Compact SUVs compared: RAV4, CR-V, Tucson, Sportage, Forester, CX-5 and rivals
The best-selling class in America on one page — grades, cargo, economy and price for the mainstream compact crossovers, and what separates the top of the class from the bottom.
Compact crossovers are what most American families actually buy, and the class is crowded enough that the differences are real but small. This page puts the mainstream compact SUVs on the site side by side: grades, the economy and space and price figures that drive them, and each scorecard’s own verdict. The compact SUV segment medians 61.5 points overall, a C; the spread from the top of this table to the bottom is 12.2 points.
The grades
| Vehicle | GPA | Rel. | Safe. | Eff. | Comf. | Value | Own. | Tech | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Toyota RAV4 | 2.56C+ | B+ | B | A+ | D | B+ | B- | B | C+ |
| 2026 Mazda CX-5 | 2.42C+ | B | B+ | D | C- | B- | C | B+ | B- |
| 2026 Kia Sportage | 2.40C+ | B- | B+ | D | C- | B | B- | B+ | C |
| 2026 Mazda CX-50 | 2.40C+ | B+ | B+ | D | D | B- | C+ | C+ | B- |
| 2026 Hyundai Tucson | 2.35C+ | C+ | B+ | D | C- | B | B+ | B+ | C |
| 2026 Subaru Forester | 2.26C | B- | A | B- | D | B- | C | C | C |
| 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan | 2.14C | C- | B+ | D | D | B- | C- | B- | B- |
| 2026 Nissan Rogue | 2.14C | C- | A- | B | C | C+ | C- | B- | C |
| 2026 Honda CR-V | 2.13C | B- | C+ | C+ | C- | B- | C+ | C | B- |
| 2026 Ford Escape | 1.95C- | C | C+ | B- | D | C+ | D | C+ | C |
| 2026 Chevrolet Equinox | 1.71C- | C | C | C+ | D | B- | C- | C+ | C- |
- Highest overall: 2026 Toyota RAV4 — 2.6C+
- Reliability: 2026 Toyota RAV4 — 3.4B+
- Safety: 2026 Subaru Forester — 3.7A
- Comfort: 2026 Nissan Rogue — 2.0C
- Value: 2026 Toyota RAV4 — 3.4B+
- Family fit: 2026 Subaru Forester — 3.5A-
Read the Efficiency column with its class label. Several of these nameplates are offered as hybrids, and a scorecard describes one configuration — the volume trim — so a model graded as a hybrid was measured against the hybrid bands and one graded as a gas vehicle against the gas bands. The car page prints the class beside the grade; Efficiency is graded within powertrain class explains the rule.
The numbers
| Vehicle | Combined economy | Cargo (rear seats up) | Max cargo | Rear legroom | Volume-trim price | 5-yr ownership cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Toyota RAV4 | 41 MPG combined (XLE Premium AWD hybrid — volume trim); 42–43 on LE/SE, down to 38 on Woodland; PHEV rated 102 MPGe combined on SE/XSE | 37.8 cu ft behind the second row | 70.4 cu ft with the 60/40 rear seats folded | 37.8 in | $38,950 (XLE Premium AWD, incl. destination); $37,550 FWD — lineup $33,350–$49,950 | $17,275 (≈$12,075 depreciation + $5,200 maintenance) |
| 2026 Mazda CX-5 | 26 MPG combined (2.5L Skyactiv-G, i-Activ AWD — only configuration offered) | ~37 cu ft behind rear seats (est.) | ~65 cu ft seats folded (est.) | ~41.0 in (est.) | ~$35,000 (2.5 S Preferred AWD, volume trim; range ~$32.5k S Select to ~$41k S Premium Plus) | $21,100 (≈$16,100 depreciation + $5,000 maintenance) |
| 2026 Kia Sportage | 25 MPG combined (2.5L AWD, volume config); 28 MPG 2.5L FWD · 43 MPG Hybrid FWD · 38 MPG Hybrid AWD · 84 MPGe PHEV | 39.5 cu ft (gas); ~39.5 cu ft (hybrid); ~34.5 cu ft (PHEV, battery under the load floor) | 74.1 cu ft (gas, second row folded); ~73.7 cu ft (hybrid); ~67.4 cu ft (PHEV) | 41.3 in (all trims) | $33,700 (EX AWD as typically equipped; ~$30,100 LX FWD to ~$46,500 PHEV X-Line Prestige) | $21,939 (≈$15,839 depreciation + $6,100 maintenance) |
| 2026 Mazda CX-50 | 26 MPG combined (2.5 S Preferred, 2.5L Skyactiv-G AWD — volume trim); 25 MPG 2.5 Turbo · 38 MPG Hybrid | 31.4 cu ft behind the rear seats | 56.3 cu ft with rear seats folded | 39.8 in | ~$35,200 (2.5 S Preferred AWD, volume trim; range ~$32.4k S Select to ~$45k Turbo Premium Plus / Meridian Edition, Hybrid Preferred ~$36.5k) | $20,788 (≈$15,488 depreciation + $5,300 maintenance) |
| 2026 Hyundai Tucson | 26 MPG combined (2.5L AWD, volume trim); 28 MPG 2.5L FWD · 38 MPG Hybrid Blue · 80 MPGe PHEV | 38.7 cu ft (gas and hybrid); 31.9 cu ft (PHEV, battery under load floor) | 74.8 cu ft (gas, seats folded); 74.5 cu ft (hybrid); 66.3 cu ft (PHEV) | 41.3 in (all trims) | $34,000 (SEL AWD as typically equipped; ~$32,100 SEL FWD to ~$41,500 Limited AWD) | $21,380 (≈$15,980 depreciation + $5,400 maintenance) |
| 2026 Subaru Forester | 29 MPG combined (gas Premium AWD; Hybrid ~35) | 27.5 cu ft behind 2nd row | 74.4 cu ft with rear seats folded | 39.4 in | $33,500 (Premium, as typically equipped; range ~$33k–$41k across gas/hybrid Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring) | $20,275 (≈$15,075 depreciation + $5,200 maintenance) |
| 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan | 26 MPG combined (2.0T 201 hp 4Motion, volume config); ~28 MPG 2.0T FWD | ~37 cu ft behind the second row (varies with bench slide position) | ~73 cu ft with the second row folded | 38.7 in (sliding second-row bench, maximum setting) | ~$35,600 (SE with 4Motion, incl. destination; ~$31,400–$43,000 across S → SEL R-Line Turbo) | $26,024 (≈$19,224 depreciation + $6,800 maintenance) |
| 2026 Nissan Rogue | 31 MPG combined (SV AWD volume config); 33 MPG combined FWD | 36.5 cu ft behind 2nd row (≈31.6 cu ft on trims with Bose subwoofer / cargo floor raised) | 74.1 cu ft seats folded (≈70.6 cu ft with Bose subwoofer) | 38.5 in (rear bench slides fore/aft) | ~$34,500 (SV AWD, volume trim, incl. destination) | $22,070 (≈$15,870 depreciation + $6,200 maintenance) |
| 2026 Honda CR-V | 29 MPG (gas AWD volume trim); 30 MPG gas FWD; up to 40 MPG hybrid FWD, 37 MPG hybrid AWD | 39.3 cu ft (gas EX/EX-L); 36.3 cu ft (Sport/Sport-L Hybrid); 34.7 cu ft (Sport Touring) | 76.5 cu ft (rear seats folded) | 41.0 in | $36,850 (EX-L, volume trim, incl. destination) | $17,592 (≈$11,792 depreciation + $5,800 maintenance) |
| 2026 Ford Escape | 30 MPG combined (1.5L EcoBoost FWD volume trim; 25–39 MPG gas/hybrid range, 105 MPGe PHEV) | 37.5 cu ft gas / 34.4 cu ft hybrid & PHEV (behind 2nd row) | 65.4 cu ft gas / 60.8 cu ft hybrid & PHEV (rear seats folded) | 38.9 in (sliding rear bench, up to ~40 in at rearmost setting) | $37,200 (ST-Line AWD, as-typically-equipped; ST-Line Hybrid AWD ~$38,600) | $27,182 (≈$20,832 depreciation + $6,350 maintenance) |
| 2026 Chevrolet Equinox | 28 MPG combined (LT FWD volume trim; 26 MPG AWD) | 29.8 cu ft behind the second row | 63.5 cu ft with the 60/40 second row folded | 39.5 in | ~$32,995 (LT AWD as typically equipped, incl. destination); lineup ~$30,000–$36,500 across LT / RS / ACTIV | $23,587 (≈$17,487 depreciation + $6,100 maintenance) |
Cargo volume is where the class actually differs: the spread between the smallest and largest cargo areas here is the difference between a stroller fitting behind the seats and not. Rear legroom is tighter across the board than the grades suggest, because it is graded against the SUV band and compact SUVs occupy its lower half.
The verdicts
2026 Toyota RAV4 — 2.56C+
59th of 148 SUVs in the 2026 class on overall GPA. Compact SUV; graded as a hybrid.
The all-new sixth-generation 2026 RAV4 drops gas-only power entirely — every version is a hybrid or plug-in hybrid, so the $33,350 base LE now returns 41–43 MPG combined and roughly 594 miles per tank as standard equipment. That, plus the best resale value in the compact-SUV class (25% five-year depreciation against a 39.9% class average) and a full Toyota Safety Sense 4.0 suite on every trim, makes it the safest financial bet in the segment. The trade-offs are real though: hard, hollow interior plastics on trims pushing $45,000, a Marginal IIHS rear-passenger crash result that keeps it off the 2026 Top Safety Pick list, cargo space behind the rear seats that measures smaller than a CR-V's or Tucson's, and steering that reviewers call numb. Buy it for the running costs and the resale, not for the drive or the cabin materials.From the 2026 Toyota RAV4 scorecard’s written assessment.
- Strength: Every trim is a hybrid, and the fuel math is exceptional
- Strength: Best resale value in the class, by a wide margin
- Weakness: Front-seat space and cargo room trail the class
- Weakness: It is not on the 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick list
2026 Mazda CX-5 — 2.42C+
77th of 148 SUVs in the 2026 class on overall GPA. Compact SUV; graded as a gas vehicle; 10 model years scored (2017–2026).
The all-new third-generation 2026 CX-5 fixes the two things buyers complained about most — it adds roughly 4.5 inches of wheelbase for about 41 inches of rear legroom and grows cargo space behind the back seat to around 37 cubic feet, and it swaps the old rotary-dial infotainment for a standard 15.6-inch touchscreen with Google built-in. It still has the best steering and the nicest cabin in the mainstream compact-SUV class, and standard all-wheel drive plus the full i-Activsense safety suite on the roughly $32,500 base trim make it a genuinely well-equipped entry point. The problem is under the hood: Mazda dropped the 2.5 Turbo and did not replace it with a hybrid, leaving one 187-hp engine, an 8.7-second 0-60 mph, and 26 MPG combined in a segment where rivals now deliver 38-45 MPG. If you drive for pleasure and fill up on someone else's schedule, this is the pick; if the monthly fuel bill or resale value is what you actually care about, a hybrid RAV4 or CR-V will beat it on both.From the 2026 Mazda CX-5 scorecard’s written assessment.
- Strength: The biggest screen in the class, and it finally works like a modern one
- Strength: Blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise come on the cheapest trim
- Weakness: No hybrid, in the one segment where everyone else has one
- Weakness: 187 horsepower in a bigger, heavier car
2026 Kia Sportage — 2.40C+
79th of 148 SUVs in the 2026 class on overall GPA. Compact SUV; graded as a gas vehicle.
The 2026 Sportage is the compact SUV that gives you the most room and the most equipment for the least money — 41.3 inches of rear legroom leads the class, the freshly facelifted cabin puts twin 12.3-inch screens and a full driver-assist suite in a $30,100 base car, and Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty is the longest in the segment. The catch is the volume engine: the 187-hp 2.5-liter four takes about 8.4 seconds to 60 mph and returns just 25 MPG combined with all-wheel drive, which is genuinely poor for 2026. Pay the roughly $2,000 upcharge for the Sportage Hybrid and the picture changes completely — 43 MPG, quicker acceleration, and nearly 590 miles a tank. Buy it for space, features and warranty; skip the base gas engine if your budget can stretch.From the 2026 Kia Sportage scorecard’s written assessment.
- Strength: Best back seat and cargo hold in the class
- Strength: Warranty coverage nothing else here matches
- Weakness: The base 2.5-liter engine is the weakest link
- Weakness: Gas fuel economy is poor for 2026
2026 Mazda CX-50 — 2.40C+
83rd of 148 SUVs in the 2026 class on overall GPA. Compact SUV; graded as a gas vehicle; 4 model years scored (2023–2026).
The 2026 CX-50 is the compact SUV for people who still care how a car drives: Mazda's best-in-class steering, a real six-speed automatic instead of a CVT, and i-Activ AWD standard on every trim from about $32,400 delivered. The trade is packaging and efficiency — 31.4 cu ft of cargo behind the rear seats is the smallest in the mainstream class, and the volume 187-hp 2.5 manages only 26 MPG combined and a mid-8-second 0-60. Safety and durability are genuine strengths (5-star NHTSA, the full i-Activsense suite standard, a 2.5L engine in production since 2012), while the 10.25-inch screen and 56% five-year resale are the clearest reasons to look elsewhere. Buy it for the drive, the standard AWD and the 8.3-inch ground clearance; skip it if you haul gear, kids' luggage or want hybrid-grade fuel bills without stepping up to the Hybrid trims.From the 2026 Mazda CX-50 scorecard’s written assessment.
- Strength: Drives like nothing else in the class
- Strength: Full safety kit standard on the cheapest trim
- Weakness: The smallest cargo hold in the class
- Weakness: Expensive to fuel unless you buy the Hybrid
2026 Hyundai Tucson — 2.35C+
86th of 148 SUVs in the 2026 class on overall GPA. Compact SUV; graded as a gas vehicle.
The 2026 Hyundai Tucson is the compact SUV that gives you the most stuff for the least money — twin 12.3-inch screens and the full driver-assist suite standard on a $30,700 base SE, class-topping 41.3 inches of rear legroom, and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty no Japanese rival comes close to matching. What it doesn't give you is speed or thrift: the volume 2.5-liter engine makes 187 hp, takes 8.8 seconds to reach 60 mph, and returns just 26 MPG combined with all-wheel drive, at a time when the RAV4 and CR-V commute on 37-plus-MPG hybrid power. Step up to the 231 hp Hybrid and most of that complaint disappears, but you pay extra for what rivals now include. Buy it for the space, the equipment, and the warranty; look elsewhere if you want a rewarding drive or a car that holds its value.From the 2026 Hyundai Tucson scorecard’s written assessment.
- Strength: The best warranty and ownership package in the class, by a wide margin
- Strength: Class-leading back seat and a genuinely big cargo hold
- Weakness: The engine most people will buy is slow
- Weakness: Base-engine fuel economy is behind the times
2026 Subaru Forester — 2.26C
98th of 148 SUVs in the 2026 class on overall GPA. Compact SUV; graded as a gas vehicle; 10 model years scored (2017–2026).
The 2026 Forester is the compact SUV to buy if safety, all-weather traction and outward visibility matter more to you than speed or cargo space. Every trim — including the roughly $31,400 Base — comes with symmetrical all-wheel drive, the full EyeSight driver-assist suite, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, which is a genuinely rare bundle at this price. The trade is a 180-hp four-cylinder that needs about 8.5 seconds to reach 60 mph, a 1,500-lb tow rating, and 27.5 cu ft of cargo behind the back seat — roughly ten cubic feet less than a CR-V. Buy it for the confidence and the 8.7 inches of ground clearance, not for the driving or the hauling.From the 2026 Subaru Forester scorecard’s written assessment.
- Strength: Class-leading safety gear on every trim, not just the expensive ones
- Strength: You can actually see out of it
- Weakness: It is slow, and it sounds like it
- Weakness: Warranty is the industry floor
2026 Volkswagen Tiguan — 2.14C
106th of 148 SUVs in the 2026 class on overall GPA. Compact SUV; graded as a gas vehicle.
The 2026 Tiguan is the German-flavored pick in a segment full of appliances: a nicer-feeling cabin, a smooth 2.0T with a real 8-speed automatic instead of a CVT, and a sliding, reclining, 40/20/40 rear bench that makes it one of the most genuinely flexible compact SUVs you can buy. Volkswagen also gives you the whole IQ.DRIVE safety suite, a 12.9-inch screen and a digital gauge cluster on the ~$31,400 base S, which is more standard content than a CR-V or RAV4 hands over at the same money. The catch is what happens after you sign: there is no hybrid at any price, so 26 MPG combined costs you roughly $550-700 a year more in fuel than a hybrid rival, and about 46% five-year resale plus VW parts pricing quietly erase the sticker advantage. Buy it because you like driving it and living in it; don't buy it expecting Toyota-style running costs.From the 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan scorecard’s written assessment.
- Strength: The cheapest Tiguan gets the safety and screen tech
- Strength: A back seat and cargo bay that actually adapt
- Weakness: No hybrid at any price, and the fuel bill shows it
- Weakness: Depreciation and repair bills eat the price advantage
2026 Nissan Rogue — 2.14C
107th of 148 SUVs in the 2026 class on overall GPA. Compact SUV; graded as a gas vehicle.
The 2026 Rogue is the value play in the compact SUV class: it starts around $30,700 — roughly $1,600 under a CR-V LX — comes with Nissan's full Safety Shield 360 driver-assist suite on every trim including the base car, and the volume SV AWD near $34,500 throws in a 12.3-inch screen with Google built-in, wireless CarPlay and a 360-degree camera. Where it wins is the stuff you touch daily: Zero Gravity seats, rear doors that swing to nearly 90 degrees for car seats, and 44.3 inches of front legroom. Where it loses is under the hood and down the road — the 1.5L three-cylinder VC-Turbo is coarse and unproven, is covered by only a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, and sits behind an engine-bearing recall on this generation, while resale hovers near 54 percent at five years against roughly 68-71 percent for a CR-V. Buy it if the discount and the standard equipment matter more than the badge; skip it if you want a hybrid, a long warranty, or money back at trade-in time.From the 2026 Nissan Rogue scorecard’s written assessment.
- Strength: Every trim gets the full safety suite
- Strength: A genuinely roomy, comfortable place to sit
- Weakness: The warranty is the shortest thing about it
- Weakness: Not a towing or working vehicle
2026 Honda CR-V — 2.13C
108th of 148 SUVs in the 2026 class on overall GPA. Compact SUV; graded as a gas vehicle.
The 2026 Honda CR-V is America's best-selling vehicle for a reason: it nails the compact-SUV essentials with a class-leading 41.0 in of rear legroom, a hybrid powertrain that touches 40 MPG combined, and resale values that hold ~68% after five years. It's not exciting on paper — 190 hp, 1,500 lb tow rating, and a warranty that trails Hyundai/Kia by miles — and a Poor IIHS moderate-overlap result plus recent recalls take some shine off the safety story. But for the mainstream shopper who wants a low-risk, low-cost, easy-to-live-with family SUV, few options are more sensible.From the 2026 Honda CR-V scorecard’s written assessment.
- Strength: Best-in-class rear-seat space
- Strength: Hybrid efficiency and cheap running costs
- Weakness: Underwhelming performance and towing
- Weakness: IIHS moderate-overlap Poor and busy recall history
2026 Ford Escape — 1.95C-
118th of 148 SUVs in the 2026 class on overall GPA. Compact SUV; graded as a gas vehicle; 10 model years scored (2017–2026).
The 2026 Escape is the compact SUV that gives you the most powertrain choices for the money — gas, turbo gas, hybrid and a 37-mile plug-in hybrid, starting at $32,090 — wrapped around a genuinely family-friendly cabin with a sliding rear seat and a standard 13.2-inch screen. The catch is what happens after you buy it: the Escape keeps roughly 44% of its value at five years while a RAV4 keeps about 58%, so it costs around $27,182 to own for five years despite the low sticker. It also carries a Marginal IIHS side-crash result, a Marginal automatic-braking score, and a 180-hp three-cylinder in the volume trim that needs about 8.7 seconds to reach 60 mph. Buy it on a deep discount or as a hybrid you plan to keep — not as an investment.From the 2026 Ford Escape scorecard’s written assessment.
- Strength: Four powertrains, including a rare plug-in hybrid
- Strength: Hybrid fuel economy that pays for itself on a commute
- Weakness: Depreciation is the worst in the class
- Weakness: The engine most buyers get is slow
2026 Chevrolet Equinox — 1.71C-
127th of 148 SUVs in the 2026 class on overall GPA. Compact SUV; graded as a gas vehicle.
The 2026 Equinox is the budget play in the compact SUV class: about $29,995 to get in the door and roughly $33,000 for the volume LT AWD, with an 11.3-inch touchscreen, an 11-inch digital gauge cluster, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto and Chevy Safety Assist standard on every trim — plus hands-free Super Cruise, which almost nothing else at this price offers. What you give up is the stuff that matters most over years of ownership: a single 175-hp turbo four that needs about 8.6 seconds to reach 60 mph, no hybrid option at 28 MPG combined, the smallest cargo hold in the class at 29.8 cu ft, and roughly 47% resale after five years against about 68% for a CR-V. It is a lot of car for the money on day one and noticeably less car for the money on trade-in day. Buy it if the monthly payment and the tech are what you're optimizing for; look elsewhere if you haul gear, tow, or plan to keep it a decade.From the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox scorecard’s written assessment.
- Strength: Priced well under the class leaders
- Strength: Big-screen tech that's standard, not optional
- Weakness: Underpowered, and there's no upgrade
- Weakness: Worst-in-class cargo hold