GROWING UP.(sport-utility vehicles and minivans)(Product/service evaluation)

SMALL SUVS VEHICLES IN THIS CLASS ARE GETTING LARGER,WITH SOME EVEN ADDING THIRD-ROW SEATS.

Just as vehicles in other classes have grown in size and power over the past several years, so too have the models in this relatively young small SUV category. In 10 years, the class has evolved from just one vehicle, the four-cylinder, five-passenger Toyota RAV4, to a category with more than 20 offerings. Many models offer both four- and six-cylinder engines, and the redesigned RAV4 s optional third-row seat is no longer unique to this class.

In fact, small SUVs have grown so much that the lines between them and midsized SUVs have become blurred.

Improvements, additional features, and increased versatility can also mean higher prices, and these not-so-small SUVs can now approach or exceed $30,000. This puts them very close to midsized SUVs not only in price but also in size, amenities, and power.

In our February 2007 test of small SUVS, the redesigned Honda CR-V scored close to the RAV4 four-cylinder and better than the Subaru Forester 2.5X. Since that test, more models have entered the market.

For this test we bought three redesigned, seven-passenger small SUVs: the Hyundai Santa Fe, Mitsubishi Outlander, and Suzuki XL7. We also added two five-passenger models, the Dodge Nitro, which is based on the Jeep Liberty, and the Subaru Forester Sports XT, which shares the same turbocharged four-cylinder engine found in the sporty Impreza WRX.

The redesigned Hyundai Santa Fe topped this group in our testing and is now ranked just below our top-rated RAV4 V6. It s quiet, comfortable riding, and it s refined. It has a versatile interior, yet its exterior dimensions are modest. Handling is improved, and the 3.3-liter V6 is powerful and smooth. The interior has simple controls and impressive fit and finish. The optional third row seat is too small for adults. Our Limited AWD cost $30,745 with the optional third-row seat and sunroof.