Compact luxury SUVs

The BMW X3, which launched the compact luxury SUV segment in 2004, handily outdueled a new rival, Land Rover's Range Rover Evoque. Scoring an 80 in our tests, the redesigned X3 places second in its class, behind only the Audi Q5.

Though the X3 has retained its sporty character, its ride comfort has been improved. The interior quality was upgraded, and a new eight-speed automatic transmission helps boost fuel economy.

The Evoque's styling turns heads, but the SUV falls short in ride and emergency handling. When pushed to its cornering limits on our track, it easily slid its tail and momentarily—but repeatedly—lifted a wheel in our avoidance maneuver. That is disconcerting and reduces driver confidence during emergency maneuvers. With an overall road-test score of only 58, the Evoque is near the bottom of its class and is too low for us to recommend it.

For this issue, we also tested the Volkswagen Tiguan, which received an updated transmission and better fuel economy for 2012. Its score of 76 places it among the top models in this category.

With average or better reliability, the X3 and Tiguan are recommended. The Evoque is too new for us to have reliability data.

We also tested the Toyota Prius V and Jeep Wrangler for this issue.

The new Toyota Prius V wagon (shown) might look similar to the familiar Prius hatchback, but it has been stretched in all dimensions to provide notably more cargo space and a roomier rear seat. And despite its larger size, the efficient gas-electric hybrid powertrain gets an excellent 41 mpg overall, only 3 mpg less than the hatchback. That combination gives the Prius V a blend of versatility and fuel economy that no other vehicle can match.

The Jeep Wrangler is an iconic off-roader that's designed to excel in rugged conditions. But it's based on an old architecture, and its performance, refinement, and interior design don't measure up to modern vehicles. For 2012, the Wrangler received an updated powertrain. But with a road-test score of only 20, it remains the lowest ranked vehicle in our Ratings.