![]() Times have changed and there are a number of modern sports utility vehicles that offer space, pace, and thrifty consumption in equal measure. Environmental Protection Agency.A few decades ago, you could either choose between an economical, basic runabout or a larger truck with the fuel-efficiency of a boat - nowadays, an SUV with the best gas mileage figures is actually a possibility. "2011 Toyota RAV4 Offers New Extra Value Package." Sept. "2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Product Information." Sept. "Redesigned 2011 Nissan Rogue Crossover SUV Debuts at 23rd Annual International Z Car Convention." Nissan Official U.S. "2011 Honda CR-V Serves Up SUV Versatility with Style and Refinement." Honda Media Newsroom. "IIHS Names MINI Countryman as a '2011 Top Safety Pick' Winner." PressClub USA. "Best Selling Crossovers: March 2011." AOL Autos. The Toyota RAV4's price is in line with its competitors, at about $22,000 to start. Opting for the four-wheel-drive system only drops its EPA mileage rating by 1-mile per gallon (0.4-kilometer per liter), making it one of the more fuel-efficient vehicles with on-demand four-wheel-drive. It too was considered a light-duty SUV until the crossover category caught on, which is where the RAV4 is most at home. Like the Honda CR-V, the Toyota RAV4 has been around the block a few times - it was launched a decade and a half ago. (Of course, the hybrid does a little better around town.) That's the same highway mileage that its hybrid Highlander sibling gets. The Toyota RAV4 with a four-cylinder engine and two-wheel-drive gets 22 miles per gallon (9.4 kilometers per liter) in the city, 28 miles per gallon (11.9 kilometers per liter) highway and 24 miles per gallon (10.2 kilometers per liter) combined. Toyota has the distinction of earning two spots on the list of five crossover vehicles with the best fuel economy. ![]() This hybrid will set you back a bit more at the outset, too - the starting manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) is $37,490. The system has a total of 280 horsepower when the two power sources work together, more than most other crossovers. Like most hybrids on the road today, the Toyota Highlander hybrid has a gasoline engine - this one is a V-6 with 231 horsepower - plus an electric motor powered by batteries. That honor goes to the Mini Cooper Countryman. As a hybrid, the Highlander gets 28 miles per gallon (11.9 kilometers per liter) city, 28 miles per gallon (11.9 kilometers per liter) highway and a combined 28 miles per gallon (11.9 kilometers per liter) - which is very consistent, but not tops on the list. Like the Honda CR-V, the Highlander has been around a few years and was marketed as a very light-duty SUV - that is, until the crossover category caught on. The only hybrid to make the list of best crossover fuel economy is the Toyota Highlander hybrid. Like other crossovers, the Rogue has a base price of about $21,000. A CVT won't crawl over boulders or pull a trailer through the mud, but it's perfect for the crossover category. Nissan was the first manufacturer to use CVTs in its passenger cars, and it's worked out so well that several of its vehicles use the technology. Rather than shifting through gears, the Nissan Rogue uses a belt and pulley system to transmit the power of the engine to the wheels. One of the features helping the Rogue to achieve these mileage numbers is a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The two-wheel-drive version of the Rogue gets a very respectable 22 miles per gallon (9.4 kilometers per liter) city, 28 miles per gallon (11.9 kilometers per liter) highway and 25 miles per gallon (10.6 kilometers per liter) combined. While the world "rogue" might conjure up pirates and thieves and good guys gone bad, the Nissan Rogue crossover plays by the rules and gets great gas mileage in the process. The Mini Cooper Countryman will set you back about $22,000 to start, with options adding to the price - and possibly lower fuel economy. There are a few pleasant surprises in the Countryman, like a three-person rear bench seat and being named a 2011 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This particular model gets the best mileage of any crossover on the list. The two-wheel-drive Countryman with the manual transmission gets highest marks from the EPA, though, at 28 miles per gallon (11.9 kilometers per liter) city, 35 miles per gallon (14.9 kilometers per liter) highway and a combined 31 miles per gallon (13.2 kilometers per liter). The Mini Cooper Countryman was a brand-new model for 2011, with a longer, taller body than the original Mini Cooper and a first-ever optional four-wheel-drive system. A car this big from a maker called Mini may seem like an oxymoron, but that's how badly manufacturers want to get into the crossover game.
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