This SUV Has The Best Gas Mileage In 2026 According To US News & World Report

SUVs and crossovers are increasingly becoming the default vehicles for many because they offer more versatility, visibility, and, due to their size, arguably more safety than smaller cars. With better ride quality and easier handling, modern SUVs have eradicated many of the disadvantages of their predecessors — so much so that they comprise the bulk of cars recommended for retirees. However, there's still one performance category where smaller cars have an edge: fuel economy and savings.

For example, a non-hybrid 2026 Toyota Corolla sedan gets up to 32 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city, 41 mpg on the highway, and 35 mpg combined. That means if you drive 13,500 miles in a year — the annual average estimated by the Federal Highway Authority (FHWA) — you'd burn about 385 gallons. At $4 a gallon, that's roughly $1,500 per year in fuel costs. In contrast, according to iSeeCars, the three-row SUV average is just 22 mpg combined. That works out to an extra $900 spent every year on gasoline alone.

Thankfully, those who want the fuel savings of a sedan with the capacity of a three-row SUV — without going full EV — can now get it with the 2026 Kia Sorento Hybrid. According to US News & World, the Kia Sorento Hybrid tops the charts for efficient three-row SUVs with a gas mileage of 37 mpg combined. The EPA corroborates this efficiency score. Such high mpg figures are more in line with what you'll find on gas-powered compact and midsize sedans.

Make no mistake, most non-plug-in SUVs still struggle to match the fuel economy of hybrid sedans. So, if you want utmost efficiency without buying an EV, your best bet would be one of the compact or midsize hybrid cars. That said, the Kia Sorento Hybrid soundly beats many other popular three-row SUVs. If you chose a 2026 Honda Pilot, Chevrolet Traverse, or 2025 Kia Telluride instead, you would get roughly 15 fewer miles per gallon than you would with a Sorento Hybrid. At 13,500 miles a year and $4 a gallon, that's about 249 extra gallons of gas and nearly $1,000 more spent on fuel.

You would think that with these savings, the Sorento Hybrid would start off more expensive than its thirstier peers. But the 2026 model year starts at $38,890, excluding the $1,495 destination charge. On the other hand, Chevrolet lists the 2026 Traverse LT at $40,800, the 2026 Honda Pilot starts at $42,195, and Ford's Explorer from the same model year is $40,585. Those are savings of $1,910, $3,305, and $1,695, respectively, before you even factor in the Sorento Hybrid's lower fuel bills or make use of any gas savings tricks. 

Edmunds' five-year True Cost to Own (TCO) estimates suggest even more savings over a five-year period. These calculations account for depreciation, insurance, financing, fuel costs, and maintenance. According to these calculations, owning a Sorento Hybrid FWD would cost $43,649 over a five-year timeframe. Meanwhile, over the same period, you'd spend $50,150 with a Honda Pilot Sport, $50,696 with a Ford Explorer Active, and $49,346 with the 2025 Nissan Pathfinder.