MENU
SEARCHHow much does fuel economy improve when analyzing specific models over time?
The Volvo XC60's fuel economy increased from 20 mpg city and 27 mpg highway in MY 2019 to 22/28 in MY 2024. Driving 15,000 miles per year, the fuel savings is $545 over a three-year period. (2024 Volvo XC60 shown).
Photo: Volvo Car USA
"Fuel economy improves with subsequent vehicle generations." This assumption proves true with a glance at the U.S. EPA's light-duty average fuel economy over the years.
Of course, fleets don't put fleet drivers in vehicles on averages; they spec specific models. How much does their fuel economy improve over time?
To find out, Automotive Fleet asked the lifecycle cost experts at Vincentric to calculate the fuel expenses of popular fleet models for the 2019 and 2024 model years. We kept this analysis to internal combustion engine (ICE) models.
We only chose vehicles that existed in both model years for an apples-to-apples comparison. Though vehicle options and trim level designations change between model years, we chose the closest matches.
Vincentric calculated fuel at three years, 15,000 miles per year, $4.09 for vehicles requiring premium fuel (BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class, Cadillac Escalade, and Volvo XC-60) and $3.31 for regular (the rest).
Our comparison shows an improvement in overall MPG, but not by a significant amount. Average MPG improved from 23 city and 31 highway in 2019 to 24/32 in 2024. From the 2019 to the 2024 model year, total average fuel expense decreased by 2.7%, from $6,243 to $6,077.
Six models saw their fuel economy worsen. Six stayed the same, and 11 improved.
The big winners were Ford Explorer, with a 16.5% decrease in fuel expense, Mazda CX-5 with a 14.2% decrease, and Kia Sportage with a 12.1% decrease.
In the case of Ford Explorer, the vehicle entered a new generation between those model years and offers a broader range of engine choices.
First, a caveat: This is only a snapshot of a small subset of models and does not represent the breadth of engine choices for each model.
In this admittedly narrow analysis, subsequent vehicle generations don't always show meaningful improvements in fuel economy.
Manufacturers engineer vehicles not just for improvements in fuel economy but also for vehicle functionality, safety, and driver comfort. Fleets spec holistically too.
In this case, revising their selector lists is a more productive path for fleets that have improving fuel economy higher on the priority list. A more comprehensive initiative to move toward more fuel-efficient models, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and pure electric models where applicable, will result in a quicker path to lowering fuel expense and carbon emissions.
2019-MY Vechicles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Make | Model | Series | Engine | City MPG | Highway MPG | Fuel Total |
BMW | 3-Series | 330i | 2.0L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC 16-valve Twin turbo | 26 | 36 | 6,355 |
Honda | Accord | EX | 1.5L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC 16-valve Turbocharged | 30 | 38 | 4,665 |
Nissan | Altima | S | 2.5L transverse Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC | 28 | 39 | 4,756 |
Mercedes | C Class | C300 | 2.0L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC 16-valve Turbocharged | 23 | 34 | 6,936 |
Toyota | Camry | LE | 2.5L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC | 28 | 39 | 4,756 |
Mazda | CX-5 | Signature | 2.5L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC Turbocharged | 22 | 27 | 6,462 |
Ford | Edge | SE | 2.0L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC Turbocharged EcoBoost | 21 | 28 | 6,490 |
Buick | Enclave | Essence | 3.6L V6 SIDI DOHC | 18 | 26 | 7,254 |
Chevrolet | Equinox | LS | 1.5L Inline 4-cyl SIDI DOHC Turbocharged | 24 | 30 | 5,868 |
Cadillac | Escalade | Luxury | 6.2L V8 SIDI | 14 | 23 | 10,738 |
Ford | Escape | SE | 1.5L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC Turbocharged EcoBoost | 23 | 30 | 5,991 |
Ford | Explorer | Base | 3.5L V6 SMPI DOHC Naturally Aspirated | 17 | 24 | 7,776 |
Jeep | Grand Cherokee | Laredo | 3.6L V6 SMPI DOHC Pentastar | 19 | 26 | 7,074 |
Chevrolet | Malibu | LS | 1.5L Inline 4-cyl DOHC Turbocharged ECOTEC | 29 | 36 | 4,874 |
Subaru | Outback | Limited | 2.5L Horizontally opposed 4-cyl SMPI DOHC | 25 | 32 | 5,568 |
Toyota | RAV4 | LE | 2.5L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC | 26 | 35 | 5,214 |
Nissan | Rogue | SL | 2.5L transverse Inline 4-cyl SMPI DOHC | 26 | 33 | 5,376 |
Hyundai | Sonata | SEL | 2.4L Inline 4-cyl GDI DOHC | 25 | 33 | 5,480 |
Kia | Sportage | EX | 2.4L Inline 4-cyl GDI DOHC | 22 | 29 | 6,231 |
GMC | Terrain | SLE | 1.5L Inline 4-cyl SIDI DOHC Turbocharged | 26 | 30 | 5,637 |
Volkswagen | Tiguan | S | 2.0L transverse Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC Turbocharged | 22 | 29 | 6,231 |
Chevrolet | Trax | LS | 1.4L Inline 4-cyl SMPI DOHC Turbocharged | 25 | 33 | 5,480 |
Volvo | XC60 | T5 - Inscription | 2.0L transverse Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC Turbocharged | 20 | 27 | 8,373 |
2019-MY mpg & fuel expense averages | 23 | 31 | 6,243 | |||
2024-MY Vehicles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Make | Model | Series | Engine | City MPG | Highway MPG | Fuel Total |
BMW | 3-Series | 330i | 2.0L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection Turbocharged | 25 | 34 | 6,674 |
Honda | Accord | EX 1.5L | 1.5L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC Turbocharged | 29 | 37 | 4,808 |
Nissan | Altima | S | 2.5L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC Naturally Aspirated | 27 | 39 | 4,835 |
Mercedes | C Class | C300 | 2.0L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC Turbocharged | 26 | 36 | 6,355 |
Toyota | Camry | LE | 2.5L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC | 28 | 39 | 4,756 |
Mazda | CX-5 | S Preferred | 2.5L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC | 26 | 31 | 5,546 |
Ford | Edge | ST-Line | 2.0L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC Turbocharged | 21 | 28 | 6,490 |
Buick | Enclave | Essence | 3.6L V6 SIDI DOHC | 18 | 26 | 7,254 |
Chevrolet | Equinox | LS | 1.5L Inline 4-cyl SIDI DOHC Turbocharged | 24 | 30 | 5,868 |
Cadillac | Escalade | ESV Premium Luxury | 6.2L V8 Direct injection OHV | 14 | 18 | 12,267 |
Ford | Escape | Base 1.5L | 1.5L Inline 3-cyl GDI DOHC Turbocharged | 27 | 34 | 5,199 |
Ford | Explorer | Base | 2.3L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection Turbocharged | 21 | 28 | 6,490 |
Jeep | Grand Cherokee | Laredo | 3.6L V6 SMPI DOHC | 19 | 26 | 7,074 |
Chevrolet | Malibu | LS | 1.5L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC Turbocharged | 27 | 35 | 5,123 |
Subaru | Outback | Limited | 2.5L Horizontally opposed 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC | 26 | 32 | 5,460 |
Toyota | RAV4 | LE | 2.5L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC | 27 | 35 | 5,123 |
Nissan | Rogue | SL | 1.5L Inline 3-cyl Direct injection DOHC Turbocharged | 29 | 36 | 4,874 |
Hyundai | Sonata | SEL | 2.5L Inline 4-cyl GDI DOHC | 25 | 36 | 5,234 |
Kia | Sportage | EX | 2.5L Inline 4-cyl GDI DOHC | 25 | 33 | 5,480 |
GMC | Terrain | SLE | 1.5L Inline 4-cyl SIDI DOHC Turbocharged | 24 | 29 | 5,970 |
Volkswagen | Tiguan | S | 2.0L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC Turbocharged | 24 | 31 | 5,774 |
Chevrolet | Trax | 1LS | 1.2L Inline 3-cyl Direct injection DOHC Turbocharged | 28 | 32 | 5,258 |
Volvo | XC60 | B5 - Core | 2.0L Inline 4-cyl Direct injection DOHC Turbocharged | 22 | 28 | 7,848 |
2024-MY mpg & fuel expense averages | 24 | 32 | 6,077 | |||
Gemini integration and new Google Maps immersive navigation tools are slated for upcoming Volvo EV models, including the EX60.
Read More →
Ray Breault, a former NAFA president and longtime fleet leader whose career spanned nearly 60 years, died May 1 at age 95. Breault was inducted into the Automotive Fleet Hall of Fame in 2008 and was widely recognized for his contributions to the fleet management profession.
Read More →
Volkswagen recently released details on the 2027 lineup, which includes a variety of new features for the vehicles.
Read More →
Kia lowered pricing for the 2026 EV6 lineup while adding standard charging equipment, Plug & Charge capability, and updated color options.
Read More →
BMW priced the 2027 iX3 50 xDrive at $61,500 and said the new EV SUV will offer up to 434 miles of range, 800V fast charging, and a new-generation operating system when deliveries begin in September.
Read More →
In this news recap, host Faith Howell covers the ethics of AI, replacement delays, and how one company is streamlining uptime.
Read More →
For fleet managers, fuel is one of the biggest line items in the budget — and it's one hybrids can shrink without changing how your people work. Download the eBook to see the numbers, understand the technology, and get a step-by-step guide to making the switch.
Read More →
EMKAY recently celebrated a major milestone: 80 years in the fleet industry.
Read More →
Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This white paper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.
Read More →
Mercedes-Benz introduces an all-electric C-Class with dual motors, up to 482 hp, fast charging, and a redesigned interior built on a dedicated EV platform.
Read More →
