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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.