Crossover Vs. SUV: What’s the Difference?

You’ve likely heard vehicles referred to as SUVs, crossovers, CUVs, and crossover SUVs. While crossovers and SUVs are technically not the same, the terms are often used interchangeably. This can lead to confusion and raises some important questions.

For example, what makes a vehicle a crossover, and are all crossovers also SUVs? What is a CUV? And perhaps the most important question for prospective new car buyers: what’s the difference between a crossover and an SUV? 

To learn more about what makes a crossover a crossover - and why it isn't an SUV, despite the similar styling - read on.

History of the SUV

SUVs as we know them date as far back as the 1930s, but they were notoriously unrefined and not consumer or family-friendly. This is because the chassis and bodystyle were designed for off-road adventures rather than civilized commuting; the 'sport utility vehicle' moniker derives from this original intention. These vehicles were known for their poor gas mileage, spartan interiors, and harsh, heavy-duty suspensions that were effective on the trail, but bad on pavement or highway travel. Like the old body-on-frame pickup trucks on which they were based, these were rugged and focused vehicles.

It wasn’t until the 1980s that buyers began to gravitate towards SUVs. People liked the big, boxy size and the go-anywhere image. And, despite their continued use of a truck-based, body-on-frame chassis, the SUVs of the 1980s had much-improved refinement and ride quality compared to their earlier ancestors. Vehicles like the original Jeep Cherokee and Ford Bronco fueled the fire for versatile SUVs that could be at home on the road and the trail.

History of the Crossover (CUV)

During the 1990s the SUV craze reached a peak. Around this time automakers realized drivers might like the look of an SUV, but favor the characteristics of a sedan. In 1997, Japan introduced the world to the first crossovers: the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Additional popular crossovers during this time include the Subaru Outback and Ford Escape. What made these vehicles crossovers instead of traditional SUVs? They used a “unibody” platform, which means the body and frame are one piece, providing a much more refined, car-like ride and confident handling. 

Since then this vehicle class has exploded. The crossover SUV, as they were first dubbed, simply became the crossover. Also referred to as a crossover utility vehicle, or CUV, these vehicles have become commonplace, displacing both the long-familiar sedan and the traditional body-on-frame SUV as the most popular mass-market vehicle. From humble, unproven roots, crossover vehicles have become massively successful.

What Is a Crossover?

Crossovers or CUVs are built by taking a car platform and modifying it, usually with a raised ride height. From there, a two-box SUV-style body with four doors and a large cargo area is draped over it. Engines, like the chassis, are also derived from a traditional car - think small displacement four-cylinders and six-cylinders in most cases. The end goal is the fuel efficiency and refinement levels of a car with the style and elevated ride height of an SUV or off-road-oriented station wagon. 

Crossovers, as previously mentioned, use what's called unibody construction. As the name suggests, unibody means the body and frame are a single, joined unit. There is no separate structure for the body and the frame; there's simply one skeleton that connects the car from floor to roof. During assembly, the body panels are bolted to this skeleton. Unibody construction is lighter than body-on-frame construction and offers a larger crumple zone in the event of an accident. Because crossovers tend to be lighter and have smaller engines, they also tend to be more fuel-efficient.

What is an SUV?

There are important differences between the car-like crossover compared to a traditional SUV. With a few exceptions, true SUVs ride atop frames that are separate from the body. This manufacturing technique, known as body-on-frame construction, is famously stout, and is also found under pickup trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles. It requires building the body as a separate unit and bolting it onto the frame during assembly.

This construction is probably the biggest difference between crossovers and SUVs. The unibody gives better ride and on-road comfort compared to something with a full-frame truck chassis. Body-on-frame SUVs are best for towing, hauling, aggressive off-roading, and other strenuous or demanding tasks.

SUV vs. Crossover (CUV): Performance and Economy

Because crossovers are based on a car’s platform, they use engines normally not appropriate for SUVs. This means small-displacement turbo four-cylinder engines. The Honda CR-V compact SUV is case in point: its 1.5-liter turbo is the same engine found in the Accord. It's the same for Toyota, Nissan, Chevrolet, and all the other major automakers. The result is fuel economy that’s nearly identical to a crossover's sedan counterpart.

SUVs, on the other hand, can’t operate with these small, efficient powertrains. The two big reasons for this are their high curb weight as well as the towing capacity and hauling expectations people demand from SUVs. Having the capability to pull a boat or a trailer of more than one or two tons often necessitates a big V8 under the hood - hence the V8-powered Toyota Sequoia, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon The Ford Expedition is the outlier among the full-size SUV class, having made the move to a twin-turbo V6.

Not all SUVs need V8s, though. The Jeep Wrangler, for instance, is focused on off-roading rather than payload or towing. For that reason it uses four- and six-cylinder engines. Other small off-roaders similarly use more modest engines.

Along with their weight and squared-off looks, the big, truckish engines found in the typical SUV make them inefficient, especially compared to crossovers. Fuel economy rarely gets above the low 20s on the highway and mid-high teens around town. If you're towing those mpg numbers will quickly drop even further.

Sporty, nimble performance isn't common for most crossovers or SUVs, but SUVs in particular feel ponderous; their big bulk and workhorse engines don't offer any sense of athleticism. Crossovers can be a bit better but also aren't usually noteworthy performers (exceptions being performance-oriented models like the Alfa Romeo Stevio, Jaguar F-Pace and Porsche Macan). A high center of gravity is a trait shared by both crossovers and SUVs, which inhibits handling and can make these vehicles feel tipsy when a corner is taken too fast.