Opinion: Maybe Crossovers Aren't So Bad, After All?

Maybe it’s just automotive Stockholm Syndrome, but after 15 years of testing vehicles, a huge percentage of which have been crossover SUVs, I’m ready to say it: Crossovers aren’t so bad.

Yeah, I know, you’re going to ask me to blink twice if I am OK, but hear me out.

First of all, I still remain a fan of rip-roaring sports cars, but let’s face it – even during boom times, sports cars are a small part of the market.

Second, I remain a steadfast sedan man. I am NOT, to be clear, suggesting I’ve abandoned that position. I still find that sedans, particularly mid-sizers, can get the job done for many drivers and their families.

Nor am I arguing here that crossovers are better than wagons (few of which remain), minivans, or body-on-frame SUVs. It would be a fool’s errand to try to argue what segment of vehicles is the “best”.

I am merely saying that for all the crap that we enthusiasts and auto journalists fling at crossovers, maybe only a small bit of it is actually justified?

Again, I get the arguments that wagons and minivans can do utility better than crossovers and that crossovers only exist because, for people of certain ages (particularly older Millennials and most, if not all, of Gen X), wagons and minivans get unfairly written off as deeply uncool. And you know what? I am not going to argue that crossovers are “better” when it comes to utility, driving dynamics, or even fuel economy. Generally speaking, they aren’t.

But I am starting to understand the appeal. Most crossovers DO look better than most minivans, and while some wagons are sexy AF (looking at you, Jaguar XF Sportbrake), most aren’t going to make me look at them the way Homer Simpson looks at a pork chop.

Fuel economy, or at least range if not mpg, is generally acceptable. I’ve given up hope when it comes to sporty driving – few crossovers do it well, and even fewer do it well without costing way too much – but most ride well enough. Most are comfortable, and most handle cargo just fine. I can see why people who have what marketers call “active lifestyles” and/or people who cart around a plethora of passengers and/or pets like them.

Crossovers just simply offer a jack-of-all-trades balance, and some manage to even look reasonably stylish. Minivans don’t often look cool (with apologies to our resident van fan, Matt P.), and while wagons can turn heads, too many don’t.

Don’t get me wrong. I mourn the dwindling of the mid-size sedan as much as anyone, and I believe that sedans can do more in terms of cargo and passenger hauling than most folks realize. I still believe mid-sizers have a place in the world, and unless practicality forces my hand, my next daily will almost certainly be a sporty sedan of the compact or mid-size class.

I still won’t argue that crossovers are the best choice for most buyers. But if we’re going to be stuck living in a crossover world, well, it could be far worse.

[Image: Lincoln]