Consumer Reports and other reviewers highly recommend the Toyota RAV4 Prime. It’s well known as one of the best compact SUVs on the market. In a surprising turn of events, for 2022, Consumer Reports actually recommends 2 small SUVs over the Toyota RAV4 Prime. What makes the 2022 Hyundai Tucson and 2022 Subaru Forester better?

The Toyota RAV4 Prime is the third best compact SUV

Toyota’s compact SUV offering received excellent scores from Consumer Reports for 2022. It had to prove itself to earn its third place overall score of 88 out of 100. For both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction, the 2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime scored perfectly. Additionally, its fuel economy is impeccable. The RAV4 Prime gets 72 MPGe combined, earning it another perfect CR score.

Owners are delighted with the driving experience of a RAV4 Prime compact SUV. Overall, it received a 91 out of 100 from CR. Contrarily, it received just a 46 for value, which helps it fall behind other models. Value is one of the most important things when purchasing any vehicle, and the Toyota RAV4 Prime might be too expensive, starting at $39,800.

2022 Hyundai Tucson: better than the RAV4 Prime

It almost seemed like it couldn’t get any better than the RAV4 Prime in terms of scores. However, the Hyundai Tucson matches it, plus some. This compact SUV received the identical perfect scores for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction as its competitor. Additionally, the Tucson scored an 86 on its road test, one point higher than the Toyota compact SUV.

While the lack of a hybrid engine doesn’t allow the Tucson to match the Prime’s fuel economy, it does well for itself. Every 2022 Hyundai Tucson gets a combined 26 mpg, which is impressive for the gas-only variant of the SUV. The Tucson ranked better than the RAV4 Prime in terms of overall value to owners. Hyundai’s offering received a 96 styling score, paired with an 81 for comfort. It outranks the RAV4 Prime in both areas by quite a margin, although it does falter a bit in terms of driving experience. The 2022 Hyundai Tucson base model starts at $24,950.

2022 Subaru Forester: Consumer Reports best overall compact SUV

The 2022 Subaru Forester scored an even better road test rating than both other compact SUVs. A 90 out of 100 makes it the highest-scoring option available. However, it does get only a 4 out of 5 for both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction, which is less than the RAV4 Prime and Tucson. In terms of owner satisfaction, it doesn’t score high in any one category, but it gets an excellent average throughout. The RAV4 Prime and Tucson had at least one category where they scored much lower. The Subaru Forester scored a 62 for value, 78 for driving experience and styling, and 79 for comfort.

Each 2022 Subaru Forester model gets 28 combined mpg and starts at $25,195. Its low price makes it an excellent value combined with its reliability and superior driving experience. Any vehicle with that kind of road test results from Consumer Reports deserves to be at the top of the list, even if it falls short elsewhere.

Which compact SUV is the best?

All three of Consumer Reports’ best compact SUVs are excellent options if you’re in the market for one. The Toyota RAV4 Prime provides the best gas mileage by far but comes at a very steep price. Contrarily, the less eco-friendly Hyundai Tucson received more “would buy again” answers than any other compact SUV. That means owners are very pleased with their purchase. According to Consumer Reports, the 2022 Subaru Forester is the best compact SUV available. Despite its shortcomings in terms of reliability and satisfaction, it’s overall an excellent vehicle, great to drive, and very affordable.