Hybrid Car Review

Related to it's Top 10 fuel efficient cars, Edmunds also has it's Top 10 Most Fuel-Efficient SUVs and Pickups for 2006. The top 3 spots (four cars) have gone to hybrids, with the Ford Escape Hybrid finishing in first.

The Escape was followed closely by the Mercury Mariner Hybrid, then the Lexus Rx 400h and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid tied for fourth, with a 33/28 ratio of city/highway mpg. The Saturn Vue came in at the 5th spot, but it's hybrid version (Green Line) has an estimated (by GM, the EPA hasn't rated it, yet) 27/32 ratio, which should put it in the fourth spot overall after it's release.

Note the Ford Escape, the Mercury Mariner and the Toyota Highlander all appear twice as they are available in both the hybrid and the gasoline version.

Ratings are based on a ratio of highway to city mpg: 55 percent of city mpg rating plus 45 percent of highway mpg rating.

1. Ford Escape Hybrid — 36/31
2. Mercury Mariner Hybrid — 33/29
3. Lexus RX 400h — 33/28
Toyota Highlander Hybrid — 33/28
4. Ford Escape — 24/29
Ford Ranger — 24/29
Mazda Tribute — 24/29
Mazda B-Series — 24/29
5. Honda CR-V — 23/29
Saturn Vue — 23/29
6. Subaru Baja — 23/28
7. Mitsubishi Outlander — 22/28
8. Hyundai Tucson — 22/27
Kia Sportage — 22/27
Toyota Highlander — 22/27
9. Mercury Mariner — 22/26
Honda Element — 22/26
Jeep Liberty Diesel — 22/26
10. Nissan Frontier — 22/25