Choosing the Right Car for Your Family

What is a CrossOver Vehicle

The history of automobiles goes all the way back to the beginning of the 20th century when Henry Ford introduced the Model T. The only option was color. You could choose black or black. Over the years, more and more options were introduced for the driving public. We went through a period of high performance muscle cars and later a period of small, fuel efficient vehicles. Today there are gasoline powered, diesel powered, electric and hybrid vehicles. A very popular car today is called a Crossover vehicle.

If you're driving on the road today, chances are very good you will see a crossover vehicle. Some of the possibilities are the Honda CRV, Toyota Venza and Subaru Forester.

What exactly is a crossover? There is no single definition but a crossover features components from both a traditional car and a more utilitarian SUV. Built on a car platform, a crossover is designed to give you the ride and handling of a passenger car along with the added room and versatility of a sport utility vehicle. Crossovers are built on a car platform and use a unibody type of construction. They have more headroom and storage capacity than a car, higher ground clearance and are better equipped for towing.

The crossover vehicle is a response to changing consumer demands. They started showing up on the roads in increasingly large numbers about five years ago and have continued to gain popularity every year. The SUV, which was the popular choice in the 1990's offered more space for transporting your family as well as additional space for hauling cargo. With high gas prices reappearing in the last few years, consumers took note of the relatively low gas mileage on an SUV. They still desired a vehicle big enough to handle their needs, but were less willing to buy a gas guzzling vehicle like a Ford Expedition. The answer to their problems was the introduction of the crossover vehicle.

Today, almost every major manufacturer has one or several versions of a crossover vehicle. Some are still referred to as SUV's even though they are really cars with SUV features. Basically a marketing term, the crossover tag was created to keep from calling it a station wagon which brings to mind a boring, old-fashioned vehicle that was the family choice of the 1960's. Today's crossovers tend to look like a flashy, updated version of the station wagon. They have a more rounded aerodynamic design, may have sporty wheels and even a spoiler. There are no dull yellow, wood paneled versions like some of the station wagons of the past.

With large fuel tanks and very good gas mileage, the crossover vehicle is great for taking trips or just for saving the frequent trips to the gas pump. Imports still dominate the crossover market, but American manufacturers are quickly catching up.

These vehicles are available for the most part in both 4 and 6 cylinder versions. The 4 cylinder models create just under 200 horsepower while the 6 cylinder models typically give you 265 horsepower and up. Gas mileage varies with different manufacturers and also with the options you may add to the basic vehicle. For most city driving expect maybe 20 -22 miles per gallon. Highway driving will yield somewhere around 28 to 32 miles per gallon.

The interior comfortably seats 5 with good legroom in the back seat. The higher roof is good for tall people. An additional third row of seating is available on some models. Storage is similar to an SUV with the back door opening for easy access. Today's crossover vehicles are technologically advanced. Besides the technology that goes in to the performance and driveability of the crossover, many vehicles are equipped, either as a standard feature or as an option, with GPS, Bluetooth, video monitors, satellite radio and all the other electronic devices desired by consumers.

What are some of the best selling models? General Motors is attempting a comeback from bankruptcy. One of the vehicles helping them to return to strong sales is the Chevy Equinox which is a very practical crossover vehicle that claims 32 miles per gallon on the highway and the ability to travel 600 miles on a single tank of gas.
The Ford Edge is among the leaders in this segment with a technologically advanced, sporty design. Other very competent crossover vehicles include the Toyota Venza, Subaru Forester, Honda CRV and Dodge Journey.

Performance, practicality and fuel economy make shopping for a crossover vehicle a smart choice.