Hoopty

If there’s one vehicle segment that has completely taken over the modern automotive landscape, it’s the crossover. The streets are flooded with them. Toyota RAV4s, Honda CR-Vs, Nissan Rogues—you name it. Every manufacturer has one (or ten), and buyers can’t seem to get enough.

But here’s the thing: crossovers are a compromise. A middle-ground solution that, in many ways, results in a vehicle that’s not particularly good at anything. They promise the best of both worlds—car-like comfort with SUV practicality—but the reality is that they blend the worst aspects of each.

Let’s break it down.

Why Crossovers Took Over the World

First, let’s acknowledge why crossovers are so popular.

1. Perceived Safety – They sit a little higher, so drivers feel safer, even though many crossovers don’t have better crash ratings than a good sedan.
2. Practicality – A lifted hatchback with a fold-flat rear seat makes for an easy daily driver.
3. All-Wheel Drive – Many offer AWD, even if most owners will never take them anywhere worse than a gravel parking lot.
4. Marketing & Trends – Automakers have spent years convincing people that they “need” a crossover, and buyers have followed the herd.

Those reasons make sense from a consumer standpoint. But let’s look at the engineering side of things and why crossovers are, functionally, a compromise that doesn’t excel in any category.

They Handle Like SUVs Without the Capability

A proper SUV—think Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Wrangler, or Ford Bronco—is built with a body-on-frame construction, real off-road capability, and a drivetrain that can take a beating. The downside? They drive like a truck. A 4Runner corners like a boat, a Wrangler on stock suspension leans hard, and a Bronco will remind you that solid axles exist. But they’re meant for off-road work, where that setup shines.

Crossovers, on the other hand, try to mimic that SUV stance while still using a unibody structure, meaning they gain the higher center of gravity and body roll without the real off-road ability. Sure, they might have a terrain mode, but throw a crossover into deep mud or real rocky terrain, and it’s going to struggle.

They Have Car Underpinnings Without the Efficiency

Underneath most crossovers is a car chassis—often one from a compact or midsize sedan. The RAV4 rides on a Camry-like platform, the CR-V on a Civic base, and so on. But by lifting the ride height, widening the body, and adding AWD, crossovers introduce more weight and aerodynamic drag.

This means they get worse fuel economy than the sedans they’re based on, while also handling worse due to their taller stance. You’re essentially taking a well-balanced, fuel-efficient car and making it heavier, slower, and sloppier in corners.

Cargo Space is Overrated

One of the biggest selling points of crossovers is supposed to be practicality, but the numbers tell a different story. Take a Honda Accord vs. a CR-V:

• The Accord has 16.7 cubic feet of trunk space, plus a low load floor and a long pass-through with the rear seats folded.
• The CR-V has around 39 cubic feet with the seats up, but the cargo floor is higher, and the overall shape of the rear hatch often reduces usable storage.

For many daily-use scenarios, a well-designed sedan with a fold-down rear seat is just as practical as a crossover, if not more.

Off-Road Capabilities are a Joke

Let’s be real—most crossovers never see anything worse than a dirt driveway. Even those that advertise “adventure-ready” features are still rolling on all-season tires, have minimal ground clearance, and lack any sort of real low-range gearing.

Take something like a Subaru Forester Wilderness. It has a lifted suspension and some rugged body cladding, but at the end of the day, it’s still a CVT-equipped, road-biased car with a little extra ride height. Throw it into actual off-road conditions, and it’ll struggle in ways a real SUV wouldn’t.

The Verdict: A Trend, Not a Necessity

Crossovers exist because of marketing, not because they’re fundamentally better vehicles. They are the automotive equivalent of a spork—fine for most situations, but never the best tool for the job.

• Want handling and efficiency? Get a sedan or hatchback.
• Need real cargo space? A wagon or minivan does it better.
• Looking for actual off-road capability? A proper SUV is the answer.

But if you want to follow the masses and blend in with a sea of anonymous, lifted economy cars? A crossover is waiting for you at every dealership. Just don’t expect it to be the best at anything.