Every Compact Crossover Worth Buying In 2026

Every Compact Crossover Worth Buying In 2026 From the best-selling Toyota RAV4 to the quirky Ford Bronco Sport—here's every compact crossover worth buying in 2026. Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1 Chris Tsui By: Chris Tsui Apr 23, at 12:30pm ET Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail copy Share Comment In 2025, the number one and two best-selling non-pickup truck vehicles were the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, in that order. The mainstream compact crossover class is arguably the most important segment in the entire automotive industry in a what-actually-keeps-the-lights-on sense. Call them boring if you want, but for the average person, this is what fits the bill of modern life and modern finances. Small enough to never feel bulky, big enough to fit all your stuff, often great on fuel economy, and they all start somewhere in the low-$30,000s. Here’s a quick roundup of every main competitor in the fiercely competitive compact crossover arena, what they offer, what they don’t offer, and what they’re actually like to drive and live with. Toyota RAV4 2026 Toyota RAV4 Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1 Base Price: $33,350 / $42,950Fuel Economy: 44 MPG / 107 MPGERead Our Review The segment default and sales king, the Toyota RAV4, is all-new this year and now comes exclusively as a hybrid—plug-in or otherwise. Up to 44 miles per gallon combined with the regular model and 52 miles of electric range with the PHEV makes it a formidable foe for the other cars on this list and a strong, economical choice for buyers. Offered in regular core, rugged Woodland, or athletic GR Sport trim, the new RAV4 continues to feel like the default compact crossover behind the wheel, too: agreeable, easy, and competent. If you want one of these, hopefully you’re a fan of rectangles because the interior was seemingly designed with nothing but those. Tell us what you think! View Comments Honda CR-V 2026 Honda CR-V Trailsport Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1 Base Price: $32,370 / $37,080Fuel Economy: 30 MPG / 40 MPGRead Our Review Nipping at the RAV4’s heels is its archnemesis, the also-excellent Honda CR-V. Available running on pure gas or as a Hybrid in higher trims, Honda’s super popular compact crossover may not be quite as popular as that Toyota, but it’s still arguably the nicer vehicle. Several years into its lifecycle, this model’s design and ubiquity won’t turn any heads even if you go for that new, rugged-ish TrailSport version. But the CR-V’s above-average passenger and cargo space, upscale, minimalist cabin, and downright excellent driving manners mean it's not just one of the best crossovers you can buy, but one of the best commuter machines on the market, period. Mazda CX-5 2026 Mazda CX-5 Photo by: Anthony Alaniz / Motor1 Base Price: $31,485Fuel Economy: 26 MPGRead Our Review A perennial favorite among people who care about cars beyond transportation, the Mazda CX-5 is redesigned for 2026. This new generation fixes the old CX-5’s biggest flaw by offering way more rear seat room and cargo capacity, while class-leading twisty-road handling is slightly improved and remains very much a strength. After the first drive, however, I wrote, "it feels a bit like two steps forward and one step back" because Mazda has chosen to ditch most of the old model’s physical knobs and buttons in favor of a massive touchscreen. There’s also no longer a Turbo model, just a regular gas, 2.5-liter that feels downright slow, even by commuter crossover standards. A Hybrid model due for 2027 will hopefully fix that second gripe at least. Even with the newfound asterisks, though, the CX-5 remains one of the stronger picks in this segment. Hyundai Tucson 2025 Hyundai Tucson Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1 Base Price: $31,050 / $34,050 / $41,925Fuel Economy: 28 MPG / 38 MPG / 77 MPGERead Our Review Among this hyper-competitive set, the Hyundai Tucson is one of the older entries, but, par for the Korean car course, you wouldn’t know it from its tech. Now featuring two 12.3-inch screens housed in one long, curved, luxury-car-style bezel, the Tucson (and its Kia twin below) should be at the top of your list if you’re the sort of buyer for whom Apple CarPlay / Android Auto integration is unequivocally, unironically the most important thing in a new car. Under the hood, the Tucson is available as a regular gas, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid. As a drive, it’s not as enjoyable to pilot as the Honda or the Mazda, but its comfort-focused demeanor should be appealing if you’re not too concerned with that sort of thing. Kia Sportage 2026 Kia Sportage PHEV Photo by: Kia Base Price: $30,285 / $31,985 / $41,985Fuel Economy: 28 MPG / 42 MPG / 83 MPGE Being the Hyundai Tucson’s corporate cousin, much of the above also applies to the Kia Sportage. It also features class-leading infotainment software and can be had with gas, hybrid, or plug-in. We’d recommend the hybrid, though, as that one won our Star Award for Best SUV back in 2022, whereas the gas version lacked both oomph and efficiency. The Sportage gets a fairly significant facelift for 2026 with a literal new face, making it look and feel newer than it is. Per Motor1 Editor-In-Chief Jeff Perez, there "isn’t a ton to write home about" dynamically, but in-car debates over whether Sportage rhymes with "garage" or "porridge" should provide many minutes of mild entertainment. Nissan Rogue Nissan Rogue Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1 Base Price: $31,035Fuel Economy: 32 MPGRead Our Review As another compact crossover that’s serviceably decent if not class-leading, there’s the Nissan Rogue. This one drives comfortably and offers quite a lot of tech for the money, especially factoring in the more lenient financing terms associated with this brand. One of the Rogue’s biggest flaws is that there’s no hybrid model per se unless you count the just-released Rogue Plug-In Hybrid that’s actually a rebadged Mitsubishi Outlander—oh, and there’s an all-new one coming just around the corner.