The SUV market and the human body have one thing in common: the longer it's around, the wider it spreads out. Well, maybe two things: the longer you're around, the smarter and better you get at doing everyday things.

Today's SUVs started out quite thin in the ranks; fifteen years ago we could count on one hand the number of SUVs on the market. But now, of course, there are more than 50. And with the spread has come innovation and intelligence, safety and security.

The popularization of the compact SUV exemplifies the automobile industry's collective ability to package all of those developments in lighter, tighter and cheaper packages, without sacrificing the livability and convenience once found only in mid-size or large SUVs. Read on to learn more about today's best compact SUVs.

A fork in the road....either navigate through our SUV buyer's guide by clicking on the arrow or by selecting one of the SUV models listed below!