5 Hybrid SUVs That Get Less MPG Than The Ford Maverick

For a workhorse vehicle, you'd expect a pickup truck to be less fuel-efficient. And that's actually true for some pickup trucks, especially the heavy-duty ones with high towing and payload capacity, like the Ford F-250, F-350, and F-450, which use V8 engines. However, using a hybrid powertrain can make a huge difference in fuel efficiency. The Ford Maverick Hybrid is a great example of this. The Maverick is the most fuel-efficient pickup truck in 2026, with an impressive combined EPA-certified fuel economy of 38 mpg, thus offering drivers a practical combination of utility, affordability, and fewer trips to the gas station.

In the city, the Maverick is even more efficient, delivering up to 42 mpg; on the highway, the numbers are slightly lower at 35 mpg. These figures vary by trim, which is to be expected, as different variables affect the actual fuel economy, such as the drivetrain. For example, the base Maverick XL variant delivers the aforementioned figures in front-wheel drive, but slightly lower numbers (40 mpg city, 34 mpg highway, and 37 mpg combined) with all-wheel drive.

However, not every hybrid vehicle delivers the same level of fuel efficiency. Despite being a pickup truck, the Ford Maverick sets a surprisingly high benchmark, making it difficult for several hybrid SUVs to keep up. We'll discuss five hybrid SUVs with lower mpg ratings than the Maverick, which you might want to avoid if you need good fuel economy figures in your next car. You can read more about our selection process at the end of the article.

Subaru offers a hybrid powertrain option on the 2026 Forester in an attempt to boost fuel economy figures. And it's a success. The hybrid Forester improves fuel economy by up to 40% while driving in the city compared to the gas-powered variants, based on EPA estimates. However, the improvement isn't enough to beat the Maverick's impressive fuel economy figures.

According to the EPA, the 2026 Subaru Forester Hybrid delivers up to 34 mpg on the highway and 35 mpg in the city. It has nearly the same fuel economy rating as the Maverick on the highway, with a difference of just one mpg; however, in city driving, Ford's pickup truck is a far better option, offering seven mpg more. Both models are powered by a hybrid powertrain that uses a 2.5-liter engine at its core.

However, the hybrid Forester does offer all-wheel drive as standard, which does make a difference in fuel efficiency. Fun fact: the Subaru Forester Hybrid uses a Toyota electric motor, which is integrated into the company's AWD system. With a starting MSRP of $29,990, inclusive of a $1,845 destination fee, the Ford Maverick is also surprisingly cheaper than the hybrid Forester, which starts at $36,180.

Hyundai's popular three-row SUV just added a hybrid powertrain for the first time with the 2026 model year to make it attractive for families seeking a roomy, fuel-efficient vehicle. The first-ever Hyundai Palisade Hybrid is powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four making 329 hp. Of all the four hybrid trims available, the most efficient variants, the FWD SEL and SEL Premium, deliver EPA-estimated 33 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and 34 mpg combined.

That means the 2026 Palisade Hybrid lags behind the Maverick in fuel efficiency in the city by nine mpg and in combined driving by four mpg. It's only in highway driving that the Maverick and Palisade Hybrid get the same fuel economy figures from the EPA. So, overall, the Maverick does offer better fuel efficiency than Hyundai's new hybrid-powered Palisade SUV.

The 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid starts at a sticker price of $45,760, with a $1,600 destination and handling fee included, for the base SEL trim, which sends power to the front wheels by default. You can add all-wheel drive to any hybrid trim of the Palisade; however, it negatively affects fuel efficiency.

Toyota's midsize Grand Highlander Hybrid SUV is another model with lower mpg ratings than the Ford Maverick. The hybrid Grand Highlander is offered in different trims, and the most efficient variant is estimated to offer up to 37 mpg in city driving, 34 mpg on the highway, and 36 mpg combined, according to the EPA. Compared to the Ford Maverick's fuel economy of 42 city, 35 highway, and 38 combined, the Grand Highlander Hybrid lags behind in all three areas. 

By picking the Maverick over the Grand Highlander Hybrid, you can expect to get up to five more mpg in the city, an extra mpg on the highway, and up to two mpg more in combined driving, according to EPA estimates. Of the six available hybrid trims of the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander, the most fuel-efficient one is the Hybrid XLE, which will give you the previously mentioned figures.

However, the XLE isn't the cheapest option, with a starting sticker price of $48,375, which includes a $1,595 destination charge. The Hybrid LE trim, the cheapest variant of the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid, starts at $47,205 and has EPA-estimated fuel economy of 36 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 34 mpg combined.

As the smaller sibling of the Grand Highlander Hybrid, you'd think the regular Toyota Highlander would have better fuel economy figures, but that couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, EPA ratings show that the regular Highlander Hybrid does have poorer fuel efficiency than its bigger three-row sibling in some areas. As a result, the Highlander Hybrid also has poor fuel economy when compared to Ford's entry-level Maverick pickup truck. 

The EPA tested the Highlander Hybrid and estimates that it offers up to 35 mpg in the city, 35 mpg on the highway, and 35 mpg combined. For context, that makes the hybrid Highlander less efficient than the Maverick in city driving by seven mpg. They have similar fuel economy figures on the highway; however, the Maverick comes out ahead by three more mpg in combined driving. 

Similar to its bigger sibling, the 2026 Toyota Highlander Hybrid also has a higher starting sticker price than the Maverick. The base Hybrid XLE trim starts at $49,615 with a $1,595 destination fee included. That makes the Maverick not only pocket-friendly to buy but also cheaper to run when it comes to fuel.

The 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander Hybrid is also worth skipping in favor of the Ford Maverick if fuel efficiency is important. Although the hybrid Outlander uses a plug-in hybrid system and can travel up to 45 miles on its battery alone per the EPA, it doesn't offer the best overall fuel efficiency. The EPA estimates the Outlander Hybrid delivers up to 27 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 27 mpg combined, which is surprisingly low compared to other models on this list. It also falls behind other hybrid compact SUVs in fuel efficiency and doesn't match the Ford Maverick's EPA ratings. 

The Maverick earned higher EPA ratings than the hybrid Outlander, with 15 mpg higher in city driving, eight mpg higher on the highway, and 11 mpg higher in combined driving. The Mitsubishi Outlander Hybrid uses a 2.4-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine, which is paired with two electric motors and a continuously variable automatic transmission. The Outlander offers all-wheel drive as standard and has a starting price of $44,990, which includes a $1,745 destination and handling fee.

The key premise we used in selecting these hybrid SUVs is their EPA-rated fuel economy figures. But first, we had to determine the exact fuel efficiency rating of the Ford Maverick. Per the EPA, it can deliver up to 42 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and 38 mpg combined. These quoted figures are for the most fuel-efficient trim of the Ford Maverick — some variants have lower ratings. Next, we did extensive research to find five random hybrid-powered SUVs that have earned lower mpg ratings based on official EPA data. 

Each vehicle we selected had to have lower mpg in at least two of the three reference figures. While we only discuss five models, this isn't to say that these are the only hybrid SUVs with worse EPA mpg ratings than the Ford Maverick. In a similar fashion, these aren't the worst hybrid SUVs for fuel economy. They simply happen to have lower mpg figures than the Maverick.