Big Family or Lots of Friends? 6-8 Passenger Cars and Pickups

2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 26 MPG Leads the Pack

UPDATED WITH 2010 Data

• SEE ALSO: 2009 6-8 Passenger SUV and CUV Ranked By Combined MPG
• SEE ALSO: 6-8 Passenger SUV and CUV Ranked By Price
• SEE ALSO: 2009 7-8 Passenger Minivans Ranked By Combined MPG
• SEE ALSO: 2009 7-8 Passenger 2009 Minivans Ranked By Price
• SEE ALSO: 2009 6 Passenger Sedans Ranked By Combined MPG
• SEE ALSO: 2009 6 Passenger Sedans Ranked By MSRP
• SEE ALSO: 2009 7 Passenger Wagons Ranked By Combined MPG
• SEE ALSO: 2009 7 Passenger Wagons Ranked By Price
• SEE ALSO:2009 2008 6 Passenger Pick-ups Ranked By MSRP
• SEE ALSO: 2009 2008 6 Passenger Pick-ups Ranked By Combined MPG


• SEE ALSO: Compare Total Driving Costs of All Cars and Trucks by Model, Years of Ownership and State

Washington DC April 30, 2008; The AIADA newsletter reported that transportation for big families used to be simple. Gas was cheap and cars were unabashedly big. Not anymore.

Finding a car that can fit five or more meant, until recently, shopping for a big, usually American-made SUV. And while these vehicles have the room to accommodate a small army, they also have gas mileage that is only slightly better than an M1 Abrams tank.

Fortunately, BusinessWeek has discovered some alternatives, ones that are made even more attractive in the light of rising gas prices. Automakers have been scrambling to offer families smaller, more fuel-efficient, or simply less powerful SUVs or crossovers. And while none are as thrifty as the Prius, they can still save a lot of money on gas.

Consider the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. With a starting price of $28,750, this hybrid gasoline-electric crossover gets 27 mpg city and was redesigned last summer for the 2008 model year. Other crossover competitors are likely to follow suit and roll out their own hybrid power trains.