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The USA car market is awash with high-riding SUVs that are spacious yet decent to drive when the occasion arises. Find out which make our top 5 list.
The USA have something ofa soft spot for SUVs. The segmenthas been growing steadily for years, butit has really taken off more recently. Manufacturers from across the spectrum have launched their own take on these high-riding, family-orientated cars, giving buyers more choice than ever before.
The ones listed here are just below average on the size chart, but are the most popular. Some even represent the best-selling SUV model for that particular brand. Customers expect Tardis-like space and premium-brand quality on the inside, as well as a commanding driving position and the compactness of an average family car to help keep palms dry in town and on narrow lanes. Here are our favourites.
– Range Rover Evoque :
Land Rover has captured the decisive front of the most important segment of the market in which it is now playing with the second generation Range Rover Euke. Based on the all-new mixed-material platform, the car adopted mild hybrid engines and had a longer wheelbase than its predecessor to optimize interior space without growing too much in any exterior dimension. The Evoque derivatives group has also recently acquired a significant additional hybrid entry, the Evoque P300e, which joins the range of 6% interest-in-kind auto taxes in the UK.
The car has made great leaps forward in terms of mechanical improvements, interior space, luxurious ambience and technological appeal. Although it is not the most practical car of its kind, it is very competitive on this score, with plenty of room for adults in the second row – albeit behind a somewhat high window line that restricts visibility slightly.
The D200 diesel engine is the better choice, offering better driving power and refinement than we’re used to from a Land Rover four-cylinder diesel engine. The P300e is also incredibly impressive, with its exceptionally compact hybrid powertrain, strong electrical range and attractive handling.
Originating as a Range Rover, the Evoque now represents a feeling of luxury in the car as much as it can be bought in this class – and that would help justify the somewhat high price for a large number of buyers.
– Volvo XC40 :
Volvo’s first attempt at picking a compact sibling for its XC60 and XC90 SUVs was a real success, and at the XC40, the Swedish brand gave us a car with the kind of instant appeal it would expect from class-leading action. Lately it is still so.
With a design attractive and appealing enough to bring younger family buyers to Volvo showrooms, the XC40 supports its unconventional exterior with a cabin rich in commendation, comfort, ease of use and quality. Although this is not the most practical car in the compact SUV segment, it definitely has a lot of luxury car ambiance, not to mention all the technology you could wish for inside the car.
The engine range has been revised recently, with all diesel derivatives recalled. There is now a choice of two plug-in hybrids, a pair of mild-petrol hybrid, a starter T2 and T3 petrol, and an all-electric Recharge P8.
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Ride and control in the XC40 represents Volvo at its finest and the small family with four-wheel drive at its most relaxed. Rather than pursuing other premium brands to woo the driver, the XC40 is happy to play with the ergonomic, optimized, comfortable and easy-to-use option – an effective choice. If the mission of an SUV is to lift its driver above the hustle and bustle and quench the pain from the daily grind, few do it better.
– Mazda CX-5 :
This is easily one of the best looking SUVs on the market and is objectively more refined than its predecessor, with respectable fuel economy and an extraordinary level of handling in this class.
The CX-5’s interior is solid and quietly elegant and offers plenty of passenger and luggage space. The 2021 facelift introduces Mazda’s latest infotainment system, along with a new 2.5-liter petrol engine previously featured in the Mazda 6 saloon. Although it is now slightly older than some of the other entrants on this list, the CX-5 has not lost any of the strengths that make it one of our favorite compact SUVs.
The CX-5 offers a healthy mix of fun, economy and family-friendly space, so it’s well worth serious consideration for buyers who want a car that does a little bit of everything.
– Hyundai Tucson :
The fourth-generation Tucson is a watershed moment for Hyundai. Stylistically, this is a drastic departure from its handsome but slightly boring predecessors, and its cabin is reaching new heights in terms of physical appeal as well. Hyundai has always tried to rebrand as an upscale competitor in Europe, and the Tucson is its most convincing effort yet.
Dynamically, it plays things with absolute safety, with a handling balance that prioritizes ease of use over the in-and-out dynamics, but it’s still fun enough to stomp on a twisty road. The hybrid powertrain delivers powerful performance and impressive efficiency, and being Hyundai, it is well-equipped and backed by a cast iron warranty. More than ever, it is an amazingly refined compact SUV that deserves your attention.
– Volkswagen Tiguan :
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The Tiguan is Volkswagen’s third best-selling model after the Golf and Polo hatchback. It is flexible, spacious, solid in structure, comfortable and refined. With the driver’s reactivity a bit more intense, it’s going to be a much nicer package – but even as it is, it does require a few punches. It’s a little expensive option and its interior isn’t particularly interesting, but what it lacks in visual drama more than makes up for it in stiffness.
A hybrid version of the plug-ins and Tiguan R performance derivatives has been added topping the range, among other powertrain modifications. The car’s driving experience is a bit spec-sensitive: with better, more powerful engines and adaptive suspension, the Tiguan runs and controls extremely well, riding with all the sophistication you want, but the base versions are more ordinary dynamic. .
special offer? Maybe not in every sense of the word, but it’s way above most cars in the growing compact SUV segment.
