Ten top-selling used SUVs with the best fuel economy

SUVs continue to be the most rapidly growing body type in consumer interest, according to the 2023 AutoTrader midyear industry report.

“In the first six months of 2023, more than 27-million advert views were generated for SUVs on AutoTrader’s platform. In addition to widespread interest in SUVs, we’ve noticed a trend to consumers searching for the most fuel-efficient SUVs,” said AutoTrader CEO George Mienie.

So how fuel-efficient are the top 10 most sold used SUVs? An analysis of the fuel consumption of entry-level models from the respective model years based on claimed consumption figures from car manufacturers provides insight.

If one compares fuel consumption alone, the Ford EcoSport takes pole position in the fuel efficiency ranking, sipping just 4.6l/100km. At the other end of the spectrum is the Jeep Wrangler, guzzling 11.3l/100km.

But one is a small manual SUV with a modest 1.5l turbodiesel engine, the other an automatic mid-size SUV with a hefty 3.6l V6 petrol mill. Not quite a like-for-like comparison. Size, engine and fuel type (diesel usually offers better consumption) are some of the factors that need to be taken into account.

Following the 2019 EcoSport in the fuel efficiency stakes is another compact SUV, the 2021 VW T-Cross, with a claimed 4.9l/100km courtesy of an efficient 1.0l turbopetrol engine paired to a seven-speed automatic transmission.

Third and fourth positions are filled by two 2018 mid-size SUVs: the automatic BMW X3 2.0 diesel (5.3l/100km) and the manual 1.4l turbopetrol VW Tiguan (6.1l/100km). 

The compact Toyota Urban Cruiser claims the midway point with 6.2l/100km from its 1.5l petrol engine. Next is a large SUV, the Ford Everest, with its 2.2 turbodiesel engine posting a frugal 7.1l/100km. The big seven-seater is followed by a 2018 compact manual SUV, the Toyota RAV4, with 7.7l/100km. Same year mid-size Hyundai Tucson languishes in eighth (8.9l/100km).

The top-selling used SUV, the large seven-seater Toyota Fortuner posts 10.5l/100km from the 2017 base model (an automatic 2.7l petrol variant) just ahead of the thirstiest among the 10 top-sellers, the 2015 Jeep Wrangler. This boulder-climbing adventure SUV is the third most sold used SUV behind the Fortuner and EcoSport. 

It should be noted that claimed consumption figures are not always achievable in local conditions, especially if one has a heavy foot on the accelerator.