Big cars turn to diesel for better mileage

As gas prices rise, people increasingly want better fuel economy without having to give up their larger vehicles like SUVs and pickup trucks.

That's why some companies are turning to diesel power to fuel a new generation of vehicles.

The BMW X5 was redesigned last year and is a very popular model. Buyers looking for fuel efficiency and pulling power in the same package can opt for a 3-liter diesel engine with lots of torque and great fuel economy.

Drivers of the BMW X5 can expect 23 city miles per gallon and 31 highway miles per gallon, beating the gasoline version of the X5 by a significant margin.

It's the same story at Volkswagen. Their Touareg SUV always had lots of plusses, but a big minus on fuel mileage with its V8 engine.

Now, a smaller V6 diesel gets the V8's job done, but with better mileage numbers - 20 city and 29 highway miles per gallon.

The German brands are also offering diesels now, with the most choices at Mercedes-Benzes. The medium-size ML, the larger GL and the smaller GLK are all available as diesels.

So far, the only domestic brand with a diesel SUV is Jeep. The 3-liter V6 diesel Grand Cherokee gets impressive mileage ratings of 22 city and 30 highway with a two-wheel drive, slightly less with a four-wheel drive.

Highway driving range in these diesel SUVs is impressive. Imagine a round-trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back on one tank.

The Mercedes-Benz ML 350 BluTEC and BMW X5, in theory, can go nearly 700 miles on a tank. The Grand Cherokee and Touareg could both go over 700 miles.

Look for diesel engines to work their way into light-duty pickups as well.

Ram was first out of the gate. The same engine offered in the Grand Cherokee is an option in their 1500 pickup. Carrying and towing capacities are impressive.

Others probably won't be far behind in both pickups and SUVs, as everyone's looking for ways to have their big vehicles use less fuel.