Consumer Reports The Most Recommended SUV Category Might Surprise You

Consumer Reports can be a little peculiar. This is, in part, why he provides such a valuable service to so many people. When it comes to trucks and SUVs, CR testers and testing methods often leave some of the more popular models with surprisingly low scores while less popular models get killer scores. A perfect example of this is Consumer Reports’ most recommended SUV category. Consumer Reports recommended more models in the luxury compact SUV segment than any other group.

The luxury compact SUV is Consumer Reports’ favorite SUV category

The only thing that makes this choice strange is that the majority of models scoring this high in this category are not overly popular models with consumers. Let’s clarify which SUVs we are talking about.

For example, the 2022 Buick Envision is the top-ranked model in the section. When was the last time you heard someone talk about Buick? The Envision scored in the same arena as other hugely popular models like the 2022 Honda CR-V, 2022 Subaru Crosstrek, and 2022 Mazda CX-5.

Which luxury compact SUVs does Consumer Reports recommend?

This segment has more recommended models than any other SUV category on Consumer Reports. Of 23 models tested, 13 are recommended.

In order of highest score to lowest, here are all the luxury compact SUVs recommended by Consumer Reports:

• ’22 Buick Envision
• ’23 Cadillac XT5
• ’22 Cadillac XT5
• ’22 Ford Mustang Mach-E
• ’22BMW X3
• ’22 Hyundai Ioniq 5
• ’22Audi Q5
• ’22Kia EV6
• ’22 Mercedes-Benz GLC
• ’22 Porsche Macan
• ’22Volvo XC60
• ’22Infiniti QX50
• ’22Acura RDX

Of course, all these models are not a surprise. The Porsche Macan is one of the most successful models that Porsche has ever produced. It proved to be a good choice to fill the SUV side of the Porsche brand without spending the Porsche Cayenne money.

However, seeing so many models on the list like the Volvo XC60 and Infiniti QX50 might make some car enthusiasts’ heads spin. Not because these models are bad; in fact, it is the opposite. We know these brands have made plenty of great cars in the past, but we don’t tend to give them much airtime these days.

Which SUV Should You Buy?

This list is not made of cheap cars. Buying a car in 2022 is already very expensive and difficult. If you’re going to spend more anyway, maybe looking at the next step isn’t such a bad idea.

RELATED: Should You Buy a Luxury SUV?