SUV smackdown: Comparing a Nissan Rogue, Jeep Cherokee, and Mazda CX-5

Enlarge / The 2020 Ars FrankenSUV won’t be coming to a dealership near you. (credit: Aurich Lawson / Eric Bangeman / Marlowe Bangeman)

If you live in the suburbs of an American city, you can barely cross the street without dodging an SUV. That’s because SUVs and pickup trucks account for around 70% of new vehicle sales in the United States. With every major carmaker all-in on the form-factor, now is a great time to shop for an SUV or crossover. In a change from our usual reviews, we’re going to pit three compact SUVs head-to-head-to-head to see which one is most deserving of your hard-earned cash.

Meet the contenders

Earlier this year, I spent a week each with the Nissan Rogue SL, the Jeep Cherokee Limited, and the Mazda CX-5 Signature. All are compact SUVs that start at around $25,000, but each is built with a different goal in mind.

The Nissan Rogue is the economical, jack-of-all-trades of the three and was the fifth-best-selling vehicle in the US during 2018. It has the best mileage and lowest sticker price. The Jeep Cherokee is built for versatility with multiple driving modes for all sorts of terrain, and the Jeep badge had the highest sales growth in the US during 2018. The Mazda CX-5 is the sportiest and has the most polished interior of the lot—and it outsold all of the other Mazda lineup combined in the US during 2018.