E
ver think that the words ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘SUV’ could be mentioned in the same sentence without being an oxymoron? They can now, as there are some new eco-friendly SUV’s on the market that boast efficient gas ratings for their size. Not to mention, we’re not talking about the regular ones, we’re talking about luxury vehicles. Here’s five of the best around.
1. Mercedes Benz GLE 550e- 66k
The company started this whole luxury series with the M-class back in 1998. Newer versions have much improved over their prior counterparts. Nowadays, the 550e displays its luxury with features such as a premium audio system, top of the line safety features, 80 square of cargo room, 436 horsepower, and much more. So what makes it green? The 43mpg combined highway and city EPA estimated gas mileage.
2. Porsche Cayenne S e-hybrid – 78k
Though a hybrid, this SUV leaves nothing to want in either the ‘green’ department nor the power department. Both engines combined create a total of over 400 horsepower, and the vehicle can reach speeds of up to 150mph. In addition to its many luxurious features, such as Bluetooth headsets for all passengers, dual entertainment screens, custom apps, and others, it also gets an impressive 47 mpg. That’s highway and city combined.
3. Volvo XC90 PHEV – 68k
Another ‘green’ luxury SUV, the PHEV is a hybrid that plugs in to charge. Also on the powerful side, the engine dishes out over 400 horsepower, making it as powerful as the previous SUV’s mentioned. So many features have been incorporated it’s hard to mention them all, but some include: a speaker system with acoustics designed like a concert hall, a built-in subwoofer, lane departure warning, a 360 degree camera, plus other features. On top of all that, it gets 54 mpg combined.
4. BMW X5—62k
Not quite as fast as the others but just as nice, the X5 has around 300 horsepower, and is a hybrid. The SUV is also AWD, so you can take it through more rough terrain and still be fine. Also, if needed, this vehicle can run solely off the electric motor for up to 13 miles at once. Great if you run out of gas. Plus, it gets a few extra mpg compared to the competition, coming in at a combined highway and city rating of 56 mpg.
5. Tesla Model X – 83k
It’s the most expensive on our list today, and also the most eco-friendly. This all electric SUV is a thing of the future that exists in our present. Some of the features include, radar, sonar, an air filtration system and cabin sealer that exists in case of a biochemical attack, and much more. It gets a whopping 237 miles on each electric charge. Not to mention, the vehicle is quite fast, as well as being AWD. Overall, it makes for one of the best eco-friendly luxury SUV’s in production.
