Best SUVs Under $50,000

If you are a new car buyer, an SUV is likely to be on your car list. If that's the case, you're just confused. Whether you want a mini SUV, a full size model, or something in between, there are SUVs available at almost any price point, shape, size and powertrain configuration you can think of.

Here, we rank the best SUVs in each market segment based on approximately 200 data points covering acceleration performance, handling, comfort, cargo space, fuel efficiency, cost performance, and driving pleasure. Car and Driver's rankings are based on the extensive instrument testing results we conduct on hundreds of vehicles every year, as well as the subjective perceptions our senior editors gain in real-life driving environments. We attach great importance to rankings because we want you to have a comprehensive understanding of the models you are interested in.

Car and Driver's ranking is based on two major sources: one is the large amount of instrument test data we conduct on hundreds of cars every year, and the other is the subjective feelings accumulated by our professional editors during driving on real road conditions. When selecting the best SUV under US$50,000, we referred to approximately 200 data points, covering acceleration performance, handling, comfort, cargo space, fuel economy, cost performance and driving pleasure. We are very strict about rankings because we want you to have a comprehensive understanding of the models you are interested in. This list includes all SUVs priced between $40,000 and $50,000 and included in our Top Ten or Editor's Recommended list.