Top 5 easy-to-drive crossovers

Updated: August 14, 2023

There is no denying that cars are getting larger and larger. There is also no denying that cars are much easier to drive now more than ever. Crossovers are also popular, and people have been buying new models left and right. The segment is just rife with great options that are great to drive to begin with. 

Because of that, we decided to put together a list of the top 5 easiest-to-drive crossovers available in the Philippines. Some of the criteria that we used in determining whether a car was easy to drive included easy to manage dimensions, good tech features, and of course, an automatic transmission. 

The Toyota Raize is the brand’s entry into the subcompact crossover segment. It is made available in three different variants with two engine options also being available. The range-topper model comes with a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine while the rest of the model range gets a 1.2-liter motor which is also a 3-cylinder. It also brings to the table a host of great technology options such as Apple Carplay and Android Auto with varying screen sizes throughout, a comfortable cabin, and great seats. Visibility is good inside the vehicle thanks to its large windows. It also helps that the Raize also comes with a reverse camera to further aid you when reversing or parking your car. Parking sensors are also available for the higher model with them being positioned at the back and at the front. As a bit of a cool feature, the Toyota crossover will even show you the direction where your wheels are pointing when reversing. It's a beginner-friendly car thanks to its size and thanks to its great feature set. 

This car took the Philippines by storm when it was first introduced, and it has become quite a staple on Philippine roads. While the Geely Coolray a bit pricey compared to the other two smaller crossovers, with its size comes a powerful turbocharged 3-cylinder engine. It is the most powerful on this list with 171 hp and 255 Nm of torque. Then you also get a premium interior, especially with the Sport variant, but the best feature that makes it easy to drive is its 360-degree camera that is dynamic and can display your car in three dimensions with clever bits of software. It’s very novel, and the only item that we wished we had was Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the large 10.25-inch infotainment screen. 

We were able to drive the Kia Stonic around for a while, and from our first encounter with it, the crossover was an easy-driving vehicle. Sharing the same engine as the Soluto, the 1.4-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder is pretty smooth and it also has good fuel economy to boot. In terms of dimensions, it is the smallest crossover in the Kia lineup, coming in at a length of just 4,100 mm, a width of 1,735 mm, a height of 1,532 mm, and a wheelbase of 2,570 mm. It’s even smaller than the Kia Seltos, which is already an easy-to-handle crossover. On top of that, you’re also getting a rear-view camera and to top it all off you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard for all models, which means that you can display your music, maps, and other applications on your phone on to the infotainment screen for the utmost convenience.

For Toyota’s Corolla Cross, you get a high amount of refinement and comfort from the crossover. Plus if you do decide to splurge and get the hybrid system, the fuel economy that you get plus the light steering and effortless stop and go thanks to the electric motor, make the Corolla Cross a really easy car to drive. As was stated earlier, it is a bit pricey. It is the most expensive model on this list, especially when equipped with the 1.8-liter hybrid powertrain that is also shared with the Toyota Corolla Altis. Though, you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a backup camera, and even a Toyota badge for that added peace of mind. 

The next-generation 2023 Ford Territory has grown in size, but it's still quite easy to drive with a peppy 1.5-liter turbocharged engine mated to a much more responsive seven-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), which is a huge upgrade over the former model's DCT. You still get a suite of tech features such as a 360-degree camera for easy parking and of course Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for easy connectivity.