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The Best Compact SUV For the Money
June 4, 2015
If you're in the market for a compact SUV, you're not alone -- thanks to their price, space, and rather good fuel economy, compact SUVs are in high demand right now. That also means car manufacturers are flooding the market with their own versions, hoping to win buyers over.
With so many to choose from, how can car buyers know they're making the right choice? Cars.com recently conducted what they call the $28,000 Compact SUV Challenge. They took a look at seven new-model compact SUVs that all cost less than $28,000 and had a city/highway mileage of at least 26 mpg. They then compared and ranked them based on criteria such as comfort, safety, and overall driveability.
The results? At the top of the list was the 2015 Honda CR-V, with a total of 752.8 points. The 2015 Chevrolet Equinox came in second with 735.8 points, and the 2015 GMC Terrain won third place with 705 points. Below is a look at how all seven ranked.
If you are considering any of these top-scoring compact SUVs, make sure to use TrueCar No Haggle and CarsDirect for the lowest price possible.
Rank | Vehicle | Score |
---|---|---|
1 | 2015 Honda CR-V | 752.8 |
2 | 2015 Chevrolet Equinox | 735.8 |
3 | 2015 GMC Terrain | 705.0 |
4 | 2015 Nissan Rogue | 700.8 |
5 | 2015 Subaru Forester | 696.3 |
6 | 2015 Toyota RAV4 | 675.3 |
7 | 2016 Mazda CX-5 | 673.3 |
3 Steps Every Car Buyer Needs to Take to Save Maximum Money
The key to getting the best deal is to gather price or lease bids from as many local dealers as possible. Then shop that best price around until no one can beat it. Here are the steps:Step 1 Get Prices From My Trusted Network
Select the vehicle you're interested in to see if there are local dealers in my network who will provide you with their best upfront price. You will get direct access to an internet sales manager who you can further negotiate with online (no need to visit dealership).Select Vehicle to Get Local Pricing
Step 2 Get Prices From TrueCar / CarsDirect
TrueCar, and CarsDirect are my top 2 online price quote recommendations. These services show you pre-negotiated prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually pretty decent. But remember, you can still negotiate further.Step 3 Complete my Checklist
Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.- Gregg Fidan
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