Top 10 best compact crossovers 2020
Jacked up small superminis seem to be all the rage among buyers at the moment, so which compact crossover takes the throne in our top ten?
The compact crossover hatchback segment is now one of the most strategically important in the whole car market. It has steadily grown over the last decade as other more traditional market segments have contracted, and as a great many customers have realised that a big, high-rise supermini has all of the space and versatility they really need, bound up in a compact and affordable package. Some offer a good deal more comfort, convenience and design appeal than a traditional family hatchback, too.
The relative youth of the class may helps to explain why it hasn’t been populated by very many cars that a keen driver would seek out; that, and the fact that developing a high-riding car at a pretty modest price, using pretty basic technology – and making it interesting to drive – is something of a challenge. Even so, some of the very latest comers to the scene show signs that may be about to change.
These are the ten best compact crossovers money can buy, then, should you find yourself in the market. And right now, plenty of people are.
-1. Volkswagen T-Cross-
Volkswagen has watched and waited as its rivals have rushed to cash in on the popularity of cars like this – and the firm’s first compact crossover, the T-Cross, feels very much like the sort of car that’s been judged and executed with care.
Sitting right in the middle of the class on size and price, the T-Cross rises higher than some of its rivals, and has more SUV-typical styling than others. The engine range is comprised of a pair of 1.0-litre turbocharged three-pot petrols and a 1.5-litre turbo four-pot with 148bhp.
We’ve driven both 94- and 113bhp tunes of the 1.0-litre TSI and, while the latter is a little bit faster and more drivable (thanks in no small part to having an extra cog in its manual gearbox than the former), neither version feels slow. Refinement is good, economy likewise (both cars are well capable of 50mpg on a longer out-of-town trip) and ride and handling are nicely resolved with a sense of pragmatic compliance and low-speed cushioning to the ride that should endear the car to owners.
Practicality is very good for such a compact car, a standard-fit sliding rear bench adding versatility when you need to carry bulkier items. So overall, while perceived cabin quality isn’t quite as good as you might expect from Volkswagen, the T-Cross is easily good enough to be our class-leading recommendation.
*Save money with new T-Cross deals from What Car?*
-2. Ford Puma-
Ford has been slow to hop into the warm and inviting water of the compact crossover class, having so far only ventured the disappointing Ecosport (which didn’t make much of a dent, for reasons that will have been apparent to anyone who drove one). The Puma certainly raises the temperature of that water now, however, since it brings plenty of the driver appeal for which its maker is known to a part of the market that badly needed some.
The Puma is offered with a trio of 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engines, with 48-volt hybrid technology enabling the top-level one to produce up to 152bhp. It shares its model platform with the current Fiesta supermini – and shares plenty of its vital, engaging dynamic character with that sibling model also. Corners are taken with surprising handling accuracy and poise, while the car’s damping is particularly fluent and skilfully tuned if you avoid the sportiest trims.
Although cabin space and perceived quality are hardly class-leading, the car comes with some neat storage solutions, the cleverest of which is a hosable underfloor storage area of dirty boots and wet clothes called the mega box.
For those looking for both space and excitement from their small hatchback, meanwhile, Ford added an ST performance version of the Puma late in 2020, which borrowed the engine and much of the running gear of the highly-rated Fiesta ST. It's certainly fun and engaging, but perhaps not as easy to drive and to live with as you might expect a crossover hatchback to be.
Save money with new Puma deals from What Car?
-*3. Seat Arona*-
The Seat Arona beat the related T-Cross to the UK market by a year, and was our top pick of the class for a while. Now, albeit only in comparison to the T-Cross, its interior doesn’t seem quite as accommodating as it once did, and its driving experience isn’t quite as well-rounded.
The Arona’s interior is a little bit staid and its handling more bland than that of Seat’s other sportier-than-the-norm models, although it’s better than some rivals. The car has strong refinement and drivability and a fairly broad range of engines, although there's no diesel option you might find in other cars in this class.
In a class pitched for style, convenience and practicality, the Arona offers more than most of its rivals, with slightly higher pricing than the class average offset by top-notch infotainment and solidity of tactile feel.
*Save money with new Arona deals from What Car?*
-4. Renault Captur-
The second-generation Renault Captur edges out its alliance partner sibling the Nissan Juke here for several reasons. It has a more flexible and slightly roomier interior with sliding back seats; it has a surprisingly classy level of perceived quality also, with plenty of ritzy in-car tech to drive up the richness of the ambience; and it has a much broader engine range, which increases your chances of finding just the right car to suit your needs.
Fine styling and great value have been Captur strong suits since the first-gen car, of course, as they remain now. The car’s entry-level 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine has strong torque and is pretty drivable and reasonably refined, although it doesn’t raise eyebrows for outright performance. The mid-range 1.3-litre TCE petrol is smoother at low revs but a bit noisy when revving, and it's not a great deal quicker. There are a couple of diesel versions too, and the range-topping E-Tech plug-in hybrid which, at more than £30,000, may be only a bit-part player in the range, and which has decent drivability but doesn't ride or handle as well as other derivatives.
*Save money with new Captur deals from What Car?*
-5. Mazda MX-30-
Mazda has effectively replaced its old compact crossover, the CX-3, with what is a really different option in this class: the MX-30 crossover hatchback-cum-coupe. For now, it's available as an electric option only, although there is a plug-in hybrid alternative coming soon with a rotary engine as a backup generator. And, because it's either electric or 'PHEV', that make the MX-30 an expensive-looking car amongst conventionally engined crossover options.
For those ready to pay a bit extra for an interesting second car with top-level sustainability credentials, though, the MX-30 ought to really stand out. It has an eye-catching design eith a long bonnet and tapering rear quarters, as well as rear-hinged 'suicide' back doors. Interior space is tighter than than class average, but there's certainly enough room for smaller adults and children to get comfortable not unlike they might have in a slightly higher-riding BMW i3.
The MX-30 handles keenly for a crossover, doing the celebrated reputation of its maker no harm at all, and giving its driver reason to be glad they opted for a smaller, lighter EV than they might have. The downside of that, of course, is usable range: 124 miles is claimed, and our testing so far suggests the car's real-world potential won't often be much more than 100- of those.
Even so, the MX-30 is an interesting addition to the compact crossover class, that will suit shorter-range users ready to switch to electric power very well, and please them with its alternative looks and dynamic charm.
*Save money with new MX-30 deals from What Car?*
-6. Peugeot 2008 & e-2008-
Peugeot's second-generation 2008 is, without question, a better crossover class contender than its first. With smarter styling, significantly improved passenger space and an interior of comparable material appeal to the likes of the 3008 and 5008, this car is now one to consider seriously if you think a high-rise supermini might suit you better than a conventional family hatch.
Peugeot's iCockpit control regime gives the car a small, low-sprouting steering wheel, high-set instruments and a driving position that may not suit every size and shape of driver, but the cabin is otherwise roomy and quite well-finished. Second-row space is now good enough for adults and taller teenagers, despite the fact that Peugeot went for a slightly lower-profile body design with this generation of the car.
For propulsion, you can choose between three individual 1.2-litre petrol turbo engines, a 1.5-litre diesel or a fully electric option, the last combining a price that brings it in just below £30,000 with a real-world range of about 150 miles on a charge in average UK temperatures.
*Save money with new 2008 deals from What Car?*
-7. Nissan Juke-
The original Nissan Juke was the reason we’ve got a compact crossover class at all. Its late noughties market success proved there was a market for jumped-up superminis with SUV-themed styling, and it managed to remain an unconventional choice throughout its life even though it had so many imitators.
The second-generation version corrected the biggest flaws of the first, and retained most of its funky, off-beat styling appeal – although it’s not quite good enough to challenge for the top ranks here. Interior space is now pretty class-competitive, with room in the back seats for adults as well as kids and a good-sized boot now present and correct.
The Juke is more firmly sprung and sporty-feeling to drive than the average crossover, with tidy and composed handling and a ride that can sometimes feel a little bit busy and restive, but is settled enough for the most part. The car’s engine range is currently limited to a 115bhp 1.0-litre petrol which feels a little bit weedy for the car at times, but other options – among them a hybrid – are coming later.
*Save money with new Juke deals from What Car?*
-8. Audi Q2-
Audi has become the first of the German premium brand triumverate to throw its cap into the compact crossover ring – and it has done that far more convincingly with the Q2 than Mercedes-Benz or BMW has, over the years, when attempting to miniaturise a premium SUV.
Don't expect off-road prowess – not least because it’s not expected of cars like this, with few even offering four-wheel drive. Still, you won't be disappointed with the Q2’s plush interior, its alternative styling or its surprisingly keen handling.
Mini's Countryman might beat it on fashion appeal for some buyers, but it's a far less polished package than Audi's jacked-up hatch. Far pricier than the usual supermini-SUV suspects, but cheaper than key premium rivals, the Q2 is our favoured premium-brand contender.
*Save money with new Q2 deals from What Car?*
-9. Citroen C3 Aircross-
The C3 Aircross replaces the C3 Picasso in the Citroën range, as SUVs pulverise the MPV segment in Europe. It’s one of the better-value cars in this class, as well as one of the most comfortable, with a typically-Citroën level of quirkiness on the interior, despite the lack of quality feel.
It's a pity that the handling is quite so bland, and that neither refinement nor responsive, easily drivable performance particularly recommend the car. Details like good gearshift quality and assured steering feel are dynamic details that Citroen often fails to attend to, and they’ve been a bit neglected here, too.
Practicality is, at least, on par with the best cars in the class, while the C3 Aircross’ style sets it apart from rivals.
*Save money with new C3 Aircross deals from What Car?*
-10. Dacia Duster-
Nothing more or less than the cheapest small SUV you can buy. In full - a pretty capable off-roader, and a spacious and frugal family car, albeit with dynamic shortcomings and a crash safety rating a rung or two below competitors.
Sure, the diesel is more expensive than the entry-level petrol, and it's a noisy old thing at that, but for the money, only secondhand comes close. Strictly for the space and capability it affords for the money, it's in a class all of its own.
*Save money with new Duster deals from What Car?*