A look at the state of crossovers with CVT transmissions

I'm going to use The Vehicle For Me to see what the state of the market is with crossovers that use CVT transmissions.

There are actually only five models with this option, and those belong to Suzuki, Dodge, Nissan, and Infiniti, and range from a low price of $18K up to $41K with the Infiniti.  This is going to be a different kind of post, without any specific priorities, because I just want to see how these cars generally compare to each other.  Given these options, I'm expecting the Infiniti to win overall, but another car to win in value.  So let's see what happens!  FYI, I've chosen the FWD trims for each model.

Link to Comparison Page

Looking at the specs, the 2013 Infiniti JX FWD definitely seems like it should win, but the Nissan Juke is somehow able to scrape by on the strength of its cargo space, ground clearance, and front legroom at half the price.  There's no question the Infiniti is the superior car, but is it $20,000 better?  

The value winner here is the 2013 Nissan Juke S FWD, with the Nissan Rogue and Suzuki SX4 coming in a close 2nd and 3rd.  The Suzuki is the smallest of the group, and has some of the best fuel economy, but is quite lackluster in the power department.

My Picks

1st - 2013 Infiniti JX FWD

2nd - 2013 Nissan Juke S FWD

3rd - 2013 Nissan Rogue S FWD

I just realized that the top three vehicles are all Nissan (and Infiniti which is just a high-class Nissan).  I feel bad for the Suzuki and the Dodge getting crowded out, but they just couldn't keep up in the ways that mattered.