When Cars.com, MotorWeek and USA Today pit seven of the nation’s compact SUVs against each other in a head-to-head challenge only one came out on top. The SUVs weren’t just tested by expert judges either, but also by consumers.
Models included the 2016 Fiat 500X, 2016 Honda HR-V, 2016 Mazda CX-3, 2015 Jeep Renegade, 2015 Nissan Juke, 2016 Chevy Trax and – our favorite – the 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek. All were taken on a 200-mile course with elevation changes and varying road conditions and judges evaluated their comfort, handling and performance aspects, along with assessing other criteria like features, design, ergonomics and cargo room. In the end, the 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek was selected as the Subcompact SUV Challenge winner for a variety of reasons.
"The XV Crosstrek ranked highest with the expert judges and was the favorite of the in-market couple," said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com's editor-in-chief. "This subcompact SUV felt like the 'grownup' of the group, with an oversized cargo area and a delightfully quiet ride. Overall, it did the best job of packing in impressive, high-tech safety features, ample creature comforts and a great ride for a low price."
If you’d like to learn more about the SUV, please see our 2015 XV Crosstrek review for details, then visit to take a test drive and see for yourself why judges crowned it this year’s challenge winner!
