Consumer Guide® Automotive places each vehicle into one of 17 classes based on size, price, and market position. Among utility vehicles, Compact SUVs are the least costly and offer the best fuel economy. Most utilize a car-type chassis and are not designed for heavy-duty, off-road use. Nearly all are five-passenger vehicles.

Our Best Buys include Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Mazda Tribute, and Mercury Mariner. Our Recommended picks are Honda Element, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Liberty, Kia Sportage, and Subaru Forester.

Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Rav4 are new or significantly redesigned.

There's a lot riding on the redesigned 2007 Outlander. It must be a hit for Mitsubishi to begin recovering from its prolonged U.S.-market sales slump. At a glance, the new Outlander looks competitive (and remarkably like Toyota's latest RAV4). Built on the new C-platform developed with Chrysler Group, it features a larger package with available three-row seating and a standard 220-hp 3.0-liter V6 instead of a 4-cyl engine. A 6-speed automatic is the only transmission, but front-drive and all-wheel-drive choices continue. Optional features new to Mitsubishi include steering-wheel paddles for manual shifting, keyless entry/starting, wireless cell-phone connection, and a navigation system. The '07 Outlander arrives this fall. Prices will be announced shortly before sales begin. Keep checking back with us for further details.