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Best in cargo capacity & fuel economy

Last reviewed: October 2009

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
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
Chevrolet Equinox 1LT (4-cyl.) 21 33.5
MIDSIZED/LARGE SUVS Overall mpg = 18 or higher; cargo = 32 cu. ft. or more
Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited 24 37.5
Lexus RX400h (Hybrid) 23 34.5
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
WAGONS/HATCHBACKS Overall mpg = 20 or higher; cargo = 24 cu. ft. or more
Nissan Cube 1.8 S 28 28.0
Hyundai Elantra Touring 26 29.5
Kia Soul Plus 25 24.5
Mazda3 s Grand Touring 25 24.0
Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 24 36.5
Volkswagen Rabbit S 24 25.5
Mazda5 Touring 23 39.0
Scion xB 23 34.0
Chevrolet HHR LT (2.4) 23 29.5
BMW 325xi 22 26.5
Kia Rondo LX (V6) 21 33.0
Toyota Venza V6 20 33.0
Chrysler PT Cruiser Limited 20 32.0
Volvo V50 T5 20 27.5