Compact crossovers and SUVs made up 23.7% of the passenger cars sold in the US last 2022. With roughly 3.2 million units sold just last year, compact crossovers represent the largest passenger vehicle class in the American automotive industry.

Because compact SUVs are often based on unibody platforms, they combine the benefits of sedans and compact pickup trucks in one package. For instance, a crossover SUV's passenger comfort and maneuverability are comparable to that of the average family sedan. Additionally, the same crossover can also approximate the larger passenger capacity, better road visibility, and higher ground clearance that are typical of compact or even some mid-size pickup trucks. Finally, frontal vehicle crash studies have shown that occupants inside crossovers and SUVs are generally better-protected than sedan drivers and passengers.

Many Americans flock to compact crossovers because these vehicles have the right size and benefits at just the right price. Sub-compact crossovers are generally more affordable, but they are already too small for the average American family members. Midsize SUVs offer more space, utility, and versatility, but they are much more expensive.

Whether you're window-shopping in dealerships or scouring the used car market for a compact crossover, it's important to select a vehicle with a reliable engine. Choosing poorly will bring you many expensive and unplanned maintenance and repair costs. Skimp on these expenses, and may lead to many inconvenient or dangerous driving scenarios such as loss of power, engine fire, or even road crashes.

Based on cross-referenced reliability, vehicle review, and pricing data from Consumer Reports (CR), JD Power, Kelley Blue Book(KBB), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), here are 10 compact crossovers with the most reliable internal combustion engines (ICE).

10 2016 Mazda CX-5 Has A Sturdy Skyactiv Heart

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Mazda

The Mazda CX-5 is an athletic and versatile compact crossover that uses Mazda's Skyactiv technology to combine sporty engine response with great fuel efficiency. The 2016 CX-5 has two engine options – a 2.0-liter I-4 that produces 155 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque, and a 2.5-liter I-4 that churns out 184 hp and 185 lb-ft of twist.

As the last model year of the nameplate's pioneer generation, the 2016 Mazda CX-5 was able to get past most of the growing pains experienced by its predecessors. CR gave the 2016 CX-5 a perfect reliability rating of 5/5 for "engine major" and "engine cooling". This means that you won't expect a lot of problems with main engine components like the engine block, cylinder head, head gasket, forced induction components, and the timing belt/chain, as well as with the cooling system components (radiator, cooling fan, cooling system lines, etc.).

However, the 2016 CX-5 had a few problems with the engine control unit (ECU) and some oil leaks, thus giving the model a 4/5 reliability score for the "engine minor" category (i.e. pulleys, oil seals, engine computer, engine mounts, etc). Nevertheless, the minor problems were not bad enough to shake the 2016 Mazda CX-5's overall reliability rating of 5/5. A 2016 Mazda CX-5 currently sells for $14,100 to $16,275 in today's used car market.

9 The 2016 Honda CR-V Carries A Vaunted VTEC Mill

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Honda

The Honda CR-V is one of America's favorite compact SUVs, and for 2016, it won KBB's Best Buy Award for the small SUV category. The 2016 CR-V was also the last installment of the model's 4th generation, and as to be expected, it already ironed out the kinks of the previous model years. For 2016, the Honda CR-V had a single powerplant option: a 2.4-liter I-4 VTEC engine that produced 185 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque.

CR gave the 2016 Honda CR-V a 5/5 score for engine major, engine cooling, and overall reliability. A leaking timing chain cover, however, led to a 4/5 reliability score for the engine minor category. JD Power also gave the 2016 CR-V a "great" quality and reliability score of 83/100. With a good reliability track record, it's no wonder that a used 2016 Honda CR-V can still fetch $16,275 to $20,675 today.

8 2017 Chevrolet Equinox Has A Solid Six-Banger

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Chevrolet

The Equinox is Chevrolet's affordable yet powerful compact crossover representative in the SUV segment. The 2017 Chevy Equinox came with a base 2.4-liter I-4 engine (182 hp, 174 lb-ft) and a top-spec 3.6-liter V6 mill (301 hp, 272 lb-ft).

CR awarded the 2017 Chevy Equinox a 5/5 reliability score for the engine major and engine cooling categories, as well as a 5/5 score for overall reliability. However, the 2017 Equinox earned a 4/5 rating for the engine minor category. If you're looking for a pre-owned 2017 Chevy Equinox, prepare to shell out $13,200 to $16,475.

7 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Comes With A Trusty Turbo-Four

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Volkswagen

The Volkswagen Tiguan is quite large for a compact crossover, and the 2019 model year even offers an optional 3rd-row seating configuration to prove it. The 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter powerplant that produces 184 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque to compensate for the extra weight and dimensions.

The 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan is one model that proves that turbocharged engines can still be reliable. CR gave the 2019 Tiguan a perfect 5/5 rating for all engine-related reliability categories, as well as a 5/5 overall reliability score. However, JD Power consumer review scores don't seem to agree wholeheartedly, as they tallied up to an "average" rating of 77/100. If you're a fan of this German compact crossover, you can still drive home a used 2019 Tiguan for $19,650 to $26,600 today.

6 The 2021 Lexus NX Brings Faith To Forced Induction

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Lexus

The Lexus NX is a luxury compact crossover based on the popular Toyota RAV4. For its 2021 model year, the Lexus NX came with a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine (235 hp, 258 lb-ft) as well as a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle hybrid engine system that delivers 194 hp and an impressive 30 to 33 miles-per-gallon (MPG) fuel economy rating.

CR gave perfect 5/5 reliability ratings for the 2021 Lexus NX engines' major, minor, and cooling categories. The 2021 NX also received great overall reliability scores – 5/5 from CR and 81/100 from JD Power. The 2021 Lexus NX – the last model year of its 1st generation – still sells for $34,700 to $42,575 in the used car market today.

RELATED: 10 Worst SUVs With The Highest Repair Costs

5 The 2021 Nissan Rogue Has A Trusty Three-Cylinder

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Nissan

The Nissan Rogue – also known as the X-trail outside of North America – is Nissan's highly competitive model in the compact crossover category. For 2021, Nissan gave the Rogue a complete redesign, along with two engine options: a standard 2.5-liter I-4 engine (181 hp, 181 lb-ft) and a new 1.5-liter turbo 3-cylinder mill that delivers an amazing 201 hp and 225 lb-ft of twist.

CR gave the 2021 Nissan Rogue a 5/5 reliability score for all three engine-related categories. However, CR only gave the 2021 Rogue an overall reliability score of 4/5 due to its average body integrity and climate system ratings. JD Power chimes in with an 82/100 quality and reliability score, seemingly echoing CR's overall reliability rating. If the 2021 Nissan Rogue appeals to you, then you can get a pre-owned unit for $24,925 to $32,025.

4 The 2022 Kia Sportage Has Enduring Engines

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Kia

The Kia Sportage is the lone Korean-branded compact crossover in this list, but it represents its country of origin very well. For the 2022 model year, the Kia Sportage came with two power plant options: a naturally-aspirated, 2.4-liter I-4 engine (181 hp, 175 lb-ft) and a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder mill (240 hp, 260 lb-ft).

CR gave the 2022 Kia Sportage a perfect 5/5 reliability score for all three engine-related categories, as well as a 5/5 overall reliability score. JD Power also regarded the 2022 Sportage quite highly, with an 88/100 quality and reliability score. It's only been a year since this Sportage model year has been in the market, so you can expect a pre-owned unit to fetch between $23,725 and $32,675 today.

RELATED: 10 Best SUVs That Combine Performance With Reliability

3 The 2022 Subaru Forester Boasts A Boxer

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Subaru

The sporty and rugged Subaru Forester continues to prove that Subaru's revered Boxer engine technology can still compete very well with the new ICE systems of other automakers. For 2022, the Subaru Forester still uses its tried-and-tested 2.5-liter flat-4 engine that produces 182 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque.

The 2022 Subaru Forester received an overall reliability score of 5/5 from CR, as well as a quality and reliability rating of 84/100 from JD Power. Engine-wise, CR also gave the 2022 Forester perfect 5/5 reliability ratings for the engine's major, minor, and cooling categories. If a Japanese all-wheel-drive compact crossover suits your tastes, you can drive home a slightly-used 2022 Subaru Forester for $26,775 to $33,775.

2 2022 Acura RDX - A Stout Street Performer

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via: Acura

The Acura RDX is a luxury compact crossover that initially shared body and powertrain elements with the Honda CR-V. However, since its 3rd generation kicked off in 2019, the RDX has been using its own exclusive platform. For the 2022 model year, the street performance-oriented Acura RDX boasted 272 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque from its turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 engine.

Despite its forced induction technology, the 2022 Acura RDX's engine still achieved perfect 5/5 ratings in all three of CR's engine-related reliability categories. JD Power also gave the 2022 RDX a "great" quality and reliability score of 81/100. Today, a used 2022 Acura RDX can still sell for $39,425 to $49,925 depending on the trim level.

RELATED: 10 Luxury SUVs That Are Actually Cheap To Maintain

1 The 2022 Toyota RAV4 Leads With A Long-Lasting Engine

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Toyota

Completing this list is America's (and the world's) best-selling SUV – the Toyota RAV4. For the 2022 model year, the Toyota RAV4 still continues to impress its customer base with a great balance of design, utility, price, and reliability. This 5-seater Toyota crossover uses a 2.5-liter I-4 engine (203 hp, 184 lb-ft) for its ICE variants, but the RAV4 also comes in hybrid and plug-in hybrid formats.

CR gave the 2022 Toyota RAV4's gasoline mill a perfect 5/5 reliability rating for all three engine-related categories. Moreover, JD Power gave the entire RAV4 line a quality and reliability score of 81/100.

The Toyota RAV4's popularity and reliability keep its resale value higher than most of its competitors (like its contemporary Forester and the Sportage models). Today, a 2022 Toyota RAV4 will still fetch $30,550 to $44,775 in the used car market.