Like many other automakers, it’s trying to make the best SUVs on the market, and it’s succeeded in several ways. For example, the Kia Telluride has how big it is, but it’s a midsize SUV and as such may be too big for some car buyers.
That said, the 2023 Kia Sportage competes in the compact crossover SUV segment, and it’s not only one of the best options, but it’s also the cheapest in the class.
has released a list of the best compact SUVs on the market. There were 11 SUVs in the list and the Mazda CX-50 took 11th place. It had a score of 4.5 out of 5, closely followed by the Mazda CX-5, which scored the same. The Toyota RAV4 Prime came next and scored a 4.6 out of 5.
It was followed by the , which earned the same expert rating. The RAV4 hybrid came next, and was followed by the standard RAV4. Again, both SUVs scored 4.6 out of 5. The Sportage Hybrid finished in fifth place, followed by the regular Sportage. Both Kias also scored 4.6 out of 5.
The Audi Q5 took third place with its 4.7 out of 5 score, and the Honda CR-V Hybrid took second place thanks to its 4.8 out of 5 score. The regular CR-V closed in first place, and it also had a score of 4.8 out of 5.
The 2023 Kia Sportage is a great SUV that’s also affordable
As some may have noticed, three versions of the Sportage made the list, and for good reason. The regular Sportage scores the highest of the three largely because it’s the cheapest. This gives the Kia SUV a compact size, as it’s not much different from other versions, but only costs around $27,600.
That makes it the cheapest 2023 compact SUV on the list. One of the main reasons the Sportage and its variants did so well was because the South Korean automaker completely redesigned the SUV for the 2023 model year. As such, it has a new design, both inside and out. external. Currently, Kia only offers one engine on the regular Sportage, and it’s a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that gets 187 hp.
The best part about the compact SUV is its interior. It has 39.6 cu. feet of cargo capacity without having to fold down the seats. It maxes out at 74.1 cu. ft. when the seats are folded.
These numbers are, according to Kelley Blue Book, “class-leading.” Additionally, Kia has given the SUV a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster display and an 8-inch touchscreen as standard.
Here’s how the price of the 2023 Kia Sportage compares to its rivals
Of the 11 compact crossovers that made the list, there’s only one SUV that was even close to the Sportage in price. That SUV was the CX-5, as it starts at just under $28,000. That makes it about $400 more expensive than the Sportage.
All other SUVs on the list were significantly more expensive than the South Korean compact SUV. For example, both the CX-50 and RAV4 start at over $29,000, while the CR-V starts at over $33,000. The Q5 is a luxury compact SUV, so it’s the pricier option as it starts at over $45,000.
