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Baby SUVs: Gold Star Value Awards 2015

Look cool and save too

Baby SUVs: Gold Star Value Awards 2015
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Look cool and save too.

Mazda CX-3 Neo

Mazda -CX3-NeoSUB-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

Peugeot -2008-ActiveLIGHTWEIGHT, 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

Ford -Eco Sport -AmbienteECOSPORT 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.

Baby SUVs Mazda CX-3 Neo man 2.0L FWD Peugeot 2008 Active man Ford EcoSport Ambiente man 1.5L
Purchase Price $19,990 $21,990 $20,790
Combined cycle fuel (L/100km) 6.3 4.9 6.5
Fuel RON (min. rec.) 91 95 91
Three-year fuel cost $3596 $2978 $3710
Redbook resale (%) 66.8 59.3 59.2
Three-year depreciation $6637 $8950 $8482
AAMI insurance premium $738 $827 $798
Service interval (months) 12 12 12
Warranty (years) 3 3 3
James Whitbourn

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