheels. And boxes don't have very good aero. But even these cross-overs are blowing away my little van.

Still, I used to get nearly those numbers from a 300 hp turbo BMW sedan. And I drove it MUCH harder than I do this thing!

 

[haven]

Well, the NV200 has at least twice as much interior room. So it will be pushing a much bigger hole in the air as you travel at highway speed. The city mpg rating of the NV200 is not much different than the smaller vehicles.

 

[Thirty-Nine]

I really like the Crosstrek. I drove one for a week, and got 22 MPG, granted, it was mostly city driving.

Really like that Renegade. However, if my '13 WRX got hit by an asteroid tomorrow, I'd probably get a Crosstrek.