The seven best compact SUVs to buy used in 2026 are the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-5, Mazda CX-50, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage. They're the only compact SUVs you'll find for sale on Bestest, vetted across nine respected industry sources including Consumer Reports, Kelley Blue Book, and IIHS. We also filter out second-tier dealers and listings with more than five years or 50,000 miles on the clock. Only the best of the best. About each model →
Only 7 of about 14 compact SUVs qualify as good enough for Bestest shoppers. We've driven and evaluated each and every one of these SUVs, and we've been tracking their reliability, safety and resale value for a couple decades in some cases. With the most important research and vetting already done, you're free to choose the one that's as roomy or comfy or sporty or rugged as you want.
The Gold Standards
The highly regarded and wildly popular RAV4 pairs a deep, well-earned reliability record with the strongest resale value in its class, two of so many reasons it's one of the easiest-to-recommend used cars on the market.
What else to know. Refreshed in 2022, completely redesigned in 2026. The 2019–2025 generation isn't quite as refined as the other compact SUV benchmark, the Honda CR-V.
Bestest listings →
The CR-V is the RAV4's closest rival in every way that matters. It's roomy, efficient, well-built and satisfying to drive, with reliability and resale records about as strong as anything on the road. Exceptionally thorough refinement is a Honda hallmark, and the CR-V is dripping in it.
What else to know. Completely redesigned in 2023, refreshed in 2026. The CR-V's strengths are no secret, and that shows up in the price. Used examples hold their value very well, so be prepared to pay more than you would for a comparable Tucson or Sportage.
Bestest listings →Personality Plus
The CX-5 has long been the most stylish, most fun-to-drive compact SUV money can buy. It's genuinely engaging in a way most of the segment isn't — sharp, composed, eager — and its interior punches well above its price, with materials and design that could be mistaken for those of a luxury marque.
What else to know. Refreshed in 2022, completely redesigned in 2026. That driver-focused design comes with a trade: the CX-5's back seat and cargo hold are tighter than most compact SUVs. If you regularly carry adults in back or haul a lot of gear, weigh it against the roomier picks. (The redesigned 2026 model is larger.)
Bestest listings →
The CX-5's newer, larger, more outdoorsy sibling — and the newest nameplate on this roster. It keeps Mazda's hallmark driving feel and upscale interior, but adds a more rugged stance and a bit of genuine trail capability.
What else to know. New for 2023. Technology lovers should know Mazda's tech suite tends to lag a bit behind in capability.
Bestest listings →
With a more robust all-wheel drive system and greater ground clearance than competitors, the Forester's reputation as the outdoorsy one of the group is well-earned. Excellent outward visibility and a spacious interior help round out a decidedly capable and practical compact SUV.
What else to know. Refreshed in 2022, completely redesigned in 2025. The Forester's infotainment system lags the competition in most regards. Maybe all regards.
Bestest listings →Bang for the Buck
The Tucson combines distinctive styling, a longer list of standard features than most rivals at the same price, and a longer-than-most warranty that's especially valuable for used buyers.
What else to know. Completely redesigned in 2022, refreshed in 2025. Stay away from the 2022 hybrid model, which suffered from some first-year growing pains. (It's on our banned list, so you won't find any for sale on Bestest.)
Bestest listings →
Mechanical kin to the Tucson, and built on the same appeal: lots of equipment per dollar, a long warranty, bold design and great tech. The Sportage tends to be a touch more affordable than the Hyundai on the used market.
What else to know. Completely redesigned in 2023, refreshed in 2026. The 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty reverts to 5/60 coverage for second owners, but that's still more coverage than you get from any of the other vehicles on this list, save the Tucson.
Bestest listings →We score every compact SUV across six pillars — reliability, resale value, safety, awards, expert ratings and our own experience — incorporating trusted data from Consumer Reports, Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, Car and Driver, Motor Trend, CarEdge, iSeeCars, IIHS, and NHTSA. Most used-car shoppers are (or should be) looking first and foremost for a reliable car that holds its value, so our proprietary algorithm weighs those measures higher than any others. As you can see in the graphic above, there's a clear gap in scoring between the seven Bestest-approved compact SUVs and those that don't make the cut.
If it's not on Bestest, proceed with caution. Do more research. Just make sure you know what you're getting into so you can make an informed decision.
Take the Volkswagen Tiguan, for instance. Volkswagen is an iconic brand, the European driving character is uniquely satisfying, the interior is class-above, and it has more parking-lot presence than most compact SUVs. But it sits near the bottom of the segment in our reliability and resale value rankings, and in the bottom half of almost all our scoring. We wish it didn't, but it does. We can't recommend buying a used one.
The latest-generation Nissan Rogue also has its various appeals. And the Chevy Equinox isn't a bad vehicle. But neither offers compelling enough differentiation to accept the resale value and reliability tradeoffs that come with each, especially when buying used and owning out of warranty. (Motor Trend's #1 ranking for the Rogue is highly anomalous among professional review sites, most of which have it ranked in the bottom half of compact SUVs.)
The compact SUVs that don't make the cut at Bestest aren't necessarily bad, they're just not as good as those that do.
The four compact SUVs with the most established track records for reliability are the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester and Mazda CX-5.
The Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester typically top the compact SUV resale value rankings year after year.
For most Orange County drivers, yes — and the math is more favorable than the sticker premium suggests.
A used RAV4 Hybrid typically commands a $2,000 to $4,000 premium over a comparable gas RAV4 of the same year and trim. But because cars lose roughly half their value every five years, your realized premium over a 5-year ownership cycle is closer to half that — call it $1,500 net.
Meanwhile, the fuel savings stack up quickly. At 15,000 miles per year and gas at $5 per gallon, the Hybrid (around 40 mpg combined) burns about $800 less in gas per year than the gas RAV4 (around 28 mpg combined) — roughly 8 fewer fill-ups annually. Over five years, that's about $4,000 saved. Net positive: roughly $2,500 over the ownership cycle, on top of the smoother stop-and-go driving experience.
The math tilts back toward the gas model only for low-mileage drivers — under 8,000 miles per year — where the absolute fuel savings are too small to justify the up-front cost. For most Orange County buyers, where stop-and-go commuting is the norm, the Hybrid is the clearer buy.
A hybrid — and the strongest options on the used market are the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and the Honda CR-V Hybrid, with the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid now in the mix, too. Stop-and-go is exactly where hybrid powertrains shine: they recover energy under braking and run on the electric motor at low speeds, where conventional engines are least efficient.
At 15,000 miles per year and $5 per gallon gas, these hybrids (real-world high 30s to low 40s mpg) burn about $900 less in gas per year than their gas-only counterparts (mid-20s mpg) — roughly 9 fewer fill-ups annually.
Among the three, the RAV4 Hybrid has the longest hybrid track record (Toyota's been doing this since the early 2000s) and earns the highest reliability and resale ranks of any compact SUV variant Bestest tracks. The CR-V Hybrid is generally regarded as a bit more refined. The Tucson Hybrid is the value pick, often $4,000 less than a comparable RAV4 or CR-V Hybrid on the used market, with the residual Hyundai powertrain warranty as additional protection (5-years/60,000-miles for second owners).
For mainstream compact SUVs like the ones Bestest recommends, regular used is often the smarter buy. CPO is most valuable when buying vehicles with likelier and pricier repairs — European luxury marques, for instance. For a Bestest-approved mainstream compact SUV, paying a CPO premium is less likely to pencil financially, but the extra peace of mind can be comforting.
