Last year Americans left many old-school chariots in the dust, buying twice as many SUVs as sedans. But while early pioneers like the Jeep Cherokee and Ford Explorer get props for leading the sport-ute charge, today there are more than 170 models. I recently test drove two newish SUVs that kinda-sorta remind me of my Pride bracelet: They make a statement, but at an affordable price. 

JEEP COMPASS
$29,000
MPG: 24 city/32 highway
0 to 60 mph: 7.5 seconds
Cargo room: 27.2 cu. ft.

PROS: lots of amenities, good storage, all-wheel drive

CONS: some pricey options, stiff ride, bit noisy cabin

IN A NUTSHELL: Redesigned last year, the Jeep Compass gets a stronger engine for 2023. More power usually means reduced fuel efficiency, but mileage is up almost 10% from the previous model. Another plus: More stowage space, which had been sorely lacking. And all-wheel drive is now standard, so better traction and handling, especially on slick or gravelly terrain. 

Despite having chiseled looks like the midsize Jeep Cherokee, the smaller Compass feels lighter and more limber. But while this compact SUV can handle light off-roading, the short wheelbase makes it hard to ignore potholes or speed bumps. In fact, I often had to slow down to a crawl to not seesaw jarringly over them. In other words, any Barbie or Ken wannabes with perfectly coiffed hair will want to stick to smoother surfaces when driving this vehicle.  

The well-built cabin is much improved, with higher quality materials. The dash is covered in soft-touch leather—a nice touch—with a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.1-inch touchscreen. Plenty of legroom and headroom in front, but tallish backseat passengers may feel a bit squished. 

There are five trim levels, including the top-of-the-line Trailhawk, with more aggressive styling and solid off-road capability. I tested the mid-range Latitude Lux, which costs $5,000 more than the base model but comes with larger wheels, heated seats, and other niceties. 

Notable tech features: smartphone integration, Wi-Fi hot spot, Bluetooth, wireless charging, voice recognition, remote start and nine-speaker Alpine stereo. 

But it’s the list of safety gear that rally wowed me, such as rearview camera, park assist, lane-departure warning, driver-attention monitoring, rear-seat passenger reminder, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitor, forward collision warning with active braking, and—whew!—so much more. 

SUBARU CROSSTREK
$27,000
MPG: 28 city/34 highway
0 to 60 mph: 9.1 seconds
Cargo room: 20 cu. ft.

PROS: decent mileage, comfy seats, user-friendly cabin

CONS: poky base engine, so-so storage, plasticky dashboard

IN A NUTSHELL: With so much sport-ute competition these days, automakers seem to be revamping their SUV models each year (not every four to six years, as in the past). This time, the Subaru Crosstrek receives some nifty design flourishes and major cabin upgrades. Compared to the butch Jeep Compass, the curvier Crosstrek looks trés chic. Think boyish Buck versus trendy Eddie on “911.” 

Based on the nimble Impreza hatchback, the subcompact Crosstrek feels car-like and agile. Two engine choices, but opt for the more potent powerplant so it doesn’t feel like you’re just treading water. While the Crosstrek is smaller and slower than the Compass, the ride here is smoother and more composed. Higher ground clearance, tighter suspension and quick all-wheel drive system all help, as does a new direct-steering system. Plus, paddle shifters, which I only needed to use once or twice when merging into traffic, provide plenty of extra oomph. 

The Crosstrek cabin, which is surprisingly quiet, offers good legroom for passengers in both the front and back. An optional 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen is mounted vertically, similar to those iPad-like displays found in the Ford Mustang Mach-E and various luxury vehicles. 

It says something when my biggest beef with the Crosstrek is the placement of the odometer reset button, which is only a smidge above the remote start button. Both buttons are completely obscured behind the steering wheel, so I was constantly reaching around and pressing the wrong one. A minor annoyance, to be sure. But if Subaru could fix this ergonomic annoyance, then I wouldn’t have to listen to my husband claim that the problem is actually my own “user error.”

Sure, German cars are uber exciting, but Asian brands are much more reliable. Right? Well, not exactly. 

This year, for the first time, BMW tops the list in what is considered the holy grail of product-quality resources: Consumer Reports. Along with improved reliability, BMW leads in the rankings for user-friendly options—including innovative infotainment systems. 

To be sure, seven of the top 10 most-reliable vehicles are still made by Asian automakers. 

But today’s BMW drivers can enjoy both style and substance, with rides that are fun, fast, furious—and now very dependable. 

BMW M2 COUPE

$64,000

MPG: 16 city/24 highway

0 to 60 mph: 3.9 seconds

Cargo room: 13.8 cu. ft.

PROS: lively acceleration, taut handling, sexy exhaust growl

CONS: rigid front seats, tight backseat, hard-to-access seatbelts

IN A NUTSHELL: I have a love-hate relationship with two-door cars. They fail the test when it comes to ferrying lots of people or more than a few suitcases. And forget about cross-country trips, especially if you want to pull over and catch 40 winks by stretching out in any sort of rear cargo area. But it’s hard to resist the convenience of a coupe or convertible when scooching into tight parking spaces or weaving through congested traffic. And these rides can be a blast to drive. That’s the case with the BMW M2 super-coupe, a pocket rocket that comes standard with a 435-hp engine and six-speed manual transmission. Expect automotive purists to forgo the optional eight-speed automatic, though it is a tad faster. 

The feisty styling boasts flared fenders, muscular side panels and an arousing rear spoiler.  As my husband Robert said, “This car is ‘sex on wheels.’ ” Yes, indeed. 

Of all the BMW high-performance M cars, the M2 is the smallest and least expensive. Yet it’s loaded with the latest bells and whistles: sport-tuned suspension, track-oriented tires, side-impact airbags, knee airbags, Harman Kardon surround-sound stereo, 12.3-inch digital gauge display and an even-larger 14.9-inch infotainment touchscreen. This second-generation M2 is also longer and wider than before, which adds more leg and elbow room inside. 

My test car came with the weight-saving carbon-fiber package. This included bucket seats with rigid thigh bolsters, as well as a quirky hard protrusion that stuck up awkwardly between my legs. Intended to keep you seated firmly in place when swooshing in and out of twisty curves, the intrusive seat design can sometimes smoosh your nether regions. In other words, there’s a reason these seats are called “ball busters.”

BMW Z4 ROADSTER

$55,000

MPG: 25 city/33 highway

0 to 60 mph: 5.2 seconds

Cargo room: 9.9 cu. ft.

PROS: wicked fast, easy to drive, cushy cabin

CONS: low ground clearance, no second row, skimpy storage

IN A NUTSHELL: Built on the same platform as the less-expensive but also less-luxurious Toyota Supra coupe, the BMW Z4 convertible is more of a comfortable cruiser than cheeky racecar. Two fine engine choices are available, though neither propels the Z4 as fast as the Supra or BMW M2 coupes. Still, handling and braking are splendid. Most important, my tush appreciated the more traditional seating in the Z4 compared with those butt-blasting seats in the M2. 

As with all BMWs, styling on this two-seater is dramatically sculpted. My only complaint was with the doors, which are so darn long you need to lean over and reach into another county to close them. 

The high-quality cabin is surprisingly spacious, with plenty of headroom, even with the top up. But storage cubbies are few and far between. Luckily, the trunk offers decent stowage, thanks to the power-operated top that takes up no cargo space when lowered. And despite having a fabric top instead of a thick metal one, there’s very little road noise.

As with the M2, the Z4 is actually a lot of car for the money. Pricey competitors to the Z4 include the $101,000 Porsche Boxster S and $110,000 Mercedes SL-Class. 

While crossovers and other SUVs may rule most showrooms today, these two rousing, reliable and relatively affordable two-door rides offer plenty of temptation. 

The Pointer Sisters. The Jonas Brothers. Gay throuples. Sometimes good things come in threes. 

Same for this trio of SUVs, all loaded with luxury. My husband Robert and I took each of these vehicles on weekend forays, encountering pleasant surprises along the way.

BMW X7

$78,000

MPG: 21city/25 highway

0 to 60 mph: 5.8 seconds

PROS: Zippy, fresh facelift, flashy cabin

CONS: Tight third row, clunky HVAC controls, costly options

IN A NUTSHELL: Sassy on the outside, but comfy—almost overly so—inside. My test car, the base-model BMW X7 xDrive40i, boasted a strong six-cylinder engine and velvety transmission. The destination: Maryland orchards to score some fruit and veggies. Along the way, Robert and I traversed myriad freeways and backroads. We also spotted one fine ass: Jack, the donkey who roams the fields at one of our favorite roadside stops. As for our tushes, the seats in the X7 are supportive but not as fully bolstered as in other sport-tuned SUVs. Ditto the suspension, which can handle speed bumps at twice the posted speed limit. The new widescreen dashboard is stunning, but searching for infotainment functions while driving wasn’t easy. Better to use the steering-wheel controls—except, uh, the HVAC system can only be accessed via the touchscreen. Bummer. Still, it’s hard to overstate just how enjoyable this car actually is. Opening the panoramic sunroof was a blessing after last week’s wildfire smoke had us in lockdown. Another plus: The self-park feature, which meant we could people-watch instead of stressing out over trying to fit into parking spaces at Pride events. 

JAGUAR F-PACE

$54,000

MPG: 22 city/27 highway

0 to 60 mph: 6.9 seconds

PROS: Sporty handling, suave looks, lots of storage

CONS: A bit noisy inside, pokey base-model, so-so reliability 

IN A NUTSHELL: Redesigned a few years ago, the F-Pace is Jaguar’s best-selling model. As with all Jags, there’s no shortage of sharp styling, with a Porsche-esque front and Lexus-like rear. Those sweptback seats, especially in the supercharged SVR trim level, would make a Formula 1 driver salivate. While the SVR ($90,000) is nice, my test car was one step down but still plenty fast: the R-Dynamic S ($67,000). I hit 60 mph in a mere 5.5 seconds, much quicker than the sluggish base model. All trims have minimalist but upscale interiors. Bucking the trend of a single widescreen dash, the F-Pace has two displays: One for the gauge cluster and the other for infotainment. Both are easy to read, but as with many high-end infotainment systems, you’ll need a crash course in how to use it. Luckily, there’s no learning curve when simply driving the F-Pace. This time, the Virginia mountains were calling, so Robert and I headed for the hills. It’s a testament to Jag engineering how fun and responsive this SUV was as we inched through congestion, barreled down I-66 and whipped along rural switchbacks. 

LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER 

$110,000

MPG: 18 city/26 highway

0 to 60 mph: 5.5 seconds

PROS: Sci-fi styling, silky-smooth ride, oozing luxury

CONS: Ginormous, some quirky electronics, pricey

IN A NUTSHELL: Fully redesigned last year, the latest Range Rover is from another world. The curved fascia and wraparound headlights remind me of RoboCop, or at least the dude’s space-age cyborg helmet. And the refined cabin, especially with the deluxe “executive” package, is a generation ahead of its time: reclining rear seats with power footrests, tray tables that electronically deploy to swivel into place, and a 1,600-watt Meridian stereo with—count ’em!—35 speakers. The mini-fridge in the second row is placed vertically instead of horizontally (to better hold a bottle of bubbly and two chilled glasses, of course). And for the first time, a third row is now available. Among the various trim levels is a new plug-in hybrid with 48 miles of electric range. As for overall handling, it’s beyond me how an almost 6,000-pound beast can dance through traffic like a lightweight roadster. And potholes and rumble strips? Pfft, they weren’t even noticeable when recently heading to the beach. But, alas, luxury comes at a price: A fully loaded Range Rover can top $220,000.