Shelf order · Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
Most efficient
Most efficient
standard sport utility vehicle 2wd
29 models ranked on the EPA's own combined figure — no manufacturer claims, no road tests, no paid placement. Topped by the BMW X5 sDrive40i at 25 MPG.
Ranked on the test sheet, best first
| # | Model | Combined | Fuel/yr | Per mile | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BMW X5 sDrive40i | 25 MPG | $1920 | $0.128 | 2020–2026 |
| 2 | Ford Explorer RWD | 22.5 MPG | $2133 | $0.142 | 2020–2026 |
| 3 | Buick Enclave FWD | 22 MPG | $2182 | $0.145 | 2008–2026 |
| 4 | Chevrolet Traverse FWD | 22 MPG | $2182 | $0.145 | 2009–2026 |
| 5 | GMC Acadia FWD | 22 MPG | $2182 | $0.145 | 2007–2026 |
| 6 | Jeep Grand Cherokee L 2WD | 22 MPG | $2182 | $0.145 | 2021–2026 |
| 7 | Toyota Sequoia 2WD | 22 MPG | $2182 | $0.145 | 2001–2026 |
| 8 | BMW X5 sDrive35i | 21 MPG | $2286 | $0.152 | 2014–2018 |
| 9 | Ford Explorer FWD | 21 MPG | $2286 | $0.152 | 2011–2019 |
| 10 | Hyundai Palisade FWD | 21 MPG | $2286 | $0.152 | 2020–2026 |
| 11 | Lincoln Aviator RWD | 21 MPG | $2286 | $0.152 | 2020–2026 |
| 12 | BMW X6 sDrive35i | 20 MPG | $2400 | $0.160 | 2015–2019 |
| 13 | Dodge Durango RWD | 20 MPG | $2400 | $0.160 | 2014–2026 |
| 14 | Ford Explorer 2WD FFV | 20 MPG | $2400 | $0.160 | 2002–2019 |
| 15 | Chevrolet Tahoe 2WD | 19.3 MPG | $2487 | $0.166 | 2021–2026 |
| 16 | Ford Flex FWD | 19 MPG | $2526 | $0.168 | 2009–2019 |
| 17 | GMC Yukon 2WD | 19 MPG | $2526 | $0.168 | 2021–2026 |
| 18 | Lincoln MKT FWD | 19 MPG | $2526 | $0.168 | 2010–2019 |
| 19 | Chevrolet Suburban 2WD | 18.7 MPG | $2567 | $0.171 | 2021–2026 |
| 20 | GMC Yukon XL 2WD | 18.7 MPG | $2567 | $0.171 | 2021–2026 |
| 21 | Ford Expedition 2WD | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 1997–2027 |
| 22 | Infiniti QX80 2WD | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 2014–2027 |
| 23 | Lincoln Navigator L 2WD | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 2015–2021 |
| 24 | Nissan Armada 2WD | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 2005–2026 |
| 25 | Chevrolet Suburban C1500 2WD | 17.7 MPG | $2712 | $0.181 | 2015–2020 |
| 26 | Chevrolet Tahoe C1500 2WD | 17.7 MPG | $2712 | $0.181 | 2015–2020 |
| 27 | GMC Yukon C1500 2WD | 17.7 MPG | $2712 | $0.181 | 2015–2020 |
| 28 | GMC Yukon C1500 XL 2WD | 17.7 MPG | $2712 | $0.181 | 2015–2020 |
| 29 | Cadillac Escalade 2WD | 17 MPG | $2824 | $0.188 | 2002–2026 |
Current model-year figures, $3.20/gal fixed JUL 2026, 15,000 miles a year. Electric models are rated in MPGe and are not directly comparable on fuel cost.
SOURCE·US EPA fuel-economy test data·FUEL ASSUMED AT $3.20/GAL FROM JUL 2026·REVIEWED JUL 2026
How this is worked out
- Start from the EPA combined figure for the model year — a laboratory test cycle run to a fixed procedure, not a road result. Where a year sold several engines or drivetrains, the trims are averaged and the trim count is printed beside the row so you can see how much averaging is behind it.
- Fix a pump price. This site keeps one reference price, $3.20 a US gallon, fixed JUL 2026 and printed next to every dollar figure it produces. It is an assumption with a date on it, not a quote — put your own price in.
- Fix an annual distance. Every annual figure on this site uses 15,000 miles a year, roughly the US average. A cost per year with no stated distance is not a number, it is a mood.
- Divide distance by economy for gallons, multiply by price for the year's fuel, divide price by economy for one mile. The per-kilometre line is that last figure divided by 1.609344 — the same money, in the unit most of the world drives in.
- Stop there. No depreciation, no tyres, no insurance, no servicing. This is the fuel line of the ledger and it is labelled as one; depreciation usually dwarfs everything on it.
gallons/yr = miles/yr ÷ MPG fuel $/yr = gallons/yr × $/gal cost $/mi = $/gal ÷ MPG cost $/km = cost $/mi ÷ 1.609344
The full method, the licence note, and what a test figure cannot tell you →
