Top-5 Compact SUVs for 2023 // Gas only models

welcome to the motor mouth YouTube channel I'm Zach I'm Andrea and we do these kinds of top five lists top 10 lists throughout the year and recently we did one on the top five compact SUVs and we chose our top five based on what ones that had an electrified option definitely made our list we got some requests saying can you just do gas models we're not really interested yet in an electrified vehicle fair enough so here we are strictly gas models a top five for crossovers in the non-luxury category we're doing it slightly differently we're not going from five to number one we're picking our top five gasoline compact SUVs and we're going to list them to you alphabetically and the reason we're doing this is we're going to go through the high and low points of each and who they might actually before so somebody that lives in an area that gets a lot of snow Yeah a certain vehicle might be a great idea somebody that lives in a warmer climate it might be another vehicle so that's how we're going to to do it and I also think driving Dynamics are a big factor especially for me and so I would pick something that is really fun to drive whereas somebody might be more interested in space all right so let's do it and afterwards we're going to have some honorable mentions so here's our top five and in alphabetical order our first pick is the Kia Sportage South of the Border it's marketed as the Sportage it's the same vehicle and there's a lot of reasons why we chose this vehicle so let's get into what's under the hood a 2.5 liter four-cylinder with an eight-speed automatic transmission it has 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque front wheel drive and all-wheel drive options are available now a lot of people focus on the design and the features but there are some people that focus on the mechanics and one thing about this product that is out of step with some of the others that will be on our list is the fact it comes with a conventional automatic transmission and eight speed other vehicles have what are called continuously variable transmissions and this traditional approach appeals to a lot of people and cvts we've got one in our Honda Civic we actually quite like it some are much better than others so don't necessarily knock a CVT but if you prefer an automatic transmission you get it in this Kia okay so positives for this vehicle for me I think it is the interior layout is beautiful in fact it borders on what I would consider the look of a premium car yeah for sure I mean you've got the availability of larger screens whether it's a digital driver display or the larger touch screen and just the interior just feels more upscale I also like the way it handles it's smooth it has a quiet cabin I mean some of the vehicles in this class get a little bit louder on the highway yeah and that's why with the electrified versions We mentioned in our other video a lot of that is negated because you're using electricity but gas engines can be be noisy this product's very good the other thing is it's one of the biggest in this class it is you get a lot of rear seat leg room and a large cargo area so if you're looking for a family hauler gasoline that fits for a lot of people this is definitely on the list and also the tack it's very good in here and it has some extra features like a panoramic sunroof and ventilated front seats heated rear seats all the extras that you might want all right on the downside some people just don't Groove with the new look of the Kia Sportage Sportage it is kind of funky looking and it's futuristic it's been out for a while now the more I see it the more I'm comfortable with it I like it a lot it is a futuristic look and those Boomerang style daytime running lights some people just don't like them and then in the interior there is quite a bit of piano black and some are not always interested in that shiny gloss black also there is a control troll panel and what it does is it toggles between the climate control settings and also the entertainment settings so it's one panel you touch it and it toggles back and forth but we found out a neat trick recently we were on a Kia program yeah if you just want to have one panel say you just want your infotainment you just hold it for three seconds and it just reverts back every time so you get in your vehicle and it's always going to be on the infotainment instead of on the heat and I think that will make it a lot easier for people and the reason for this is you're driving along you hear a song on the radio you like you turn up the the knob and you're turning up the heat yeah instead of the volume with this setting you can always just turn up the volume okay let's get into the specs pricing and fuel economy we'll do pricing for the US in a moment we'll start with Canada you can pause this screen at any time to look at all the numbers the base front wheel drive in Canada is roughly 28 and a half thousand dollars and it goes all the way up to the top trim the X line limited is roughly forty one and a half thousand dollars here are the numbers for the United States the base front wheel drive model in the US is just under twenty six thousand dollars and the most expensive X pro Prestige all-wheel drive is just under thirty seven thousand dollars here's the fuel economy 10.4 liters per hundred kilometers in the city 8.5 on the highway that's 23 miles per gallon City 28 miles per gallon highway another positive for Kia is that it offers a longer warranty of five years or a hundred thousand kilometers sixty Thousand Miles so our next vehicle we were kind of waffling on whether it would actually make our top five because it has some strong positives it's a brand new vehicle just came into the marketplace but there are some big negatives as well what is it the Honda CRV it's brand new and it offers a lot of space this video is brought to you by carcass Canada get the Dealer's cost list of rebates plus discounted interest rates use the promo code motor mouth to become an expert member and get extra searches the link is in the description below carried over from the last Model is the 1.5 liter turbocharged four-cylinder matched to a CVT it is 190 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque front wheel drive and all-wheel drive options are available so the positives of the CRV this vehicle is very well designed I have always called the CRV kind of like the Swiss army knife of utility vehicles it does everything well it doesn't excel in any one area it's roomy it's got good space in the back a large cargo area it's simply laid out and it's got the new interior that we really like from Honda all that stuff is good yeah I think so too I like the seating position it's a very comfortable drive it's quite smooth the cabin remains quiet Honda has updated the CVT to reduce noise and vibration you can really see that there's some good Improvement men's and that's why it's on our list but there are a lot of negatives and one is the price in Canada yeah they Jack the price up for this new model and Honda's doing this for all their new entries into the marketplace whether it's the HRV the Civic or this the prices have gone up anywhere from three is it to seven thousand dollars in Canada more expensive than many of its competitors on this list in the United States you do pay a Honda premium but it's not as Baha'i is it it's more reasonable I can see why you would buy it in the US you might say I like this space it's a Honda there's some reliability the Brand's been around for a long time but when you start to look at the features that it's missing even on the top trim and the top Trim in price in Canada is very competitive with the others but it's missing features like ventilated front seats a panoramic sunroof and the surround view Monitor and I think that's where it's disappointing is that Honda had the opportunity they came out with a brand new CRV but you're missing stuff that people want and the other thing is the in-dash technology it's very important to a lot of people a lot of people write and say I don't really care about that stuff but a lot of other people do so we just showed you the key of product with the beautiful big dual panel screens and then you focus in on the Honda and it's got a seven inch infotainment screen our Honda Civic is a 2017 with a seven inch screen this is like old looking technology in a brand new vehicle which is a shame because it drives very well it's very smooth and quiet the actual on-road Dynamics are very polished they missed an opportunity here so why is it on our list well because it's a Honda and some people will just buy it because of that and I just want to add that the top trim does come with a larger touch screen it's nine inches and I do applaud them for giving consumers Wireless Apple carplay and Android auto especially people who are keeping their vehicle for a long period of time this feature has become more and more important to many all right let's get into all the pricing and the fuel economy we'll start with Canadian pricing first and then we'll move on to the U.S the base trim starts at just over 34 and a half thousand dollars and the top trim is just over forty three thousand dollars in the U.S the base trim starts at just over thirty one thousand dollars and the top trim is just over thirty five thousand dollars here's the fuel economy 9.1 liters per hundred kilometer City 7.6 on the highway that's 27 miles per gallon City 32 miles per gallon highway Honda offers a warranty of three years or sixty thousand kilometers 36 000 miles okay so the first one was the Kia that's a good all-rounder family vehicle the CRV same kind of thing the next vehicle made it on our list because it's really targeted at people that maybe want to have a little bit more fun they want a vehicle like Andrea that handles well has available higher output engine and more what is it Andrea the Mazda CX-5 it is a favorite of mine if you're American that's a Mazda CX-5 one big difference with this vehicle compared to the competitors is that it has two powertrain options and both standard all-wheel drive the base engine is a 2.5 liter four-cylinder with a six-speed automatic transmission 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque there's a turbocharged variant of this Engine with 256 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque on premium fuel if you use regular fuel you'll get a little less power 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque all right before we get into the positives and negatives of the CX-5 stick around after we've done our top five because we do have some honorable mentions okay back to the Mazda Mazda this product as I mentioned in the intro is more of a driver's car it is a polished upscale feel even the base two and a half liter delivers the goods but if you get that turbo you're entering almost uh luxury or premium category kind of feel the CX-5 gets me so excited every time I get in one I love the way it handles the heavier steering the firmer suspension it really is engaging it's fun to drive and I I just love it it's also a little bit smaller than much of the competition so it's a little bit more Nimble the two and a half liter as I mentioned is great the turbo maybe some might feel is kind of Overkill plus your you know you can put regular fuel in it you can put premium fuel in it it's a little bit more expensive to run that's a factor with high fuel prices right now then you turn your attention to the inside and it just like the engine more of an upscale feel the interior has the same kind of vibe where the materials and the layout that look almost premium yeah that top trim was with the Napa leather interior is really beautiful there's very little hard plastic in it of course you're going to see some in this class but it really is an elevated interior that offers a lot of luxury but it's not perfect one of the things is it is a bit smaller the back seat if you look at the measurements online it looks like it's got the same kind of space as the competition take it from us it does not I'm not sure how they measure it there at head office but we just are here to tell you it's not the biggest in this class so it's it's a big vehicle you're looking for this might not be for you yeah we have viewers who own a CX-5 they do put car seats back there but it is tight there are a few things that people don't like about the CX-5 the things that I like like the firmer suspension and the heavier steering some just find that it's too heavy for their liking the seats aren't as comfortable they're a little bit firmer and also there is no touch screen option in this vehicle so that's why in this top five we didn't come with a five to a number one because this style of vehicle might be just perfect for some drivers and then just not an option for others that's why we've done it this way so let's get into the fuel economy and the pricing in Canada the CX-5 starts at just over thirty one thousand dollars and the top signature trim is just over forty four thousand dollars in the U.S it starts at just over twenty six and a half thousand dollars and the top trim is just over 39 and a half thousand dollars here's the fuel economy for the base four-cylinder 9.9 liters per 100 kilometer City 7.9 on the highway that's 24 miles per gallon City 30 miles per gallon highway if you opt for the 2.5 liter turbo the fuel economy is 10.8 liters per hundred kilometer City 8.7 on the highway that's 22 miles per gallon City 27 miles per gallon Highway the warranty is three years or sixty thousand kilometers thirty six thousand miles so that's kind of your sporty Vibe fun to drive firmer everything yeah now if you live somewhere where you have inclement weather and you want to have a vehicle that's a monster in the snow and you want a vehicle that is easy to live with get everybody in and out big windows and doors well it is what Andrea the Subaru Forester powering the Subaru Forester is a Boxster style 2.5 liter four-cylinder matched to a CVT it has 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque and comes standard with all-wheel drive also all Subaru crossovers come with 220 millimeters of ground clearance so if you live somewhere where you get deep snow these vehicles are incredibly popular in northern states you see them when you go to places like Vermont Oregon Washington State and then here in Canada where we do get real winter they're immensely popular yeah and I like that Subaru has added A wilderness model with some off-road capability if that's something that you're looking for for your weekend Adventures there are a lot of options here but I think the biggest positive is this is the space you know whether it's in the second row or cargo capacity and just the Comfort level of the vehicle and it's really a logical vehicle it's not really a passion kind of purchase it's it's more up here it's like I need a vehicle that does everything well I want to get kids and people in and out the doors are huge yeah the windows the outward visibility is the best in all of the vehicles we're going to talk about so it has a lot of great attributes and it's not the best looking of the bunch and there's that and the engine it would be nice to have a turbocharged engine option like the Subaru Outback has it is a little bit sluggish on the highway it gets a little bit louder all of those things that some may not love but in the city wow it's a great handling crossover in Canada the Forester starts at just under Thirty one thousand dollars and the top Premier trim is just over forty one and a half thousand dollars in the U.S it starts at just over twenty six thousand dollars and the top touring model is just under thirty six and a half thousand dollars here's the fuel economy nine liters per hundred kilometer City 7.2 on the highway that's 26 miles per gallon City 33 miles per gallon highway so Uber offers a warranty of three years or sixty thousand kilometers thirty six thousand miles and the reason why Andrea brings up the fact that turbo isn't available because it used to be available in the Forester and then they got rid of it which is disappointing all right um You could argue that this could be a top pick as we mentioned we're not rating them from five to number one but this is the best selling compact crossover SUV period in North America what is it Andrea Toyota RAV4 it is a 2.5 liter four-cylinder paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque standard all-wheel drive for 2023 in Canada but in the U.S front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options are still available so the number one positive Andrea is what's on the steering wheel and on the front it's a Toyota and Toyota has built up a reputation for reliability durability and re sale value and they have earned it their vehicles continue to be at the top of quality studies and they continue to be highly sought after when they go into the used market and it's a Toyota that's the number one positive and absolutely it's also very comfortable to drive especially in the city I mean there's the power feel sufficient enough I also think there's some great changes coming for 2023 with an available larger touch screen which I think Toyota needed to add and standard Wireless Apple carplay and Android auto another important feature for many and an eight-speed automatic transmission no CVT and of all of the vehicles for gasoline models this one gets the best fuel economy yeah and we turn our attention to things that Toyota could work on and for me it all comes down to the interior it looks in my opinion a bit industrial it doesn't look very comfortable it's comfortable but it doesn't feel warm term and inviting it's just there yeah I think that they could do a better job to modernize it it just doesn't seem to keep up with vehicles such as the Sportage and then the quality of the interior of the CX-5 let's say I also find that this engine gets really quite loud louder than I expected for this class right and I also like the price point of the RAV4 you know there's so many different trims that there's an affordable option for many and different budgets if you can afford that top trim great but if you want something that has a little bit less it's also within your budget it's very practical industrial we call the dashboard but the rear seats in the cargo area vary confidence in the same kind of category as the CRV as a kind of a Swiss army knife it does everything well it doesn't excel at anything other than being a Toyota which is important but there you go you want to do the pricing sure in Canada it starts at just over thirty two thousand dollars and the top limited trim is just over forty three and a half thousand dollars in the U.S it starts at just over twenty seven and a half thousand dollars and the top limited trim is just over thirty five and a half thousand dollars here's the fuel economy 8.8 liters per hundred kilometer City 7.1 on the highway an impressive 27 miles per gallon in the city 33 miles per gallon on the highway Toyota offers a warranty of three years or sixty thousand kilometers thirty six thousand miles so the RAV4 easily in this group is the best seller Toyota is an absolute juggernaut with the RAV4 uh as we mentioned it's available the hybrid it's also available with a plug-in hybrid we're focusing on the gas even the gas model is a top seller we'd love to know what your picks are whether you can narrow it down and you've got your number one pick let us know type below let's get into our honorable mentions our honorable mentions also an alphabetical order up first is the Ford Escape and it just received a facelift and we saw it at the LA Auto Show and it looks much better all models are getting an update from the sync 3 to the sync 4 system you get a larger touch screen available with a digital driver display we can't wait to drive this new model our next honorable mention goes to the Hyundai Tucson it didn't make our list because the gas model in Canada is missing a fair amount of features like a power tailgate driver seat memory no heated rear seats or ventilated front seats or a power passenger seat you actually have to move up to the hybrid or the plug-in hybrid models to get them in the US it's very different a lot of these features are included on the top trim of the gas model so it still might be a great option for you next up is the Nissan Rogue we are big fans of the Rogue because it has a spacious cabin an Upscale Interior on the top trims and it's comfortable to drive plus there's also a brand new engine that makes this vehicle Dynamic to drive it's a 1.5 liter turbocharged three-cylinder Engine with variable compression technology the reason it didn't make our top five list is this is a highly technical engine it's brand new in the marketplace and it has unknown reliability so there's our top five non-luxury gas model s over so we hope you enjoyed it all right we already did one our top five overall but that included hybrids and plug-in hybrids and a lot of the vehicles made it on that list because they offer advanced technology so the card is up there you can click on that at any time what else do they need to do Andrea well you got to subscribe hit that notification Bell we put out a lot of unique content each week and we'd love you to watch it all and if you're interested follow along on Instagram at motor mouth underscore Andrea I put out a sneak peek of what's coming up on the channel each week all right we'll see in the next one this video is brought to you by carcass Canada get the Dealer's cost list of rebates plus discounted interest rates use the promo code motor mouth to become an expert member and get extra searches the link is in the description below

Channel: Motormouth

Views: 236,822

Keywords: 2023 Mazda CX-5, 2023 Honda CR-V, 2023 Kia Sportage, 2023 Subaru Forester, 2023 Toyota RAV4, top-5 compact suvs, top-5 gas compact suvs, zack spencer, andrea spencer, zack spencer's wife, couple car review

Id: LzH0cNYa34I

Length: 22min 41sec (1361 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 29 2022