As gas prices rise, many motorists are wondering if drivers of Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) are really spending more than everyone else to fill their tanks.

News 12 Connecticut?s Kristin Thorne set out to find if SUVs deserve the nickname ?Gas Guzzler.? She compared the gas consumption of a Chevy Lumina to that of a Ford Explorer on both highway and city roads. During a roundtrip drive on I-95 from exit 36 in Milford to exit 11 in Darien at 55 miles per hour, the Lumina used about 1.7 gallons of gas. The Explorer used only slightly more. Experts say the Lumina, making that commute five days a week, 50 weeks a year, would save a driver only $18 more than the SUV.

A similar test on Route 1 yielded a $60 yearly savings for the owner of a Lumina. The difference may not seem like much, but Norwalk environmentalist Jim Motavalli points out Explorers are among the most fuel efficient SUVs. He says SUVs are inherently inefficient because of their design and aerodynamic.

Some other tips offered by experts to increase fuel efficiency are lightening the load, checking for appropriate tire pressure and getting regular oil changes.

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