Summary
Highlights
The Chevrolet Equinox ranks last due to its slow, rough, and disconnected driving experience, poor visibility, and lack of a hybrid option resulting in low fuel economy. Despite some good tech features like a large screen with Google integration and decent front and rear room, its narrow door openings and limited cargo space make it impractical for families.
The Subaru Forester Hybrid offers excellent visibility, spacious passenger room, and easy car seat installation thanks to wide door openings. However, its infotainment system is slow, low-resolution, and lacks physical controls. The adaptive cruise control is unresponsive, and small item storage is virtually non-existent. The gas version is even worse, with a stiffer suspension and less power.
The Bronco Sport excels in off-road capability, especially with the Sasquatch package, and features impressive towing for its class. Unique cargo features like a pop-up rear window and a dual-level cargo floor that converts into a table are highlights. The tech in the infotainment system is crisp and easy to use, but the climate controls are touch-screen only. It sacrifices practicality with less legroom in the back, narrow door openings, and less floor space for cargo, making it a niche choice for off-road enthusiasts.
The Nissan Rogue offers impressive cargo space with a flat load floor and clever small item storage throughout the cabin. It boasts a straightforward control scheme with physical buttons for frequent functions and good fuel economy for a gas vehicle. However, most trims are stuck with a small, laggy 8-inch infotainment screen that lacks wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay and built-in Google. The powertrain is sluggish, and the ride quality and cabin noise are subpar, lacking a hybrid option.
The Mazda CX-50 stands out with its luxury-car-like interior, high-quality materials, and excellent driving dynamics. Its controlled body motions, responsive handling, and powerful engine (especially the turbocharged option) make it engaging to drive. The main drawbacks are limited cargo space (even less in the hybrid) and a frustrating infotainment system that relies heavily on a scroll knob and buries functions in menus, despite a well-placed screen.
The Honda CR-V offers a high-quality, refined experience with a cabin free from squeaks and rattles, excellent touchpoints, and satisfying physical controls. It excels in driving dynamics with great steering, handling, and a smooth ride quality. The rear seats are spacious and easy to access for car seats. Downsides include a lack of certain modern features (ventilated seats, surround-view camera, panoramic moonroof) and Google integration only available on the top trim, with other trims receiving an older, less capable infotainment system. Hybrid models also carry a higher price tag.
The new Volkswagen Tiguan feels like a premium vehicle, boasting supportive and well-trimmed seats (with available heating, cooling, and massage), a high-end screen, and a quiet interior. It offers a luxurious feel that surpasses even the Mazda, with excellent refinement and features. Key cons include the absence of a hybrid option, leading to below-average fuel economy, and a high price ceiling for top trims. The climate controls are integrated into the touchscreen, which some users will find less intuitive than physical buttons.
The redesigned Toyota RAV4 offers abundant storage, a brand-new, responsive, and easy-to-use infotainment system, and features like a 12.3-inch digital instrument display and an integrated dashcam as standard. Its powertrain is quick, and the ride quality is good, along with the highest tow rating in the comparison. The RAV4 Hybrid stands out for its fuel efficiency, achieving over 40 MPG combined with AWD. However, the navigation and voice commands require a paid subscription after one year, the front seats are less comfortable, the interior has a lot of hard plastic, and the rear seat is noticeably smaller, making car seat access a bit difficult.
The Kia Sportage Hybrid offers a comfortable and supportive interior with clever storage solutions, including a unique configurable cupholder and excellent overall design. It provides a comfortable and quiet ride, smooth driving dynamics, and top-tier driver assists. It offers great value, similar features to competitors at a lower price, and an excellent warranty. Its cargo area is massive, with a dual-level floor, and it can tow up to 2,000 pounds. The main drawback is a frustrating infotainment system that combines media and climate controls in the same menu, making them difficult to use without distraction. Fuel economy, while a hybrid, is subpar compared to rivals like the RAV4.
The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is crowned the winner for its exceptional interior comfort, spaciousness, and supportive seats. It offers superior small item storage compared to the Kia, with a large passenger shelf and an open area for bags. It shares the Kia's great tech and features a well-placed, rubberized wireless charging pad. The dedicated climate control screen, separate from infotainment, resolves a key issue found in the Sportage. The Tucson combines the best attributes of other vehicles: quick powertrain, comfortable suspension, and excellent driver aids, along with massive cargo space and high towing capacity. While interior touch controls are not as intuitive as physical buttons and hybrid efficiency isn't class-leading, it delivers the most well-rounded and easily recommendable experience.