Best 5-seater SUVs Under $30k for 2024
The best 5-seater SUVs under $30k based on a data-driven analysis of each vehicle's reliability, resale value and safety.
The best 5-seater SUV under $30,000 is the Toyota RAV4 based on our analysis of 12 million vehicles to assess their reliability, resale value and safety. The Toyota RAV4 has a starting MSRP of $28,675 with an overall iSeeCars score of 8.8. Coming in at number 2 is the Ford Escape with a starting MSRP of $27,995 and iSeeCars score of 8.6. Ranked #3 is the GMC Terrain at $28,700 and 8.6 iSeeCars’ best car rating. iSeeCars analyzed vehicles with starting MSRP between $25,000 and $30,000 for this list.
The best 5-seater SUV under $30,000 is the Toyota RAV4 based on our analysis of 12 million vehicles to assess their reliability, resale value and safety. The Toyota RAV4 has a starting MSRP of $28,675 with an overall iSeeCars score of 8.8. Coming in at number 2 is the Ford Escape with a starting MSRP of $27,995 and iSeeCars score of 8.6. Ranked #3 is the GMC Terrain at $28,700 and 8.6 iSeeCars’ best car rating. iSeeCars analyzed vehicles with starting MSRP between $25,000 and $30,000 for this list.
- iSeeCars Score: 8.8 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $28,675
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.5 / 10
- Value Retention 8.7 / 10
- Safety 9.0 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: 8.6 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $27,995
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.2 / 10
- Value Retention 7.6 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: 8.6 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $28,700
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.0 / 10
- Value Retention 7.8 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: 8.6 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $28,600
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.0 / 10
- Value Retention 7.7 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: 8.6 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $29,695
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.3 / 10
- Value Retention 8.4 / 10
- Safety 9.0 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: 8.5 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $28,895
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.6 / 10
- Value Retention 8.1 / 10
- Safety 9.0 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: 8.2 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $28,880
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.4 / 10
- Value Retention 7.9 / 10
- Safety 9.3 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: 8.2 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $27,190
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.6 / 10
- Value Retention 7.9 / 10
- Safety 9.0 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: 8.2 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $28,570
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.2 / 10
- Value Retention 8.3 / 10
- Safety 9.0 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: 8.1 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $29,230
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.0 / 10
- Value Retention 7.9 / 10
- Safety 8.6 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: 8.1 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $25,100
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 5.6 / 10
- Value Retention 8.7 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: 8.1 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $27,900
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 5.9 / 10
- Value Retention 8.4 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: 8.1 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $28,355
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.5 / 10
- Value Retention 8.0 / 10
- Safety 8.7 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: 8.0 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $25,900
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.9 / 10
- Value Retention 8.2 / 10
- Safety 8.0 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: 7.8 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $25,195
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 5.6 / 10
- Value Retention 8.8 / 10
- Safety 9.0 / 10
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 6.9 / 10
- Value Retention 8.2 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- iSeeCars Score: 7.5 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $27,850
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 6.0 / 10
- Value Retention 8.4 / 10
- Safety 8.0 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: Not Available
- Starting MSRP: $26,345
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 7.8 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- iSeeCars Score: Not Available
- Starting MSRP: $29,795
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 7.7 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
Related Rankings
How We Rank These Cars
iSeeCars Best Cars Under $30k Rankings are calculated based on the latest research by our data science team and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
We analyze data from over 12 million new and used vehicles in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies, combined with the NHTSA's Safety Ratings to give you an unbiased guide to the best vehicles in each segment.
After being evaluated, vehicles with the highest average scores earn a spot in the iSeeCars Best Car Rankings. (No final score is given to vehicles missing a score in any of the categories, but scores for other categories are still shown.)
Vehicles are scored in three categories:
Reliability
The reliability score represents an analysis of iSeeCars' proprietary research on the longest-lasting vehicles.
Value Retention
The value retention score is based on our data science team's statistical analysis and prediction of 5-year depreciation from MSRP to determine which cars hold their value best, using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data to adjust for inflation.
Safety
The safety score is calculated based on the last five years of crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and incorporates the latest Top Safety Pick information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).