CHERRY HILL, N.J. Subaru of America, Inc. announced today that the XV Crosstrek takes top spot in the 2015 Cars.com Subcompact SUV Challenge by outperforming six other popular models in its segment.

With the help of five expert judges from Cars.com, USA Today and MotorWeek put the seven competitors through a 200-mile course on varying roads and elevation through the state of Colorado. In addition to the panel of judges, a young couple in the market for a new subcompact SUV also joined in the evaluation. All participants had the opportunity drive each SUV and evaluate handling, comfort, performance, features and cargo space.

The tests resulted in the following ranking:

2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
2016 Fiat 500X
2016 Honda HR-V
2016 Mazda CX-3
2015 Jeep Renegade
2015 Nissan Juke
2016 Chevrolet Trax

"The XV Crosstrek ranked highest with the expert judges and was the favorite of the in-market couple," said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com's editor-in-chief. "This subcompact SUV felt like the 'grownup' of the group, with an oversized cargo area and a delightfully quiet ride. Overall, it did the best job of packing in impressive, high-tech safety features, ample creature comforts and a great ride for a low price."