To me compact SUVs are just trendy overpriced sedans. They offer little advantage in terms or room or towing capacity. A 4 door hatch will offer very similar interior space, higher fuel efficiency and come at lower price. Most compact SUVs operate on sedan frames and even have the same drivetrain. My suggestion is if you want or need a truck but want to save on gas because you drive long distance is get a diesel. Same for SUVs, my Jeep GC with a 3L diesel does 9.9L/100km with 17' foot boat behind it. If you're not towing or hauling I suggest you look at a car and stop pretending you need a truck like 90% of the truck owners out there, cars will ultimately do pretty much everything better when it comes to actual driving.
If you're looking for AWD there are plenty of options in the car world, for more cargo consider an Audi A3 or A4 wagon. the Quattro system is superior to Subaru in every way. We had a Subaru Outback before and found it very unstable on hi-ways that offered changing road conditions, my wife refused to even drive it on gravel roads as it would pull to the side if you hit a soft spot on the road. When we upgraded to the Audi it was night and day, we just had the A3 and it was an unstoppable monster in the snow and we would drive it in the worst hi-way conditions imaginable.
The trax is just a FWD hatchback, not sure I'd call it an SUV or compact. It's the same a kia soul, small, tall and under powered. Plus anything turbo charged will not reach it's EPA by a long shot. The outlander and the sante fe are bigger but still just cars at heart. You'll find them under powered and they won't offer much more space than an average sedan besides a little more cargo in the back.
I'd suggest you look in the used market, I have a hard time understanding the numbers when saying financing a new vehicle will save you money on gas and maintenance compared to your truck. $30K over 5 years is close to $600 per month and you still have gas and maintenance on top of that. Realistically if you get something really efficient you might save $150 a month in gas.
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