These Are the 13 Best SUVs You Can Buy for Under $40,000

Take a look at what kind of SUV you can get for under 40 grand.

May 30, 2023 - 22:30

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These Are the 13 Best SUVs You Can Buy for Under $40,000

The term "Sport Utility Vehicle" first appeared in a 1974 Jeep Cherokee SJ sales brochure.

This was back when the average car went for $15,000 and "The Way We Were" by Barbra Streisand was the number one song of the year.

It took a while for the phrase "Sports Utility Vehicle" to catch on--the 1984 Jeep Cherokee (XJ) is considered the first modern SUV to carry that handle--but the vehicle grew to dominate today's roads.

Admittedly, SUVs aren't cheap. As of December 2022, full-size SUV/crossover vehicles had an average transaction price of nearly $80,000, according to Statista.

What You Get for Your Money

A house cost about $36,000 in 1974 and though we can't go back to the way we were, you might be surprised what you can get for under $40,000.

The people at Consumer Reports have complied a list of what the product testing and research organization considers the best SUVs in that price range.

"We purchase every model we test, drive it for thousands of miles, and put it through an extensive array of tests," Consumer Reports said. "Then we ask CR members about their experiences."

Taking all that data, Consumer Reports said it provides "a straightforward ranking within each vehicle category based on the Overall Score, rolling together our test and survey findings along with key safety information."

Consumer Reports includes which active safety features are standard and optional for each model, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, AEB that operates at highway speeds, blind spot warning (BSW), and rear cross traffic warning (RCTW).