Edmunds: The best small SUVs for city driving

SUVs are popular in part due to their elevated ride height, commanding view of the road, and roomy interiors. Yet many midsize and large SUVs feel cumbersome in city driving. Smaller and more agile vehicles are a great alternative to help make city driving less of a chore. Edmunds’ experts have brought together five city-friendly SUVs that are right at home navigating busy traffic and squeezing into curbside parking spots. All pricing below includes the destination charge.

City living can mean space is at a premium. With this in mind, car shoppers who want a spacious vehicle with a small footprint would be smart to put the Kia Soul on their shopping list. The Soul is Kia’s smallest vehicle, but its boxy shape allows for a generous amount of headroom and legroom in both the front and second rows. The 24.2-cubic-foot cargo hold is also commendable.

Edmunds singles out the Soul’s agile handling and fuel-sipping engine as reasons to buy one. Both should come in handy for urban driving. And considering city living isn’t inexpensive, it helps knowing the Soul is the least pricey of the five vehicles listed here. One downside to know about the Soul: You can’t get it with all-wheel drive.

Starting price: $21,665

It takes something a little extra to stand out in a city environment. This is why the Buick Envista earns a spot on this list. It has an eye-catching design that cuts a stylish path through traffic. Few vehicles are able to do this at such a budget-friendly price.

Inside and out, the Envista looks and feels like a more expensive vehicle than it really is. The touchscreen interface is attractive and easy to use, while available features like heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, a power liftgate, and rain-sensing wipers impart an upmarket appeal to Buick’s least expensive SUV. One trade-off is cargo space, the Envista’s swoopy shape means trunk volume is less than what many competitors provide.

Starting price: $24,795

The Volkswagen Taos is a compact SUV that Edmunds has found to feel a cut above many similarly sized rivals. The Taos is easy to maneuver, and its upright shape and large windows mean outward visibility is excellent. This matters a lot in the cut and thrust of city driving. Passenger and cargo space ranks among the best in its class, and the Taos’ engine is powerful enough for quick getaways at stoplights.

Every 2025 Taos comes with a user-friendly 8-inch touchscreen and wireless device charging. And since navigating city traffic can be tricky, it’s nice knowing that driver assist features such as rear cross-traffic warning, blind-spot warning and automatic emergency braking are all standard.

Starting price: $25,420 (2024 model year)

The Subaru Crosstrek has standard all-wheel drive and the rugged look of a vehicle bred for life in the wilderness. Thankfully, the Crosstrek is equally capable in an urban jungle. Subaru gives the Crosstrek an elevated ride height to help with off-roading, but that extra clearance also comes in handy when dealing with big speed bumps or steep parking garage entrances.

If you’re routinely in a hurry, Edmunds suggests sidestepping the 152-horsepower base four-cylinder engine and upgrading to the punchier 182-horsepower version. Subaru puts it in every 2025 Crosstrek except the base trim level. The interior is simple but durable, the controls are logically placed and within easy reach. At 19.9 cubic feet in capacity, the cargo area is on the smaller side among compact SUVs. Yet its low load floor and wide-opening hatch make it easy to get bulky items aboard.

Starting price: $26,540

The Mercedes-Benz GLB justifies its premium price with cutting-edge technology, a smooth ride and strong performance. The GLB’s upright shape is also practical. This pint-sized Mercedes has 22 cubic feet of cargo volume and an adult-friendly second row. There’s even an optional third row, but it’s suitable only for kids.

During testing, Edmunds noted the standard 221-turbocharged four-cylinder has enough grunt to get the GLB from zero to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds. Want to further shorten your commuting times? A 302-horsepower sport-tuned model, the AMG GLB 35, is even more rapid and rides on a hunkered-down suspension. You can get GLB with some helpful tech features, such as a surround-view parking camera system, but be aware that adding a lot of options can send the GLB’s price soaring far above a city skyline.

Starting price: $46,950

These five small SUVs have modest proportions, sharp driving manners, and fuel-sipping engines that make them a savvy choice for city dwellers.

This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds. Nick Kurczewski is a contributor at Edmunds.

This photo provided by Edmunds shows the Mercedes-Benz GLB. The GLB is a great prick if you want an upscale small SUV that's ideal for driving in the city. (Courtesy of Edmunds via AP)

This photo provided by Subaru shows the 2025 Crosstrek. The Crosstrek's outdoorsy design also works well for driving in the urban jungle. (Courtesy of Subaru of North America via AP).

This photo provided by Volkswagen shows the 2025 Taos. The Taos packs plenty of modern tech and safety features into a tidy package. (Courtesy of Volkswagen of America via AP)

This photo provided by Buick shows the 2025 Envista. The Envista is Buick's least expensive SUV but it doesn't lack style or comfort. (Courtesy of General Motors via AP)

This photo provided by Kia shows the 2025 Soul. The Soul's small size makes it easy to park and drive in the city. (Courtesy of Kia America via AP)

BOSTON (AP) — Victor Wembanyama scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half, including a game-sealing jumper with 19.2 seconds left, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Boston Celtics 100-95 on Saturday night.

De’Aaron Fox also finished with 21 points for the Spurs and Keldon Johnson added 18 points and 10 rebounds. San Antonio won its second straight after losing two in a row.

Derrick White led Boston with 29 points and Jaylen Brown had 27. The Celtics lost for just the third time in 12 games.

The game was tied at 84 before Baylor Scheierman’s corner 3-pointer pushed Boston ahead with just under seven minutes left. White followed with a driving basket before the Spurs went on a 9-2 spree, taking a 93-91 lead on Johnson’s 3-pointer with 2:14 left.

After Brown’s layup tied it, Wembanyama’s fadeaway jumper pushed San Antonio back in front with 1:33 to go.

Brown was then stripped of the ball near midcourt by Fox, and Julian Champagnie converted a putback of his own miss to make it 97-93 with 41 seconds left.

Wembanyama’s left-wing jumper made it 99-95.

Playing his third straight game after missing a pair with a sore knee, Wembanyama didn’t score his first points until hitting a 3 from the top midway into the second quarter.

But he got going in the second half, scoring nine consecutive points for San Antonio midway into the third quarter, bringing the Spurs back from a nine-point deficit to tie it on his three-point play.

CAVALIERS 146, TIMBERWOLVES 134

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers took control in the second half for a victory over Minnesota on that snapped the Timberwolves’ four-game winning streak.

Mitchell also had four 3-pointers as the Cavaliers had five players score at least 20 points. Evan Mobley had 24 points, Jaylon Tyson scored 23 off the bench and Darius Garland added 22.

Sam Merrill had 20 points and set a franchise record with at least five 3-pointers in four straight games.

The 146 points are the fourth most the Cavaliers have scored in a regulation game. They scored 148 in a 33-point victory over Washington on Nov. 7.

PACERS 123, HEAT 99

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Nembhard had 29 points and nine assists, Aaron Nesmith added 12 points and nine rebounds before an early exit and Indiana routed Miami.

Indiana matched its longest winning streak of the season with a rare second straight victory, this time taking the easy route. The Pacers never trailed and held a double-digit lead for most of the game. The Pacers made 17 3-pointers, one short of their season high, with Nembhard matching his season best with four.

Backup Micah Potter made four 3s and finished with 14 points. Jarace Walker had 13 points.

Tyler Herro had 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists on a night Miami shot just 39.1% from the field. Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 16 points, and Bam Adebayo had 13 points and nine rebounds. Miami has lost three of its last four and missed its first 11 3s on Saturday.

The game tipped less than 24 hours after another Miami-Indiana contest was set up in college football’s national championship game. And just like Friday night’s Hoosiers victory over Oregon, the Pacers wasted no time setting the tone — or running out to a big lead.

They used first-quarter runs of 12-2 and 9-0 to build an early 28-12 cushion. Miami trailed 36-18 entering the second quarter.

CLIPPERS 98, PISTONS 92

DETROIT (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points and John Collins added 25 as Los Angeles rallied to beat short-handed Detroit.

The Clippers trailed by 19 points in the first half and 14 in the fourth quarter before finishing the game on a 28-8 run. Detroit turned the ball over 12 times in the quarter.

James Harden added 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Los Angeles, which has won nine of 11.

The Pistons played without Cade Cunningham (wrist), Isaiah Stewart (illness), Tobias Harris (hip) and Jalen Duren (ankle). That left Detroit without its top three scorers, three of their top four rebounders and their top three shot blockers. Cunningham also has 321 assists — the only player who entered Saturday’s action with more than 100.

Duncan Robinson scored 20 points, but took just one shot in the second half. Ron Holland II scored 16 and Tolu Smith added nine points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

BULLS 125, MAVERICKS 107

CHICAGO (AP) — Coby White scored 22 points, Ayo Dosunmu had 20 and Chicago beat Dallas to snap a three-game losing streak.

The Bulls put seven players in double figures, outscored the Mavericks 38-8 in fast-break points and never trailed. Nikola Vucevic and Matas Buzelis each added 15 points as Chicago shot 51.5% from the field.

The Mavericks began the game without the injured Anthony Davis and lost coach Jason Kidd midway through the first quarter of it after he was ejected for arguing with referee Scott Foster.

Ryan Nembhard had 16 points and six assists for the Mavericks. Rookie star Cooper Flagg finished with just 11 points and one rebound, shooting 4 for 13.

Dallas lost its second straight after winning two in a row. Davis sustained ligament damage in his left hand in the Mavericks’ loss to Utah on Thursday.

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) grabs a defensive rebound against San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)