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Best in cargo capacity & fuel economy

Last reviewed: January 2010

With today's ever changing gas prices, many car buyers are opting to trade cargo space for fuel economy by buying a smaller vehicle than they might have otherwise. To help buyers who are looking for both cargo capacity and fuel economy, our list below highlights vehicles we've tested that provide the best combination of the two. (Find out how you can compare these cars and get unlimited price reports with the Cars Best Deals Plus.)

In order to get on our list, a vehicle must meet benchmarks that vary depending on vehicle category. The vehicle must have achieved a minimum overall miles-per-gallon (mpg) figure in our real-world fuel economy tests, and have a minimum number of cubic feet of cargo capacity, according to our measurements. (For more on fuel economy, see our Green car guide.)

Within groups, vehicles are listed in order of fuel economy; those with identical economy figures are listed in order of cargo volume.


Make & model Fuel economy (overall mpg) Cargo volume (cu. ft.)
MINIVANS Overall mpg = 18 or higher; cargo = 60 cu. ft. or more
Toyota Sienna XLE (FWD) 19 70.5
Honda Odyssey EX 19 66.5
Toyota Sienna XLE (AWD) 18 70.5
Nissan Quest 3.5 SE 18 60.0
SMALL SUVS Overall mpg = 21 or higher; cargo = 24 cu. ft. or more
Mercury Mariner Hybrid 26 38.0
Subaru Forester 2.5X (MT) 24 35.5
Toyota RAV4 (base, 4-cyl.) 23 38.5
Toyota RAV4 Limited (V6) 22 38.5
Subaru Forester 2.5X 22 35.5
Mitsubishi Outlander LS (4-cyl.) 22 33.5
Jeep Patriot Sport 22 29.5
Jeep Compass Sport 22 26.5
Nissan Rogue SL 22 24.5
Honda Element EX 21 47.0
Ford Escape XLT (4-cyl.) 21 38.0
Chevrolet Equinox 1LT (4-cyl.) 21 33.5
Honda CR-V EX 21 25.5
MIDSIZED/LARGE SUVS Overall mpg = 18 or higher; cargo = 32 cu. ft. or more
Lexus RX450h (Hybrid) 26 33.5
Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited 24 37.5
BMW X5 xDrive35d 22 36.0
Lexus RX350 21 33.5
Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid 19 52.5
Mercedes-Benz GL320 19 45.5
Honda Pilot EX-L 18 48.0
Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 18 37.5
Toyota Highlander Limited 18 37.5
Lincoln MKT 3.5 18 36.0
WAGONS/HATCHBACKS Overall mpg = 20 or higher; cargo = 24 cu. ft. or more
Volkswagen Golf TDI (MT) 38 25.5
Nissan Cube 1.8 S 28 28.0
Volkswagen GTI 27 25.5
Hyundai Elantra Touring 26 29.5
Kia Soul Plus 25 24.5
Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 24 36.5
Volkswagen Golf 2.5 24 25.5
Mazda5 Touring 23 39.0
Scion xB 23 34.0
Chevrolet HHR LT (2.4) 24 29.0
BMW 325xi 22 26.5
Kia Rondo LX (V6) 21 33.0
Toyota Venza V6 20 33.0
Volvo V50 T5 20 27.5