GAS MILEAGE: OVERALL WORST
		model	hwy/city
		Land Rover Range Rover	15/12
		Cadillac Escalade	16/12
		GMC Yukon Denali	16/12
		Lincoln Navigator	16/12
		Toyota Land Cruiser	16/13

Editor's note
Many people have sent us e-mails asking about the Ford Excursion. Surely this behemoth vehicle, which averages about 12 miles to the gallon with a V10 engine, ought to be on our Worst Gas Mileage list, right?

Well, yes, probably. Except that, in the interest of overall fairness, we're only comparing official United States Environmental Protection Agency mileage estimates here. The EPA hasn't tested the Excursion's fuel efficiency and it's not going to. The EPA, you see, only rates the mileage of "light duty" vehicles. The Excursion, at 19 feet long, 6 feet 8 inches wide, and 8,500 pounds fully loaded, is a "medium duty" vehicle.

In other words, the Ford Excursion is just too big for this list.

Land Rover Range Rover
The original SUV, so often seen trekking through the bush in African safari movies, this Land Rover is hard to beat in difficult terrain -- if its owners take it there. Maybe they should get some of those safari fuel cans, too, since the Land Rover has a smallish (for a such a big machine) 24.6-gallon gas tank. At 15 mpg on the highway (12 in city driving), that only takes you 370 miles. The luxury interior probably draws more buyers than the off-road capability, but the highway ride is short of luxury standards. In any case, buyers who pay a price starting at $62,665 for this SUV probably aren't worrying too much about rising gas prices.

Cadillac Escalade
The Escalade, company executives will tell you, is not like other Cadillacs; it is the first Cadillac vehicle ever based on a truck. And the marketers fervently hope the big SUV, redesigned for the already-available 2002 model, will appeal beyond Cadillac's traditional -- and increasingly elderly -- buyers. Along with a full menu of luxury amenities, a big draw is the Escalade's 6.0 liter V8 engine that can tow up to 8,500 pounds -- the most powerful engine among these big SUVs. Though it starts with the same power plant as the GMC Yukon Denali, the Escalade got a special high-compression version that produces 345 horsepower to the Yukon's 320. (The gas mileage remains the same at 12 mpg city, 16 mpg highway). You have to buy the all-wheel drive version starting at a list price of $50,285 to get that monster engine. For those luxury SUV buyers who just ignore high gasoline prices, the Escalade could be a contender.

GMC Yukon Denali
You'll spend some serious money to keep its tank filled, but the Denali (named for the 6-million acre national park in Alaska) may be the best buy among these gas-hogging SUVs. The Denali features full-time all-wheel drive for good traction no matter what you're driving on. It also offers luxury features like leather interior and six-disc CD changer. With a third-row seat, you can haul seven people and they will all get a comfortable highway ride. List price for the Yukon Denali starts at $46,880.

Lincoln Navigator
The vehicle that changed Lincoln's image from a maker of cushy Town Cars that haul corporate CEOs to airports, the Navigator has been a strong seller. Like other gas-hungry SUVs, however, its sales have been off this year -- down 18 percent in the first four months. The Navigator's 5.4-liter, 300-horsepower V8 gets an estimated 12 mpg in the city and 16 mpg on the highway. At a list price of $48,480, the Navigator competes in price with the Yukon Denali and is $4,000 to $14,000 less than the others in the our Thirsty Five list.

Toyota Land Cruiser/Lexus LX 470
The Lexus LX 470 is an upscale version of the Land Cruiser from Toyota Motor Co.'s luxury Lexus division. The LX 470, at a list price of $61,855, costs about $8,000 more than its Toyota sibling. Its 4.7-liter, 230 horsepower V8 is smooth but a little underpowered for a vehicle this size (though it can tow 6,500 pounds). For those who like to rough it, the Land Cruiser is better suited to off-road antics than its luxury stablemate. And for a big SUV with that capability, its highway ride is quite comfortable as well. Unless you care a lot about the super-luxury interior of the Lexus, you'll get more for your money with the Toyota version.

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