Crossovers under $20,000

I'm more of a wagon guy, myself, but I was curious what the budget crossover market looked like these days.  It turns out, it isn't looking like a whole lot.  Using my site, The Vehicle For Me, I was able to do a search for all crossovers under $20,000, and it came up with five possibilities:  The 2013 Nissan Juke, 2013 Toyota Matrix, 2012 Dodge Caliber, 2012 Suzuki SX4 Crossover, and 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.  So only two out of the five vehicles listed have a current model year available, the other three have either been discontinued or the pricing is now above $20K.

But let's see what happens when we compare these vehicles using some priorities that budget-minded crossover shoppers would be thinking about.  First of all, I think many people in this market are either folks who want a higher clearance AWD vehicle for offroading or folks who want a wagon-like experience with a bit more utility.  With that said, I'm going to focus on cargo space, ground clearance, passenger volume, and low-end torque.

Link to Comparison Page

The 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport looks to be miles ahead of the competition here, scoring a 74% compared to the 2013 Nissan Juke at 59%.  At the top of the comparison table, the Nissan Juke looks to be the clear winner with its massively better power and low-end torque, which decimates the competition.  Unfortunately, what the Juke has in power and torque it gives up in passenger space and cargo volume, where it comes in last.  Interestingly, despite having the most power, the Juke also has the best fuel economy.

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport looks to be a general all-around good solution for a budget crossover.  While it is one of the least powerful vehicles here, it makes up for that in livability, with best-in-class ground clearance and cargo space, and is nearly the best in passenger space.  Indeed, it wins in most categories where interior space is concerned, though to be fair it is also the largest (in exterior volume) of the vehicles here.

Coming in third and fourth are the 2012 Dodge Caliber and 2012 Suzuki SX4 Crossover respectively, which are actually not that far behind the Juke in terms of points.  Indeed, the Caliber actually beats out the Juke in terms of points per dollar, due to it's slightly smaller MSRP.  It also is very similar to the Outlander Sport in terms of focusing more on interior space than power, though it doesn't really shine in either category.  It also has the worst fuel economy by far.  The Suzuki SX4, aside from being the least expensive option, doesn't have a whole lot to offer aside from a good deal of passenger space, which it offsets by losing some cargo space.

Coming in last place, the Toyota Matrix can really only very generously be considered a crossover.  It has a significantly lower ground clearance and weight than the other vehicles here, and while it is definitely competitive in most of our priorities, it does lose out on power, which it severely lacks.  But if that isn't as important to you then this quickly becomes a more attractive option.

1st - 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

2nd - 2013 Nissan Juke

3rd - 2012 Dodge Caliber