There's a bewildering selection of new crossovers/SUVs on the new vehicle market today but what actually separates the two types of vehicle? Traditionally, I would have said that an SUV was anything built to perform well off-road and would probably have a low-range transfer case. Manufacturers that I associate with SUVs are typically Jeep, Land Rover, Toyota and Nissan. However, a lot of the modern vehicles by these manufacturers don't have the low ratio gears, so does that mean that some Jeeps and Land Rovers for instance aren't SUVs but crossovers?
In the beginning, a crossover for me would have been anything with chunky styling and a higher ride height but not AWD/4WD. I'm talking about the Kia Souls, Nissan Jukes/Qashquais and Toyota CH-Rs of this world for instance but I would also say that most of the new subcompact crossovers/SUVs with their slip and grip AWD systems would definitely be classed as crossovers. Stuff like the Mazda CX-3/Honda HRV/Chevrolet Trax/Honda Tucson are basically just jacked-up compact cars. Where does that leave Subaru with their symmetrical AWD though? Vehicles like the Crosstrek/Forester/Outback actually have some pretty decent off-road capability but don't fit the traditional SUV template.
Stuff like the Nissan X-terra, Toyota 4Runner etc, I would say are SUVs but where does that leave the Nissan Pathfinder/Toyota Highlander. The "old" Pathfinder, I would have definitely have said SUV but the new one, I'm not so sure.
Even the manufacturers themselves seem a little confused. On their own website, Ford classify the Escape and Explorer as SUVs but the Edge as a crossover! The Explorer I kind of get but with the Escape/Edge, I fail to really see the distinction.
Does it come down to how they drive? I test drove a new Mazda CX-9 last month. Very nice vehicle, good-looking, well finished and equipped, AWD but it drove very much like a mid-size sedan with a higher ride height. It's a more stylish, AWD van basically, so I would say crossover.
A Jeep/Land Rover has its own unique feel though and you don't really feel like your driving a normal car. I'm testing out a new GMC Acadia later in the week. It looks chunkier than the CX-9 and I imagine being a GMC may feel a bit more truck-like (in a good way) too and I also see that they are doing an All-Terrain model with some proper off-road capability (not something that Mazda offer on the CX-9), so does that make it an SUV, not a crossover? I don't know.
So, can we try and answer the question once and for all. What is the difference between an SUV and a crossover and what qualities/attributes define them?
