I'd vote for Subaru Forester too. I believe, that Subaru Forester would beat all of the above mini SUV's. We had a lot of off-road situations with it in the past 5 years. Compact, powerful with its boxer (horizontally-opposed) engine, low center of gravity, very well thought out interior design for most outdoorsman (I love the abundance of hidden compartments), and very reliable mechanically. The best in class on snow and ice without any chains.