It's also one of the more fuel-efficient small SUVs, more so this year with a standard engine that adds power while being more fuel-stingy. It's also quite sporty, and injects an ample amount of handling chutzpah into the ridin'-high body of a family-friendly SUV. Like the Escape, the Mariner is one of the boxier compact utility vehicles--with the styling of a traditional SUV--even though it has more road-friendly car-like mechanical underpinnings