Our Favorite Eight Compact SUVs by Brand

A compact SUV is the perfect blend of functionality and small stature, giving you a vehicle that’s fun to drive, highly usable, and easily fits into your life. As you start looking at used SUVs for sale with an eye toward compact models, things can quickly get overwhelming since you have a lot of different ones to choose from. Today, we thought we’d help make the situation a bit easier by going over eight of our favorite compact SUVs to look for when you’re shopping for a used vehicle. Choosing the right one will inevitably come down to what you need in your next ride, what you can find, and what your budget looks like. But this will get you started and help point you in the right direction, so let’s dig in!

The Honda CR-V

Kicking things off, we have one of the best compact SUVs on the market, often found at the top of best lists from industry reviewers and critics: the Honda CR-V. First released in the 1990s, the CR-V has a long history of impressive performance and gorgeous styling, making it a favorite of drivers for a long time. The fact that it’s been around so long makes it easy to find a wide range of CR-V models out there when you’re looking at your used options. Honda is well known for its long-term reliability and great performance, which is why its vehicles are so popular when shopping pre-owned—the CR-V is no exception.

The Toyota RAV4

Neck-and-neck, with our previous pick on many “best of” lists, is the Toyota RAV4, one of the most popular vehicles around—compact SUV or otherwise. The RAV4 has been available for about the same time as the CR-V, going back to its initial launch in the 1990s, and has won over a lot of drivers in that time. These days, the RAV4 is frequently the best-selling SUV in the world and often sells more than 400k models each year just in North America, which makes it easy to find a used RAV4. Toyota is well known for making vehicles that last a long time, with excellent reliability, which makes this a great pick for a used compact SUV.

The Mazda CX-5 (Honorable Mention: Mazda CX-50)

Although its history doesn’t go back nearly as far as the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4, the Mazda CX-5 is a great choice when looking at compact used SUVs. First released for the 2013 model year, this still gives you plenty of different options to choose from, particularly since you’re not likely to look at anything much before that with any model out there. The CX-5 is a sleek and sporty option that’s a lot of fun to drive, and it has sold more than 3 million models since its release, so there are plenty of them out there. You might also look for a CX-50, which is a slightly larger compact model, but the CX-50 has only been around since the 2023 model year, so it’s not a great choice if you’re looking to save money on an older option.

The Subaru Forester

If you’re looking for a used option with an adventurous side, then the Subaru Forester is a great choice. This one’s been around since the late 1990s, so its pedigree is proven and right up there with the Honda and Toyota models we looked at. In the last decade, an available X-Mode system has helped improve performance on dirt roads or similar situations, plus every Subaru Forester since 2019 has come with all-wheel drive standard. While a stock Forester might not be the most capable off-road vehicle, this is a great choice for getting to your favorite campsite or to use as a base for some aftermarket additions that can transform it into a true trail monster.

The Chevy Equinox

You might’ve noticed something about every model we’ve looked at so far: they’re all imports from Japan—but that doesn’t mean domestic brands aren’t making great compact SUVs. The Chevy Equinox is one of our favorites and a terrific choice if you’re looking for a reliable SUV that’s fun to drive while shopping on a budget. First released about 20 years ago, the Equinox has been proving itself ever since, and it’s been offered with a wide range of engines and features throughout the years. In recent years, this has been one of Chevy’s best-selling models, which means you can find many of them on the used market.

The Ford Escape

Alongside the Chevy Equinox, the Ford Escape is another terrific option if you’re interested in a used compact SUV from a domestic brand. The Escape has been around for more than 20 years and consistently delivers on Ford’s well-established promise of power, design, and great features. Over the last decade, the Escape has been upgraded with all sorts of impressive standard and available features like a hands-free rear liftgate, advanced safety technology, and much more. The most recent generation that kicked off with the 2020 model year is a particular favorite of ours, with terrific styling and sophisticated details inside, making it a great one to look for as you consider different used options.

The Kia Sportage

Another popular model that’s been around for a long time, the Kia Sportage, first hit the road in the early 1990s and helped set the stage for the SUV takeover of the auto industry over the last few decades. The Sportage has proven itself time and again as an affordable option that’s reliable and quite fun to drive, which is why so many people have flocked to it over the years. For the last eight years or so, the Sportage has been Kia’s best-selling model, which means there are many of them out there. This is good news for you when looking at used vehicles and makes it easier to find everything you’re looking for in your next ride.

The Volkswagen Tiguan

Although this one hasn’t been around quite as long as some of the other impressive imports we looked at, the Volkswagen Tiguan first hit the road in the late 2000s and has proven quite popular in the years since then. More than 6 million Tiguan models have sold worldwide, and it’s been VW’s best-selling vehicle overall for many years; again, this goes to show how popular compact SUVs have become, and it makes shopping for one a lot easier since you have so many options available to you. The current generation for the Tiguan kicked off with the 2018 model year, with a recent facelift for 2022, so keep that in mind as you look at used options if you’re interested in some of the latest features and technology.

Which Compact SUV Has Everything You Need?

As you can see, you have many options available when looking for a pre-owned compact SUV across a wide range of brands, both import and domestic. Even with the fairly limited selection we’ve looked at today, finding the perfect one can still be tricky, which is why choosing the right dealership is important. By picking a dealer with friendly people ready to help you with everything you need, it becomes much easier to explore your options, figure out what will work best for you, and drive away in a used SUV you love. That’s why we’re here to help you get the best shopping experience possible. All you have to do is figure out the features you need in your next vehicle, and then let us help you find the perfect choice you’ll enjoy for many years and miles to come.