The compact SUV class is one with limitless options for car buyers, but one key element that is usually missing from these vehicles is power. Many of them are well-designed but lack oomph when you’re behind the wheel.

But one brand that has never lacked oomph is Mazda, and they offer several options in the compact SUV class — including the CX-5, CX-30 and CX-50.

The 2022 Mazda CX-30 is essentially a lifted version of the Mazda 3 hatchback. Slight changes have been made to the model lineup for 2022 (including a new Carbon Edition trim level), and all-wheel-drive is now standard on all CX-30 trims.

I recently spent some time driving a 2022 CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus edition, and I’m back with a full report on how it measures up vs. the competition. 

BMW has a variety of popular models, but even for this sports-car focused brand, SUVs are increasingly stealing the spotlight.

Case in point: The BMW X3 — a compact luxury SUV offering — is now the brand’s best-selling model in the U.S. with over 75,000 vehicles sold in 2021.

That’s a tremendous success considering the strong competition in this sector from brands including Genesis, Benz, Audi, Cadillac, Lincoln and more.

I recently tested the 2022 BMW X3, which features design upgrades as well as tech improvements, and I’m back with a full report.

Due to sheer numbers, much of the conversation surrounding luxury SUVs focuses on non-domestic models.

But it’s important to remember that Detroit’s automakers are still holding their own in this popular segment.

One of those domestic brands battling for buyer loyalty in the luxury realm is Lincoln, Ford’s luxury arm, and one of the weapons in their arsenal is the 2022 Lincoln Nautilus, a two-row midsize luxury SUV — based originally on the Ford Edge — which continues to impress even against tough competition from Audi/Benz/BMW/Lexus/Cadillac/Genesis and other competitors.

Sitting between Lincoln’s smaller Corsair SUV and larger Aviator SUV in the lineup, it keeps the updates to interior design and infotainment that were first introduced for 2021, with no major changes for the 2022 model. 

I recently spent some time in a 2022 Nautilus, and I’m back with a full report on how it measures up in the intense luxury SUV battlefield.

As large as vehicles have gotten these days, with the biggest SUVs looking more and more like monster trucks than ever, there is still a strong market — particularly among younger people and those who drive mainly in urban areas — for smaller and more maneuverable vehicles that don’t take up so much space.

That’s where vehicles like the 2022 Nissan Kicks — a subcompact crossover first introduced a few years back — come into play. WIth a no-frills approach that’s the polar opposite of the ultra luxury offerings available today, it’s focused mainly on offering an attractive, tech-savvy ride that is also affordable.

I recently tested the 2022 Nissan Kicks (in the top SR trim level), and I’m back with a full report of what it offers and how it compares to the myriad small SUV offerings available to today’s car-buying public.

Returning a nameplate from the 1990s and early 2000s, Honda announced the Passport SUV would be returning a few years back, slotting in between the CR-V and the Pilot in its SUV lineup. Since then it has served as a popular vehicle for loyal buyers looking to trade up to larger vehicles within the Honda brand.

To keep things fresh, with the arrival of the 2022 Passport, an upgrade to the exterior design has been applied. But the biggest news is the offering of a new TrailSport trim level — which both looks more aggressive and performs more impressively in light off-road conditions.

I recently spent some time behind the wheel of a 2022 Honda Passport TrailSport, and I’m back with a full report.