Best SUVs Under $40,000 for 2023

2023 SUV Shopping

Pricing and availability are two of the biggest hurdles toward owning an SUV that will not leave you with buyers’ remorse a few years down the road. Worse yet, according to a recent Consumers Report news piece, it can even be difficult just having the opportunity to test drive the model you want to take a closer look at before ordering and buying one.

To help new SUV shoppers find out just which SUVs can be had for less than $40,000 and have a proven history of reliability behind it, analysts at Consumer Reports have done the road testing for you and included a wide range of models in their Overall Score analysis.

“…we present the best SUVs under $40,000 ranked by their Overall Score. This list has two- and three-row SUVs, and is based on the as-tested price of the model we evaluated. All of the vehicles on the list have trim levels that cost less than $40,000,” states CR analysts.

That said, here is a summary of their latest “Best SUVs Under $40,000” CR analysts recommend that you will want to use toward your SUV shopping quest that consists of nine models of mostly midsized 2- and 3-row models as well as one compact sport utility model you will want to consider.

The Best New 2023 Under-$40K SUVs Today

Two-Row SUVs

1. 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid
Price Range: $35,910 - $41,570
CR MPG: Overall 30 / City 23 / Hwy 37 mpg
Rated #1 of 14 Midsized sport-utility vehicles
Predicted reliability: 4/5
Predicted owner satisfaction: 3/5

2. 2023 Honda CR-V
Price Range: $31,610 - $35,760
CR MPG: Overall 26 / City 19 / Hwy 33 mpg
Rated #2 of 28 Compact sport-utility vehicles
Predicted reliability: 4/5
Predicted owner satisfaction: 4/5

3. 2023 Subaru Outback
Price Range: $28,395 - $42,295
CR MPG: Overall 24 / City 16 / Hwy 32 mpg
Rated #2 of 14 Midsized sport-utility vehicles
Predicted reliability: 3/5
Predicted owner satisfaction: 3/5

4. 2023 Toyota Venza
Price Range: $34,120 - $42,265
CR MPG: Overall 37 / City 31 / Hwy 42 mpg
Rated #3 of 14 sport-utility vehicles
Predicted reliability: 4/5
Predicted owner satisfaction: 4/5

5. 2023 Ford Edge
Price Range: $37,945 - $46,485
CR MPG: Overall 22 / City 15 / Hwy 31 mpg
Rated #4 of 14 Midsized sport-utility vehicles
Predicted reliability: 4/5
Predicted owner satisfaction: 3/5

Three-Row SUVs

6. 2023 Kia Telluride
Price Range: $35,890 - $52,985
CR MPG: Overall 21 / City 14 / Hwy 30 mpg
Rated #1 of 17 Midsized sport-utility vehicles 3-row
Predicted reliability: 3/5
Predicted owner satisfaction: 5/5

7. 2023 Toyota Highlander
Price Range: $36,420 - $52,625
CR MPG: N/A at this time
Rated: Currently under testing
Predicted reliability: 4/5
Predicted owner satisfaction: 4/5

8. 2023 Hyundai Palisade
Price Range: $35,550 - $51,400
CR MPG: Overall 21 / City 15 / Hwy 29 mpg
Rated #3 of 17 Midsized sport-utility vehicles 3-row
Predicted reliability: 3/5
Predicted owner satisfaction: 4/5

9. 2023 Chevrolet Traverse
Price Range: $34,520 - $54,200
CR MPG: Overall 20 / City 14 / Hwy 28 mpg
Rated #4 of 17 Midsized sport-utility vehicles 3-row
Predicted reliability: 3/5
Predicted owner satisfaction: 3/5

And finally…

For additional related recent articles about SUVs, here are a few for your consideration:

• Most Fuel-Efficient Used Three-Row Midsized SUVs

• Best Used Cars and SUVs for Less Than $5,000 Recommended by Consumer Reports

• The Worst Cars, SUVs, And Trucks You Can Buy In 2023

Timothy Boyer is Torque News automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily new and used vehicle news.

COMING UP NEXT: Consumer Reports Used Car Title Warning

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