Baby SUVs: Gold Star Value Awards 2015

Look cool and save too.

Mazda CX-3 Neo

SUB-compact SUVs – we’re calling them ‘small’ because ‘compact’ now means medium – have sparked the SUV segment in 2015. Honda’s HR-V is another key arrival and finished seventh.

Mazda’s CX-3 is the coolest looking and fun to drive. It also offers the best value. Keen pricing – the Neo starts at $19,990 – works with a resale figure among best in category to make the Mazda unstoppable.

The jacked-up hatch's 6.3L/100km economy is among the misers, though it can’t touch the second-placed Peugeot’s impressive 4.9L/100km.

Never mind that the front-drive CX-3 won’t venture much further off road than a gravel driveway. It’s one of those rare creations that’s trendy yet sensible, and desirable yet affordable. And that makes it a certified Gold Star Value Awards choice.

Peugeot 2008 Active

LIGHTWEIGHT, agile and dynamically sharp, the under-rated 2008 deserves a look-in if you're a keen driver also seeking a surprisingly spacious compact crossover.

And even the outmoded four-speed auto works well in real-life scenarios.

Ford EcoSport Ambiente

ECOSPORT is to Fiesta what CX-3 is to Mazda 2: a fashionable quasi-SUV based on a light hatch. Accordingly, it mirrors the Mazda’s strengths of sharp entry price and great economy, though falls down with a relatively poor resale. It’s a similarly talented steer, but the base 1.5-litre isn’t a patch on Mazda’s 2.0; we’d recommend the turbo-triple Trend.