Three Compact SUVs, One Practicality Test

MotorTrend's latest comparison test puts three of the compact SUV segment's most popular nameplates side by side: the 2026 Honda CR-V EX-L AWD, the 2026 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Premium Plus and the 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan SE R-Line Black 4Motion, all priced near $40,000.

Compact SUVs now sit at the center of the new car market, serving as commuters, family haulers, road-trip vehicles and errand runners all at once. That breadth is exactly what makes the class so hard to judge: the testers argue the best pick is not the one with the flashiest touchscreen or the longest spec sheet, but the one that introduces the fewest compromises into daily life.

Each vehicle approaches that brief differently. The Honda plays the familiar, efficient all-rounder. The newly redesigned Mazda makes a premium play on equipment and cabin quality. The Volkswagen, refreshed for 2025, leans into futuristic styling and a tech-forward interior. MotorTrend says one of the three emerged as the best mix of practicality, performance and value — the full verdict and scoring are not detailed in the available test excerpt.

Where the CR-V, Tiguan and CX-5 Part Ways

Practicality vs. Polish: Each Brand's Trade-Off

The test's real subject is positioning. The Honda CR-V, whose current generation dates to the 2023 model year, is the conservative option: orderly cabin, physical climate controls, conventional stalks, strong space and efficiency. Its weaknesses are equally clear — the 9.0-inch touchscreen is falling behind the class, and some materials, such as the rear door trim, feel merely adequate.

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The Mazda CX-5 makes the strongest first impression. Its cabin reads as the richest of the three, with heated rear seats and, on the tested Premium Plus trim, a large 15.6-inch touchscreen, a 360-degree camera and standard AWD. But the testers found the infotainment less intuitive than it should be and the steering wheel buttons confusing to decipher.

The Volkswagen Tiguan wins on visual drama — flat, wide styling, ambient lighting and a driver-tilted center display — yet it is the least ergonomically polished. Touch-intensive climate and infotainment controls add steps to basic tasks, and even sunroof adjustments rely on awkward touch-sensitive inputs.

What the Refresh Cycle Tells Buyers

Generation timing matters here. The Tiguan was redesigned for 2025 and the CX-5 is all-new for 2026, while the CR-V has been on the market since model year 2023. The newer bodies give the Mazda and Volkswagen a surface-level polish advantage, but the test is a reminder that in this segment novelty is no substitute for day-to-day usability — and that Honda's older design remains competitive precisely because it gets the basics right.

What to Check Before You Pick One

For buyers shopping the $40,000 compact SUV class, the comparison points to a short pre-purchase checklist:

  • Spend time with the infotainment before signing: the CX-5's 15.6-inch screen and 360-degree camera look strong on paper, but MotorTrend found the system unintuitive, and the Tiguan's touch-heavy climate controls add steps to simple tasks.
  • Check the details that show up in daily use: the CR-V keeps physical climate controls and conventional stalks, while its 9.0-inch screen and rear door trim show its age against the newer competition.
  • Compare standard equipment at the ~$40,000 price point: the CX-5 Premium Plus bundles AWD, the 360-degree camera and heated rear seats, so confirm which features are standard versus optional on the trims you are actually quoted.