Like many other automakers, Kia is trying to make the best SUVs on the market, and it has succeeded in several ways. For example, the Kia Telluride has won awards for its greatness, but it’s a midsize SUV, which may be too big for some car shoppers. The 2023 Kia Sportage competes in the compact crossover SUV segment, and not only is it one of the best options, but it’s also the cheapest compact SUV of 2023.

An overview of Kelley Blue Book’s list of the best compact SUVs for 2023

Kelley Blue Book published a list of the best compact SUVs on the market. There were 11 SUVs on the list, and the Mazda CX-50 came in at 11th place. It had a score of 4.5 out of 5, and it was followed closely by the Mazda CX-5, which had the same score. The Toyota RAV4 Prime came in afterward, and it had a score of 4.6 out of 5.

It was followed by the Kia Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, which had the same expert score. The Sportage PHEV is an excellent choice because of its unique advantages over its competitors. The RAV4 Hybrid came after, and it was followed by the standard RAV4. Once again, both SUVs had a score of 4.6 out of 5. The Sportage Hybrid came in fifth place, and it was followed by the regular Sportage. Both Kias also had a score of 4.6 out of 5.

The Audi Q5 came in third place with a score of 4.7 out of 5, and the Honda CR-V Hybrid was in second place thanks to its score of 4.8 out of 5. The regular CR-V finished in first place, and it also had a score of 4.8 out of 5.

The 2023 Kia Sportage is a great compact SUV that’s also affordable

As some may have noticed, three versions of the Kia Sportage made the list of the best compact SUVs of 2023, and for good reason. The regular Sportage has the highest ranking of the three largely because it’s the cheapest. This gives the compact Kia SUV a lot of value, as it’s not that different from its other versions, but it only costs about $27,600.

This makes it the cheapest 2023 compact SUV on the list. One of the main reasons why the Sportage and its variants did so well was because the South Korean automaker gave the SUV a complete redesign for the 2023 model year. As such, it has a new design, both on the interior and the exterior. Currently, Kia only offers one engine on the regular Sportage, and it’s a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that gets 187 hp.

The best part about the compact SUV is its interior. It has 39.6 cu-ft of cargo capacity without needing to fold any seats down. It maxes out at 74.1 cu-ft when the seats are folded down.

Those numbers are, according to Kelley Blue Book, “class-leading.” On top of that, Kia gave the SUV a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster display and an 8.0-inch touchscreen as standard.

Here’s how the 2023 Kia Sportage’s price tag compares to its rivals

Out of the 11 compact crossovers that made the list, only one SUV was even close to the Sportage in price. That SUV was the CX-5, as it starts at just under $28,000. That makes it about $400 more expensive than the Sportage.

All the other SUVs on the list were significantly more expensive than the South Korean compact SUV. For example, the CX-50 and the RAV4 start at over $29,000, while the CR-V at over $33,000. The Q5 is a luxury compact SUV, so it’s the most expensive option, starting at over $45,000.

If you’re looking for both quality and affordability in your compact SUV, the 2023 Kia Sportage is one of, if not the best bet on the market right now.