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Cars · Top 10

Top 10 SUVs for Short Drivers in 2027

By Kory White · Updated Oct 2026 · 4 min read
2027 Kia Seltos
Direct answer

The 2027 Kia Seltos is the best SUV for short drivers, with a 12-way power driver’s seat from the S trim, a standard tilt and telescopic steering column and a $24,990 starting MSRP. The 2026 Hyundai Tucson ($29,700) is #2 and the 2027 Kia Sportage ($28,990) is #3.

At a glance

#PickDriver’s seatBest for
12027 Kia Seltos6-way manual on the LX; 12-way power with 4-way power lumbar on the S, EX, X-Line S and X-Line SXShort drivers who want a power seat and a telescoping wheel at the lowest price of the power-seat group
22026 Hyundai Tucson6-way adjustable on the SE; 8-way power on the SEL, SEL Plus, XRT, SEL Premium and LimitedShort drivers who want a memory seat and a telescoping wheel in a larger compact SUV
32027 Kia Sportage6-way manual (fore/aft, recline and height) on the LX; 10-way power with 2-way power lumbar available on the LX Convenience Package and EX, standard on the SX, X-Line and Prestige trimsShort drivers who want a seat Kia says adjusts for height, plus a power seat on upper trims
42026 Toyota Corolla Cross6-way manual driver’s seat; 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support on two trimsShort drivers who want a telescoping wheel and a low entry price
52027 Nissan Kicks6-way manual adjustable; Nissan’s press kit lists no power driver’s seatShort drivers who want the lowest price and camera views
62026 Mazda CX-308-way power adjustable with 2-position memory on the 2.5 S Select SportShort drivers who want a memory seat at a mid-$20,000s price
72027 Honda HR-VHonda’s trim table lists a driver’s seat with manual height adjustment and a driver’s seat with 8-way power adjustmentShort drivers who want the lowest ride height on the list
82027 Hyundai Kona6-way adjustable on the SE and SEL Sport; 8-way power on the SEL Premium and LimitedShort drivers who want a low FWD ground clearance and a power seat on upper trims
92027 Subaru Forester10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat on the Premium; Subaru does not say whether height is adjustable on the base trimShort drivers who want a power seat and are fine with a higher step-in
102027 Subaru Crosstrek10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat is an option on the Premium and standard on the Sport Hybrid; not listed for the base trimShort drivers who want a Subaru and can add the power seat

Pick by what you want

Best overall
2027 Kia Seltos
Best memory seat
2026 Hyundai Tucson
Best low price
2027 Nissan Kicks
Best budget with telescoping wheel
2026 Toyota Corolla Cross
Lowest step-in
2027 Honda HR-V

The ranking

1

2027 Kia Seltos

2027 Kia Seltos
Answrs VerdictThe best-equipped short-driver SUV.
Driver’s seat: 6-way manual on the LX; 12-way power with 4-way power lumbar on the S, EX, X-Line S and X-Line SXSteering wheel: Tilt and telescopic steering column, standard on all five trimsMemory seat: Driver’s memory seat and mirrors, available on the X-Line SX Prestige PackageGround clearance: 7.5 in. on the LX, 7.9 in. on the S, EX and X-Line S, 8.1 in. on the X-Line SXStarting MSRP: $24,990 for the 2027 Seltos LX; Kia says MSRP excludes destination and handling

The 2027 Seltos has a 12-way power driver’s seat with 4-way power lumbar on the S, EX and X-Line trims, a standard tilt and telescopic steering column, and ground clearance of 7.5 to 8.1 in., from $24,990.

Go ifShort drivers who want a power seat and a telescoping wheel at the lowest price of the power-seat group
Skip ifYou want a memory seat on a lower trim; it is a package item
Why #1 over #2: Its $24,990 start and 12-way power seat beat the Tucson’s $29,700 start.
2

2026 Hyundai Tucson

2026 Hyundai Tucson
Hyundai
Answrs VerdictThe roomier compact with a memory seat.
Driver’s seat: 6-way adjustable on the SE; 8-way power on the SEL, SEL Plus, XRT, SEL Premium and LimitedSteering wheel: Tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, standard on all six trimsMemory seat: Integrated Memory System for the driver’s seat, outside mirrors and HUD settingGround clearance: 7.1 in. (2WD) or 8.3 in. (AWD) minimum, on every trimStarting MSRP: $29,700 for the 2026 Tucson SE; Hyundai says MSRP excludes freight charges

The 2026 Tucson has an 8-way power driver’s seat on every trim above the SE, a tilt-and-telescopic wheel on all six trims and an integrated memory system, from $29,700.

Go ifShort drivers who want a memory seat and a telescoping wheel in a larger compact SUV
Skip ifYou want to spend less than the Seltos
Why #2 over #3: Its listed memory system and standard telescoping wheel beat the Sportage’s unlisted wheel.
3

2027 Kia Sportage

2027 Kia Sportage
Answrs VerdictA height-adjustable seat, with the wheel unconfirmed.
Driver’s seat: 6-way manual (fore/aft, recline and height) on the LX; 10-way power with 2-way power lumbar available on the LX Convenience Package and EX, standard on the SX, X-Line and Prestige trimsMemory seat: Driver’s memory seat and mirrors with two presets, available or standard on upper trimsSteering wheel: Tilt and telescopic adjustment is not listed on Kia’s specs pageGround clearance: 7.1 in. (FWD) or 8.3 in. (AWD)Starting MSRP: $28,990 for the 2027 Sportage LX; Kia says MSRP excludes destination and handling

The 2027 Sportage’s manual seat adjusts for fore/aft, recline and height, with a 10-way power seat on upper trims, from $28,990; Kia’s page does not list a telescoping wheel.

Go ifShort drivers who want a seat Kia says adjusts for height, plus a power seat on upper trims
Skip ifYou need to confirm a telescoping wheel; Kia’s page does not list one
Why #3 over #4: Its height-adjustable seat and power option beat the Corolla Cross’s lack of a listed memory seat.
4

2026 Toyota Corolla Cross

2026 Toyota Corolla Cross
Answrs VerdictThe telescoping-wheel budget pick.
Driver’s seat: 6-way manual driver’s seat; 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support on two trimsSteering wheel: Standard tilt/telescopic steering wheelGround clearance: 8.1 in.; Toyota says it gives “a heightened view over traffic”Starting MSRP: $25,335 for the 2026 Corolla Cross L

The 2026 Corolla Cross has a standard tilt/telescopic wheel, a 6-way manual seat with a 10-way power seat on two trims and 8.1 in. of ground clearance, from $25,335.

Go ifShort drivers who want a telescoping wheel and a low entry price
Skip ifYou want a memory seat; Toyota’s brochure does not list one
Why #4 over #5: Its power-seat option and telescoping wheel beat the Kicks’s 6-way manual seat.
5

2027 Nissan Kicks

2027 Nissan Kicks
Answrs VerdictThe cheapest here, with a manual seat.
Driver’s seat: 6-way manual adjustable; Nissan’s press kit lists no power driver’s seatSteering wheel: Manual tilt-telescope steering wheel on the SVisibility: RearView Monitor standard on S and SV; Intelligent Around View Monitor standard on SR and optional on SVGround clearance: 8.4 in., which Nissan calls best-in-class standard ground clearanceStarting MSRP: $22,790 for the 2027 Kicks S FWD; excludes tax, title, license and destination

The 2027 Kicks has a 6-way manual driver’s seat, a manual tilt-telescope wheel on the S, an Around View Monitor on the SR and 8.4 in. of ground clearance, from $22,790.

Go ifShort drivers who want the lowest price and camera views
Skip ifYou want a power seat
Why #5 over #6: Its telescoping wheel and camera views beat the CX-30’s unlisted wheel.
6

2026 Mazda CX-30

2026 Mazda CX-30
Answrs VerdictA memory seat, with fewer published specs.
Driver’s seat: 8-way power adjustable with 2-position memory on the 2.5 S Select SportSteering wheel: Tilt and telescopic adjustment is not listed in Mazda’s 2026 pricing releaseGround clearance: Not published in Mazda’s 2026 pricing releaseStarting MSRP: $28,060 for the 2026 CX-30 2.5 S Select Sport ($26,375 for the 2.5 S); excludes $1,595 destination and handling

The 2026 CX-30 2.5 S Select Sport has an 8-way power driver’s seat with 2-position memory, at $28,060.

Go ifShort drivers who want a memory seat at a mid-$20,000s price
Skip ifYou want a telescoping wheel confirmed or a ground clearance figure
Why #6 over #7: Its memory seat beats the HR-V’s unlisted memory.
7

2027 Honda HR-V

2027 Honda HR-V
Answrs VerdictThe lowest step-in.
Driver’s seat: Honda’s trim table lists a driver’s seat with manual height adjustment and a driver’s seat with 8-way power adjustmentSteering wheel: Tilt and telescopic adjustment is not listed in Honda’s trim tableGround clearance: 7 in. on the LX and EX-L, 7.3 in. on the Sport (unladen)Starting MSRP: $26,600 for the 2027 HR-V

Honda’s 2027 HR-V trim table lists a driver’s seat with manual height adjustment and one with 8-way power adjustment, with 7 in. of ground clearance on the LX, from $26,600.

Go ifShort drivers who want the lowest ride height on the list
Skip ifYou need a memory seat or a confirmed telescoping wheel
Why #7 over #8: Its 7 in. ride height is lower than the Kona AWD’s 8.1 in.
8

2027 Hyundai Kona

2027 Hyundai Kona
Answrs VerdictA low subcompact with a power-seat option.
Driver’s seat: 6-way adjustable on the SE and SEL Sport; 8-way power on the SEL Premium and LimitedSteering wheel: Column-mounted power steering; tilt and telescopic adjustment is not listedGround clearance: 6.7 in. (FWD) or 8.1 in. (AWD) on the SEStarting MSRP: $25,500 for the 2027 Kona SE; Hyundai says MSRP excludes freight charges

The 2027 Kona has a 6-way adjustable driver’s seat on the SE, an 8-way power seat on the SEL Premium and Limited and 6.7 in. of FWD ground clearance, from $25,500.

Go ifShort drivers who want a low FWD ground clearance and a power seat on upper trims
Skip ifYou want a telescoping wheel confirmed
Why #8 over #9: Its 6.7 in. FWD clearance is lower than the Forester’s 8.7 in.
9

2027 Subaru Forester

2027 Subaru Forester
Answrs VerdictA power seat, with a higher ride.
Driver’s seat: 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat on the Premium; Subaru does not say whether height is adjustable on the base trimSteering wheel: Tilt and telescopic adjustment is not mentioned in Subaru’s releaseGround clearance: At least 8.7 in. on every 2027 Forester trim; 9.3 in. on the WildernessStarting MSRP: $29,995 for the 2027 Forester

The 2027 Forester has a 10-way power driver’s seat on the Premium and at least 8.7 in. of ground clearance, from $29,995.

Go ifShort drivers who want a power seat and are fine with a higher step-in
Skip ifYou want an easy step-in; 8.7 in. is the highest base clearance on this list
Why #9 over #10: Its 10-way power seat on the Premium beats the Crosstrek’s optional-only seat.
10

2027 Subaru Crosstrek

2027 Subaru Crosstrek
Answrs VerdictThe most optional-seat pick.
Driver’s seat: 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat is an option on the Premium and standard on the Sport Hybrid; not listed for the base trimSteering wheel: Tilt and telescopic adjustment is not mentioned in Subaru’s releaseGround clearance: 8.7 in. on the base model; 9.3 in. on the WildernessStarting MSRP: $26,995 for the 2027 Crosstrek

The 2027 Crosstrek has a 10-way power driver’s seat as an option on the Premium and 8.7 in. of ground clearance, from $26,995.

Go ifShort drivers who want a Subaru and can add the power seat
Skip ifYou want a power seat standard or a lower ride

How we ranked these

We ranked each SUV on what its maker publishes for shorter drivers: a power or height-adjustable driver’s seat, a memory seat and a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, then ground clearance and the lowest starting MSRP. Hood length is not published by these makers. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.

Questions people ask

What is the best SUV for short drivers?

The 2027 Kia Seltos: a 12-way power driver’s seat with 4-way power lumbar on the S and above, a standard tilt and telescopic steering column, from $24,990.

Which SUV has a telescoping steering wheel standard?

Kia lists a tilt and telescopic column as standard on all five 2027 Seltos trims, Hyundai on all six 2026 Tucson trims, and Toyota on the 2026 Corolla Cross.

Which short-driver SUV costs the least?

The 2027 Nissan Kicks S FWD, from $22,790, with a 6-way manual driver’s seat and a manual tilt-telescope wheel.

Which SUV has a short hood?

None of the maker pages we used publish hood length or hood height, so this page does not rank on it; it ranks on seat and wheel adjustment and the published ground clearance.

Starting MSRP for the lowest trim named (USD, excludes destination) at a glance

2027 Nissan Kicks22,790 USD
2027 Kia Seltos24,990 USD
2026 Toyota Corolla Cross25,335 USD
2027 Hyundai Kona25,500 USD
2026 Mazda CX-3026,375 USD
2027 Honda HR-V26,600 USD
2027 Subaru Crosstrek26,995 USD
2027 Kia Sportage28,990 USD
2026 Hyundai Tucson29,700 USD
2027 Subaru Forester29,995 USD
Starting MSRP for the lowest trim named (USD, excludes destination), as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.

Official sites

Sources

Prices, specs and availability change; confirm on the official site before you buy.

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