I test drove nearly all the competiton except for the Outback, (I'm not a Subaru kind of guy
) any of the Kia's, and the Venza looked too much like a station wagon to me. My personal top 5 was the Equinox, Honda CRV, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Edge and Nissan Murano. So so gas mileage and high base prices eliminated the Edge and Murano, the overly stiff ride and the "Korean factor" (personal mental block) eliminated the Tucson, and the CRV was a bit too noisy and the exterior/interior styling was bland. I still think I made the right choice going with the Nox. There will eventually be a better small SUV on the market...but it is still the best currently.