What the he77 is a "crossover"?

[Mel]

I'm not real keen on the "new improved" cages anyway, but some of the categories of the types of cars or SUVs or whatch-a-ma-call-it's leave me confused. TV commercials about the best mileage or passenger capacity or cubic feet of capacity or best warranty, then to call a vehicle a "crossover"??? I thought that had something to do with a certain kind of surgery that most people never have. Can someone please explain the differences of van, minivan, SUV, crossover, and/or any others that I'm not listing?

 

Maybe I've just been around too long, but it seems to me that it was a lot easier to understand two door sedan, four door sedan, coupe, station wagon, and convertible.

 

[dynodon]

I think maybe the best way to explain a crossover is a blending of two types of vehicle.

 

Think of it as SUV light. A car like vehicle that is made to serve some duty as a SUV.

 

May or may not have AWD, probably ride a bit higher than a car but not as high as a truck or SUV. Will be more boxy than a sedan or typical station wagon and probably shorter.

 

Hope that helps.

[etcswjoe]

I always thought it was just a fancy name for a minivan so people other than soccer moms would buy them/

[GaryZ]

Typically a 'crossover' is an SUV-type body on a passenger car platform. The concept is to have the interior space of the SUV, drive and handle like a car.

 

Once upon a time we called these things 'station wagons'

[Marcarl]

Looking at some of the models,, I think they called it that because it crossed over the line,,, and the first time I seen one I said to my wife,,, now what do you call that,,, and her reply was,,,,,,,,,butt ugly!

[chabicheka]

I think us bikers term " cages " for all of them, makes more sense...

 

[SilvrT]

Typically a 'crossover' is an SUV-type body on a passenger car platform. The concept is to have the interior space of the SUV, drive and handle like a car.

 

Once upon a time we called these things 'station wagons'

 

Eggzackly!!

 

And we had "crossovers" long before the word became popular. Remember the the Subaru from around 1977/78? ... how about the AMC Eagle from around the same time period. I worked at a car rental company during those years and we had both on our rental fleet .... they were great cars and quite popular.

[PGunn]

It's an SUV that came out of the closet......

[Mel]

Well, it seems to me that I'm not the only one that's not sure---Now I don't feel so bad! I wonder what kind of answer I'd get at a car dealership?

[MikeWa]

It is a marketing strategy.

 

A dysfunctional vehicle that supposedly crosses over into more than one marketing category and appeal to a wider audience. Like you can't use your Jeep for going to and from the grocery store. So you need a crossover. It will perform both functions. And separate you from your wallet at the same time.

 

Mike

[SilvrT]

Maybe my Wing can be referred to as a crossover now .... MT on front, CT on rear ....

[Richie R]

I always thought a crossover was going from one side of the road to the other and back. Besides I have a 4 wheel drive station wagon oh yea they call it a suburban.

 

Richie R

[Stoutman]

Its a pickup truck in a dress.

[Wanderer]

As you know S.U.V., sport utility vehicle. A crossover is neither utility, or sport. It's primarily designed for older ladies who occasionally put flowers in the back of their vehicles

to show off at the garden club.

 

Men should never ever drive a crossover. Women can drive one, at any age, but going down the road will be perceived as being old.

 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[BlueVenture87]

A crossover is a vehicle targeted at the car buyers market that has a higher ground clearance. This qualifies the car to use "truck" standards in gas mileage and emissions.

[Stanman]

This qualifies the car to use "truck" standards in gas mileage and emissions.

 

 

So this allows them to keep selling cars that get terrible gas mileage???

[timgray]

A Crossover is nothing more than the new name for a "Station Wagon" it's to make the cagers that buy them feel better.

 

Kind of like how most "SUV" trucks are actually nothing more than 4 door minivans. Very very few SUV's are built on a truck frame and actually built decently and rugged.