Part two of our review of test-vehicle fuel consumption spotlights the guzzlers. Last month we featured our fuel economy champions, the cars and trucks in each category that went the furthest on a gallon of fuel. This month we present the losers, the vehicles in each class that hit our wallets the hardest.

Why does our list matter? Because the EPA admits its fuel economy numbers are estimates. Ours are real. A typical Consumer Guide test car is evaluated by at least four editors, all of who account for their fuel usage.

A few notes about this list: Though Consumer Guide takes pains to drive every version of every car, we may not have tested some combinations of engines, transmissions, and body styles. This list represents the thirstiest of the vehicles we have evaluated. In the event that our testing was inconclusive, typically because time limitations precluded achieving a balanced mix of urban and highway driving, that vehicle was excluded from our list.

Click here to read about Consumer Guide's Real World Fuel-Economy Champions.

Also, we avoided listing multiple versions of a specific car. If the sedan version of a car made the list, the wagon will not be listed--even though its mileage might be similar. Hybrids and diesels are the exception to this rule.

Are our methods perfect? No. It's simply not possible to duplicate with each vehicle the same route, weather, or traffic. This list represents the actual fuel economy we achieved in real-world driving. As the ads used to read, "Your mileage may vary."

Please also note than an * indicates that the manufacturer either recommends or requires costlier midgrade or premium-grade fuel for that vehicle; a recommendation we follow.

Compact Cars

Vehicle Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. Chrysler PT Cruiser GT conv. Auto. 16.1* 19/26
2. Subaru Impreza WRX STI Manual 17.1* 18/24
3. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Manual 19.0* 18/24

Usually the word compact conjures images of frugal runabouts; tiny commuters that offer frill-free frugality. The three cars here may be thirsty, but they are a long way from simple transportation. All are turbocharged, and all check in over $30,000.

With an automatic transmission, the portly PT Cruiser moves with decent verve, but the price is half the observed mileage of more efficient compacts. As for the WRX and Evolution, these high-performance all-wheel-drive versions of fairly tepid economy sedans seem frugal given their reported five-second 0-60 mph performance. They may be compact, but they're not economy cars.

Premium Compact Cars

Vehicle Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. Audi S4 conv. Manual 14.1* 15/21
2. Jaguar X-Type 3.0 Auto. 19.0* 18/24
3. Audi A3 3.2-quattro SMT 19.4* 21/27

Stuffed with a 340-horsepower V8 and saddled with inertia-draining all-wheel drive, Audi's S4 strains the wallet at an alarming rate. In fact, all three of these little luxury cruisers boast all-wheel drive and a healthy appetite for gasoline. Note that in four-cylinder 2.0 T trim, the A3 made our Fuel Economy Champions list with a 26.1-mpg performance. A3 shoppers ask yourselves this: Is all-wheel drive and 50-horsepower worth 7 mpg?

Midsize Cars

Vehicle Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. Pontiac Grand Prix GXP Auto. 17.0* 18/27
2. Chevrolet Impala SS Auto. 17.2* 18/28
3. Volkswagen Passat 3.6 Auto. 18.2* 19/28

With 300 horsepower V8 engines, General Motors' Grand Prix GXP and Impala SS almost look frugal, but every other midsize sedan we tested used less fuel. More scandalous is our V6-powered Passat's 18.2 mpg. In fairness, the Passat is actually a little slower than the Grand Prix and Impala, despite a 50-horsepower handicap. Most scandalous is that none of these three crack the 20-mpg barrier.

Premium Midsize Cars

Vehicle Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. Audi A6 4.2-quattro Auto. 14.2* 18/25
2. Infiniti M45 Auto. 16.0* 17/23
3. Cadillac CTS-V Manual 17.0* 16/25

Audi's 4.2-liter V8 proved thirsty in our test S4 convertible (see premium compact cars), and here it's dragging the A6 down with it as well. All three of these cars sport V8 engines, and all three delight with smooth, serious power. All three will also cost you a bundle at the pump.

Large Cars

Vehicle Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. Dodge Magnum SRT8 Auto. 14.3* 14/20
2. Chrysler 300C Auto. 14.4* 17/25
3. Dodge Charger R/T Auto. 14.6* 17/25

That thing got a Hemi? Yes, they all do. Chrysler's nostalgia-marketed V8 may be smooth and powerful, but frugal it is not. The 5.7-liter version of the Hemi found here in the 300C and Charger R/T includes Chrysler's Multi Displacement System (MDS), which shuts off four cylinders in light driving conditions to conserve fuel. But the benefits of MDS seem nominal at best when fuel economy is compared with the Magnum SRT8 and its 6.1-liter Hemi without the system--or other large sedans in general. With or without MDS, this trio of large sedans is disturbingly thirsty.

Premium Large Cars

Vehicle Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. BMW 760 Li Auto. 14.2* 15/22
2. Audi A8 L Auto. 15.9* 18/25
3. Lincoln Town Car Signature L Auto. 16.0 17/25

Perhaps not coincidentally, each of these luxury sedans sports an "L" in its name. In each case the L means long, as each is a stretched version of the model. Of the three, only the Lincoln makes do with regular-grade fuel, and of the three only the Lincoln makes do with less than 350 horsepower. With four more cylinders than the other cars on this list, BMW can blame the 760's V12 for its conspicuous consumption.

Sporty/Performance Cars

Vehicle Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. Ford Mustang GT Auto. 14.9 17/23
2. Mazda RX-8 Manual 18.0* 18/24
3. Nissan 350Z Manual 18.8* 19/25

Mustang's status as a V8-powered American icon remains soundly intact, as does its traditional appetite for fuel. The RX-8 and 350Z represent more modern interpretations of the sport-coupe theme, and boast slightly improved mileage as a result.

Note that the RX-8's rotary engine displaces just 1.3-liters, tying the ultra-frugal Civic Hybrid for smallest car engine currently available in the U.S. But at just 18 mpg, the RX-8 consumes gas at twice the rate of the miserly Civic.

Premium Sporty/Performance Cars

Vehicle Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. BMW M6 SMT 14.2* 12/18
2. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Manual 15.2* 16/26
3. Cadillac XLR Auto. 15.3* 17/25

With a combined 1325 horsepower on this list, there are no surprises here, only the gentle whooshing sound of money being sucked from owners' wallets. No one buys one of these personal jets to save gas.

Compact SUVs

Vehicle Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. Saturn Vue V6 AWD Auto. 16.0 19/25
2. Jeep Liberty 4WD Auto. 16.7 17/22
3. Ford Escape V6 AWD Auto. 17.5 19/23

Compared to driving just two wheels, driving four adds weight and inertial drag--both of which hurt fuel economy. All three of these little rigs boast a V6 engine of at least 200 horsepower and the traction of AWD/4WD. All three are also a little thirstier than we would like a compact SUV to be.

Midsize SUVs

Vehicle Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. Jeep Commander 5.7 V8 4WD Auto. 12.3* 14/19
2. Dodge Durango 4.7 V8 4WD Auto. 13.3 14/18
3. Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS 2WD Auto. 13.6* 14/17

What's the price of all-terrain freedom? In the case of Jeep's Commander it's about $300 a month. Clocking in at around 5000 pounds, the Hemi-powered Commander is no ball of fire either, providing only average acceleration. The similarly portly Durango faired only one mpg better than Commander, but can boast superior interior accommodations.

The SS is the only model in the TrailBlazer lineup to get a version of the Corvette-derived 6.0-liter V8. But while Corvette has proven remarkably frugal in our testing, TrailBlazer's added weight and crummy aerodynamics contribute to its sub-14-mpg performance.

Premium Midsize SUVs

Vehicle
 Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged Auto. 11.1* 13/18
2. Volkswagen Touareg V8 Auto. 12.2* 14/19
3. Land Rover LR3 V8 Auto. 12.8* 18/18

To get Range Rover's 11.1 mpg, take the LR3's V8 and supercharge it. Voila! A nearly two-mpg drop from disturbing to dismal. And while the diesel version of Volkswagen's luxury SUV made our Fuel Economy Champions list, the Touareg listed here is equipped with the same V8 that sentenced the Audi S4 convertible and A6 4.2 quattro to our Loser's list. Sadly, one test V6-equipped Touareg averaged only 12.5 mpg, hardly an incentive to give up 70 horsepower.

Large SUVs

Vehicle Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. Nissan Armada 4WD Auto. 12.0 13/18
2. GMC Yukon Denali Auto. 13.5* 13/19

There are only a handful of vehicles in this class, and the other three we've tested made the champions list. Here's what's left. At 12 mpg, Armada comes in almost five mpg thirstier than our champion, the 2WD GMC Yukon. The Denali listed here is really a retrimmed Escalade, replete with the big Caddy's 6.2-liter V8. The message here is clear; if you don't really need the space or towing capacity of a big rig, don't buy one.

Premium Large SUVs

Vehicle Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. Hummer H2 SUT Auto. 10.4 NA
2. Infiniti QX56 AWD Auto. 11.0* 13/18
3. Lexus LX 470 Auto. 11.8* 13/17

Hummer H2's fuel-economy figures are the punch line to more jokes than Michael Jackson, and at around 10 mpg, they should be. Technically a medium-duty truck, the EPA does not report fuel economy estimates for the H2. But at less than 12 mpg, the other two trucks on this list are sapping more than their share of fuel as well.

Large Pickups

Vehicle Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. Dodge Ram Quad Cab 4.7 4WD Auto. 12.6 14/18
2. Ford F-150 Super Crew 5.4 4WD Auto. 13.2 14/18
3. Lincoln Mark LT 4WD Auto. 14.1 14/18

It's hard to fault a truck that works for a living, and hopefully most large pickup owners are putting them to good use. If you discount the Chevy Silverado Classic "Hybrid" that topped our Fuel Economy Champions list, the top-to-bottom range in this category is less than 3 mpg. The sad truth is, big trucks have big appetites.

Minivans

Vehicle Transmission CG mpg EPA city/hwy mpg
1. Honda Odyssey Touring Auto. 16.3 20/28
2. Hyundai Entourage Auto. 16.5* 18/25
3. Ford Freestar 4.2 Auto. 16.6 17/23

As with large pickups, the fuel economy difference among minivans is actually very small. Discounting the underpowered 4-cylinder Dodge Caravan that topped our Fuel Economy Champions minivan list, the top-to-bottom range in this category is less than 3 mpg. While 16-18 mpg may not seem frugal, if you're actually carrying 5 passengers around, you're doing more with a gallon of gas than most consumer