2020 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Almost everything that the Mitsubishi Eclipse does, a rival can do better. We gave the SUV the benefit of the doubt in many categories, but the Eclipse is simply a bran muffin amongst red velvet cupcakes. The interior is nicely put together, and Mitsubishi offers a fantastic array of class-leading warranties for its newest SUV. Still, aside from those positives, it was an arduous task to find any areas that the Mitsubishi outshined its well-respected rivals. That being said, if the Eclipse had a stand-alone evaluation, it would prove to be capable enough to live with, but putting it next to the competition sealed its fate. The SUV is outshined by rivals in terms of size, performance, and, most notably, its meager trunk space offering. Aside from its class-leading warranty and nice interior setup, perhaps the only other positive of the Eclipse would be that it's around $2,000 cheaper than rivals, but for an extra two thousand, you can get your hands on a CR-V that puts most rivals to shame.

Nearly $3,000 cheaper than the Eclipse, the Hyundai Kona produces roughly the same power as the Mitsubishi and delivers better fuel consumption with EPA estimates of 27/23/30 mpg, outshining the Eclipse's 26/29/27 mpg figures considerably. Notably, the Kona is smaller than the Eclipse if you compare them on the outside, but it offers more space in the front, although rear seat and cargo volumes are smaller - the Kona is classified as a subcompact SUV, after all. The Kona offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from the base upwards, along with a range of safety features, while on the Eclipse Cross you have to climb the trim ladder to get access to such features. If you're after a small family SUV and you're mindful of your budget, the Kona is the better choice, despite the spatial compromises made.

Pricing for the Jeep Compass comes in roughly $1,000 cheaper than the Eclipse. The Jeep offers more power out of the gate at 180 hp, but receives significantly lower EPA estimated figures of 22/31/25 mpg from the bigger 2.4-liter displacement motor. But the Jeep does offer more space than the Eclipse, including trunk measurements, and the infotainment suite is vastly superior to that of the Mitsubishi. The exterior of the Jeep isn't as sassy as that of the Eclipse, but the interior feels more premium in general, with higher quality materials used than its Japanese rival. We prefer the way the Jeep drives, too. Unfortunately, the Jeep's NHTSA crashworthiness rating doesn't quite match up to the Eclipse Cross's reviews, but, considering that for less money it offers more power, more space, and a better interior than the Eclipse, the Jeep is the better buy of the two.