Once upon a time, exceptional fuel economy and all-wheel-drive (AWD) were mutually exclusive automotive attributes. But with today’s highly efficient hybrid, turbo-diesel, and conventional drivetrains it’s a whole new ballgame. As the song goes, the times, they are a changing, and forty miles per gallon (MPG) on the highway is a reality if you choose a diesel-powered vehicle.
Let’s take a look at the ten most fuel-efficient AWD vehicles of 2018.
Choosing a first car is a right of passage. While the top two criteria for most parents are safety and affordability, teenagers on the other hand, are more focused on what’s cool. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) recently published a list of safe and affordable used vehicles for teenagers and we’ve taken it up a notch.
A first car should be safe above all, but it needn’t be boring. Grandma’s cast-off Buick LaCrosse may be safe and priced right, but it lacks a certain cache. That’s why we’ve poured through the list to find the ten most affordable and most appealing of the IIHS’ picks. Our criteria focused on affordability, with all models starting under $10,000, in addition to a preference for manual transmissions and all-wheel-drive. If you’re driving a manual, you’re not holding a cell-phone.
Our top eleven list (yes, our list goes to eleven!) includes imports, domestics, sedans, wagons and SUVs, but no small cars. The IIHS does not recommend any small cars for teenagers. Big is better when it comes to safety. We’ve included links to MPG reviews and fuel economy ratings in the list.
I had the opportunity to put a 4WD 2016 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk to the test a few weeks back at a Chrysler track day event at the Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia. It was a rainy day at the track, as the remnants of Hurricane Joaquin moved up the eastern seaboard. The persistent precipitation turned the off-road test track into a marvelously mess … which is exactly what you hope for when you’re testing 4x4s. I hopped into a brand new trail-rated 2016 Renegade Trailhawk with BeCarChic.com’s Melanie Batenchuk and Jim Morrison, Director of Jeep Product Marketing.
Truth be told, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect of the Renegade Trailhawk off-road. I’d only had the opportunity to drive one briefly before, and that was a half hour drive on two-lane blacktops and highway. I was skeptical, despite the Trail Rating. A nice sloppy jaunt through the mud and my opinion changed. Watch this video and yours may change, as well. It’s an eye-opener (and a fun ride).
The Ford Escape was introduced in 2001 as Ford’s entry into the two-row mid-size SUV segment. The original model was designed in conjunction with Mazda, and shared many components with the Mazda Tribute, as well as with the Mercury Mariner.
At the time it was introduced, the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid (shown below) was billed as the most fuel efficient SUV sold in the United States, with the front wheel drive version delivering 34 city and 30 highway miles per gallon, while the four wheel drive version hauled down 29 city and 27 highway. (The non-hybrid 2008-2012 Escape was offered with either a 2.4 liter four cylinder or a 3.0 liter six.) The Escape Hybrid was offered through the 2012 model year.
The Escape is all new for 2013, with a sleek new crossover design and a choice of three different engines.
First introduced in 1998, the Honda CR-V has become one of America’s most popular compact crossover SUVs. The CR-V was redesigned in 2007 and again in 2012, with fuel-efficiency a key consideration. Solid gas mileage figures have been one of the CR-V’s key selling points over the years, with the 2WD CR-V’s gas mileage ratings flirting with the 30 miles per gallon (MPG) mark on the highway. Today’s sleek CRV bears little resemblance to the earliest models (where aerodynamics and exterior design were not a priority).
The 2013 CR-V’s 2.4 liter 4-cylinder engine produces 185 horsepower (up from 156) and continues to be equipped with a five-speed automatic transmission. (2006 was the last year for the manual transmission in America.) The CR-V diesel’s 2.2 liter i-CTDi turbo diesel engine would a game-changer for the US market, with remarkable fuel mileage ratings.