Apart from their superior practicality and comfort, SUVs now also come with reasonable fuel economies. Therefore, it is no wonder that consumers today prefer SUVs and crossovers over typical hatchbacks, sedans, and wagons—and automakers are responding to their call by pumping out more SUVs and crossovers than ever. People are buying them in such huge numbers that the SUV segment has become more profitable than ever, and rather embarrassingly, the sales of sedans and other traditional body types are falling out of favor by a huge margin. Automakers are gradually phasing out sedans to focus production on the ever-increasing types of SUVs and crossovers.
SUVs are not only becoming more appealing and luxurious but are also becoming faster day by day with Nurburgring lap times more swift than sports and supercars. Similar is the case with their acceleration, performance, handling, etc. Companies are churning out the fastest production SUVs one after the other. The problem with such ''Super-SUVs'' is they demand supercar finances as well and daily driving them is as hard as driving an American truck on European roads.
Following, however, is a list of the greatest bang for buck fast SUVs that you can buy for around $30,000.
9 2022 Mini Cooper Countryman ($29,100)
While many will argue that the Mini Cooper Countryman is not the real ''Mini,'' it is actually a great and sporty SUV. It's got all the comforts you could think of while at the same time being swift as well as being quite conservative financially. It sports a 1.5L Inline-3 with a turbo bolted on and is good for 134 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, powering the all-wheel-drive system onboard.
It also comes with a four-cylinder and a hybrid powertrain. The Mini sprints to 60 mph in a blisteringly fast for an SUV, 4.9 seconds! and achieves a top speed run of 144 mph while at the same time being stylish doing so. What more could you wish for.
8 2022 Subaru Forester Sport ($29,965)
Few cars are sold at such a reasonable price, with genuine off-road mastery, a lot of oomph, and such standard interior features as the 2022 Subaru Forester especially the Sport trim. It is ''the'' cheap off-roader, while simultaneously being not so cheap. Being the jack-of-all-trades, the Forester handles dirt and country roads like a pro. It also beats the competition in pricing and sophisticated interior features in this segment.
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It features a DOHC flat-4, a unique engine for an SUV. It makes 182 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 174 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm. It rushes to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds and also returns with excellent fuel economy and a fun drive to the store.
7 2022 Kia Sportage X-line AWD ($30,790)
The Kia Sportage AWD is a solid contender for this listing as it's got an affordable price tag with a bit of sportiness in its DNA. It is one athletic and award-winning SUV loved all around the world. It's got sporty in its name and the latest generation lives up to it. It is practical, spacious, technologically modern, has aggressive looks, and most importantly, it is an absolute beast of an SUV. It got a 2.4L NA 4-cylinder with a maximum of 181 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, good for 0-60 mph of about 9 seconds.
Source: https://www.kiamedia.com/us/en/models/sportage/2023/gallery
While the standard engine option isn't that lively, the turbo option is a preferable choice, except that it is offered in the SX Turbo trim which is an extra $5,000. Kia also offers a PHEV version. The Sportage doesn't shine in all aspects, rather it's an all-rounder, the best bang-for-buck SUV.
6 2021 Hyundai Kona N-line ($25,850)
Hyundai has been stepping up their game lately with the 'N-line' of cars and pumping out some of the best award-winning SUVs out there, one of which is the Hyundai Kona N-line. Revised and modernized, the Kona N-line brings the battle to its opponent's door. It supports a premier interior with an ergonomic and driver-focused design.
The N-line has a stiffer suspension, agile ride, and an appearance package to look the part. Its only downside would be that it's a compact crossover with slightly less cabin and cargo capacity than its rivals. It has a rather zestful 1.6L GDI Turbo 4-banger generating a 195 horsepower and a 195 lb-ft and a 0-60 mph of 7.4 seconds. It is 'the' smart choice for an SUV.
5 2022 Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo ($30,500)
The Mazda CX-30 is a more premium SUV on the list standing out from the crowd. Mazda has reinvigorated its reputation in recent years and has started producing some pretty upright vehicles lately. It is the best of all worlds, to say the least. Safe, handsome, lightweight, and capable, no doubt it's one of the best sporty compact crossovers money can buy.
Its Skyactiv-G 2.5L Turbo mill provides 250 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque which is a lot for its size and weight. It speeds to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. It is the quickest in its class and reaches a top speed of 126 mph, all for an unbelievable $30,000!. The cherry on the top is its incredible reliability.
4 2022 Mazda CX-5 2.5S Carbon Edition ($30,630)
From one Mazda to another, the CX-5 was Mazda's first car with the ''KODO'' design language. A bit larger than the CX-30, the CX-5 has similar reliability, safety, cabin, and styling features, although not as overpowering as the Nissan Juke Nismo RS. It's a 5-seater efficient and brilliant SUV capable of toppling over European and American counterparts, especially with the Carbon edition, even though presently this is the most competitive segment in the car market.
Under the hood, you'll find a DOHC NA 2.5L Inline-4 giving out 187 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque via a 6-speed shiftable automatic and standard AWD able to propel it to 60 mph in around 9 seconds. The interior comfort and exceptional quality more than make up for the lack of grunt.
3 2021 Kia Soul Turbo ($27,890)
The Kia Soul has always been the quirky underdog SUV. The exterior is delightful with a little ruggedness and a new KIA logo. Its driving dynamics can be described as a touch of sportiness and a silkiness to go with it. An electric variant was also released in 2014.
A couple of special editions and concepts were also made. Its proportions somehow make it feel more vigorous than its opponents. Its 1.6L Turbo 4-banger kicks out 210 horsepower and 195 lb-ft. It gets going to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds and flat out to 128 mph. Just to make the experience a tad better, it is also lightweight with a dry weight of 3036 lbs.
2 2022 Kia Seltos SX Turbo ($28,090)
Kia has surely upped its game with its third SUV on the list! The Kia Seltos is a relatively new SUV set between the extremely alike Stonic and Sonet but smaller than the Sportage. The platform is also shared with Hyundai Creta. The Seltos SX is practicality and ease of use at its peak with ample focus on handling sheer fun for unwinding through city streets, but with a dynamic twist.
Packing a 1.6L DOHC Turbo inline-4 engine, the Seltos makes 175 horsepower at 6,000 rpm as well as 195 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. The 0-60 mph run is a superb 6.6 seconds and the car tops out at 125 mph. Also included is the standard AWD providing some extra grip.
1 2022 Volkswagen Taos SE AWD ($29,890)
It's not just the Korean manufacturers that are flooding the market with new crossovers and SUVs; the German giant Volkswagen is also pumping out SUVs and crossovers at an alarming rate. The Taos is their subcompact crossover and is smaller than the Tiguan but bigger than the T-Cross. It has the characteristic Volkswagen exterior styling, making it extremely easy to spot from a distance. The SE AWD is sort of in the middle of all the trims that it offers.
A 1.5L DOHC 4-cylinder engine is obtained under the hood good for 158 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque through a 7-speed auto-shift manual. It does the 0-60 mph sprint in 8.5 seconds. It isn't exactly a performance SUV, rather a fast family 5-seater with excellent gas mileage of 28 combined MPG average.