Mileage claims

Fuel economy is a marketing buzzword these days, and

many automakers are trying to

say their vehicles, even those

averaging less than 15 miles per gallon, get good mileage. A look at some of the claims:

* Dodge says its Journey crossover is best in its class for fuel efficiency. But according to Fueleconomy.gov, the Hyundai Tucson, Subaru Forester and Kia Sportage, all in the same class as the Journey, get better mileage than the Journey's 21 mpg combined city-highway.

* Cadillac says its Escalade leads its segment for best fuel efficiency. Although its 14 mpg combined is comparable to the GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe, its 12 mpg in city driving is less than that of a Hummer H3 -- and far worse than smaller SUVs.

* Buick brags that its Lucerne gets better mileage than the Chrysler 300. It does -- by 1 mpg.

* Hummer says its H3 "has a lower annual fuel cost than many SUVs." The Environmental Protection Agency

says the H3's annual fuel

cost is $4,102. About 75%

of the 340 SUVs listed on fueleconomy.gov have a lower annual fuel cost than the H3.

Source: Times research