- The 2019 BMW X3 ranks near the top of the luxury compact SUV class thanks to its lively engine performance, refined handling, spacious inter read more » 8.6SCORE $32,579 - $44,766 AVG PRICE PAID 23.
- In the Small Utility Vehicle category – best defined as any SUV with only two rows and a relatively short wheelbase and small cargo area – there are four entries for 2019.
- 5 2019 Chevrolet Blazer Premier AWD, 303 points The verdict: Far and away the most fun-to-drive SUV in the competition, the Blazer suffers from the second-highest price in our test combined with.
Just a few years ago, there were hardly any quality subcompact SUVs on the market. American manufacturers actually gave up on their subcompact SUVs for a while. Remember the old Chevy Tracker or the Suzuki Jimmy. Those old mini SUVs were actually based on light-duty truck frames and bare little resemblance to the unibody crossover models of today.
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Today’s subcompact SUVs are more nimble, safer, and have more upscale features—sometimes matching and even rivaling their larger compact-sized cousins. This class is no longer an afterthought by car manufacturers. Instead, it’s grown into a cutthroat competition for budget-conscious buyers who are more often choosing SUVs as opposed to sedans.
We ranked 14 subcompact SUVs from best to worst by combining their ratings on driving performance, standard features, design, and value.
14. 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
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Best Compact Suv 2019
Mitsubishi offers a very good warranty on the Outland Sport, and it has some generous cargo dimensions. However, that’s where the positives end for this low-ranking subcompact SUV. Its cheap price will get you cheap cabin materials that shake, rattle, and roll with every bump. Loud engine noise and wind enter the cabin, and the numb driving aspects don’t make it a fun experience.
13. 2019 Chevrolet Trax
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We are fans of Chevy’s infotainment designs. They are clean, straightforward, and intuitive. The Chevy Trax, though, is a subcompact SUV that is on the particularly small side. Competitors offer more room for passengers and storage. The engine also seems to be underpowered, and the suspension could be a little more forgiving.
12. 2019 Ford EcoSport
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To be a small SUV, the Ford EcoSport has a surprising tall seating position for the driver that offers good sightlines to the road ahead. Unfortunately, like many other vehicles, the EcoSport features an underpowered engine that has poor acceleration. Competitors also have more advanced safety features, both as standard offerings and as package add-ons.
11. 2019 Toyota C-HR
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The Toyota C-HR is really a hatchback that has been covered in sporty body cladding. The design is love-it-or-hate-it, but the steeply raked roofline does limit space in the rear seats and cargo area. Even with the sporty looks, it doesn’t have speedy acceleration, but it is nimble through turns.
10. 2019 Fiat 500X
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Fiat struggles with reliability ratings, falling below-average for this pack of subcompact SUVs. Don’t hope that you can take a lot of friends with you because the rear seats are tight. The cargo area is, frankly, minuscule. The turbocharged engine and upscale cabin can’t overcome these negatives, including to too-firm ride.
9. 2019 Jeep Renegade
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Not many subcompact SUVs can go off-road. Then again, not many subcompact SUV buyers are taking their vehicles off-road. Regardless, the capability sets the Renegade apart from others in its class, and its suspension is the better for it. However, the base engine struggles somewhat as does the transmission. Additionally, some rivals have many more standard features for the price.
8. 2019 Mini Cooper Countryman
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The Mini Cooper Countryman is another wagon sold as an “SUV” to American buyers. We’ve found Minis to have a high base price compared to competitors, and their reliability ratings leave something to be desired. Buyer beware. Having said that, the Country has a high-quality interior cabin and is fairly roomy for its size. It is also sporty with responsive handling.
7. 2019 Honda HR-V
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The Honda HR-V sits in the middle of the pack. The base offering has fewer standard features and a weaker engine than the top performers. But, being a Honda, it has a well-designed interior that is spacious for passengers and cargo. It also has some of the best fuel economy ratings in this class (for a non-hybrid, that is).
6. 2019 Kia Niro
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The Kia Niro is essentially a glorified station wagon that Kia is marketing as a subcompact SUV. (Americans really don’t like station wagons.) The Niro comes in three offerings, none of which is a purely gasoline-powered engine. Buyers can choose among traditional hybrid (the most commonly available nationwide), plug-in hybrid, and fully electric. It doesn’t come with AWD and has some numb steering, but it’s spacious and well-equipped for the price. The plug-in and electric models also have substantial range.
5. 2019 Mazda CX-3
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The Mazda CX-3 finishes in the top half of subcompact SUVs thanks to its impeccable interior that feels more at home in luxury vehicles. It also has excellent fuel economy and powerful engines (see, you can have both) with sporty acceleration and precision handling. It’s not quite as good as the CX-5, which you should opt for if you don’t mind a bit larger vehicle, but it’s still a solid choice.
4. 2019 Nissan Kicks
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The Nissan Kicks is one of Nissan’s newest offerings; it replaced the Juke in 2018. It features good fuel economy, better-than-average cargo space, and has great price points across its lineup. If the engine gave us a little more acceleration, it would have ranked higher on the list.
3. 2019 Subaru Crosstrek
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Subaru is basically a whole brand of station wagons masquerading as SUVs, and it seems to work for them. Like many Subarus, the infotainment system of the Crosstrek is straightforward and not distracting for the driver. It’s also one of the few that offers AWD, and the Eyesight safety suite is available standard across all trim levels.
2. 2019 Kia Soul
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Some may not be fans of the boxy Kia Soul’s design, but once you’re inside the cabin, you’ll appreciate all the space that the design allows. The interior is comfy and roomy, and the Soul is packed with all kinds of tech at surprisingly affordable prices. A total refresh will be released for 2020, so expect 2019 models to offer great sale bargains to clear them off the dealer lot.
1. 2019 Hyundai Kona
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The relatively new Hyundai Kona reigns supreme on our list of subcompact SUVs. As is common for Hyundai, the Kona offers tons of tech and standard features at prices that competitors can’t seem to match. Its turbocharged engine is also sporty, and the agile handling will have you zipping around town while you finish all your errands.
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Compact SUVs are some of the best-selling vehicles in the United States. In fact, they occupy four of the top ten spots on the list. SUV sales are booming as American consumers trade in their sedans for these higher-riding models. As such the compact SUV segment is a crowded and competitive one. But competition is healthy and has resulted in some great offerings for consumers. We’ll help you cut through the crowded pack to determine which one is best for you.
We ranked 15 compact SUVs from best to worst by combining their ratings on driving performance, standard features, design, and value.
15. 2019 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
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The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross has a fairly cushy ride. Its drawbacks are too numerous to recommend it, however. It has noticeable body roll through turns, unresponsive steering, and small cargo space compared to others in the segment. This drops it down to the bottom of the list.
14. 2019 Jeep Compass
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We do like the exterior styling of the Jeep Compass, and the interior is just as straightforward and appealing. However, it has below-average reliability ratings, so even the affordable price point may turn into a more expensive investment in the long-term. It also features underpowered engines, humdrum handling, and tight cargo space.
13. 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander
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The Outlander does have 3 rows, something the majority of these competitors don’t. That makes it affordable for a 3-row SUV. But since it has a dull engine, low-quality interior materials, and doesn’t rank very well for reliability, buyers’ money is best spent elsewhere. You may pay more upfront for something else, but it will be better performing and save you more money in the long run.
12. 2019 GMC Terrain
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The GMC Terrain was recently redesigned, and we are fans of the exterior look. However, the tricky space between the C- and D-pillars offers an essentially unusable window which makes rear visibility troublesome. The cabin is comfy, and the ride is smooth. But GMC doesn’t offer much in the way of additional features or value for its higher starting price over, say, the mechanically identical Chevrolet Equinox.
11. 2019 Jeep Cherokee
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Like its other Jeep siblings, the Cherokee has a well laid out, if not simple, infotainment dash. It also truly holds its own off-road. Maybe that off-road focus contributed somewhat to the lowest fuel economy ratings in the class. Acceleration also suffers from a poor base engine, though a new optional 2.0L is available.
10. 2019 Chevrolet Equinox
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The Chevrolet Equinox edges out its corporate cousin because it offers a better value proposition. It’s affordable and has good reliability ratings. The cabin is comfortable and roomy, and the infotainment dash is intuitive. The build quality materials could be amped up a bit, but it does have a diesel model that offers stellar fuel economy. At least that’s a differentiator from competitors.
9. 2019 Nissan Rogue
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Even though the Nissan Rogue comes middle of the pack in our rankings, it’s one of the best-selling vehicles in the country. It’s affordable and comes loaded with a large array of standard features. It’s also surprisingly roomy for a compact SUV. The underpowered engine, however, tends to whine and struggle when picking up speed. It’s noticeable enough to hear it in the cabin.
8. 2019 Ford Escape
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The 2019 Ford Escape is the last of the third generation. Beginning in 2020, it will see a complete redesign along with the addition of hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. While the 2019 version has a well-powered engine, other competitors have higher safety score ratings. If you prize cargo space, however, the Ford Escape is one of the class leaders.
7. 2019 Kia Sportage
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The Kia Sportage offers the typical South Korean value proposition. Tons of standard features at lower prices than rivals. The Sportage is also smooth-riding with taut handling. It doesn’t have the most cargo space behind the rear seats, however. Nonetheless, it’s still a solid choice.
6. 2019 Hyundai Tucson
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The Hyundai Tucson is related to the Kia Sportage and has, essentially, the same pros and cons. Its smooth ride is counterbalanced by midling fuel economy ratings and smaller cargo capacity than some rivals in this class. It’s due for a complete overhaul in 2021, and Hyundai has promised some radical styling. It might be worth your while to wait a few months to see what Hyundai has in store if your heart is set on a Tucson.
5. 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan
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Sure the Tiguan has a funny name, but there’s nothing funny about the driving experience. It floats down the road with the sure-footedness of mid-size luxury sedan. It also has a great warranty and good reliability ratings, which means that it’s a safe investment for the long-haul. The rear cargo area is also particularly spacious.
4. 2019 Toyota RAV4
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Toyota’s top seller was completely redesigned for 2019, and we are fans of the more aggressive styling (at least compared to something like Honda’s CR-V). The RAV4 has spacious dimensions throughout the interior, and it comes with an array of standard driver assistance features. Plus, the very fuel-efficient hybrid model is only slightly more expensive and comes standard with AWD. There really isn’t a reason not to opt for it.
3. 2019 Subaru Forester
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The venerable Forester (a lifted station wagon “disguised” like an SUV) has been selling like gangbusters for Subaru. It’s easy to see why. The Japanese automaker’s cars typically have great safety scores and solid handling with a comfortable ride. All of that applies to the Forester, plus it comes standard with all-wheel-drive. Not many other competitors in this class can say that.
2. 2019 Honda CR-V
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While the CR-V may not have won us over on the looks depart from the outside, once you sit in the cockpit you can’t help but appreciate the obvious care and precision with which Honda appointed its vehicle. It has the most space in the class, great fuel economy, and upscale interior, and a smooth-as-can-be ride. No wonder it’s a perennial best-seller.
1. 2019 Mazda CX-5
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Mazda’s CX-5 outsells the rest of Mazda’s lineup combined. It’s easy to see why. Both the exterior and interior are gorgeous. The sheetmetal shines in classy waves, and the minimalist interior looks like it was pulled straight out of the luxury class. The powerful engines provide a pleasant and engaging driving experience, and it doesn’t come at the expense of fuel economy. What is there not to like?
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