This is one of the most competitive car segments in the industry at the moment. Tiny premium crossovers are all the rage nowadays. Young successful millennials are snatching these things up faster than dank memes, yo (I, too, am an millennial, I’m just an old soul). I’d make a joke about why these cars are selling so quickly and becoming so popular but they’re actually just damn good cars. The new BMW X2, Jaguar E-Pace and Volvo XC40 are all genuinely great little cars at affordable prices. But the real question is: which one’s best?

In this WhatCar comparison test, we take a look at these three little SUVs and see how they stack up against each other. They’re all pretty evenly spec’d, with their 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engines, automatic gearboxes and all-wheel drive. Of the three, the BMW X2 is the fastest by a long shot, with Volvo a second behind it and the Jaguar two seconds behind the BMW.

However, the X2 loses some ground when it comes to practicality and interior space. While it’s not as bad as a lot of people might assume, it’s still not great and it can’t match the extra space afforded to the Volvo and Jaguar thanks to their more traditional roof lines.

Though, the BMW X2 is the best to drive of the bunch, as it’s the sportiest and most enjoyable to chuck around. The X2 really is more fun than it should be and by far the most fun here. Though, the Volvo isn’t bad by any means. It’s comfortable, smooth and just enjoyable to drive, albeit not very quickly. While the Jag is the worst of the three to drive, thanks to its poor ride and sluggish performance.

So you can sort of see a trend here. The Jaguar E-Pace came in third place, due to just simply having the most issues. Its interior feels cheap, its infotainment system is subpar, its performance is lackluster and it isn’t very comfortable. It looks great but that’s not enough to keep it from the bottom, here.

Second place went to the BMW X2. It’s a great car and one that’s really fun to drive but in this segment a car needs to be more than that. It needs to have as much interior space as possible, be as practical as possible and be comfortable. The BMW X2 isn’t those things. If you’re looking for the most stylish car in the segment, or the sportiest, the X2 is your answer. But if you want something more well-rounded, go for the Volvo XC40, which took first place.

The XC40 is a great looking car with a fantastic interior that rides really well, is practical and affordable. It’s not as sporty as the X2 but it’s better at more things than the X2 is. So it wins this test.

[Source: WhatCar?]