A Closer Look At Crossovers

September 8, 2011 – Finding a car that is spacious, sporty, and fuel-efficient can seem to be a difficult task. Typically people associate sporty and spacious cars with big, powerful engines. And powerful engines rarely get gas mileage worth bragging about. But in today’s market, fuel economy is king and therefore manufacturers are stretching to create models that can provide the best of both worlds.

Of these latest and more fuel economic creations, the crossover is the most popular. Crossovers can vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer and from model to model. What makes a crossover different is its basic design. While SUVs have a truck-based design and chassis, the crossover is car-based. This means that it has handles more like a sedan than an SUV, while still maintain the general size, styling, and clearance of an SUV. For some people, it’s the best of both worlds. It’s like an SUV for city driving.

Some crossovers focus on filling space of SUV, providing the space and clearance of the traditional SUV while also providing fuel economy and better handling. These SUV types of crossovers often accomplish this by using hybrid engines that utilize both gas and electric power, making the vehicle much more fuel efficient. While other crossovers are smaller and sportier, designed more for speed and agility rather than size. The hatchback crossovers like the Nissan Juke are a good example of this type of design. The Nissan model is slightly smaller, much sportier, and gets better gas mileage than an SUV.

Crossovers typically start at about the $18,000 range for smaller models with fewer bells and whistles. The more expensive, luxury crossover models can range anywhere from about $60,000 to $90,000 depending on the make, model, and features available. If you’re looking for performance, space, and agility, the crossover may be your best bet.

 

 

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