The compact SUV class is a versatile and highly competitive one. It's peaking in popularity, with several models that are selling out as soon as they arrive on the lot, and for good reason. They combine power, cargo room and the fuel economy of a sedan, all at an affordable price. We're going to look at three of the most popular models in the small SUV class, the 2016 Toyota RAV4 vs. 2016 Honda CR-V vs. 2016 Nissan Rogue and see which one is the best vehicle for you.

Let's start with the grandaddy of the compact SUV class, and one which set the tone for all models to follow when it rolled into dealership lots in the mid-1990s, the Toyota RAV4. The 2016 RAV4 gets nice fuel economy at 23 mpg city, 30 mpg highway while tying the 2016 Honda CR-V for most towing power with 1,500 pounds and giving drivers like yourself the most room for cargo items like luggage and shopping bags at 73.4 cubic feet, more than the Honda CR-V's 70.9 and the 2016 Nissan Rogue's 70. Based upon the vehicle specs, the 2016 RAV4 has the most checks in its favor, and the experts agree. For example, the well-respected J.D. Power, which gave the Toyota RAV4 the highest rating among these three SUVs in its Initial Quality Study for the 2015 model year - and the 2016 model is just as value-packed.

Rev Up a RAV4 for a Test Drive Today!

All three of these vehicles achieved an IIHS Top Safety Pick designation (with the RAV4 and the CR-V getting the extra honor of being a Top Safety Pick+), making them among the most impact-resistant in their class. That's a nice honor from a prestigious independent group that tests cars, but the 2016 RAV4 (as well as the 2016 CR-V) also received a 5-Star Safety Rating from the NHTSA, which is a safety agency in the Federal Government. However you slice it, the 2016 RAV4 is safer for you and your passengers than the 2016 Rogue, and equally as safe as the 2016 CR-V, but it comes with more cargo room, and another honor neither vehicle can touch.

Besides saving you money at the pump, which the Toyota RAV4 definitely helps you do, it was also the highest-rated of the three models in Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com list of the 10 Most Affordable SUVs in 2015, making number five on the list, thanks to features like available advanced voice recognition and a sound system with up to 11 speakers. Put it all together and the 2016 Toyota RAV4 is the most powerful, the most versatile and the highest-regarded vehicle of the three, and it's affordable. At Novato Toyota, we proudly have the 2016 RAV4 on the lot. We also have high-octane midsize sedans like the Toyota Camry and fun compacts like the Toyota Corolla, among other models in stock. Novato Toyota is located at 115 Vintage Way in Novato, CA, which is about 30 miles from San Francisco, and we serve the area that includes San Rafael and Petaluma, as well as the greater San Francisco and Oakland areas. Please contact us at (415) 897-3191 or visit us to see why the RAV4 will get your pulse revving.