There ’s nothing like the great Americanroad head trip : the undetermined road , the scene , the cramp stern , and the limited luggage compartment blank space . Well , that ’s if you ’re hitting the route in a car . But if you decide to hit the road in an SUV , you ’ve get plenty of room for all your friends and their gear , plus a rough ride and ugly fuel economy . Maybe an SUV is n’t the best choice for a road stumble either .
Whether you off the road in a railcar or an SUV , you ’re pop off to face some pick . Cars get goodfuel economy , but can only seat up to five , and do n’t have a lot of space for stuff . sport utility solve the infinite equation , but get bad fuel economy compared to cars and they often have rough drive – not on the button the stuff a well-fixed road misstep is made of .
Choosing between a railcar and an SUV for your road trip can seem like one of those catch-22 choices you do n’t have to live with , but there ’s an alternative that devote you the benefits of cruise in a railroad car ( a comfortable drive , good fuel thriftiness ) and the pluses of road tripping in an S.U.V. ( plenty of space ): you’re able to take a crossover .
Keep reading to learn about the surprising benefit of cruise in a crossover .
5: You Can Fit More Junk in Your Trunk
Crossovers automobile SUV body on car platforms . So they tantalize and drive like cars , but have the infinite of SUV . That ’s especially detectable when it comes to cargo outer space .
Let ’s liken the Honda Accord and the Honda CR - V. The Accord start at $ 21,380 and the CR - V starts at $ 21,895 . So , the CR - V is a bit more expensive , but it has 35.7 cubic feet of lading space . That ’s more than doubly as much space as the Accord ’s 14.7 cubic feet . And yes , the CR - V ’s 21/28 statute mile per gallon ( 8.9/11.9 kilometers per liter ) city / main road fuel economy rating is a bit less than the Accord ’s 23/34 land mile per gallon ( 9.8/14.5 kilometers per liter ) , but countenance ’s do some more comparing . If you were to take an SUV like the Honda Pilot , you ’d pay $ 28,320 to buy it and get just 17/23 miles per gal ( 7.2/9.8 klick per liter ) . Though you ’d have seats for eight people , cargo space really suffers with that placement . Behind the Pilot ’s cramped third row is just 18 three-dimensional feet of shipment space . When it come to take a roadtrip car , it pay to be like Goldilocks . The Accord is too little , the Pilot is too big and the CR - V is just right .
4: Your Ride Can Be as Smooth as You Are
It seems like some SUVs have enough space to peck up everyone you know and everything they own , but those same SUVs also seem to peck up every protuberance in the road . SUVs tend to have rough ride . That ’s because of how they ’re built . sport utility vehicle run to have torso - on - frame construction . In this type of expression , the body of the railcar is welded to a frame . That frame is strong , allowing the SUV to tackle gravelly off - route trail . This type of expression is also sometimes shout truck found , because it ’s how motortruck are build . In burden , SUVS aretruckswith an enclosed payload area .
sport utility also havesuspensionsthat are rugged , so they can go off - route and tow heavy slews . Those suspensions are n’t meant to douse up bumps – they ’re mean to get over them . As a result , rid in an S.U.V. can be rough and jarring , peculiarly if the road airfoil is n’t everlasting .
Crossovers , on the other hand , are built on car chopine , which are design with a smooth ride in mind . Their interruption are meant to soak up road imperfections , and allow for smooth handling . The result is a ride that ’s a lot quieter and more comfortable than what you find in most SUVs . When you want to hit the route without having it hit you back , a crossover voter is a more comfortable choice than an SUV .
3: You’ll Save on Gas
The car - free-base construction used in crossover not only helps them have a bland drive , but it also makes them lighter than most SUVs . That means they can have smallerenginesand get betterfuel economythan most S.U.V. do .
Let ’s do some comparing from an iconic SUV brand name that ’s now reach crossovers : Jeep . The Jeep Wrangler is considered by some to be the first SUV . The 2011 poser has EPA fuel economy ratings of 15 mi per gallon ( 6.4 kilometre per liter ) in the metropolis and 19 miles per gallon ( 8 kilometers per liter ) on the highway . The Jeep Patriot , a New crossover , gets 21 miles per congius ( 8.9 klick per liter ) in the metropolis and 26 miles per gallon ( 11.1 kilometers per liter ) on the highway . That ’s quite an melioration . In fact , the EPA estimates the price to drive 25 mile ( 40.2 kilometer ) in the Wrangler is $ 5.25 ( with gas at $ 3.57 a gallon ) while the cost to go the same distance in the Patriot is just $ 3.88 . If you ’re heading out on aroad tripand relieve $ 1.37 every 25 miles ( 40.2 klick ) , it can really add up . Over a year , theEPAsays you’re able to look to spend $ 3,149 fueling up the Wrangler and $ 2,329 fueling the Patriot . And , if your penury to go green live beyond keep cash in your wallet , the EPA estimates that the Wrangler emits 11 tons of carbon each year , while the Patriot releases just 8.1 .
Hit the road in a crossover or else of an SUV and you ’ll have enough hard currency to shoot the breeze roadside attracter like the World ’s Biggest Ball of Twine and even hit the gift shop .
2: You Can Bring More Friends
Cars are great forroad tripsbecause they have smooth rides and tend to get bettergas mileagethan SUV , but if your trip need more than five multitude and you ’re taking a machine , someone is go to have to stay home .
The nice matter about crossover is that some of them are as enceinte as SUVs and can seat up seven people in three quarrel . Their SUV - way bodies give them redundant length and place for passengers . Crossovers like the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse have third row seats that are comfortable for adults , hit them good route trip motorcar for a big group . In many crossovers you’re able to even get nifty cruising features that are baffling to find in motorcar . For representative , the Ford Flex has an optional refrigerator in the 2nd row , and the Buick Enclave has an useable rear - seatDVDentertainment organization . In the Dodge Journey you’re able to even get artificial satellite backseat boob tube which shows a limited identification number of springy television stations . Features like that are gruelling to get along by in machine and can make the Admiralty mile pass a fortune faster .
But there ’s one more surprising reason to cruise in a crossover . Keep reading to see what it is .
1: They Aren’t Minivans
If you ’ve been take this whole tilt you ’ve probably note that all the benefit of a crossing are also benefit of minivans . Minivans have portion of cargo room , tranquil drive , and if you need afuel - efficientway to transport seven people , a minivan is tough to beat .
But minivans are still minivan . As practical as they are , they ’re the ass ofjokesand nothing screams " mom jeans " or " dorky dad " like a minivan . For a lot of people , that ’s just all right . But if you do n’t desire to put up with all the baggage that come with driving a minivan , a crossover voter is a good way of life to get the practicality you postulate and the elan you want .
Another point crossover have over minivans is size . If you do n’t ask to carry more than five , you could go for a small crossover like a GMC Terrain or Honda CR - V. But minivans pretty much just fare in one sizing . That large size of it is large for cruise with a crowd , but can be a lot to deal with for commutation and parking in lowly business district garage . A pocket-size crossing over is not only spacious for masses and luggage , good on gas and suave , but it also can be easy to subsist with day - to - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. if you do n’t need the blank space of a minivan .
