The 5 best eco-friendly SUVs according to Consumer Reports
These 5 new SUVs have the highest overall quality scores of the 12 models that received Consumer Reports' Green Choice designation.
Fast facts:
- Consumer Reports is a nonprofit that independently evaluates cars both for overall quality and for emissions.
- Consumer Reports' "Green Choice" designation is given to the top 20% of vehicles that release the fewest greenhouse gases and harmful pollutants.
- Of the 12 SUVs that received the Green Choice designation in 2025, the top five were all plug-in hybrid models.
- Lexus was the only automaker with more than one model in the top five.
When it comes to the new car market, environmental impact is factoring into more and more shoppers’ purchasing decisions. While emissions and fuel efficiency may not have been top concerns among SUV buyers 20 years ago, they certainly are now, and the auto industry knows it.
Hybrid and all-electric trucks and SUVs are more popular than ever, and over the past decade, many automakers have added hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrain options to some of their most popular models. In fact, some legacy models that debuted as traditional gas vehicles are now available only as hybrids.
Toyota’s popular Sienna minivan, for instance, has been a mainstay in the American car market since its introduction in 1997, but since its 2021 redesign, it has been produced exclusively with a hybrid drivetrain. In terms of SUVs specifically, Toyota's RAV4 line will include only hybrid models beginning in 2026.
