![]() Manufacturers have put copious engineering toward making crossovers sporty, but those projects are trying to overcome physics, rather than working with it. ![]() Crossovers aren’t as fun to drive as cars Unless entering and exiting cars presents physical difficulties, you don’t need to buy a crossover. Buyers are spending too much for excess size and capability they don’t use. But the fact remains, the crossover is not the ultimate vehicle for navigating modern American life. One might as well rail against time, taxes, or the incoming tide. Raging against crossovers can feel pointless. Likewise, VW killed the Golf Sportwagen - maybe the best all-around value car on the market - to make room for more high-priced Atlas variants. Ford nixed most of its well-regarded car lineup in favor of crossovers like the EcoSport. But the market’s decisive shift to crossovers is killing off affordable, entertaining sedans, coupes and wagons. I’ll admit, some of those new small crossovers - the Kia Seltos and the Mazda CX-30 come to mind - are decent, enjoyable cars. Crossovers usually offer some way to send power to all four wheels, but it's usually an all-wheel-drive system, not a true four-wheel-drive setup with low range. Crossovers stand tall and boast boxy bodies, like SUVs - but those boxy bodies are built on more lightweight unibody skeletons like cars, versus the heavy-but-better-for-off-roading body-on-frame chassis used by traditional SUVs and pickups. Much as the sport-utility vehicle was something of a median point between the car and the truck, a crossover can basically be thought of as the halfway mark between traditional SUVs and cars. They’re filling niches that have nothing to do with spaciousness or capability, which were the traditional arguments in their favor even tiny, pavement-dwelling subcompacts now receive added ride height and extra cladding to justify their existence and boost their sales. ![]() That's especially true of crossover forms, which have come to dominate the category far more than the body-on-frame truck-based vehicles that pioneered the class. SUVs are no longer a craze or a trend in fact, they’ve subsumed the (non-truck portion of the) car market. What is a crossover, and how does it compare to a car or SUV? It may be pricier than some rivals, but it ticks lots of boxes.Welcome to Counterpoint, a series in which we challenge commonly held ideas about well-known products. The ICE car is worth considering against its more conventional rivals, too, however the 1.2-litre petrol engine is excellent (especially in 128bhp form), build quality in the spacious, stylish interior is good, and the car feels planted, precise and comfortable on the move. Sharing its platform with the latest Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa, the 2008 was designed to accept all-electric power as well as internal-combustion engines, and the e-2008 is now available, taking the fight to the Hyundai Kona Electric. Top 10 best small SUVs on saleĪrriving on the back of lots of SUV-related success for Peugeot with its larger 3008 and 5008, the latest 2008 is an all-new model that looks set to follow suit. Our list only scratches the surface of what’s available, of course, such is the ever-expanding scale of this segment – but we reckon the models in our top 10 are the best of the current bunch. As a rule, those vehicles towards the top of our list do the best job of balancing everyday considerations such as practicality with driver appeal, value and good looks. ![]() Our rundown of the very best small SUVs includes a model to match every taste and requirement some of the cars are genuinely fun to drive, while others prioritise passenger comfort above all else. There’s now something different for just about everyone, so whether you prioritise comfort, practicality, sportiness or style – or any combination thereof – there’s bound to be something to suit you in the showrooms. Pioneering cars in this class, like the original Nissan Juke, set the benchmark for small SUVs and since then, every manufacturer has rushed to get its own piece of the action. Largely based on supermini underpinnings but boasting the raised driving position and extra flexibility that so many motorists crave, small SUVs suit modern family life perfectly many models stand not only as viable supermini alternatives but also as rivals to more traditional, larger family hatchbacks. However, it’s the smallest ones that are proving particularly popular with buyers. It’s no secret that the new car marketplace today is dominated by SUVs of all sizes. Best crossover cars and small SUVs 2021 There's a huge range of crossovers and small SUVs on the market today. ![]()
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