> 🏆 BUYING GUIDE. Picks drawn from vehicles we've tested and compared. Where we haven't tested something, we say so — this reflects our coverage rather than the entire market. Updated as testing continues.
How we've ranked these
These picks come from comparison tests and rated reviews published across our coverage, not from a spreadsheet.
Three principles:
1. We name what we haven't tested. A guide implying comprehensive coverage it doesn't have is worse than an honest one.
2. Third place is frequently the right buy. As our comparisons repeatedly found — the Equinox EV, the CX-5, the ID.Buzz — a podium is a summary, not advice.
3. Total cost matters more than sticker price. As our cost-of-ownership work established, depreciation is usually the largest expense, and strong resale is real money.
⭐ Compact SUV — Toyota RAV4
Our compact SUV comparison placed it first, and the reasoning was consistent: class-leading hybrid efficiency, the strongest resale value and the best reliability reputation.
Buy the hybrid. As our trim guide argued, it's the reason the RAV4 wins — and the plug-in only makes sense if you'll genuinely charge it nightly, because an uncharged PHEV is worse than the equivalent petrol car.
⭐ But read the runners-up carefully, because this is the narrowest segment we test:
Honda CR-V — second, and genuinely close. The most interior space and the best interior quality. If space is your priority or the deal is better, take it without hesitation.
Mazda CX-5 — third, and clearly the best to drive. Our comparison was explicit: if you'd rather have the nicest car than the most sensible one, that's a legitimate choice. You pay for it in hybrid options and efficiency.
The gap between first and third here is smaller than in almost any segment we test.
⭐ Three-row family SUV — Hyundai Ioniq 9 (electric)
Our highest-scoring family vehicle at 9/10, and the winner of our three-row EV showdown.
What decides it: 300+ miles of range in every configuration. As our comparison put it, there is no compromise trim — you don't need to buy the expensive version to avoid range anxiety, which removes the single biggest source of family EV hesitation.
Plus 350 kW charging (10–80% in around 24 minutes), a genuinely usable third row, and a serene cabin for family money.
Kia EV9 — a very close second, sharing the same 800-volt E-GMP substance with sharper styling and often better value. Our comparison was clear: choosing it involves no meaningful compromise.
VW ID.Buzz — third on merit, first on charm. Less range, slower 400-volt charging. We said plainly that buying it with your heart is legitimate — just check your journeys fit.
Electric SUV, mainstream — Tesla Model Y
Winner of our $45K electric SUV comparison — on ecosystem completeness rather than product superiority, and that distinction matters.
The Supercharger network, class-leading efficiency (134/117 MPGe) and mature software make it the most complete ownership proposition.
⚠️ But cross-shop seriously. Our comparison noted an AWD Chevrolet Equinox EV undercuts an AWD Model Y by over $10,000 with near-identical range — and as our Tesla history documented, NACS adoption has commoditised the charging advantage.
Rivian R2 — second, with the longest range (345 miles) and the most character. Held back by trim timing and a young service network.
⭐ Chevrolet Equinox EV — third, and the value champion by a wide margin. For a first-time EV buyer who charges at home and doesn't tow, it's arguably the smartest purchase in the segment regardless of where it finished.
Premium SUV, electric — Porsche Cayenne Electric
Our other 9/10, and genuinely exceptional — charging 10–80% in around 16 minutes with the dynamic quality the badge demands.
Expensive, and it earns it.
Affordable SUV — Chevrolet Equinox EV / Toyota Corolla Cross territory
From $34,995 for the Equinox EV LT1 FWD, with 319 miles of range — a genuinely remarkable value proposition, and the AWD version at $38,295 is the standout figure in the segment.
As our comparison found: excellent regen calibration, real-world range that holds up, and an approachable interface for first-time EV buyers.
Its weaknesses are honest: efficiency lags (117/100 MPGe), towing is limited to 1,500 lb, and Super Cruise isn't on the base trim.
Off-road capable — Scout Traveler *(first drive)*
Our first drive found a deliberately unfashionable proposition: body-on-frame construction, physical buttons, real door handles — proven solutions retained rather than discarded.
As our Land Rover chronology argued, that's the original Land Rover instinct appearing seventy-five years later.
⚠️ First drive only — we haven't run one long-term.
⚠️ What we haven't tested
Being explicit matters here.
We have not comprehensively tested every mainstream SUV on sale — notably several Ford, Subaru, Volkswagen, Nissan and Jeep models that would legitimately contend in these categories.
Our picks reflect our coverage, not the entire market. Where a vehicle we haven't driven is on your shortlist, treat its absence as absence of testing rather than a verdict.
The bottom line
Compact: the RAV4 hybrid, with the CR-V and CX-5 genuinely close and better on space and driving respectively.
Three-row: the Ioniq 9, on the strength of 300+ miles in every trim — with the EV9 an equal-substance alternative.
Mainstream electric: the Model Y on ecosystem — but the Equinox EV is the value pick and it isn't close.
⭐ And the recurring theme across every category: read the runners-up. Our comparisons keep concluding that third place is the right car for a substantial group of readers, and a podium summarises a test rather than answering your question.
- 🏆 Picks drawn from our own testing — where we haven't tested something, we say so rather than implying comprehensive coverage
- Compact: Toyota RAV4 hybrid for efficiency, resale and reliability — but the CR-V has more space and the CX-5 is clearly better to drive
- Three-row: Hyundai Ioniq 9 (9/10) — decided by 300+ miles of range in EVERY configuration, with no compromise trim
- Mainstream electric: Model Y on ecosystem, not product — an AWD Equinox EV undercuts an AWD Model Y by over $10,000
- ⭐ Read the runners-up: our comparisons repeatedly find third place is the right buy for a substantial group of readers
Key takeaways
- 🏆 Picks drawn from our own testing — where we haven't tested something, we say so rather than implying comprehensive coverage
- Compact: Toyota RAV4 hybrid for efficiency, resale and reliability — but the CR-V has more space and the CX-5 is clearly better to drive
- Three-row: Hyundai Ioniq 9 (9/10) — decided by 300+ miles of range in EVERY configuration, with no compromise trim
- Mainstream electric: Model Y on ecosystem, not product — an AWD Equinox EV undercuts an AWD Model Y by over $10,000
- ⭐ Read the runners-up: our comparisons repeatedly find third place is the right buy for a substantial group of readers
Sources & further reading
- True Motion Auto comparison tests and rated reviews across this project. *Reflects our coverage rather than the entire market. Verified July 2026.*
Figures, prices and policy details were current at the last-updated date above. Automotive pricing, incentives and regulations change frequently — verify time-sensitive details with the linked primary sources. Read our editorial policy and fact-checking standards.
