10 Most Reliable Crossovers

2017 Buick Encore ・ Photo by Buick

Crossovers are the darlings of the automotive world these days as people move from sedans and minivans to these versatile vehicles. They’re less expensive, more fuel efficient, and easier to maneuver through narrow streets than full-size SUVs, but have the same flexibility to carry cargo and passengers.

Since they’re often packed full of kids, reliability is a top factor when it comes to the purchase consideration. It’s bad enough having a breakdown, but with a car full of kids at the end of a long day, it’s even worse. Here are our choices for the top 10 most reliable crossovers.

2017 Buick Encore

The Buick Encore is both a stylish crossover choice and a reliable one. Pricing on the Encore starts at $22,990 with room for five passengers and a peppy 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with 138 horsepower. That engine achieves EPA-estimated fuel economy of up to 33 mpg highway making it affordable in the long-term.

Adding to the Encore’s appeal is an overall 5-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a top rating of Good from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Encore includes a 4-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty, 6-year/70,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, 4-year/50,000-mile rust-through warranty, 6-year/unlimited-mile rust warranty, and 6-year/70,000-mile roadside assistance program.

Photo by Buick

2017 Chevrolet Equinox

The Chevrolet Equinox has a history of reliability making it a smart choice for those in need of a dependable crossover. It has an affordable starting price of $23,100 and includes a 7-inch color touchscreen, OnStar and 4G LTE with a 3-month trial subscription, daytime running lights, and deluxe front bucket seats as standard features.

Four available trim levels include a choice of all-wheel drive and several engines. The base 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine provides 182 horsepower with an EPA-estimated fuel economy of up to 31 mpg highway. A more powerful 3.6-liter V6 engine offers 301 horsepower, but fuel economy drops to 24 mpg highway. The upside is towing capacity, which is more than double the smaller engine at 3,500 pounds.

Photo by Chevrolet

2017 GMC Terrain

The GMC Terrain offers five trims starting with the base SL at $24,995 and topping out with the luxurious Denali trim at $35,200. Standard features on the SL include a 2.4-liter engine with 182-horsepower that achieves an EPA-estimated 31 mpg highway. It also has a 7-inch color touchscreen, 18-inch aluminum wheels, daytime running lamps, and halogen projector-beam headlamps.

Standard towing is 1,500 pounds, but those looking to haul more cargo will find up to 3,500 pounds when they opt for the 3.6-liter V6 engine. It also gives the Terrain an extra 100 horsepower for a more robust drive experience. Inside, there’s room for five passengers or up to 63.9 cubic feet of cargo behind the first row.

Photo by GMC

2017 Hyundai Tucson

The Hyundai Tucson combines reliability with strong safety ratings. It is a 2017 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick and received an overall 5-star rating in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash tests. Blind spot monitoring and a rearview camera are standard across the lineup, while higher trims add lane departure warning, rear parking sensors, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection as available features.

Pricing ranges on the Tucson from the base SE model at $22,700 to the top Limited model priced from $29,775. Hyundai offers good warranty coverage with a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, 5-year/60,000-mile limited new vehicle warranty, 7-year/unlimited-mile anti-perforation warranty, and 5-year/unlimited-mile 24-hour roadside assistance.

Photo by Hyundai

2017 Kia Sorento

The Kia Sorento is another standout in both reliability and safety. It received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest rating of Top Safety Pick+ for its combination of excellent crash test performance and available front crash prevention technologies. It also received an overall 5-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Available advanced safety features include forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot detection, and lane departure warning.

Base price for the Kia Sorento is $25,400 with a 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine. There are two additional engine choices of either a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder with 240 horsepower or a 3.3-liter V6 with 290 horsepower. Pricing on the top Sorento SXL V6 comes in at $45,700.

Photo by Cherise LaPine

2017 Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V is another safety standout on our reliability list with a 5-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This popular crossover continues Honda’s reputation for reliability and has a starting price of $24,045 with a standard 5-inch color LCD screen, 4-speaker audio system, and Bluetooth streaming audio.

Its comfortable interior seats five passengers with 60/40 split rear seats. There are 39.2 cubic feet of cargo room behind the second row and 75.8 cubic feet behind the first row with 1,500 pounds of towing capacity. The top Touring trim with a more powerful engine, heated leather seats, and a 7-inch infotainment screen starts at $32,495.

Photo by Honda

2017 Volkswagen Tiguan

Offering reliability and bold styling, the Volkswagen Tiguan earns a spot on our list of reliable crossovers. Pricing starts at $24,995 for the base Tiguan S with front-wheel drive and tops out at $36,475 for the Tiguan SEL with all-wheel drive. Standard features on the base model include daytime running lights, heated outside mirrors, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and heated leatherette front seats.

Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder engine with 200 horsepower. Fuel economy isn’t the strongest in the segment with an EPA-estimated 24 mpg highway in both front-wheel and all-wheel drive models. That engine does yield additional towing capacity over many competitors with up to 2,200 pounds available.

Photo by Volkswagen

2017 Nissan Murano

Coming in at a starting price of $29,770, the Nissan Murano is one of the pricier crossovers on our list. There are five trim levels, including the striking Midnight Edition, with a price of $43,065. This reliable crossover isn’t as affordable as some others, but it offers lots of features for the money, even on the base model.

The Murano comes standard with a 3.5-liter V6 engine with 260 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque and optional all-wheel drive. The base Murano S includes dual-zone automatic climate control, stainless steel kick plates, and a 6-speaker audio system with AM/FM/CD/MP3 and a 3-month subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio. The Murano is also an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick.

Photo by Nissan USA

2017 Subaru Outback

Subaru has a reputation for building reliable cars and the Outback upholds that reputation. It also gets high marks for safety with a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway safety and an overall 5-star rating in crash tests from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Outback comes standard with all-wheel drive and 8.7 inches of ground clearance making it a favorite for those who plan on venturing off paved roads.

The base Outback 2.5i features a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with 175 horsepower and EPA-estimated fuel economy of 32 mpg highway. A larger 3.6-liter V6 engine offers an increase to 256 horsepower with a fuel economy sacrifice to an EPA-estimated 27 mpg highway.

Photo by Subaru

2017 Toyota RAV4

The Toyota RAV4 makes our list with strong reliability ratings and top safety scores. It received an overall 5-stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick+. Starting price on the base RAV4 LE is $24,410 with the top SE coming in at $30,190. You also have a hybrid option with the XLE Hybrid at $29,030.

Standard features on the RAV4 include halogen daytime running lights, power outside mirrors with blind spot monitors, backup camera with projected path lines, and the Entune audio system with a 6.1-inch touchscreen. Options include a premium JBL audio system, leather-trimmed steering wheel with paddle shifters, and 8-way power driver’s seat.

Photo by Toyota