"Pros" and "cons" of body type.
Any technical product, the main advantage of which is declared versatility, is woven from compromises. But these compromises do not always mean the success of the universality principle. This fully applies to crossovers.
The wrong emphasis
Crossovers have been one of the fastest growing segments of the automotive market for many years now. It would seem that this type of car should most closely match the operating conditions in Russia. With our not always flat roads - a large ground clearance, and with our slippery winter - that's all-wheel drive. But in fact, it turns out that we use all these opportunities only a few times a year. And the opportunities themselves turn out to be completely different from what the obsessive advertising focuses on and what we are led to. Let's figure it out.
Tires
When I have seditious thoughts about buying a crossover, the first thing I think about is ... tires. More precisely, about the overpayment that will have to be done in the fall. After all, it is in the fall that we think about buying winter tires. Simple monitoring shows that typical 205 / 55R16 tires for an average family car are at least one and a half times cheaper than typical 225 / 65R17 crossover tires. This is first.
Secondly, the longed-for four-wheel drive tempts to buy “quiet” and “comfortable” studless tires. Say, the same "magic" four-wheel drive will allow not to slip on slippery surfaces and on the so-called "friction" tires. This is partly true. But when braking, all this all-wheel drive economy does not participate in any way. And the nature of braking practically does not depend on the type of drive. This means that thorns, as usual, are preferable.
Fuel consumption
Here again, there is nowhere more eloquent. The crossover "eats" much more than the family "passenger car". First of all, because it is corny heavier. In addition, as we wrote earlier, the drive shafts in most crossovers always remain connected to the wheels. And even in 2WD mode, they continue to spin and demand additional power from the engine for their spin. Which can only be taken by spending extra fuel.
But that's not all. The crossover is more voracious on the track. After all, the area of \u200b\u200bits frontal projection is a priori larger than that of a "passenger car". And the drag coefficient is usually higher. Accordingly, you need to push a much larger mass of air in front of you. Which at speeds over "hundred" takes away the lion's share of the motor power.
Resource of components and assemblies
The overwhelming majority of modern crossovers are made on the basis of any purely passenger models (and there are vanishingly few exceptions like the Land Rover Freelander). And the crossovers use the same engines and transmissions as the donors. Obviously, these motors and gearboxes will run more heavily. As a result - a smaller resource and a higher probability of not only breakdown, but also "simple" overheating. Which also leads to breakdowns, only more extensive and expensive. And let's not forget about the temptation to use four-wheel drive off-road, where the load on components and assemblies increases many times over.
All-wheel drive dreams
Almost all modern crossovers are equipped with four-wheel drive purely nominally. Yes, in the same conditions, for example, a deep puddle on a muddy country road, even a crossover "incomplete" drive will be preferable. But ask yourself a question - how often do you drive through deep puddles on dirt roads after rains? I bet the average city dweller does this once every ten years. Personally, for 22 years of my "passenger" driving life, I have NEVER got stuck in such situations. In winter, with the wrong tactics for overcoming the snow-covered sections of secondary roads - yes, a couple of times I had to call for help. But with the same "success" I planted real jeeps. Only they had to be pulled out with much more serious costs.
As for the crossover "all-wheel drive", then on any more or less frivolous off-road (and we will not even talk about serious ones) the drive clutch on the second axle will overheat in a few minutes. And the car will not go further. You can wait until the coupling cools down and restores functionality. But even a beginner jeep knows that getting under way (or driving "vnatyag") on difficult sections is not at all the same as skipping them.
Any advertisement where the "merits" of the all-wheel drive of the next crossover are described must contain the word "intelligent". Say, our "intelligent" mega-twisted all-wheel drive super-system is so perfect that it itself determines which coating under each wheel and, accordingly, distributes traction. Firstly, in 98% of cases, this is slyness, which, in especially neglected cases, turns into blatant lies. If only because it is very difficult and expensive to adequately control traction on each wheel. For "intelligence" is usually responsible for a single electronically controlled clutch, which is "helped" by standard brakes, slowing down the slipping wheels and redistributing traction through the differential to the other wheel of the axle.
But all this "intelligence" works with lags and inevitable delays. And with these delays, it can be dangerous, especially for an experienced driver who has just completed an emergency driving course. An experienced driver "at the subcortex" will react with gas and steering to a sudden skid on a slippery surface, and the "intelligent" algorithm of the all-wheel drive is sewn into the fact that the car is driven by a frank "kettle". These actions of the driver and the algorithm inevitably come into conflict, ending either in a ditch or in the oncoming lane.
And in normal modes, the balance of "handling / smoothness" of crossovers is a priori worse than that of "cars". The effect is not only a higher center of gravity and a suboptimally located center of roll, but also a large unsprung mass.
Still in doubt if you really need to buy a crossover? We will give the 5 most common reasons why people buy crossovers, and whether they are objective or not, convincing or mean nothing - of course, it's up to you to decide.
So, 5 reasons why you should buy a crossover:
Reason number 5
Crossovers are capable of towing more cargo in a compartment with increased passenger space in the cabin. Many crossovers are capable of towing trailers weighing up to 3 tons and almost all SUVs can accommodate 5 passengers, and some even have a third row of seats, allowing seven riders to sit in the cabin.
Reason # 4
People think that an SUV is safer than a car because it is larger and believed to be stronger. I must say that this is indeed so and is confirmed by statistics from American researchers published in 2011: for a million owners of crossovers and SUVs produced in 2005-2008, only 28 driver deaths in accidents occur, while this figure is for sedans, hatchbacks and station wagons. is 56 deaths (for pickups - 52).
Also, buyers of crossovers appreciate the high seating position of the driver in the car (here you can object and remind about the danger of overturning tall cars on the roads, but most manufacturers are seriously working on creating systems that minimize the risk).
Reason # 3
The crossover has a higher carrying capacity and a larger trunk volume than even a station wagon (to be honest, it should be said that the trunk of an SUV can be higher, but in many cases it is not as long as that of a station wagon).
Reason # 2
Drivers appreciate the car's ability to overcome snow obstacles, which is very often encountered by motorists in Russia in winter (although such an advantage in a crossover will be noticeable only when compared with a rear-wheel drive car, and, most likely, the crossover will not have a serious advantage over an all-wheel drive sedan or front-wheel drive cars with proper tires).
Reason # 1
It is believed that crossovers have broad off-road capabilities (of course, it is worth noting that, firstly, most modern SUVs will not overcome anything except a low curb in a supermarket parking lot, and secondly, the number of people who actually drive off-road is negligible) ...
But really…
Most people buy crossovers and SUVs just because they can afford it. These cars may not meet the needs of the owner at all, but they fulfill his desire to have a large, roomy and beautiful car, which, moreover, is safer than others. And, of course, an all-wheel drive crossover can save the owner a lot of energy when leaving a snowdrift after a night blizzard.
A lot of fellow citizens have nails in their heads that four-wheel drive is better than any other. It is not for nothing that even in the current crisis times, 35% of the country's car market accounts for 35% of the country's car market, and in the best times this percentage jumped to 40. Most of the owners of such cars explain its presence by the urgent need to constantly break through multi-meter snow drifts, force raw primers broken up by timber trucks every day, and describe their feelings of comfort and confidence in the future when starting and driving on slippery winter roads. Usually these people are very surprised and do not believe when you tell them that you have connected the "front end" of your frame "crocodile" well, maybe a couple of times a year. And even then - somewhere in the suburban mud in the process of going on a fishing trip.
And it turns out that it is quite possible to drive around the city on a rear wheel drive, the main thing is that the tires are good and seasonally. The average crossover lover has heard something about certain electronic systems living their own lives in the bowels of his car. However, he is not aware of a simple thing. Exactly the same electronic "brains" would help him to start at traffic lights in snowy conditions and in a car with front-wheel drive. And in the same way, the motor would be “choked” when slipping in a snow block left by a snowplow. The fact is that all the "differential locks" that allow you to enjoy the benefits of four-wheel drive are not "real".
Typically this is just an electronically controlled emulation. It simply slows down the wheel that starts to slip or removes the moment coming from the engine from it, nothing more. This means only one thing: if the obstacle is, in principle, insurmountable for a car with front-wheel drive and normal tires on wheels, then it is highly discouraged to poke in there. Most likely he will also "sit" there. Yes, the sane owner of the crossover will not climb into such a place himself. It turns out that the advantages of an all-wheel-drive crossover, over exactly the same, but front-wheel drive, come down mainly to the inner conviction of its owner. All the same, in 99.99% of cases, the potential advantages of "all-wheel drive" are either not used, or are reduced to almost nothing by "smart" electronics.
But the disadvantages are quite material. First, if you have a four-wheel drive, you will have to pay a lot when buying a car. In different ways, depending on the model and brand of the crossover, but, on average, not less than 100,000 rubles "on top". Then you will have to fork out extra money for daily use. Four-wheel drive transmission by definition "eats" more power produced by the engine than mono-drive. And this is an additional consumption of gasoline. In other words, for a city dweller, complete is pampering, additional expenses and self-deception. In this sense, it is quite possible to take an example from overseas motorists, who quite calmly and in large numbers use mono-drive versions of all-wheel drive cars.
A long time ago, humanity lived in a time when the telephone was for making calls, and cars were driven. But such absurdities of antiquity have sunk into oblivion and the phone has evolved into a smartphone, and the car has ceased to be just a means of transportation.
A lot of gasoline has been burned since that time, and marketers systematically add fuel to the fire of endless human needs. It is they who drive the progress of the automotive industry, assigning engineers the role of executors of consumer fantasies, often ignoring rationality and even common sense.
Mercantile interest encourages the manufacturer not only to catch all sorts of consumer demand, sometimes bordering on idiocy, but also to actively instill in society a lot of stereotypes and images. One of these trends can be safely dubbed the progressive fashion for crossovers.
Are they as good as managers sing about them in their praises, or, on the contrary, goofy, as conservative people with traditional tastes see them?
Are not marketers trying to sell us something that is slightly different from the usual station wagon at the price of heavenly manna?
Which body should the head of the family choose without biting his nails to the elbows, and reasoned out of the terrible dilemma?
You will read about this and not only in this article.
Where did crossovers come from?
Crossover is not a term for the body type of an off-road vehicle, as many believe. This definition simply means mixing different styles, types, trends in something. In this case, people are accustomed to calling lightweight SUVs a crossover, which are cheaper than their full-size counterparts. People also call them "SUVs".
But there is a catch. So called "Parquet SUVs" in most cases they did not come from the conquerors of the "Dakar", but from family and unassuming hatchbacks and station wagons. The most popular crossovers among the people are built on the basis of golf-class cars with all the ensuing consequences of this relationship. SUVs often have a common platform, suspension and even power units with them.
From a practical point of view, the SUV is designed for utilitarian daily use for family purposes, transporting small loads, pets, children, mother-in-law and seedlings, without driving the owner into confusion at the thought of refueling, parking and, most importantly, road defects. Yes Yes! This is a road, at least a dirt road, but a road. Crossovers, as a rule, are not ready for off-road tests and more on that later.
King of the parquet
Make no mistake, the hybrid is not dancing very well, but the structure of the parquet surface reflects well the off-road potential of the SUV. Real frame SUVs with indestructible suspension elements and real all-wheel drive are designed for extreme driving conditions and make them far from stupid, realizing that miracles do not happen and a lightweight suspension structure has no right to live outside any road. All the joy of a crossover driver is limited to conquering city curbs and forcing shallow puddles.
The ground clearance of urban SUVs is usually in the region of 20 cm, which is quite enough to forget about the fear of running into a stone, a speed bump or leaving a piece of bumper somewhere on the curb.
In the overwhelming majority of cases, the main thrust of the crossover falls on the front axle, and the electronically connected all-wheel drive "wakes up" the rear wheels in those cases when it has already precisely understood that its inactivity has buried the car up to its belly. Of course, some auto giants offer their customers, coupled with a fashionable bodywork, and sophisticated assistance systems that even seem to have a presentiment of how deep the puddle lies ahead. But such tandems are not at all childish.
To a greater extent, the presence of electronic assistants and all-wheel drive, albeit automatically connected, instills decent confidence in the owner of the SUV and insures well in a swamp, snow, sand and salt porridge. In most cases, four-wheel drive in the city and on public roads is not needed at all. The good news is that almost all lightweight crossovers can be purchased with a mono drive, while reducing the cost of buying a car itself, fuel and maintenance. The choice is up to the consumer.
Crossovers and our roads
Correctly say those who believe that the suspension for our directions has not yet been invented. Crossover suspension is no exception. She migrated to them from their compact and undersized golf-class donors, which, to put it mildly, were not designed for driving outside the track and city.
If you look at the technical documentation of all compact crossovers sold on the market, you can easily draw conclusions about their driving performance. All polls have a MacPherson struts front suspension. The back of the SUV is usually multi-link or double wishbone suspension... Less commonly, you can find a torsion beam behind.
The double wishbone suspension and beam are reliable but not comfortable. The multi-link system provides good smoothness and dampens minor irregularities in the road, giving the riders decent comfort, but, due to the not so primitive circuit of elements, it is more demanding to maintain. Such suspensions do not create any special problems in maintenance and repair.
It should be noted that, in contrast to hatches, sedans and station wagons, SUVs are much higher and, accordingly, have a higher center of gravity. To keep the handling characteristics of such cars in the norm, engineers are forced to tune the suspension with an emphasis on rigidity, which usually negatively affects the ride.
The stiffness of the suspension makes driving on uneven roads unpleasant. Do not be surprised if the crossover turns out to be an order of magnitude tougher than the car on the basis of which it is built.
Crossover as a family wagon
As already mentioned, the ancestor of the SUV is the station wagon, and it was the all-wheel drive station wagons that were originally called crossovers. Today, the global auto industry almost does not offer such cars, and if it makes off-road versions of the produced station wagons, then this is often the prerogative of premium segment manufacturers and the prices for such a product are disproportionately high. In addition, all-wheel drive station wagons are mostly found only in the D and E classes.
For the last five years, there has been a tendency to return the outlines of crossovers to their origins and bring them closer to the image of family station wagons. So, Honda cr-v, one of the leaders in the segment, has already "dropped" to the level of 16 cm. This is already the ground clearance of a conventional car for driving on roads with improved coverage. But Honda experts claim that this is quite enough, which is confirmed by practice. The same metamorphosis occurs with Mitsubishi outlanderwhich looks more like a family station wagon than a brutal SUV.
It is not strange, because car manufacturers have seen that SUV buyers almost never use the off-road qualities of their iron horses. And they do not need them. The consumer is more likely to pay attention to the convenience of loading luggage, boarding and disembarking, handling, smooth running and, of course, fuel economy. In most cases, a person just needs a full-size solid car, which is not ashamed to show to neighbors, and which can be driven every day, whether shopping or going to work.
Sedan hatchback or crossover?
Is a sedan or a hatchback a full-fledged alternative to the SUV? It's not the same for everybody. It is especially difficult to answer in relation to people who, first of all, respect the image, not practicality. But in the light of practicality, the only suitable option from passenger cars for comparison with a crossover is seen only as a station wagon. We will try to try it on instead of the SUV.
The ground clearance of station wagons fluctuates slightly at the level of 14-15 cm, which is quite enough in most cases arising on the road, but the off-road path for such a car is ordered. You don't need to make a god out of two centimeters. Driving on an imperfect country road will not turn out to be anything terrible for you and your car.
The trunk of station wagons and SUVs equally pampers with an uncommon space of 500 liters of useful volume, plus the transformation of the rear seats. Overall length of the station wagon body is on average equal to the length of most crossovers (4400-4600 mm). The curb weight of SUVs is mainly at the level of 1500-1600 kg, and for station wagons - 1400 kg. The latter also have better aerodynamics and downforce, which improves handling and reduces the fuel consumption of the station wagon.
The most interesting part of the comparison is pricing. The station wagons on which the more expensive crossovers are built aren't just cheaper. Their cost is often 30% lower than the cost of a similar SUV of the same brand! Based on simple mathematical calculations, a sane person will seriously think about the advisability of buying a "mini-jeep" and will try to weigh all the pros and cons of such an acquisition.
Instead of a conclusion
Perhaps you were hoping to read at the end of the article a specific guide to action like "buy this or not buy" and the notorious "choice is yours" will slightly upset you, but, alas, you cannot order your heart and no advice will help. If you want and can, then so be it. Life is given only once, and the idea of \u200b\u200ba crossover has its own rational grain and, thank God, there is plenty to choose from.
At the same time, having bought a station wagon without increased ground clearance, all-wheel drive and jeep landing, you can also enjoy the full life of a motorist, driving your household and slobbering St. Bernard across the endless expanses of our lands, gently stroking a wad of money reasonably saved when buying a new family car. Good luck everyone!
Good afternoon, today we will tell you about does the city need an SUV, which onefrom them meaningon streetssettlement and what is the main purpose such cars. In addition, we learn what is the main task of a jeep, how the SUV differs from city crossoverand also consider advantagesand limitationsvehicles with increased cross-country ability... In conclusion, we will talk about which onecar preferable to choose for city streets and off-road, as well as, whyso much in recent years around the world have become crossovers in demand.
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Today more and more often you can hear from the majority car enthusiasts, the same question
: "Is there a use for SUVs in the city
? ". Note for reference that sUVor by jeepcalled a car that has increased cross-country abilitythanks to high ground clearance(clearance), as well as leading front and rear wheels... Therefore, do not confuse the concept " SUV"and" Crossover"because the former are meant for full off-road (usually have frame structure and permanent four-wheel drivefor all wheels), and the second for city \u200b\u200bstreets (usually have plug-in four-wheel drive and bodypassenger car).
Most cars that are named sUVsand they drive along the streets of our city, perhaps they have never even traveled outside of it. As we all know the main purpose of SUVs or jeepsis an improved mobility on bad roadsas well as in places with hard to reachterrain. SUVin differencefrom passengerthe car is good because it is capable drive throughin places where he cannot do it car... These moments are understandable to everyone, like a day, however why do they buy people jeepwho never travel outside the city?
Before as to answerfor this question, let's imagine a situation: there is a road in the parking lot, very beautiful sUVfrom low profile rubber and large alloy wheels, as well as sports body kit throughout body... Can such a beauty dare to go mushrooming into the forest, on off-road? Of course not. Thus, the answer to the above question, why do people buy jeeps
, at the same time they never go out of town on it, is that the main targetsuch car ownerswhich purchased an SUV - this is demonstrateyour imageor compensatesome personal limitationsand nothing more. As the saying goes, the larger the jeep, the "cooler" its owner. Moreover, according to statisticsmore often concedeway for the owners largecars than drivers passenger carscars.
Based on the above, we can say that the driver of a large sUVhave to constantly supportstatusand thus hide your limitations... Moreover, the car owner of such jeep have to move with difficulty through the narrow streets of the city and not pay attention to incredible fuel consumptionas well as difficulty in parking. And all these perversions for the sake of the image, and of the feeling of personal self-respect.
Because of the above disadvantageswho have sUVs, marketers together with engineers began to offer drivers alternative to jeeps... And this alternative was compact crossovers... After all, we all understand that if the buyer wants buy a big SUV, then it will already be difficult to convince him, so he needs to offer alternative- not less comfortable, while more dynamicand yes beautiful- crossoverhe is Suv.
Note that with tasktransplant fans jeepson compact crossovers marketers still managed to cope, and they did it brilliantly. Modern crossovers they've been hitting for 3 years in a row recordsby salesin the post-Soviet space. Almost as soon as they appear on the market, they instantly wonpopularitymillion car enthusiasts. Note that crossovers- this is not ordinary jeeps from their off-road capabilities... For these parametersas we noted earlier they lose to jeepsbut have crossoversthere are others prosand even morethan cons... First of all, lower fuel consumption, Secondly, better behavior on the roadway, thirdly, optimal compactness by dimensionsand a number of other equally important factors.
The main advantagelarge sUVus compact crossoverclearly manifested in winterwhen the roads are not cleared, there is mud and snow with drifts everywhere. A passenger car, and compact crossover it will be quite difficult in such conditions, but off-road vehicle with permanent all-wheel drive these conditions will be on the shoulder. Besides, jeepsare also good because, thanks to their huge ground clearance or clearanceany borderor letobeys without much effort. After all, few of the car owners sUVdid not overcome curbs, with aimpark in the green area. It is impossible not to take into account the moment that driving a large jeepfeel like more protectedthan driving passengercar.
Note for reference that in recent years car manufacturersincreasingly began to produce only front wheel drive crossovers, and demandsometimes even more on them than on all-wheel drive... Dec what is the car for
from high ground clearance
but without all-wheel drive
? And the fact is that many motorists purchase cars with high ground clearance in order to enjoy go ice fishingwithout touching in front of himand rear bumper about obstacles... For example, in a large metropolis there is no point in buying a crossover from four-wheel drive - it's just throwing money into the wind. After all four-wheel drive in the city in a year may would needno more than 1-2 times during heavy snowfall.
Video review: "Do I need an SUV in the city. Advantages and disadvantages"
In conclusion, we note that if we are the happy owner of our country house, then buy an off-road vehiclehe is jeep is certainly preferable to crossover... As for a city dweller who rarely drives a car out of town, such a driver more optimalthere will be an option front wheel drive crossover from increased ground clearance... Lovers of frequent fishing, travel off road, it's better buy a jeep with permanent four-wheel drive... However, it should be borne in mind that systematicallymove on a full-fledged SUV more tiresome than compact crossover.
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