"Fuel-sipping SUV" is not an oxymoron; just take a look at the 10 environmentally friendly crossover SUVs we've collected below. While no SUV—so far—can match the 50-mpg combined fuel economy rating of the Toyota Prius, efficiency can still be had in a crossover.
10. Mini Countryman S all-wheel drive, six-speed manual—25/31/28 city/highway/combined
Even with all-wheel drive and a turbocharged engine, the Mini Countryman offers up 31 mpg on the highway when equipped with a six-speed manual transmission.
9. Mini Countryman S front-wheel drive six-speed automatic—25/32/28 city/highway/combined
Some might question whether the Countryman is a real crossover or just a tall five-door hatchback, but it's difficult to argue with the combination of its utility and 25/32 mpg city/highway.
8. Mini Countryman S front-wheel drive six-speed manual—26/32/29 city/highway/combined
When the Mini Countryman's basic 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine doesn't have enough power, Mini has the turbocharged version with 29 mpg combined in front-wheel-drive, six-speed manual transmission form.
Nissan's Juke is like nothing else you can find in the U.S. There's not much utility in this crossover, though the Juke's turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine can make for some exciting commuting.
6. Toyota Highlander Hybrid all-wheel drive—28/28/28 city/highway/combined
Mechanically related to the Lexus RX 450h V-6 hybrid, the Highlander's price sits above a four- and six-cylinder gas powered Toyota SUV variants.
5. Mini Countryman front-wheel drive six-speed manual—28/35/31 city/highway/combined
Mini's new small crossover called the Countryman has the same fun-to-drive dynamics we've come to know from the British brand, yet in a larger package and an available six-speed manual transmission.
Lexus sells more RX luxury crossovers than any other vehicle in its fleet. At the top of the RX lineup is the hybrid model that gets 32/28 mpg city/highway in front-wheel-drive form.
Even as the Ford Escape SUV nears the end of its life before being replaced, the hybrid variant remains the most efficient SUV you can buy. The compact crossover achieves over more than 30 mpg combined. When searching for a crossover, do you consider efficiency?
Which one is better to opt between crossover SUV's and normal standard SUV's? I know crossovers are neither SUV's nor sedans, they just provides a combined blend of both body styles. But, I want to know which one is better?
What a terrible list - of the 10, 4 are mini countryman, 2 are Lexus RS (and a highlander, which is pretty much an RX), and 2 are Ford Escape. I'm pretty sure you could have consolidated 2WD and AWD models and added more cars to make a more comprehensive list instead of one that looks like it was put together by someone too lazy to do more than 3 minutes of "research".