The automotive industry is a very important industry that is also extremely dynamic. The industry continues to change every year as innovation and consumer choices continue to transform.
Over the past few years, one of the biggest trends has been the continued increase in market share of crossover SUVs. In the first quarter of 2018, more than 1.4 million crossover SUVs were sold, which represents an 18 percent increase compared to the prior year. Compare this to traditional sedans and other cars that have actually seen a decline in sales.
What is a Crossover?
Generally speaking, crossover SUVs are considered to be vehicles that are meant for families and other people that are looking for comfortable options that provide plenty of space. In many situations, they are considered to be the new minivans as they provide a wide variety of luxury and comfort features that are not available in traditional cars.
A crossover is typically characterized as being a taller vehicle with higher entry points and four doors. They also typically have a hatchback trunk off the rear of the vehicle. Many people can struggle to identify the difference between a crossover and a traditional SUV as there are many similarities. However, there are many differences as well.
SUV and Crossover Similarities
One of the main similarities between a crossover and a traditional SUV is the appearance. Both a crossover and a traditional SUV are taller vehicles that typically have at least seating for five people. Crossovers generally look like smaller SUVs and give the driver the same sense of control and vantage point when they are behind the wheel.
Crossovers also have the same hatchback trunk that is available with most SUVs. With these hatchback trunks, there is much more storage space overall and it is very easy to grab items out of the back of the SUV.
Differences Between Crossover and SUV
While there are some clear similarities between a crossover and a SUV, there are some differences as well. The most significant difference between a crossover and a SUV is the overall construction of the vehicle. An SUV is built with body-on-frame construction, which is the same type of construction that is used to create a pickup truck. A crossover uses a unibody frame construction, which is similar to what a car is built on.
Another difference between a crossover and a SUV is the size. Overall, a crossover tends to be much smaller than a traditional SUV. Along with this, crossovers tend to have less seating capacity, storage space, and engine performance. However, they generally are more affordable and get better fuel efficiency.
Benefits of Driving a Crossover
There are five key benefits to consider when you are thinking about buying a crossover SUV. These benefits are part of the reason why crossovers have continued to increase in popularity.
Affordability
One reason why people are choosing to purchase a crossover SUV is that they are more affordable than traditional SUVs. As crossovers are smaller than traditional SUVs and have smaller engines, they also tend to come with lower sticker prices. Today, there are a variety of very popular and highly-rated crossover SUVs that come with sticker prices of under $25,000 for brand new models.
Storage Capacity
Another advantage of driving a crossover is that you will have more storage capacity then you would with a traditional sedan. With a traditional full-size sedan, you typically will have around 15 cubic feet of storage space in the trunk. This is less than half the storage space that will come with a crossover SUV.
Some of the most popular crossover SUVs today have more than 35 cubic feet of storage space in the trunk. This it is an ideal option for anyone that is planning on taking a long road trip or has a lot of people to haul around.
Fuel Efficiency
With rising oil prices, all people need to be considerate of how much money they will be spending at the gas pump. If you have driven a traditional SUV in the past, you likely will find that fuel efficiency is extremely low. However, if you opt for a crossover SUV, you will find that fuel efficiency is actually pretty substantial.
Today, there are a wide variety of different crossovers that get more than 30 miles per gallon when driving on the highway. This is comparable to the fuel efficiency of sedans and is much better than traditional SUVs.
Safety Features
There are also many different safety benefits that come when you have a crossover. One of the main reasons why people like to drive an SUV is that they are perceived to be safer than a traditional sedan. Many of the same safety features that come with a traditional SUV are also found in a crossover. Some of the most common safety features that you will find in a crossover include having up to seven different airbags, all-wheel drive options, rear view mirrors, and good braking systems.
Luxury Crossovers
Over the past few years, all car manufacturers have seen the dramatic rise in sales of crossover SUVs. To take a part of this, many luxury car manufacturers have introduced crossover options, and more will be adding to their fleet in coming years.
As such, luxury car producers have had a tough time keeping up with demand because of this popularity and they will continue to expand into this product in the future. In fact, by the year 2023, it is estimated that there will be more than 90 different luxury crossover SUV models on the road. Today, some of the best-rated and most popular crossover SUVs on the road include the Audi SQ5, the BMW X3, and the Mercedes Benz GLC-Class, all of which are bound to have more competition in coming years.
If you are interested in any of these crossover SUVs, it’s recommended you do some research of your own. You never know, you may stumble upon some great deals.
