2024 Jeep Compass

The Taos is Volkswagen's smallest and most affordable SUV. We rank it as the top extra-small SUV available today on the strength of its comfortable, spacious interior, ample cargo space and sophisticated in-car tech. Its transmission isn't quite as sophisticated, though, with often-delayed, awkward shifts that tend to mar the driving experience. The Taos, like the other rivals listed here, also can't match the Compass Trailhawk off-road.

The Trailblazer doesn't excel in any one area, but its overall quality and competence make it one of our top picks for a subcompact SUV. It comes with excellent in-car tech and standard driver aids and offers a roomy interior and impressive cargo space (slightly more than the Taos but less than the Jeep). It's significantly less expensive than the Compass, and it even offers a light-duty off-road trim, although nothing comparable to the Compass Trailhawk.

With short wheelbases and small footprints, subcompact SUVs are ideally sized for sharp performance handling. The CX-30 is the "driver's car" in this group, feeling closer to a hatchback than an SUV, with standard all-wheel drive that not only aids wet-weather traction but also livens up the corners on a sunny day. The Mazda's interior also blows away any of its rivals. But while the Compass' cabin might fall short, its engine makes more power than the CX-30's base engine and it offers better in-car tech. Read Edmunds' long-term road test of the Mazda CX-30.