Looking for a new SUV this year? You've got lots of choices

If you're in the market for a new SUV this year, you're not alone. And, you've got lots of new choices.

Jeep is known as an SUV brand, and since so many car buyers now seem to want a sport utility vehicle of some sort, they've added to their lineup with an all-new Compass model. It's no coincidence that it looks like a scaled-down version of their large Grand Cherokee.

The Compass is lighter duty, and better suited to urban living, but it can still hit the trail if need be. Jeep develops off-road capability into all its vehicles, and the Compass is no exception, even if very few buyers in cities will ever actually leave pavement.

Automakers are scrambling to add more SUVs in medium and small sizes to their lineups, and GM's Buick division is no exception. Their newest model is called the Envision, which slots in between their small Encore and their larger Enclave (which is being updated later this year). The biggest news surrounding the Envision is that it's imported from China. Buick isn't exactly going out of their way to advertise that fact.

Meanwhile, elsewhere at GM, there's an all-new 2018 Equinox from Chevrolet, updated to keep pace with its many competitors in the compact segment. In the process, it lost a lot of weight for better fuel efficiency. How significant is the equinox for Chevy? It's the brand's second best-selling vehicle, after the Silverado pickup truck. So why are there all these SUVs on the market? People want them for their storage space and flexible seating. Many drivers also prefer the higher seating position.

And as more and more buyers flock to SUVs, they're flocking away from sedans. Toyota is busy revamping its Camry to halt the slide while bolstering its SUV lineup with the new compact C-HR.

It's the same thing at Ford. Sales of the Fusion sedan were down 32% in the first quarter of this year, so Ford is more than ready for its next SUV to hit showrooms, the subcompact EcoSport, which is already sold in Europe and other parts of the world.

While the SUV boom is bad news for sedans, it's good news if you want an SUV. There are more choices of all shapes and sizes, with even more on the way.