Crossovers have been making their name in the automotive market to bridge the gap between SUVs and cars. However, it seems that many confuse the two. Although they are referred to interchangeably, they are actually quite different. They exist in two completely different categories because they are built and constructed in different ways with different components. You may find that an SUV may cater to your needs better than a crossover and vice versa, but this blog should help you distinguish between the two and which may be better for your lifestyle.

SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE

Let’s start with the Sport Utility Vehicle or SUV as you may better know it as. The Sport Utility Vehicle has been around for decades carting around the family on those grocery store trips and family vacations. With an SUV there is plenty of room to load up the kids, pets, and some may even be equipped with roof racks so you can stack up the luggage and other equipment. The major difference between the crossover is the SUV is built in a way that is called a body-on-frame design. It is built exactly how it sounds with the body mounted to a frame, more specifically a truck frame. This allows for a higher tow capacity and better articulation for offroad use. It is also cheaper to manufacture and allows manufacturers to use the same frame for multiple applications.

MORE POWER

An SUV would be considered a more capable vehicle. Many people associate poor gas mileage with SUVs. That is because they tend to have larger bodies and larger motors. Although gas mileage is not the best, tow capacity is optimal. With a bigger body that means there is more cabin space including that sought after third-row seating. Lastly, SUVs are usually configured in a 4×4 drivetrain. By that, I mean that there is usually a solid axle in the rear with selectable 4×4 with a transfer case. So there is one drive-tire in the rear opposed to its counterpart with AWD. As I had mentioned before you may find that the SUV is more capable in terms of tow capacity. There are a number of full-size SUVs that have impressive numbers. The 2020 GMC Yukon is capable of towing upwards of 8,400lbs which means you can tow anything from a small yard trailer to a full-size sedan and everything in between. Of course, it has all the options to keep the family entertained and keep them safe on those long trips.

CROSSOVER TO THE OTHER SIDE

Crossovers are becoming more and more popular due to their practicality. Some crossovers that you may have heard of could include the Ford Edge , Mazda CX-5 , Chevrolet Trax , and the Buick Encore. The main difference between a crossover and an SUV is the construction of the body. A crossover is a small SUV that is mounted on a car frame, hence the name crossover. As time goes on, crossovers are beginning to become more popular with a unibody design. All that means is that the body is one piece in addition to the sub-frame where the engine mounts. They are typically lighter but safer in the way that they have built-in crumple zones to protect the driver and passengers. The biggest advantage of a crossover is its fuel efficiency. Since they are constructed with lighter materials and are scaled-down in size, they do considerably better on fuel. So if you need an upgrade from a sedan, a crossover may be the vehicle for you if you need that extra space, but still want to maintain fuel economy.