15) 2021 Subaru Crosstrek
$22,245 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.3/10
The Subaru Crosstrek is quite pricey for a subcompact SUV, but it’s unique in many ways. Like almost all Subaru vehicles, it comes standard with all-wheel drive, which many classmates either charge extra for or don’t offer at all. The Crosstrek also returns good fuel economy, has plenty of ground clearance, and can hold its own pretty well off the pavement.
This Subaru places toward the middle of our subcompact SUV ranking due to its lackluster base engine, middling cabin quality, and below-average predicted reliability rating. However, it has a smooth ride, spacious seats, a roomy cargo hold, and a history of good safety scores. Niceties like a touch-screen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto come standard, but you have to pay extra for an automatic transmission and active safety aids.
14) 2021 Mazda CX-3
$20,640 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.3/10
If you’re in the market for a sporty subcompact crossover with a reasonable starting price, the Mazda CX-3 is tough to beat. It boasts zippy acceleration, agile handling, and responsive steering. This Mazda isn’t the best option if you need spacious accommodations, however. Its rear seats are cramped and its cargo area is small. It also suffers from a lack of adequate power at highway speeds, as well as a below-average predicted reliability rating.
The Mazda CX-3 features a classy cabin, supportive front seats, good gas mileage, and a history of excellent crash test ratings. It’s only available in one trim, which includes a touch screen, voice recognition, smartphone connectivity, and Mazda’s i-Activsense suite of safety technologies. The suite is loaded with the usual safety systems and has advanced features like adaptive headlights, rain-sensing windshield wipers, day and night pedestrian detection, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality.
13) 2020 Kia Niro
$24,590 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.4/10
The Kia Niro’s greatest strength is arguably its fuel economy. It comes in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric configurations. The Niro features a spacious interior, composed handling, high safety scores, and an above-average predicted reliability rating. Compared to most other subcompact SUVs, the Niro has roomier rear seats and more cargo volume.
Like all vehicles, the Niro also has its shortfalls. It doesn’t accelerate very quickly, you can’t get it with all-wheel drive, and its cabin isn’t as upscale as rivals’. However, it’s well-priced for a hybrid SUV, and it comes standard with a user-friendly touch screen and smartphone app integration. For an extra $1,000, you can step up to the LXS trim, which gets you multiple active safety systems.
12) 2021 Honda HR-V
$21,020 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.4/10
The Honda HR-V is one of the most well-rounded and practical subcompact SUVs available today. It features a huge cargo hold, spacious second-row seats, superb fuel economy, and excellent maneuverability. The HR-V also delivers sporty handling and a relatively comfortable ride. All-wheel drive is available, too. However, its lone engine option fails to impress.
This Honda crossover has a track record of good crash test ratings, but it doesn’t have any advanced driver-assist systems as standard. In addition, it’s light on niceties. Fortunately, you can upgrade to the Sport trim and still stay below the $25,000 threshold. With a starting price of $22,970, the HR-V Sport comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but its infotainment system can be distracting to operate. If you want active safety features, you have to opt for the $24,220 EX model.
11) 2020 Buick Encore
$23,200 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.6/10
The Buick Encore is a good SUV for shoppers who prioritize interior quality, ultra-comfortable seats, and a silky ride. It has more than enough room in its luxury-grade cabin for four adults to fit comfortably, as well as competitive cargo capacity. The Encore is also easy to maneuver in tight spaces, but its engine is underpowered, and it’s not as agile as rivals.
The Encore is more expensive than most subcompact crossovers, but it has a good predicted reliability rating and comes with attractive standard features, such as an 8-inch touch screen, smartphone connectivity, and a Wi-Fi hot spot. The Encore will cost you over $25,000 if you opt for any safety systems, which requires choosing the $24,600 Preferred trim and adding a package. To get the Encore’s full set of safety features, you have to select the range-topping Essence trim and add a package, pushing the price to over $30,000.
10) 2020 Nissan Kicks
$18,870 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.6/10
The Nissan Kicks is one of the least expensive new SUVs available today, and it’s impressively well-equipped. This subcompact SUV comes standard with a 7-inch touch screen, Bluetooth, three USB ports, remote keyless entry, automatic headlights, and a full assortment of advanced driver-assist systems. However, you have to step up to the $20,500 SV model to get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The Kicks features one of the largest cargo capacities in its class, excellent fuel economy, high crash test ratings, and an above-average predicted reliability rating. In addition, it has a well-built cabin, two rows of roomy and supportive seats, and relaxed ride quality. The Kicks lags behind rivals’ acceleration and braking power, though.
9) 2021 Subaru Forester
$24,795 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.7/10
Much like the Crosstrek, the compact Subaru Forester boasts standard all-wheel drive, notable off-road capability, good gas mileage, and positive crash test ratings. However, its poor predicted reliability rating and average acceleration hold it back in our compact SUV ranking. On the flip side, it delivers an agreeable ride, confident handling, responsive steering, and strong braking.
Inside, the Forester is high-quality, cargo-friendly, and very roomy. It’s actually one of the few compact SUVs that fits five people with space to spare. The Forester comes equipped with Subaru’s EyeSight suite of safety technology, as well as a rear-seat reminder, an easy-to-use 6.5-inch touch screen, and smartphone app integration.
8) 2021 Hyundai Tucson
$23,700 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.7/10
The Hyundai Tucson has a starting price that undercuts most compact SUVs, and it earns an above-average predicted reliability rating and comes with an industry-leading warranty. It’s not going to win any races, but it provides balanced ride and handling. The Tucson also has adult-friendly seats in both rows and decent cargo volume.
The Tucson has a simple cabin, though it is well-constructed and made with mostly quality materials. Its front seats are supportive and provide all-day comfort. The rear seats aren’t as cushioned, but they can easily accommodate two adults or three children. The Tucson fares well in crash tests and comes standard with lane departure warning, lane keep assist, automatic emergency braking, and driver drowsiness monitoring. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard as well.
7) 2021 Hyundai Venue
$18,750 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.7/10
If the Tucson is out of your price range, the subcompact Hyundai Venue should be on your shortlist. Its engine isn’t powerful, and it doesn’t have much cargo space, but it's comfortable, easy to maneuver, and fuel-efficient. The Venue also has an attractive cabin, especially considering its starting price. Despite its tiny footprint, its rear seats provide enough room for two adults.
The Venue has a history of respectable crash test ratings. It was a brand-new model in 2020, so it comes with the latest advanced driver-assist systems, and surprisingly, many are standard. This Hyundai also features an intuitive 8-inch touch screen, which is larger than many classmates’. It comes standard with smartphone app connectivity, too.
6) 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan
$24,945 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.9/10
If you need three rows of seats, the Volkswagen Tiguan is your only option on this list, though the third row is only adequate for children. The Mitsubishi Outlander is the only other SUV under $25,000 with three rows of seats, but we don’t recommend it. The Tiguan’s other strengths include its coddling ride, generous cargo volume, and good crash test ratings. It also earns an above-average rating for predicted reliability.
This Volkswagen compact SUV has a weak engine and poor fuel economy. However, it has a stylish interior, comfortable seats, and a welcome array of standard features. The base Tiguan is equipped with a responsive 6.5-inch touch screen, smartphone integration, a Wi-Fi hot spot, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection.
5) 2021 Kia Soul
$17,490 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.1/10
The Kia Soul is the cheapest crossover on this list. This is because it’s really just a compact car with a tall, boxy cabin. It doesn’t offer all-wheel drive, and it’s not highly capable. However, if you’re just looking for a safe, reliable, and affordable crossover with tons of space for people and gear, the Soul is worth consideration.
This Kia subcompact SUV seats five people in two roomy rows, provides a relaxed ride, returns respectable fuel economy, and comes with one of the longest warranties in the industry. Its base engine isn’t peppy, but an available turbo-four delivers quick acceleration. What’s more, the Soul comes standard with a user-friendly 7-inch touch screen, smartphone integration, and a rear-seat reminder. A full array of active safety systems are available, as well as heated seats, wireless device charging, and more.
4) 2021 Ford Escape
$24,885 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.1/10
Compact SUV shoppers looking for solid overall driving dynamics should add the fully redesigned 2021 Ford Escape to their list. This is especially true since, unlike many sporty SUVs, the Escape also has spacious seats and lots of room for cargo. Moreover, it receives top-notch ratings for safety and predicted reliability.
The Escape isn’t as fancy inside as some classmates, but it has modern styling and plenty of soft-touch surfaces. This Ford SUV is also light on standard niceties, though it does come equipped with the MyKey driver monitoring technology and the Co-Pilot360 suite of advanced driver-assist systems. If you want niceties like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, automatic climate control, and heated front seats, you have to step up a notch from the base model, which will cost you well over $25,000.
3) 2021 Mazda CX-30
$21,900 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.2/10
The CX-30 joined Mazda’s lineup as an all-new subcompact crossover for the 2020 model year. Following suit with the rest of Mazda’s vehicles, it boasts adept handling, a silky ride, a premium cabin, and excellent crash test ratings. Its engine isn’t very quick off the line, but it’s fine once you get going, and delivers sufficient power for most driving situations.
The 2021 Mazda CX-30 has good passenger and cargo space, especially for a sporty subcompact SUV. Its cargo hold is also easy to load since it has a low lift-in height and a wide opening. This Mazda comes equipped with a 7-inch digital instrument cluster display, an 8.8-inch infotainment display, smartphone connectivity, voice recognition, and a Wi-Fi hot spot. In addition, it has a long list of the latest advanced driver assistance technologies.
2) 2021 Kia Sportage
$23,990 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.3/10
The Kia Sportage features an inviting cabin, two rows of spacious seats, adequate acceleration, and balanced ride and handling. It also has a history of fantastic crash test ratings and a near-perfect predicted reliability rating, not to mention its first-rate warranty coverage. The Sportage could use more cargo space and better gas mileage, but it still offers plenty of value when compared with most compact SUV competitors.
The Sportage provides an abundance of standard features, such as a top-notch 8-inch touch screen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, voice recognition, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, high-beam assist, and a driver attention monitor. With all these niceties and safety systems, most buyers won’t need to spend more money on extras or an upper trim.
1) 2021 Hyundai Kona
$20,400 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.3/10
For just over $20,000, the Hyundai Kona has a lot to offer today’s SUV shoppers. However, it’s not the best choice if you need a roomy second row or a large cargo area. The Kona handles well, rides smoothly, and has an upmarket cabin. Its front seats are comfortable and supportive, and its second row should fit children just fine. Adults who aren’t too tall could also ride back there for shorter trips.
The Kona has a history of strong crash test results, an above-average predicted reliability rating, and a long warranty. Its base four-cylinder engine gets the job done, but a punchier turbo-four is available. Both options return competitive fuel economy.
Sticking with the base Kona gets you an intuitive 7-inch touch screen, smartphone connectivity, lane keep assist, forward collision warning, and driver drowsiness monitoring. You can move up the trim ladder and get niceties like a sunroof, heated front seats, wireless device charging, and a premium Infinity stereo, while still staying under the $25,000 threshold.
More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report
Did you choose an affordable SUV that fits your priorities? If you need to do more research on these models and compare them to rivals, visit our SUV rankings. To find the best current incentives on the SUVs of your choice, check out our best new car financing deals and lease deals pages. If you’d rather buy a used SUV, peruse our used car listings.
If you decide to buy a new SUV, be sure to use the U.S. News Best Price Program to track down the dealership in your area offering the best pre-negotiated prices. Shoppers who use the program to buy or lease a new vehicle save over $3,000 off MSRP.
The Top 15 SUVs Under $25,000 in 2021
15) 2021 Subaru Crosstrek: $22,245 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.3/10
14) 2021 Mazda CX-3: $20,640 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.3/10
13) 2020 Kia Niro: $24,590 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.4/10
12) 2021 Honda HR-V: $21,020 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.4/10
11) 2020 Buick Encore: $23,200 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.6/10
10) 2020 Nissan Kicks: $18,870 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.6/10
9) 2020 Subaru Forester: $24,795 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.7/10
8) 2021 Hyundai Tucson: $18,750 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.7/10
7) 2021 Hyundai Venue: $23,550 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.8/10
6) 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan: $24,945 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.9/10
5) 2021 Kia Soul: $17,490 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.1/10
4) 2021 Ford Escape: $24,885 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.1/10
3) 2021 Mazda CX-30: $21,900 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.2/10
2) 2021 Kia Sportage: $23,990 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.3/10
1) 2021 Hyundai Kona: $20,400 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.3/10
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The 15 Most-Affordable SUVs You Can Buy
As the popularity of SUVs reaches new heights in the U.S., people are spending more money on vehicles than ever before. However, not all crossovers and SUVs are significantly more expensive than cars.
Many new SUVs carry starting prices of less than $25,000, with several starting around $20,000 or less. This is promising when considering the fact that in 2019, the average transaction price for a new light vehicle purchase in the U.S. was almost $40,000.
On the following pages, we rank the 15 best SUVs with starting prices below $25,000. We’ve ranked these crossover SUVs based on their overall scores in the U.S. News Best Cars rankings. However, in the case of a tie, we gave the win to the SUV with the lower starting price.
Even though our list features the least expensive SUVs on the market today, many perform very well in our rankings. In addition, many automakers continue to add appealing niceties like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, as well as many standard advanced driver-assist systems in some cases. This means car shoppers may be confident with buying the base model rather than spending more money on upper trims, extras, and packages.
We continuously update our new car scores and rankings as new information becomes available, so the scores you see on the following pages may not reflect the scores you see in our individual vehicle reviews.
With that said, check out every new crossover SUV you can buy for less than $25,000.