The top 10 SUVs in Canada for 2025

If you’re one of the many Canadians looking to buy a new SUV this year, there are lots of things to consider. In addition to purchase price, it’s important to take into account fuel economy, the cost of insurance, and safety.

Our goal at Ratehub.ca is to be the champions of choice, so we’ve put together a buying guide showcasing the top 10 SUVs in Canada in 2025. We’ve taken the 10 best-selling SUVs and crossovers in Canada and ranked them by sales volume, purchase price, auto insurance cost, and safety ratings. 

Finally, we tallied up all the rankings to create our list of the 10 best SUVs in Canada, overall.

Meet the best-selling SUVs in Canada

SUVs now make up over half of passenger car sales in Canada, and Canadians seem to agree that midsize crossovers like the Toyota Rav4 and Honda CR-V are the way to go. These vehicles usually have room for five, ample cargo space, and good fuel efficiency.

These are the best-selling SUVs in Canada, according to Driving.ca.

1. Toyota Rav-4

With 57,763 units sold in the first three quarters of 2024, the Toyota Rav4 tops the list of the bestselling SUVs in Canada. This family hauler is known for having room for safety, reliability, and gas mileage. Toyota has sold over 10 million worldwide since introducing the Rav4 in 1994. The Rav-4 is available in either a gas-powered or hybrid model. This SUV was also listed at #5 on the top stolen vehicles list this year.

2. Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V sold 41,874 units in the first three quarters of 2024, making it the second-best-selling SUV for the year. The Honda crossover is described as roomy, practical and ideal for families, and it’s available to purchase in either gas or hybrid models. This SUV was also listed at #4 on the top stolen vehicles list this year.

3. Nissan Rogue

This compact crossover, which compares closely to the Toyota Rav4 and Honda CR-V, has been climbing the list of top-selling SUVs in recent years. Nissan sold 26,973 Rogues in the first three quarters of 2024. It will be interesting to see if this SUV remains an option for Canadians in the future as Nissan is reported to be in financial trouble.

4. Hyundai Kona

This subcompact crossover from Hyundai is the smallest vehicle in the top 10. A modern answer to the hatchbacks of yesteryear, the Kona is small, sporty and fun to drive. Canadians bought 24,385 Konas in the first three quarters of 2024. The Kona comes in gas-powered, electric and hybrid models.

5. Subaru Crosstrek

The Subaru Crosstrek combines rugged all-wheel-drive capability with a comfortable city-friendly design and impressive fuel efficiency. Subaru sold 22,405 of these “cute utes” in the first nine months of 2024.

6. Hyundai Tucson

The next step up from the Hyundai Kona is the Tucson, a small SUV that compares well with the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5. It’s described as roomy and comfortable, and as being a good value for the money. Hyundai sold 26,019 in 2023. The Tucson is available in either gas-powered or hybrid models.

7. Jeep Wrangler

When you picture a Jeep, you’re picturing a Jeep Wrangler. This classic off-roader is powerful and capable, if not the most practical for family driving. This SUV was also listed at #7 on the top stolen vehicles list this year. 

8. Mazda CX-5

The Mazda CX-5 compares closely with many of the other family SUVs on this list. It’s said to have good performance and handling, but with slightly less cargo room than some of the competition.

9. Ford Escape

The Ford Escape has fallen from its one-time position as the top-selling SUV in Canada but remains popular having sold 23,848 copies in 2022. This compact crossover by Ford compares closely in many ways with the bestselling Toyota Rav4 - both these vehicles are available to purchase in gas and hybrid models.

10. Jeep Grand Cherokee

Where the other vehicles on this list prioritize efficiency, the Jeep Grand Cherokee delivers similar features with power in mind. It leads this list in towing capability and, aside from its sibling the Jeep Wrangler, is the only SUV on this list to come with a standard V6 engine.

If you’re still deciding between an SUV and a car it might be worth checking out the rankings for the best selling cars in Canada. More research never hurt anyone.

 

The best SUVs in Canada ranked by price

First off we know the cost of car ownership isn’t cheap, in fact it’s only gotten more expensive over time - especially for new cars. So when making this kind of investment it’s important to understand if you are getting a good deal. 

Most people look at the starting price of an SUV as a good comparison tool, but it makes a bit more sense to compare prices that include the features you want. We’ve included both options so you can see the difference in price to more effectively compare.

For this comparison, we’ve looked for the price of each vehicle with a few of the most wanted features including all-wheel drive, compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and adaptive cruise control. The ranking is weighted 80% in favour of the equipped price and 20% in favour of the base price.

While it doesn’t have the lowest starting price, the Subaru Crosstrek comes equipped with our favourite features for the best value at just over $32,000. The Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Kona round out the top three, each coming in well under $35,000 with our desired options included.

While larger SUVs tend to be more expensive, size isn’t the only contributor to price. The Honda CR-V has the most cargo space with the seats folded in our comparison, but ranks seventh in price. And the lowest-priced Subaru Crosstrek has the most front leg room of all the SUVs on this list.

The best SUVs in Canada ranked by insurance cost

In order to create our rankings for insurance pricing, we compared car insurance quotes for each of the top 10 vehicles using Ratehub.ca’s online tool. We surveyed multiple quote options from Canada’s top auto insurance companies in order to identify the lowest monthly premium option for each vehicle. 

Check out our rankings by cost of insurance:

Our statistically representative driver is ‘Jennifer Doe’, a 42-year-old woman from Toronto who drives 20,000 km per year including a daily commute of 15 km each way. Her standard policy includes $1 million in coverage for third-party liability, loss of use coverage, accident forgiveness, and a limited waiver of depreciation with a $1,000 deductible.  

Jennifer’s quotes ranged from $167 to $506 per month, with the lowest quote being for the Hyundai Kona. The Ford Escape took the second spot, while the Toyota Rav4 came in third. The highest insurance quote was for the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which would cost our fictional driver $339/month more per month than the top-ranked Kona. 

Keep in mind that how much you pay for car insurance depends on dozens of factors, of which your car is only one. Not only do insurance companies look at your driving record and insurance history, but the vehicle itself impacts pricing. Some of the top selling SUVs are also found on Canada’s top stolen vehicles list, which would have a negative impact on how they are priced. 

This is why we always recommend shopping the market for auto insurance quotes when looking to purchase a vehicle - cost of insurance is often overlooked but should be a key part in your decision criteria.

Read more: How auto insurance rates are calculated in Canada

The best SUVs in Canada ranked by safety

When choosing an SUV to carry your precious cargo, safety is a top concern for many drivers - especially for parents.

To find the safest SUVs out of the top 10, we combined each vehicle’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety rating with data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The IIHS data is based on five safety ratings as well as the Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ designations. 

The resulting rankings are fairly close, but we can identify a few trends in the data. While no vehicle scored perfectly, the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota Rav4, and Hyundai Kona took the best scores from the IIHS to rank in the top three in our comparison. All the other vehicles performed similarly well, with the exception of the two Jeep entries which performed poorly or weren’t tested at all.

The best SUVs in Canada ranked overall

To determine a winner, we assigned each vehicle points based on its performance in each of sales, price, insurance cost and safety rankings. First place earned 10 points, second place earned nine, all the way down to a single point for last place.

With 35 points out of a possible 40, the Toyota Rav4 takes first overall to earn the title of the best SUV in Canada for 2024. The mid-sized crossover SUV scored in the top three in every category except price, where it came in fourth.

Second place goes to the Hyundai Kona, which beat the Rav4 in price and insurance cost, but not sales or safety. If you’re looking for a smaller option – Kona has about 50% less cargo capacity than the Rav4 – the high score suggests it’s a great value and worthy of being one of the most popular SUVs in Canada.

At the bottom of the list, the Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee fall far behind their competition. Both models compare poorly when it comes to purchase price, insurance cost, and safety. The relatively high cost of insurance for the Grand Cherokee sealed its position at the bottom of the ranking.

 

The bottom line: Which SUV should you choose?

After comparing sales volume, prices, insurance cost, fuel economy, and safety, the Toyota Rav4 takes the top spot on our comparison of the 10 best-selling SUVs in Canada. The second-place Hyundai Kona also shows great value and has proven itself as one of the best SUVs in the country. 

Ultimately the decision is yours and it comes down to personal preference. Use these rankings as a guide, but do your own research and test drives to help you decide. At the end of the day buying a vehicle is not a cheap expense and should be an educated decision.

Also read

• The top 10 most stolen vehicles in Canada
• The hidden costs of owning an electric car
• How much is insurance for an electric car?
• What is car insurance fraud in Canada?
• What to do after a car accident in Ontario?