Cheap Small SUV Comparison Test

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program of dream machines with a break into the real world—where millennials wrangle underwhelming paychecks against a mountain of student debt, high rent, and the necessity of car ownership.

Enter our showdown of lovable, affordable SUVs. Sure, there will be compromises—what do you expect from a car that costs “just” a semester’s tuition at Skidmore but doesn’t have the power to leave skid marks? That said, the better entries won’t make you feel like you compromised.

As SUVs continue to dominate the automotive landscape, it was only a matter of time until every purse and purpose was satisfied. Now a new niche is emerging within the subcompact SUV segment, aimed at consumers on a budget and in search of a higher seating position and additional cargo space than what a sedan can offer. These models blur the definition of a traditional SUV because none offers four-wheel or all-wheel drive. So they’re more like tall hatchbacks—econoboxes on stilts. But go ahead, call them SUVs. Everyone else does.

Our contenders are a mix of new and established nameplates in the subcompact SUV class. All of them are from Asia, and all are powered by fuel-sipping, short-on-power engines that send thrust to the wheels via CVTs. Is there any fun to be had here? Surprisingly, yes.

The Kia Soul, in its third generation of boxy minimalism, is one of Kia’s best-selling vehicles, and it packs plenty of character. Toyota’s refreshed C-HR still looks like a rally car that briefly bounced off course, but it receives an upgraded multimedia system for 2020. The Nissan Kicks focuses on practicality while delivering more style than its price tag suggests. Hyundai’s Venue is the latest entry—a less expensive, Accent-based version of its Soul brother, intent on luring consumers with tech features, an easy-to-reach entry price, and a confidence-inspiring warranty.

Consumers looking to purchase an affordable SUV will mostly likely count on it as their only vehicle. It’ll do everything from commuting to carrying around their friends and gear, especially if they have active lifestyles. Others may opt for a subcompact SUV because of where they live. Tight streets and areas with narrow roads aren’t a place for big, hulking behemoths to roam. These vehicles are urban runabouts that can easily squeeze through little nooks and fit in that absurdly small parking spot.

The four SUVs’ slight size and layout differences affect their usability significantly. The 2020 Hyundai Venue is the smallest, and you can immediately see how its tidy dimensions impact its interior. Front passengers have generous space, and the rear seats are cramped even for average-sized adults. Cargo space is limited even with the floor lowered and the 60/40 split-folding rear seat backs down. A sea of cheap, hard plastics further detracts from the Venue’s interior—sadly, it shows up in many places where hands come to rest.  “This car is totally an exercise in cost cutting,” associate online editor Nick Yekikian said. Others among us agreed. “Not padding the elbow rests on the doors is a pretty cheap move,” features editor Scott Evans said.

The 2020 Toyota C-HR is larger than the Venue, yet it’s the least practical of our quartet. “Everything about this car is compromised by its shape,” Yekikian said. “The cargo area is nearly useless because of the rake of the rear window.” Perhaps the C-HR’s most detrimental feature is its claustrophobic cabin; the narrow greenhouse imparts a confined feeling, particularly to rear passengers who have jail-cell-like wedges for windows. There aren’t many places to store your mobile devices, either; even the cupholders look like an afterthought, and their shape screams it. MotorTrend contributor Derek Powell called the rear visibility “a nightmare” because of the thick pillars. At least Toyota used nice materials. As for its interior design, some might call it quirky and stylish, while others will see it as overwrought.

Nissan and Kia win bonus points for cleverly packaging their affordable SUVs. Both the Kicks and the Soul have generous cargo capacities and can comfortably fit four adults.

The Nissan Kicks’ 0.7-inch wheelbase advantage over the Soul gives it more usable space, and its low liftover height and wider hatch opening also make the Kicks more convenient to live with daily. “Interior room feels airy and relatively spacious,” Powell said. “There’s enough room for me to sit in the back seat with the front seat set at my (6-foot-tall) driving position. Grocery bag hooks in the rear cargo area are a good touch, and there’s a sense of thoughtful, usable space throughout.” Don’t have money for a VRBO midway through a road trip? The Kicks can function as an overnight crash pad: You can fit an entire associate online editor in the Kicks’ cargo area with the cover still attached and all seats up.

Where the 2020 Kia Soul beats the 2020 Nissan Kicks is in overall material quality and execution. Although Nissan tried its best to hide the low-rent bits with padded armrests and orange stitching, the Kia’s materials feel more substantial, and the cheaper plastics are placed away from touch points. Additionally, the silver trim and two-tone gray/black upholstery help give the Soul’s cabin a sense of sophistication that the others lack. The Soul’s interior is also one of the quieter ones in the group, whereas the Kicks’ gets quite noisy at highway speeds. A two-level cargo floor gives the Soul plenty of flexibility, and its boxy shape makes fitting bulky items a breeze.

Young buyers tend to be tech savvy. Everything needs to connect through their phone as seamlessly as possible. Value-minded elderly buyers don’t want a complicated infotainment user interface, so user-friendly tech features are crucial even for small SUVs.

Hyundai and Kia continue to show their infotainment mastery in the Venue and Soul. Even at the entry level, the Korean sister brands don’t skimp on the connectivity front, and they also keep things easy for the tech-challenged. Both vehicles have the latest system, which blends speed, intuitiveness, and simplicity. “Hyundai demonstrates the difference between simple and straightforward,” Powell raved. “The Venue is more feature-laden than the Kicks, but everything is as inviting and easy to use, with hard buttons for quick access to infotainment system features.” Kia’s interface, however, is the superior unit thanks to its large 10.3-inch touchscreen, which Evans said “makes everything else look old” while also sporting the best UI of the bunch.

The Nissan Kicks’ 7.0-inch display is slightly slower than the two Koreans’ interfaces but remains user-friendly. Its available Bose Personal Plus audio system brings concert-hall-quality sound into your car. “Nissan and Bose did a nice job on this system,” Powell said. “It would be nice if it were available in lower trim levels, too.”

Toyota’s Entune 3.0 interface feels the most dated. The 8.0-inch touchscreen and the shortcut buttons flanking it are slow to respond, and its graphics look like they came from the mid-2000s. Like the rest of the interior, usability has been sacrificed in favor of design.

Having a full suite of driver assistance features doesn’t help the 2020 Toyota C-HR, proving the efficacy of a system may be more important than its availability. Most notably, the lane keeping assist reacts late, and automatic emergency braking constantly freaks out, slamming on the brakes even when there’s no danger. “The lane departure warning system would be more useful and less annoying if it worked with any real consistency,” Evans noted.

Nissan recently added more driver assistance features to the Kicks. Luckily, these aren’t overly intrusive, making them perfect for drivers who quickly get annoyed by a system that constantly (and needlessly) corrects or overrides them. The Kicks’ lane departure warning and blind-spot monitoring only make subtle beeps.

Neither Korean subcompact SUV has a full driver assistance suite, but the tech they do have operates better than what you find in the Nissan and Toyota. The Koreans’ lane keeping assist systems stand out for their accuracy and ability to navigate gentle turns. However, the Kia distinguishes itself from the Hyundai as the more polished of the two. The Venue’s system is a little too aggressive, whereas the Soul’s is smoother and less frenetic.

Sportiness probably isn’t the priority for someone buying an affordable SUV, but it’s still important to have a vehicle with stable handling and the ability to confidently zip out of trouble if necessary. After all, it’s better to avoid an accident than to be in one. An adroit-handling vehicle is also easier to maneuver, which is important if you live in a crowded area with small parking spaces and streets that should be classified as alleys. Demand a smooth ride along with that dynamic capability and you present a stiff challenge for an automaker building a small vehicle for those on a limited budget.

Despite being the only vehicle here with a fully independent front and rear suspension—which would normally earn it raves—the 2020 Toyota C-HR delivers a stiff ride that isn’t worth the trade-off for the better handling manners. The coarse 144-hp 2.0-liter I-4 lacks the power to motivate the C-HR with any verve. The CVT makes a poor dance partner to the engine; Evans likened it to an on/off switch. The engine also gets so loud that Powell found himself feathering the throttle to keep it from causing excessive engine noise to enter the cabin.

The Venue and Kicks are the least powerful vehicles in the group. Both have a 1.6-liter I-4, the Venue’s making 121 hp and 113 lb-ft of torque and the Kicks’ making 122 and 114. Credit their CVT tuning for eking the most out of the tiny engines. Evans compared stepping on the Venue’s accelerator to having a big sponge under the pedal that you squeeze dry to get going, even in Sport mode. “The Venue’s Sport mode adds life to the party,” Powell added, “with the CVT keeping the engine on boil and being more responsive to throttle inputs. Still, there’s no getting around there’s only so much power to exploit.” Both the Venue’s and Kicks’ CVTs simulate shifts, but the former responds quicker. The latter’s transmission is more relaxed, causing it to feel flat-footed in many passing situations.

The Venue suffered from a stiff ride, which resulted in complaints about it bouncing around too much over rutted pavement. On the highway, the Venue’s cabin got extremely noisy. “Did Hyundai use paper towels for sound deadening material?” Powell asked. “At least the engine sounds better than the Toyota’s—a good thing since you can almost always hear it. Get up to speed (eventually), and road noise seeps proudly unfiltered into the cabin.”

The Nissan Kicks, while also battling rough roads, at least feels composed thanks to its longer wheelbase and slightly better handling.  “The ride is the firmest of the group,” Yekikian said. “It’s crashy on almost any kind of road.”

Of the four subcompact SUVs, the 2020 Kia Soul has the most polished road manners. You never feel it struggling to accelerate or climb grades, and the CVT is also the best of the group, decisively changing ratios to put the 147-hp 2.0-liter I-4 to good use. “Finally!” Evans said. “A powertrain that’s responsive, has decent power, and isn’t loud and obnoxious. Even has a pretty good stop/start system.” The Soul’s suspension, although a bit stiff, is the most sorted. “I can’t believe how composed this thing is,” Powell said. “The Soul has astonishing ride quality that belies its price point.” Its handling and body control are the best of the group, too, and the cabin stays quiet on the highway or during hard acceleration.

Especially for those with boxy silhouettes, it’s easy to dismiss these vehicles as little more than cheap appliances. But a closer look proves that’s not the case. This new crop of subcompact SUVs brings more character than one expects from an entry-level vehicle. Additionally, they bring more value to the table with features once reserved only for pricier vehicles. Unfortunately, not all executions are created equal. From this pack, there’s only one overachiever that makes you rethink what an affordable SUV can be.

The 2020 Toyota C-HR comes in last because it sacrifices everything in the name of its polarizing looks. Its lackluster driving experience, poorly packaged interior, and half-baked tech features make this oddball subcompact SUV feel like you’re getting less car than the others. Even if you opt for cheaper variants, the C-HR’s packaging keeps it from being competitive in a rapidly growing segment. “The styling problem is less about the way it looks, which is overwrought and obviously trying too hard to look cool, and more with that it intentionally sacrifices practicality,” Evans concluded.

With its low price of entry, long list of standard features, and generous tech offerings, the 2020 Hyundai Venue presents a compelling budget-friendly option, notable especially for its user-friendliness. If only its interior didn’t make it so obvious that it’s built to a price. We also wish it had better road manners. Such small quibbles are what keep the pint-sized Hyundai from ranking higher.

The 2020 Nissan Kicks blends affordability, practicality, and fuel efficiency in a package that’s easy to live with. Nissan’s execution is one of the most well rounded because it blends many key traits consumers look for in an entry-level SUV. The need for an improved powertrain and the desire for better interior materials are the only factors keeping the Kicks from the top spot.  “I really appreciate the pure honesty of the Nissan,” Evans said. “It knows it’s cheap, and it’s not trying to fool you into thinking it’s something it’s not. At the same time, though, it’s not trying to penalize you for saving money. You still get some touches of style and comfort, good technology, and a surprisingly good drive for the money.”

Among our four contenders, the 2020 Kia Soul is the most well rounded. Great road manners, excellent interior packing, a nicely tuned powertrain, and the best tech features help the Soul bely its categorization as an affordable small SUV. Even if you opt for a lower trim than our EX example, the Soul doesn’t punish you for being frugal by giving you low-rent materials or stripping the vehicle clean of modern tech features. As Powell noted, “The Soul assures you that you didn’t really have to sacrifice anything. Solid, sophisticated, and smart, the Kia Soul is a real car.” Long live the box!

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