The Most Reliable, Fuel-Efficient Small SUVs You Can Buy Recent, According To Consumer Reports

So, you wish a crossover that may not too big but still gets good gas mileage and needs to be pretty reliable? The excellent news is, you might have options. Plenty of options. The bad news is, with so many options, it could possibly be hard to know where to start out. Do you are taking a risk on something exciting and different, or do you persist with the identical Toyota everybody else buys? 

Ultimately, that call is as much as you, since you realize your specific situation higher than anyone else does. But to assist you to figure things out, our friend at Consumer Reports recently put together an inventory of small crossovers that performed well of their independent tests, while also returning at the very least 28 mpg overall and performing well enough of their owner reliability survey to earn Consumer Reports’ official advice. 

On the very least, this list should assist you to narrow down your search, especially since Consumer Reports broke its list out into different categories based on size and price. Let’s take a have a look at which small crossovers made the cut.

In the event you’re searching for the smallest, most reasonably priced crossovers in the marketplace, you most likely won’t do a lot better than the Subaru Crosstrek, Toyota Corolla Cross, and Kia Seltos. The Crosstrek goes to be probably the most off-road-capable of the three, but it surely’s also the highest-rated subcompact crossover that Consumer Reports has tested, so it’s price testing, even if you happen to don’t plan to do any actual off-roading. Subaru does offer that Crosstrek as a hybrid, but it surely’s also $7,000 costlier than the bottom model, so you might find it isn’t definitely worth the higher price.

As for the Corolla Cross, it will not be as off-road-ready because the Crosstrek, but all-wheel drive still comes standard, and it also gets pretty good gas mileage. Gas mileage gets even higher if you happen to can justify buying the hybrid, but neither is especially quick, and even the nicest version still comes with a subpar interior. Meanwhile, the Seltos is the budget buy of the three, undercutting each the bottom Crosstrek and Corolla Cross by several thousand dollars. All-wheel drive doesn’t come standard, but your money might be higher spent on an excellent set of tires anyway.

Those searching for a subcompact crossover with a more premium interior are going to want to ascertain out the BMW X1, BMW X2, or the Lexus UX. The Lexus is form of a given, since, well, it is a Lexus, but perhaps don’t head to the Lexus dealer just yet. The UX is each comfortable and reliable, and it returns great gas mileage now it’s only available as a hybrid, but you might be surprised by just how cramped the cabin is, especially within the second row. 

As for the X1 and X2, it might be surprising to see them on an inventory of reliable luxury SUVs, but BMW’s been working on its reliability for years and that work is paying off. In reality, the X1 is Consumer Reports’ highest-rated luxury subcompact. The X2, meanwhile, is actually an X1 with more coupe-like styling and a rather higher base price. Perhaps the style is definitely worth the more money, but we would probably persist with the X1’s more practical shape. 

In the event you’re searching for an SUV that is a little bit larger than the subcompacts, the list of Consumer Reports-recommended options gets a bit longer than we have seen in the primary two categories. Here, you will need to ascertain out the hybrid or plug-in hybrid versions of the Subaru Forester, Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-50, or Ford Escape. So long as you do not mind the brand new styling, the Forester Hybrid is the clear primary, based on Consumer Reports, and it’s followed closely by the more conventionally powered Forester.

That said, the Honda CR-V Hybrid, Kia Sportage Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid, and Hyundai Tucson Hybrid are nipping right on the Forester’s heels and would make excellent buys. And since they’re so evenly matched, you may just about just pick the one you want best. Don’t love the Tucson’s styling? Just buy a Sportage. As for the Mazda CX-50 Hybrid, it is the sportier, barely more premium pick of this bunch, and its Toyota-sourced hybrid powertrain should prove each reliable and fuel-efficient. After which there’s the Ford Escape Hybrid, which is unquestionably showing its age but still manages to carry up higher than expected against its newer, often pricier competition.

In contrast to the list of compact crossovers, the compact luxury SUV list is proscribed to only the Lexus NX, BMW X3, and Mini Cooper Countryman. The Toyota RAV4 may not have made the cut amongst compact mainstream crossovers, but its mechanical twin, the Lexus NX, definitely does. In reality, without the UX’s smaller size holding it back, it’s Consumer Reports’ top-rated selection within the segment. Just you’ll want to go along with the hybrid if you happen to can find one.

As for the BMW, the German designers can have beat the X3 with the ugly stick, but it surely’s still one in all CR’s top-rated luxury compacts. The redesigned X3 also mainly received nothing but compliments from reviewers, with the one complaints related to the controls and BMW’s decision to mount the middle air vents too low. For a rather different tackle a premium crossover, nonetheless, you will need to ascertain out the Mini Cooper Countryman. It’s quirky, it’s fun, and it also ever-so-slightly outscored its platform-mate, the BMW X1, on the subject of reliability. On the very least, it’s at the very least price a test drive.