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Choosing a reliable car will protect your investment the next time you buy a vehicle, whether you’re looking for a truck, sedan, or crossover. To help you determine which models on the market are considered pretty reliable, sites like CarVertical create lists to show you which versions you should consider. Here are four crossovers that you might want to consider if reliability is a key feature you want to have in your next vehicle. 

How do sites determine vehicles to be reliable?

Editors at CarVertical, analyze specific data to determine which models offer the most reliability in a vehicle category. Information is compared with each other, and a list of vehicles is created to help consumers decide which car, SUV, or truck to purchase. 

To come up with their analysis, the editors of the site use data from a few different sources. CarVertical pulls information from popular publications, like Consumer Reports and J.D. Power. The site reviewers will also check sites like RepairPal and What Car? Surveys. 

Here are the top four most reliable crossovers the site came up with. 

4. Buick Encore

Buick’s Encore offers a decent amount of ground clearance, a spacious interior for a compact SUV, and rugged styling cues. But the most impressive feature is its reliability, which comes with many of the brand’s vehicles. Critics, like J.D. Power, rated the Buick first in this category, which lasted quite a few years. 

The model continues to receive high scores for being of good quality. U.S. News said the 2022 version wasn’t that far off of a perfect reliability rating. As of yet, there are no safety recalls on it, but it’s still new. Crash tests for the Encore went well for the model giving it ‘Good’ ratings for almost all categories from the IIHS, while the NHTSA rated it with five stars in all areas except for the rollover tests. 

3. Honda HR-V

A red Honda HR-V, which is one of the most reliable crossovers.
Honda HR-V | Vachira Vachira via Getty Images

The Honda HR-V is known for fuel economy, offering 34 mpg on the highway and 28 mpg on city roads in the 2019 model. It also earned a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS and five stars for its crash tests from the NHTSA. It can, however, be a mixed bag regarding reliability. It could use improvements for its in-car electronics and its entertainment system. 

The high-reliability scores it received are for its solid driving system, which received praise from consumers and critics alike for its top-notch performance. That’s partly due to the 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine producing 141 hp. The biggest drawback is that it doesn’t have much acceleration speed. 

2. Mazda CX-5

Mazda’s CX-5 performs much like a Miata that’s a bit bigger and has all-wheel drive. Two powertrains can be found under the hood, which includes a 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing about 187 hp. The other is a 2.5 turbocharged four-cylinder generating 227 hp. Paired with it is a six-speed automatic transmission. 

Regarding reliability, the CX-5 gets praise from some critics, like Consumer Reports, for example. It was awarded a perfect score for predicted reliability. Overall, the CX-5 finds itself second on a list of Compact Sport Utility vehicles for its performance. 

1. Toyota RAV4

One of the best-selling SUVs on the market is the Toyota RAV4, which is made by a company known for making reliable vehicles. The RAV4 model offers interior spaciousness, an intuitive entertainment system, and optimal performance with its 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 203 hp. 

The RAV4 scores are high in reliability rankings for many critics, such as J.D. Power, Repair Pal, and What Car? While you get a dependable vehicle to drive around, you won’t be without some potential problems. Two common issues plaguing this SUV are problematic vapor canisters and a malfunctioning fuel gauge. 

If you’re in the market for a crossover SUV, you can get a dependable vehicle if you choose a Toyota RAV4, Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-5, or the Buick Encore. Any one of these will provide you with reliable transportation for a long time to come. 

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