Comparison Tests
Nearly one out of every three vehicles sold from January through May 2012 was some sort of SUV. Just look at any parking lot—the one in this photo, for instance. The damn things are everywhere.
And if you find yourself in the market for a compact SUV, good luck picking out one. As the most affordable form of the species—generally starting below $20,000—these small two-boxers are by far the most popular and numerous. Lucky for us, two earlier comparos helped pare down a list of contenders. In those tests, we had eight and nine examples to sort through; both times a V-6–powered Toyota RAV4 emerged victorious.
With the industry on a downsizing kick, at least when it comes to engines, we felt it best to look at the strongest-selling configurations this time around. In other words: four-cylinder engines and four-wheel drive. A targeted as-tested price of $30,000 gave us most of the bells and whistles.
Despite its popularity, a RAV4 meeting those specifications was nearly impossible to find. Toyota was forced to borrow a Limited model from a dealer so it could defend its title as king of the small SUVs.
The Ford Escape and the Mazda CX-5 are all-new this year, so their inclusion was a no-brainer. While the CX-5 comes with just one engine, its four-wheel drive and Grand Touring trim bring its cost in line. The Escape offers a trio of engine choices: A naturally aspirated, 2.5-liter inline-four is standard in front-drivers; a turbocharged 1.6-liter four is standard in four-wheel-drive models; and a 2.0-liter turbo four is optional in both.
Not quite as new but still warm from the oven, the latest Honda CR-V, like the CX-5, comes only with a naturally aspirated four-pot. A $30,000 CR-V comes in EX-L trim (“L” for leather), with enough left over for a rear-seat DVD player/babysitter.
Rounding out this six-pack are two Korean siblings, the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage. They share a platform and powertrains but wear distinctly different sheetmetal.
With horsepower ranging from 155 to 185 and curb weights starting at about 3400 pounds, we didn’t expect these utes to break any speed records or redefine handling. That isn’t their mission. Comfort and versatility are high on the list of things we want out of a little SUV but not so much that we would ignore dynamics and refinement. Plus, the ideal compact companion had better be able to haul some friends and, just as important, some refreshments to a ball game.
