Kelley Blue Book’s experts score compact SUVs on a five-point scale, and the spread from bottom to top is wider than many shoppers expect. The 2026 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross lands at the bottom with 3.3, while the 2026 Honda CR-V leads with 4.8. Here are thirteen compact SUVs, climbing from the lowest rating to the highest, with one 2025 model added at the end.
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1. Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross: Bottom of the Class
Per KBB’s Eclipse Cross page, experts rate the 2026 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross just 3.3 out of 5, the lowest score on the compact SUV list, with a starting price of $29,700.
KBB’s reviewers still credit the crossover with a cool design, standard all-wheel drive and an excellent warranty. Those strengths are not enough to lift the overall number, which leaves it behind every other model in this ranking and sets the baseline for the climb that follows.
2. Chevrolet Equinox: Midpack Starter
According to KBB’s Equinox page, Kelley Blue Book experts give the 2027 Chevrolet Equinox a 3.9 out of 5 rating, with a starting price of $30,995.
That score leaves the Equinox in the lower half of this ranking, tied with the Jeep Compass. The price sits near the middle of the group, so the rating gap to the leaders comes from KBB’s assessment rather than from sticker cost alone. Readers should treat the figure as one expert opinion on the 2027 model year rather than a final word on the nameplate.
3. Jeep Compass: Tied at 3.9
According to KBB’s Compass page, experts rate the 2026 Jeep Compass 3.9 out of 5, with a starting price of $31,350.
That matches the Chevrolet Equinox exactly, so the order of the two is a judgment call rather than a verdict. Compared with the Equinox, the Compass asks about $355 more at the base level, a small difference that does not change where KBB places the two. Shoppers choosing between them would do better to weigh price and personal priorities than to chase a rating difference that does not exist.
4. GMC Terrain: Stepping Up
According to KBB’s Terrain page, the 2026 GMC Terrain earns a 4.2 out of 5 from KBB’s experts and starts at $32,195.
The Terrain is the first model here to clear the 4.0 mark by a comfortable margin, climbing past the Equinox and Compass. Its price is also higher than either, so the better score comes with a modest premium at the base level. Readers comparing it with the lower-ranked models should weigh whether the extra score justifies that higher starting price.
5. Nissan Rogue: Fourth From Last
According to KBB’s Rogue page, KBB experts rate the 2026 Nissan Rogue 4.3 out of 5, and the starting price is $30,635.
The Rogue is one of the cheaper models in this lineup and still scores above the Terrain. That pairing of a lower entry price with a higher rating makes it one of the stronger value propositions in the middle of the ranking. Shoppers comparing it with the Terrain would note the Rogue wins on both rating and starting price in KBB’s figures.
6. Subaru Forester: Tied at 4.4
According to KBB’s Forester page, the Subaru Forester scores 4.4 out of 5 with KBB’s experts, with a starting price of $31,445.
The Forester shares that score with the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Jeep Cherokee, so its position within the group is arbitrary. Even so, it sits a tenth of a point above the Rogue and signals where the ratings begin to bunch near the top. Anyone shopping the group would do well to compare all three directly rather than rely on the shared number.
7. Volkswagen Tiguan: German Entry
According to KBB’s Tiguan page, KBB experts rate the 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan 4.4 out of 5, with a starting price of $32,280.
That puts the Tiguan level with the Subaru Forester and the Jeep Cherokee. At $32,280 it costs more than the Forester at the base level, though the identical rating shows KBB sees the two as equals on the whole. The tie is a reminder that a single decimal rarely separates vehicles when the experts score so closely.
8. Jeep Cherokee: Hybrid Newcomer
According to KBB’s Cherokee page, KBB’s experts rate the 2027 Jeep Cherokee 4.4 out of 5, with standard all-wheel drive and a hybrid engine, starting at $36,995.
The Cherokee has the highest starting price of any model in this ranking, yet its rating only ties the Forester and Tiguan. Buyers weighing it would be paying for the hybrid powertrain and standard AWD rather than for a higher score. The score reflects the 2027 model year, so earlier Cherokees are not covered by this number.
9. Mazda CX-50: Premium Flair
According to KBB’s CX-50 page, KBB experts rate the 2026 Mazda CX-50 4.5 out of 5, starting at $31,395, and praise its adventurous attitude and premium flair.
That score begins a three-way tie with the Hyundai Tucson and the Toyota RAV4, which puts the CX-50 near the top of the pack. Its price sits in the middle of the group, so the rating comes without a notable premium. The rating is for the 2026 model year, so shoppers looking at other years should check KBB for that specific version.
10. Hyundai Tucson: Tucson Tie
According to KBB’s compact SUV ranking, the Hyundai Tucson earns a 4.5 out of 5 from KBB’s experts, with a starting price of $31,050.
The Tucson ties the Mazda CX-50 and the Toyota RAV4 at that mark, so its place among the three is arbitrary. It is also one of the lower-priced models near the top, which strengthens its case for shoppers who want a high rating without a high cost.
11. Kia Sportage: Runner-Up
According to KBB’s compact SUV ranking, KBB experts rate the Kia Sportage 4.6 out of 5, with a starting price of $30,285.
Only the Honda CR-V scores higher on this list. The Sportage also carries the lowest base price among the models at the top of the ranking, so it pairs the second-best rating with the smallest entry cost of the leaders. Shoppers who want a top-tier rating while keeping the sticker price low will find the Sportage hard to ignore in this ranking.
12. Honda CR-V: The Top Score
Per KBB’s top-ranked compact SUV, the 2026 Honda CR-V leads: experts rate it 4.8 out of 5, with a starting price of $32,370.
That is a full 1.5 points above the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross at the bottom of the list and two tenths above the runner-up Sportage. The CR-V costs more than the Sportage at the base level, but KBB’s experts judge the extra money worthwhile. Even with that lead, the rating applies to the 2026 model year, and prices vary by trim, so the starting figure is only a floor.
13. Dodge Hornet: Late Addition
According to KBB’s compact SUV ranking, KBB’s experts rate the 2025 Dodge Hornet 4.0 out of 5, with a starting price of $31,990.
The Hornet is the only 2025 model in this lineup, and its 4.0 would slot between the Compass and the Terrain if sorted strictly by score. It rounds out the count of thirteen with a rating that sits comfortably above the Eclipse Cross. Its rating applies to the 2025 model year, so shoppers should note that it comes from a different model year than most entries here.
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