Best Small SUV | Testing (almost) Every Compact SUV!

the quintessential family car isn't really a car at all anymore more and more buyers are flocking to compact suvs for their family needs like the 11 that we've assembled behind us but it's a huge segment with a lot of choices which one is the best overall vehicle to find out we sent an open invitation to all manufacturers now some couldn't attend due to reasons beyond their control while others sent us more than one card to evaluate it's time for the 2022 auto guide compact suv comparison brought to you by nrs brakes we are going to first start with the eight vehicles that didn't make the podium followed by the top three finishers so let's get started [Music] we want to take a second to thank our sponsor nrs brakes nrs brakes offer galvanized brake pads which use a friction material that's mechanically attached not glued to the galvanized steel backing plate making them the longest lasting and quietest breaks in the market find out more about nrs brakes in the link in the description below we'll save you the time in the comments section yes this is the old crv and yes a new one is ready to appear in showrooms any day now but at the time of the filming of our comparison the 2023 honda crv was not yet available plus the 2022 model still has a lot to offer and it has sold in huge numbers since it was first introduced but time spares no soul including those of suvs and the cr-v is starting to show its age no more so than when it comes to the styling inside and out where the cr-v ranked last in both categories maybe we've just gotten too familiar with it and maybe we see too many on the road but it just seems drab unoriginal and uncompetitive against newer entries the safety rating also suffers compared to the most recent entries here as the cr-v was designed for older crash test standards that have since evolved the drivetrain consisting of a 1.5 liter turbocharged engine can't keep up with the more modern units found in the kia sportage nissan rogue and toyota rav4 it's a similar story with the chassis that tied the rav4 for least responsive yet still didn't rank too high when it came to ride comfort still there are plenty of redeeming characteristics to the current cr-v for starters it has one of the best cargo areas that is deep with a very low load floor rear seat comfort also scored toward the front of the pack and despite its age the crv is well equipped with many modern conveniences it also tied the forester for the second best fuel economy ratings amongst non-hybrid suvs we have on hand after all these years the cr-v is still competitive in the class but it is no longer a front-runner we expect the new 2023 model to fix that [Applause] [Music] so they say that in life you can't appreciate the suite without the sour evidently jeep heard that story because the 2022 jeep compass is a tale of extremes with a significant refresh for 2022 the compass both impressed and frustrated our judges in equal measure scoring some of the highest and lowest points in our 11 car comparison so let's start with the positives the interior upgrades are a big hit especially the uconnect 5 infotainment system this is easily the best infotainment system in this entire comparison as easy to use as it is pretty to look at the redone interior also earns its fair share of praise cleanly style them with better materials than before there are some hard plastics still but they're relegated to lower out-of-sight panels despite its diminutive size the compass has a more comfortable on-road ride than the brospo or the cx-50 it handles bumps well with the chunky 17-inch tires soaking up the worst of the roughness there's a reasonable amount of weight and resistance in the steering wheel too which breeds driver confidence early while we stuck to the tarmac for this test the compass encompasses 8.6 inches of ground clearance not to mention the trail rated badges on the sides tell us it should be more than up to the task of the occasional cottage road all that goodness is mostly undone by the worst engine in the group the 2.4 liter tiger shark engine is more of a minnow spitting out just 177 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque the 4-putt needs the snot revved out of it to make any decent progress too but the 9-speed auto has 4 yes 4 overdrive gears so it's not much help the small size also translates to a tight rear seat on paper it's not that different from the ford but in practice our crew members found this to be the least comfortable rear seat there's comparatively little storage space too even as the smallest least powerful choice of the lot the compass trailhawk lists for more than the average price in this comparison admittedly you do get a lot of kit with that like ventilated front seats and that customizable digital instrument panel you also get an entirely too aggressive front collision warning system which regularly activated during normal rush hour traffic with a different drivetrain the 2022 jeep compasses quirks would be a lot easier to accept as is it's simply too compromised to be in serious contention for the crown [Music] the volkswagen tiguan was a bit of a wild card coming into this comparison we knew it would be competitive but we weren't sure where it was gonna land although it didn't quite crack the top three there is plenty to like about the tiguan and a few things we could do without on the plus side the tiguan has the second best front seat when it comes to overall comfort only beaten by the kia sportage the drive is refined and it drew praise for its handling smooth road manners and brake feel the ride comfort does suffer a bit though as the volkswagen doesn't swallow up bumps as well as others in this test like the subaru forester and nissan rogue the rear seat offers tons of leg room but headroom is limited by the panoramic sunroof our taller testers found they had to tilt their head to be able to fit properly back there the interior is well designed and attractive but there are more hard plastics around the dashboard and doors than the front runners it's the same good news bad news situation with the drivetrain although the 2-liter turbocharged engine makes 184 horsepower it feels far more powerful thanks in part to 221 pound-feet of torque and a smooth shifting 8-speed automatic transmission helps deliver that power but a fuel sipper the tiguan is not as it has the second lowest fuel economy figures in our test with an official rating of 24 miles per gallon it only beats the 250 horsepower ford bronco sport after all the scores were totaled in this back and forth affair it's no surprise that the volkswagen tiguan finished in the middle of the pack [Music] [Applause] the compact crossover segment is now so enormous that automakers are offering numerous options for clamoring customers take this the 2023 mazda cx-50 which is the second slightly larger offering from the former zoom zoom brand the cx-50 is ostensibly mazda's outback longer lower and wider than the upright cx-5 with an added focus on off-road ruggedness and it looks great out of all of our cars in this comparison the judges gave the cx-50 top marks for its exterior design and it wasn't far off from the top from the interior as well we don't love the blocky dashboard design quite as much as the classier cx-5 interior this is still a really excellent space to spend time in another cx-50 plus is the turbocharged powertrain with 320 pound-feet of torque when drinking the premium stuff it's effortlessly quick the tucson and sportage will keep pace with it getting up to highway speeds but the cs50 still holds the edge when you have to pass so that is where the cs50 starts to lose points however with low profile tires and a stiff suspension it can be entertaining to drive but it has a busy ride around town in fact our dressers gave it the lowest score for ride comfort in a sports car that's not a big deal but for a family ride it kind of is the cs50 is also the second priciest suv here only undercutting the tucson plug-in hybrid even at that price you're still missing out on some features like the rogues triple zone climate control or a fully digital instrument panel plus with the cs50 you get mazda's frustrating infotainment they've made improvements for 2023 and now it's wireless apple carplay and android auto and those are also touch screen now but only if the car is stationary and only if you dig through the menus and only if it's the third thursday with a full moon you get the idea the 2023 mazda cx-50 is a fun to drive desirable crossover with the active lifestyle looks that marketing departments clamor over it's very cool but the cx-5 is still the better all-round option [Music] [Applause] if sticking to the status quo was an olympic sport the subaru forester would be a multi-time gold medalist nothing much has changed to the basic forester formula in well forever even the exterior appearance which has been tweaked here and there still basically looks the same as it did 15 years ago but maybe that's the point the forester continues to be a huge seller for subaru and many customers are extremely loyal to the brand and i can see why there is a lot to like about this suv first of all there's the boxy shape although uninspiring to look at it leads to terrific sight lines all around and a greenhouse unmatched by any competitor it's also a factor in the rear seats being rated the most comfortable overall for passengers of various heights and while on the topic of comfort the long travel suspension had the forester rank second best in terms of ride comfort just trailing the nissan rogue the fully loaded touring trim is well equipped and the materials as well as interior design are good but that's the forester's main problem it does a lot of things good but not many things great it kept scoring just above average in a lot of the categories in our comparison it never really set itself apart well except for the drivetrain that was ranked second worst here just beating the jeep compass it's noisy under hard acceleration and lacks the power refinement and efficiency when compared to the likes of the nissan rogue toyota rav4 and kia sportage if subaru was willing to significantly overhaul the drivetrain with say a small turbocharged engine or better yet an advanced hybrid then the forester would be knocking on the door of the top three toyota played the value game here by entering the mid-level rav4 se but this isn't just any sc this is the hybrid that means it's good for 40 miles per gallon combined which is best in the test yes even better than the hyundai tucson plug-in more than just an efficiency champion toyota also sees the rav4 hybrid as a performance upgrade with 219 horsepower on tap we were impressed by how responsive it is especially on the highway where it just keeps pulling even at high speeds toyota has been at the hybrid game a long time and the brand has really nailed down the formula and the price to upgrade to the gas electric powertrain isn't as steep as it once was in fact since this is the sc the rav4 is the second least expensive vehicle in the test so why isn't it in the top three well to make it so affordable money had to be saved elsewhere this is the least equipped vehicle here and the interior leaves a lot to be desired in both terms of design and material quality this center screen is a good example hurting it more the front cloth seats receive the lowest marks out of any vehicle in the comparison the chassis is a bit wobbly and yet doesn't offer class leading comfort still it's hard to ignore the value proposition here especially if you put a priority on fuel economy and price above all else just be prepared to sacrifice elsewhere [Music] if this was a sports car comparison the ford bronco sport would be a lotus elise or maybe a k to m7 it was never really going to win this comparison because it's too focused on one aspect of the driving experience in this case off-roading but it serves as an important measuring stick for what's possible in this class boxy is in and the four broncos sport mixes that silhouette with a cool unassuming face don't let those unassuming looks fool you the broncos sport is one of the quickest suvs here ford's torquey 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder puts down big numbers to the tune of 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque all funneled through a well-mannered 8-speed automatic transmission that mission of recreating the old-school suv experience does present some challenges that wide-angle view out over the hood and a clean sight lines all good the noticeable body lean and corners constant hum from the tires and somewhat vague steering less so sacrifices you'll have to make for the off-road life the brospo interior could best be described as business-like some of the plastics are a little rough but that sort of works with the vibe that the ford is putting out so the seats in this top trim model feel good and are quite comfortable second row riders don't miss out either since the two-step roof offers up plenty of headroom so pricing also hurts the broncosport it's one of the spendiest models in this comparison and yet other than a front-facing camera you don't really get a whole lot of tech or features what you're paying for with this is the style and the drivetrain if you head off road more often than the average suv buyer this might be enough to sway you to the brospos charm [Music] of the two mazdas that arrive for our comparison this is the more practical family focused option it also happened to be the price leader for the entire comparison as equipped this 2.5 s carbon edition came in at just over 31 000 this low price point means the cx-5 is lacking a lot of features found in other vehicles in this test such as around view cameras ventilated front seats and a panoramic sunroof still it is better equipped than the toyota rav4 hybrid se the cx-5 is still one of the most responsive vehicles in this class and dare i say fun to drive ride comfort is still on the firm side but at least it's not as punishing as its sibling the cx-50 or the ford bronco sport as has always been the case the mazda drew high praise for its exterior and interior styling thanks in part to a recent refresh that took an already attractive vehicle and made it look even better it received the highest rating in the test for interior material quality as everything in here feels premium unlike the cx-50 the cx-5 arrived with the regular naturally aspirated 2.5 liter four-cylinder engine it's easily the best non-boosted non-hybrid engine here but it still can't compete with those more sophisticated engines in terms of power or efficiency initial acceleration is adequate but the engine quickly reminds us of its sub 200 horsepower figure especially on the highway still despite this the cx-5 came up just a bit short from landing on the podium but it remains the choice for those who want a more performance-focused compact suv [Music] like the nba i think there should be a most improved player award for cars for 2022 my pick would be the nissan rogue from a forgotten player amongst the compact svp segment it is shot straight to the lead pack as can be seen by its third place finish in our segment it's also the highest placing pure gasoline powered entry in the comparison it's obvious nissan has worked on the details here the rogue never placed last or second last in any of the categories we used to evaluate the suvs in this comparison only one other vehicle achieved that feat and it's the overall winner the rogue excels at comfort scoring top marks in overall ride comfort and placing second behind the subaru forester for rear seat comfort other standouts are the materials used inside and the sheer number of features that are equipped including tri-zone climate control and a fully programmable digital gauge cluster the real secret to the rogue's success lies under the hood the 1.5 liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine makes over 200 horsepower yet is rated for a combined 31 miles per gallon that is easily the best power to efficiency ratio out of any of the pure gasoline-powered suvs we had on hand although it still falls short in both regards to the hybrids another plus for the rogue is the conservative yet attractive styling inside and out if the kia and hyundai are too wild and brash for your liking this is the perfect antidote it also happens to be a terrific compact suv [Music] [Applause] [Music] the 2022 hyundai tucson came into this comparison with some big excitations after all this is our reigning 2022 auto guide utility vehicle of the year this particular tucson though came with a unique feature amongst the pack being the only plug-in hybrid available out of the 11 cars that does give the tucson a few unique short range advantages that the other cars don't have access to but be prepared to shell out for that privilege as part of its fourth generation the hyundai tucson set its sights squarely on the segment-leading toyota rav4 it went from one of the shortest and smallest entries in the segment to one of the largest not only that but in addition to regular gas engines the tucson added multiple hybrid options in the plug-in that means the same 1.6 liter turbo 4 as the regular hybrid but married to a larger electric motor and a bigger 13.8 kilowatt hour battery pack so the combined outputs are 261 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque that makes the tucson the most powerful car here and torque wise it's third just behind the cx-50 and the broncos sport so the added weight of the battery pack makes the tucson no quicker than the related sportage hybrid in the real world however but the sportage can't drive 33 miles on nothing but electrons if you regularly drive short distances and have access to a plug the tucson could go weeks between gas station visits at least in theory so why'd the tucson miss out on the crown well it's not just that eye watering price which is the highest in the entire test but it's just that the tucson scored fractionally lower than the kia in a few categories the well-designed interior lacks the wow factor of the techier kia not to mention the lack of a volume knob its material quality was just a wee bit worse than its sibling too the tucson does feature an enormous trunk and we did rate it slightly better than the kia for rear seat comfort that wasn't enough to pull the top spot though nonetheless the hyundai tucson can hold its cool hidden headlight head high because finishing second place in an 11 car shootout is still quite a feat if you prefer it's more laid back nature and the charging cycle works for your particular use needs the tucson plug-in hybrid might just be the ticket for you [Applause] [Music] kia has straight up moneyballed the compact suv segment the 2023 kia sportage specifically the hybrid trim it's just a stats champ scoring really well and objective measures like space fuel economy and price more than that however it brings a lot of feel-good high-tech features to the class making it a top choice in a hyper competitive market so it all starts with the m3 platform a longer wider foundation that the sportage shares with the tucson the new platform gives the sportage a quiet and smooth ride insulating passengers from wind and road noise saying that it's still quite a good handler too and our judges ranked the sportage just behind the mazdas and the vw in our comparison so that sort of have your cake and e2 goodness really translates to the kia's drivetrain as well the sportage hybrid's 1.6 liter turbo 4 plus the electric motor gives it an above average 227 horsepower plus it gives it a lot of instant access torque right down low in the rev range where you need it that makes the kia sportage hybrid one of the quickest cars that we have in this group but it also has the second best fuel economy figure out of the entire pack we all gave the kia sportage top marks for its modern spacious interior front seat comfort is high and visibility is good the twin screen setup really wows passengers when they get in and while that swappable climate slash navigation control thing is a little confusing at first you get used to it really quickly in the second row comfort is okay but we do give the kia sportage a lot of bonus marks for having the usb-c ports in the seat backs which really makes them more accessible for you know people with shorter arms so best of all this stylish suv doesn't break the bank as equipped the kia sportage hybrid ranks fifth in terms of list price that's more than fair considering how generously equipped this model is on the spec sheet you get things like heated and ventilated front seats rear heated seats a 360 degree camera and kia's full lineup of driver and safety assists so wrap it all up and the results are clear the winner of the 2022 auto guide compact suv mega comparison as sponsored by nrs brakes is the 2023 kia sportage hybrid [Music] you

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Keywords: AutoGuide, Car, Automotive, Automobile (industry), Drive, vehicle, car review, cars, suv review, small suv, small suv review, compact crossover, compact suv, compact suv review

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Length: 20min 27sec (1227 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 02 2022