Smart Buying Essentials

What is a Crossover Vehicle?

The automotive industry is not shy about using acronyms to describe its products: SUV, MPV, APV, SUT, XUV, SAV-just to name a few. While this makes for great marketing, the confusing terms also make it more difficult for consumers to differentiate between vehicles. Which vehicles will meet their needs and what vehicles are comparable to what?

Sport Utility vehicles continue to be one of the most popular automotive segments. Freeing generations of minivan owners from their dowdy chains in the mid-90s, buying an SUV typically meant a stop at a Jeep, Land Rover or Chevrolet dealer. But great changes have taken place in the last ten to fifteen years, as now most manufacturers-even Porsche-offer at least one SUV.

In the early 1990s there were roughly 20 sport utility vehicles on the market, from the still-popular Toyota Land Cruiser to the unlamented and long-departed Daihatsu Rocky. Today, new SUV models number more than 80 and offer varying levels of 'sport' and/or 'utility'. In addition, some now come with a new and ambiguous name: Crossover. Exactly what is a crossover vehicle, what did it "cross over" from, and how do you know if you're buying one?

It's important to remember that "crossover" began as a marketing term. It's one of those words that has evolved, eventually gaining mainstream acceptance. In general, a crossover vehicle is of uni-body construction on a car-based platform, with ride, handling and performance characteristics similar to cars. They can appear either wagon- or SUV-like in appearance (though they aren't really meant for off-road use), often have a lower roof line or step-in height compared to a traditional SUV, and in general get better gas mileage compared to most SUVs.

The guidelines we use at IntelliChoice to decide what class a given vehicle should be in are critical, as our determination affects what models are compared against one another in our ownership cost analysis. This is the first year we acknowledge the existence of the crossover as a unique entity, different from minivans or wagons, and to varying degrees unlike the typical SUV. As a result, we now track six classes that consist solely of SUVs and crossovers of differing sizes and price ranges.

If a model was marketed by its manufacturer as a crossover, we took that into consideration when deciding its classification. Note that there were exceptions: If the model was of uni-body construction, but was clearly designed for off-road use, we left it in the existing SUV class based on overall size, market position, and consumer intentions or practical use.

Many SUVs and crossovers have the ability to hold up to eight or nine passengers in relative comfort. While they may be capable of carrying that much human cargo, in nearly all cases rear standard cargo room is dramatically sacrificed. We felt that for this segment in particular, it is difficult for consumers to figure out which of the offerings are best suited to their needs. To that end, we've compiled some comparative data to make this process easier.

The chart lists any vehicle that has an available third row seat, regardless of class. Believe it or not, this runs from the truly diminutive to the cavernous as far as interior room and overall size are concerned. Pricing is all over the map as well, so we've indicated this, as well as fuel economy, engine size, IntelliChoice's Target Price (as of February 2007-please check the individual vehicle report pages for current pricing), and some critical dimensions, all to aid your new vehicle search. In addition, we've included minivans for further reference, as they feature similar seating and cargo capacities. Review the chart; what you find may surprise you. At the very least, we hope it will help cut through the hype.

Note that while we have shown the individual cost and adjusted the Target Price for each vehicle with a third row seat, you should review the vehicle pricing pages to see the rear seat type (manual folding vs. power folding, 60/40 or 50/50 split, fold-flat capability, etc.). All other options available will be listed as well, because in the new car market of 2007 it is very easy to take a base-priced $35,000 vehicle and turn it into an 'as equipped' $50,000 monthly payment migraine.

Most importantly-and we're very partial to this point-we've included the Overall Value Rating for each model. That will tell you if the vehicle you're interested in also represents the best economic value relative to its peer models in the same class over the next five years, considering the costs of depreciation, maintenance, repairs, fuel, state fees, insurance and financing.

Good luck in your vehicle search. Let us know if we can help answer additional questions (info1@intellichoice.com).

Legend
Ratings: E=Excellent; BTA=Better Than Average; A=Average; WTA=Worse Than Average; P=Poor.
Fuel Type indicated with above MPG: P=Unleaded Premium; R=Unleaded Regular; D=Diesel.
**Without SkyView Roof; with SkyView Roof 84.9.