Best Deals on Fuel-Efficient Cars and SUVs Recommended by Consumer Reports

Fuel Efficiency, Cost, and Reliability Matters to Consumers

According to a recent Consumer Reports newsletter, unpredictable gas prices are motivating new car shoppers more than ever to make fuel efficiency their top priority. However, performance, reliability, owner satisfaction, and safety are not far behind, making those cars and SUVs that “have it all” especially attractive to new car shoppers.  

To help car shoppers find the car they need, CR analysts dug into the latest transaction data from this past month to see what shoppers have paid for their cars, and then filtered out those that are CR-recommended based on their Overall Scores and selected those that are reliable and the most fuel-efficient.

Related article: Reliable and Fuel-Efficient Midsized SUVs Recommended by Consumer Reports

“We ranked the vehicles by how good a deal they are, relative to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, by using the percentage of savings from the sticker price. The top model represents the best deal. For most months this year, the transaction prices have been slightly over MSRP, but as the model year winds down, we found that nine of the 10 best deals were selling for less than the sticker price. One was selling for just a hint over.”

In fact, from their updated latest listing, below MSRP averages ranged from a low of $113 to a high of $1,195!

Related article: Best Deals on Fuel-Efficient Cars and SUVs, Plus Fuel-Saving Scams to Avoid

That said, here is a summary of their 10-car listing from the manufacturers of Lexus, Subaru, Buick, Nissan, Acura, Kia, and Hyundai to help you find the right model and deal you need today.

Recommended Fuel-Efficient Cars and SUVs

1. Lexus NX Hybrid 2023

Price Range:  $41,955 - $57,805

CR MPG:  Overall 38 / City 37 / Hwy 39 mpg

#1 of 25 Luxury compact SUVs

Selected model: 2023 Lexus NX 350h AWD
MSRP: $41,955
Average spent under MSRP: $1,955
Average transaction price: $40,000

2. Subaru Solterra 2023

Price Range:  $44,995 - $51,995

CR MPGE:  Overall 102 / City 111 / Hwy 93 mpge

#3 of 13 Electric SUVs

Selected model: 2023 Subaru Solterra Premium AWD
MSRP: $44,995
Average spent under MSRP: $1,559
Average transaction price: $43,436

3. Lexus RZ 2023

Price Range:  $58,500 - $64,000

CR MPGE:  Overall 107 / City 115 / Hwy 98 mpge

#4 of 17 Electric luxury SUVs

Selected model: 2023 Lexus RZ 450e Premium AWD
MSRP: $58,500
Average spent under MSRP: $1,667
Average transaction price: $56,833

4. Buick Encore GX 2023

Price Range:  $25,900 - $32,100

CR MPG:  Overall 26 / City 18 / Hwy 33 mpg

#7 of 13 Luxury entry-level SUVs

Selected model: 2023 Buick Encore GX Select AWD
MSRP: $29,300
Average spent under MSRP: $827
Average transaction price: $28,473

5. Nissan Ariya 2023

Price Range:  $43,190 - $60,190

CR MPGE:  Overall 87 / City 89 / Hwy 84 mpge

#5 of 13 Electric SUVs

Selected model: 2023 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ e-4ORCE AWD
MSRP: $60,190
Average spent under MSRP: $1,075
Average transaction price: $59,115

6. Acura Integra 2023

Price Range:  $31,300 - $36,300

CR MPG:  Overall 31 / City 21 / Hwy 42 mpg

#1 of 7 Luxury entry-level cars

Selected model: 2023 Acura Integra CVT w/A-Spec Package
MSRP: $33,300
Average spent under MSRP: $268
Average transaction price: $33,032

7. Kia EV6 2023

Price Range:  $42,600 - $61,600

CR MPGE:  Overall 105 / City 116 / Hwy 94 mpge

#1 of 13 Electric SUVs

Selected model: 2023 Kia EV6 Wind AWD
MSRP: $52,600
Average spent under MSRP: $276
Average transaction price: $52,324

8. Nissan Altima 2023

Price Range:  $25,630 - $35,330

CR MPG:  Overall 31 / City 20 / Hwy 45 mpg

#4 of 11 Midsized cars

Selected model: 2023 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV
MSRP: $26,430
Average spent under MSRP: $113
Average transaction price: $26,318

9. Hyundai Ioniq 5 2023

Price Range:  $41,450 - $56,500

CR MPGE:  Overall 98 / City 110 / Hwy 87 mpge

#2 of 13 Electric SUVs

Selected model: 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL AWD
MSRP: $50,950
Average spent under MSRP: $190
Average transaction price: $50,760

10. Lexus ES Hybrid 2023

Price Range:  $41,020

CR MPG:  Overall 42 / City 32 / Hwy 52 mpg

#1 of 14 Luxury midsized cars

Selected model: 2023 Lexus ES 300h FWD
MSRP: $43,340
Average spent over MSRP: $211
Average transaction price: $43,551

For a more detailed breakdown of each vehicle, please visit the CR website. Note that while access to some information requires a CR membership, the potential savings make it negligible in comparison when looking for the latest information to aid your car buying research.

However, if a used car is more of what you are looking for, here are two additional articles related to used fuel-efficient vehicles for your consideration:

• Used Compact Cars with the Best Fuel Economy Recommended by Consumer Reports
• Used Midsized Sedans with the Best Fuel Economy Recommended by Consumer Reports

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on  “Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair” website, the Zen Mechanic blog and on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites  and Facebook for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

COMING UP NEXT: Toyota Prius Leaking Hybrid Battery Mystery

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