The term “SUV” was not warmly received in Australia.

Whether it was the lack of “sport” in a sport utility vehicle, weighty American “soccer mom” baggage or visions of high-riding military-look machines with a selection of bucket-sized cupholders for every passenger, the term just didn’t seem to fit Australia’s love of cars, utes and four-wheel-drives. 

Yet SUVs reached an important milestone in 2017, becoming more popular than passenger cars in Australia. That’s particularly evident in compact models, where baby SUVs such as the Mazda CX-3 and Mitsubishi ASX comfortably outsell conventional car cousins such as the Mazda2 and Mitsubishi Lancer– not bad when you consider that they haven’t been around for very long.

The best-selling CX-3 and ASX benefited from mid-life updates in 2017, so we’ve pitched them against the new Subaru XV and Toyota CH-R. Toyota’s first effort in the class romped home in our last comparison test against rivals from Honda, Holden and Suzuki, and this is the first time we’ve pitched it against the biggest sellers in the class.

Mitsubishi ASX LS

Mitsubishi’s ASX has enjoyed enduring popularity in Australia despite being the oldest car in its segment. On sale since 2010 – a lifetime in car-years - the ASX has benefited from a range of updates including a cosmetic facelift with a couple of interior tweaks for 2017.

As one of the bigger cars here, we’ve tested the ASX in entry-level LS auto form with an official price of $27,000 plus on-road costs.

That said, you can get this car in August 2017 for just under 26 grand drive-away, making value a strong point for the Mitsubishi, the only car in this group to offer a five-year warranty.

Mitsubishi’s contender offers plenty of space in the front and back seats, and practicality is a strong point for a car that offers the largest cargo area in this group as well as twin 12-volt power outlets and one USB point up front.

We couldn’t connect a phone to its Bluetooth stereo system, a 6.1-inch screen paired with a reversing camera as standard

The ASX’s cabin feels its age, with a dated appearance, cheap materials and a generic touchscreen conspiring to make it feel like a budget option.

The ASX misses out on important equipment such as sat nav and modern active driver aids, making up for that with a low cost of entry and wide service intervals with capped price servicing that will cost a minimum of $690 over the first three years of ownership – budget for $920 in maintenance across the first 60,000 kilometres of driving.

Powered by a 2.0-litre four cylinder engine that drives the front wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission, the ASX’s 110kW and 197Nm outputs squeak past the Mazda and Subaru to make it the most powerful car here, but it’s also the least efficient, using 7.6L/100km of unleaded.

Reasonably impressive on paper, the ASX’s appeal diminishes on the road.

Noisy, coarse and loose compared with newer rivals, the Mitsubishi’s 18-inch wheels thump noisily over imperfections more than any other car here. It feels loose and tired on the road – we could have been convinced that the 5000 kilometre reading on its odometer was missing a zero – exhibiting excessive road noise and poor body control on a country road test loop.

Mitsubishi ASX LS 2WD auto

Price: $27,000 ($25,990 drive-away)

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol

Power:  110kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 197Nm at 4200rpm

Transmission: CVT auto, FWD

Fuel use: 7.6L/100km

Toyota C-HR

None of those flaws apply to the Toyota, a car that feels quiet, composed and accomplished on the road.

The Japanese giant’s newest model is genuinely impressive to drive, offering responsive dynamics, a well-sorted ride and a quiet cabin thanks to the smallest engine in this group.

Forward thrust isn’t a strong point for the C-HR, which uses a turbocharged 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine to make just 85kW and 185Nm.

But it feels stronger than those numbers suggest, making peak torque at just 1500rpm – well before rival machines hit their straps.

Like the ASX, the CH-R drives the front wheels through a CVT automatic transmission, its 6.4L/100km figure presenting as more efficient than everything but the Mazda.

Priced from $28,990 plus on-road costs in entry-level automatic form, the C-HR is the most expensive model here. But you do get plenty of gear for your money including a comprehensive active safety suite with active cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and lane keeping assistance.

Though Toyota’s three-year, 100,000 kilometre warranty is stingy, it is the cheapest car to service by a significant margin, priced from $585 for the first three years and $780 to cover 60,000 kilometres.

The C-HR is an interesting place to be, thanks to quirky design details such as diamond patterns in the doors and roof.

A stylish cabin features premium materials with an impressive level of fit and finish along with great seats and more space in the rear than you would expect.

That said, visibility out of the back is quite limited thanks to its coupe-like roofline and upswept windows.

Toyota is the only brand offering dual-zone climate control in this group, and though it does offer sat nav, a reversing and front/rear parking sensors as standard, the infotainment system feels like a poorly integrated Supercheap Auto special, with its sole USB point mounted in an awkward spot high on the dashboard.

Toyota C-HR 2WD Auto

Price: $28,990

Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol

Power: 85kW at 5200-5600rpm

Torque: 185Nm at 1500-4000rpm

Transmission: CVT auto, FWD

Fuel use: 6.4L/100km                                                                    

Subaru XV 2.0i

USB points are a strong point for the Subaru XV, which offers three of the widely adapted outlets along with a pair of 12-volt power points in what may be Subaru’s best interior effort yet.

You get three nicely integrated screens including excellent Apple CarPlay connectivity, well-bolstered seats with eye-catching cloth trim, plenty of storage spaces and an impressive amount of passenger room in the front and back.

The XV is the biggest car here, almost feeling a size larger than the compact CX-3 and C-HR. With more ground clearance than its rivals, the XV is the only car with all-wheel-drive and an automatic transmission offered as standard, lending strong country cred.

But Subaru’s contender loses ground on the value front as the entry-level model tested here for $27,990 plus on-road costs misses out on its EyeSight safety suite offered as standard in more expensive models. It’s the costliest car to service, requiring buyers to budget for $1297 for the first three years or $2402 for 60,00 kilometres of ownership, and Subaru’s three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty is nothing to brag about.

The same goes for the driveline, which feels underpowered in the heaviest car here. Subaru’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine sends 110kW and 196Nm outputs to all four wheels through a CVT automatic transmission offered as standard across the range.

It’s not a great combination, with high fuel use and a lethargic feel on the road.

We’ve also experienced the odd hiccup from automatic transmissions in more than a couple of XVs, which can shudder and surge in inner-city traffic.

The XV is more convincing on open roads, where its solid, weighty feel is augmented by outstanding traction and a significant ride height advantage.

Firm suspension keeps body roll in check, even if it does contribute to an intrusive ride and boomy road noise throughout the cabin that can make the XV an uncomfortable place to be.

Subaru XV 2.0i AWD auto

Price: $27,990

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol

Power: 110kW at 6200rpm

Torque: 196Nm at 4200rpm

Transmission: CVT auto, all-wheel-drive

Fuel use: 7L/100km

Mazda CX-3 Maxx

Road noise represents a longstanding issue for Mazda, which has been working to improve refinement in a number of vehicles.

The brand is on a roll with SUVs, offering up a family of excellent models such as the CX-5 and CX-9 that are among the best in their class. This CX-3 is no different, blending excellent value, safety and road manners that should have it on every buyer’s shopping list. Mazda updated the CX-3 in 2017, adding autonomous emergency braking as standard while tweaking its dynamics.

We’ve tested it in two-wheel-drive Maxx form that makes it the cheapest car here, priced from $24,890 plus on road costs.

That figure brings good stuff such as front and rear autonomous emergency braking and a 7-inch touchscreen that fits nicely within a driver-focused cabin with excellent instruments and a lovely sports steering wheel.

Mazda has made an effort to lift the appeal of its CX-3 with a remote controller for the infotainment system and red splashes on the air vents that provide a welcome distraction from its sub-par storage options and limited seating space – this is, after all, the smallest car here.

The CX-3 drives like a smaller car on the road too, struggling to disguise its Mazda2 origins with excessive road noise, an unsettled ride and the occasional rattle from the steering wheel on repeated bumps.

The lightweight model doesn’t feel particularly planted, and its engine has the loudest voice when put to work.

Mazda’s 2.0-litre motor pedals hard to make 109kW and 192Nm, taking advantage of the lightest body here to claim 6.1L/100km fuel use.

That figure is achieved with the help of a regular six-speed automatic transmission – the only conventional auto here.

Mazda CX-3 Maxx 2WD auto

Price: $24,890

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol

Power: 109kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 192Nm at 2800rpm

Transmission: Six-speed auto, FWD

Fuel use: 6.1L/100km

Summary

All four of these cars have something going for them - the Subaru is the best off-road, the Mitsubishi offers superior value, the Toyota is the safety pick and Mazda’s CX-3 is an impressive all-rounder.

Though it is often difficult to settle on a finishing order when comparing close rivals, that was not the case here.

Mitsubishi’s ASX finishes in a clear fourth place – it can’t match the finish, features or finesse of rivals that benefited from significant investment in recent years.

Bronze goes to Subaru’s XV. This isn’t the most flattering price point for the XV, which misses out on key features in this trim. The Subaru is also hurt by steep servicing costs (more than triple the Toyota’s ask over 60,000 kilometres) and a dire lack of refinement in its CVT automatic transmission.

Mazda’s second place comes as a result of its impressive standard safety features, low price and affordable running costs, but it falls short of the Toyota’s polish, tech and style.

The C-HR represents an important change for Toyota – it’s an innovative, safety-conscious and well-rounded machine that pushes the brand into new territory.

This “Coupe-High Rider” is also the most car-like model in this class by some margin, offering road-hugging 154mm ground clearance that represents less than a centimetre in altitude over a Toyota Camry.

It’s possible that the best baby SUV isn’t an SUV at all.