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Reliable Naturally Aspirated SUVs for 2025: What the Evidence Supports

The evidence confirms two 2025 naturally aspirated SUV candidates, not a defensible top ten. Learn how to interpret their reliability signals and older-model awards.
Entry587 Date Time5 min MechanicCarCody Team

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The available evidence supports two clear 2025 naturally aspirated SUV candidates: the Mazda CX-5 2.5 S and Nissan Kicks. It does not support a defensible ranking of ten. Reliability awards often describe older model years, and an award for a nameplate does not confirm that every 2025 version has a naturally aspirated engine.

Which 2025 SUVs can be confirmed as naturally aspirated?

From the documented 2025 powertrain information and reliability evidence available here, the Mazda CX-5 2.5 S and Nissan Kicks are the strongest confirmed candidates. They are a shortlist, not a one-two reliability ranking: the evidence uses different measures and does not provide directly comparable 2025 model-level reliability scores for both.

Vehicle 2025 engine evidence Reliability evidence and its limits Practical consideration
Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Mazda identifies the 2.5 S’s 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G four-cylinder as naturally aspirated; it has cylinder deactivation. The available evidence does not establish a numeric reliability score for the 2025 CX-5. J.D. Power placed the CX-5 among the top three compact SUVs in its 2025 Vehicle Dependability Study, which covers three-year-old vehicles rather than new 2025 models. A compact SUV option for shoppers who want a confirmed non-turbo 2025 engine. The evidence here does not establish a reliability advantage over the Kicks.
Nissan Kicks Nissan’s 2025 press kit specifies a naturally aspirated inline four-cylinder. The 2022-model Kicks won the Small SUV category in J.D. Power’s 2025 study. Consumer Reports’ December 2025 brand summary displays a Kicks model reliability rating of 76, but the precise model-year applicability is not established here; do not treat it as a confirmed 2025-specific score. A small-SUV choice with both a verified 2025 naturally aspirated engine and favorable historical category evidence. Neither signal guarantees the reliability of an individual 2025 vehicle.

The table’s evidence does not make naturally aspirated engines inherently more reliable than turbocharged ones. It confirms engine type and identifies what reliability information is available; those are separate questions.

Why a 2025 reliability award may describe a 2022 SUV

J.D. Power’s U.S. 2025 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) drew on more than 80,000 verified owners of three-year-old vehicles. It measured problems owners experienced during the prior 12 months. As a result, the study’s 2025 segment awards principally describe the 2022 model-year cohort, not brand-new 2025 SUVs.

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The VDS reports problems per 100 vehicles (PP100); fewer reported problems produce a lower figure. In J.D. Power’s 2025 overall brand results, Lexus recorded 140 PP100, Buick 143, Mazda 161 and Toyota 162. These are brand-wide survey results, not failure rates, engine-specific findings or scores for each 2025 SUV model.

The study named the Toyota RAV4 the highest-ranked Compact SUV, Nissan Kicks the highest-ranked Small SUV, Nissan Murano the highest-ranked Midsize SUV and Lexus GX the highest-ranked Midsize Premium SUV. Those awards do not establish that the 2025 versions have naturally aspirated engines or that their reliability will match the older cohort.

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What other reliability ratings say—and what they do not

Consumer Reports (CR) uses member survey data to produce predicted reliability ratings. Those predictions are not the same measure as J.D. Power’s reports of problems in three-year-old vehicles, and neither is a guarantee for a particular vehicle.

In a CR brand summary dated December 4, 2025, Toyota ranked first, Subaru second, Lexus third and Honda fourth for brand predicted reliability. The same summary displays model ratings of 80 for the Subaru Crosstrek, 76 for the Nissan Kicks and 41 for the Nissan Murano. The available information does not establish the exact model-year scope of those displayed scores, so they should not be presented as 2025-specific ratings.

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CR’s October 2025 SUV ratings list the 2025 Subaru Crosstrek as recommended with above-average predicted reliability. Its listed strengths include a comfortable ride, fuel economy, short stopping distances, standard all-wheel drive and outward visibility. CR also says its standard engine feels underpowered and sounds strained. The cited rating information does not independently establish engine induction, so it is not enough to confirm the Crosstrek belongs on a list restricted to naturally aspirated 2025 SUVs.

Subaru’s 2025 Crosstrek page says 96% of Crosstreks sold in the previous ten years are still on the road. That is the manufacturer’s statement; the available information does not describe an independent methodology or make it a comparative reliability score.

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Why the Murano, RAV4 and Lexus GX need a closer look

Nissan Murano: the award belongs to an older powertrain

The 2022-model Murano won J.D. Power’s 2025 Midsize SUV category. The redesigned 2025 Murano replaced its prior V6 with a turbocharged engine, so it does not qualify as naturally aspirated. Its older-cohort award should not be transferred to the new powertrain.

Toyota RAV4: an award does not confirm every trim

The 2022 RAV4’s Compact SUV award is relevant historical context, but it does not establish that every 2025 RAV4 trim is naturally aspirated. Check the exact gas trim and powertrain before treating a RAV4 as eligible; do not assume an award for the nameplate applies to hybrid or plug-in versions.

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Lexus GX: the study result does not verify the 2025 engine

J.D. Power’s 2025 results identify the 2022 GX as the highest-ranked Midsize Premium SUV. That result does not establish the engine type or directly score the 2025 GX, so it is not sufficient evidence for inclusion in a 2025 naturally aspirated shortlist.

How to choose without treating engine type as a reliability score

  • Confirm the exact powertrain. Check the model year and trim, then verify whether that specific engine is naturally aspirated. A model name alone is not enough when a lineup includes different powertrains.
  • Match the reliability result to the vehicle. Look for the model year, the type of measure and whether it is model-specific or brand-wide. A prediction, an owner survey about older vehicles and a manufacturer’s “still on the road” figure are not interchangeable.
  • Compare vehicles that fit the same job. The Kicks is a small SUV and the CX-5 is a compact SUV. Consider the segment, space and intended use before comparing reliability signals; the available evidence does not establish a single winner between them.
  • Weigh ownership needs beyond reliability. Consider whether the vehicle’s comfort, fuel economy and engine performance suit you. For example, CR describes the 2025 Crosstrek as economical and comfortable but notes that its standard engine feels underpowered; that is useful context, but not confirmation of naturally aspirated eligibility.

Can the evidence support a ranked list of ten?

No. The documented material confirms two 2025 naturally aspirated candidates and supplies historical or incomplete evidence for several other popular SUVs. It does not provide a harmonized dataset of ten vehicles with verified 2025 engine configurations and comparable, model-level reliability results. Adding seven more names or assigning a ten-place order would imply a level of verification and comparability the evidence does not support.

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