SUVs with big increase in mpg sell better, Consumer Federation finds

SUVs with big increase in mpg sell better, Consumer Federation finds

SUVs, pickups and crossovers whose miles per gallon increased by more than 10 percent between 2011 and 2016 had a 59 percent increase in sales, according to a new analysis by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA). Vehicles with less than a 10 percent increase in mpg saw only a 41 percent increase in sales, almost 20 percent less.

–Clearly, the more improvement in mpg, the better the sales,” said Jack Gillis, CFAês director of pubic affairs.

Of course, fuel economy may not be the only reason for the difference in vehicle sales. CFA noted the 166 percent increase in sales for the Toyota RAV4 (increase of 10 mpg) versus the GMC Terrain, which had a 1 mpg decrease and 6 percent increase in sales. The typical crossover now gets 10 percent better gas mileage than in 2011, CFA said.

The Trump administration has delayed review of the stringent fuel economy rules approved in the waning days of the Obama presidency.