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This. An SUV is just a station wagon or minivan with more cosmetic appeal. Not a bad thing. Kind of clever really. Car manufacturers figured out how to deliver

This. An SUV is just a station wagon or minivan with more cosmetic appeal. Not a bad thing. Kind of clever really. Car manufacturers figured out how to deliver a vehicle that has the benefits of a minivan with an external appearance free of the "I just traded my cool car for a minivan, my life is over" negative association.

kenhwang 8y ago
It's hard getting a minivan with AWD, but every crossover/SUV has it available as an option. Wagons just aren't commonly offered in the US. The higher ground clearance a crossover typically has compared to a minivan is also quite nice for both increased visibility and less scraping against curbs and driveways. It's not clever marketing, it's just a better product for most people.
- thrower123 8y ago
  Those old heavy front-wheel drive minivans drove like tanks in snow. Especially with a cheap set of studded snow tires, there was very little need for AWD.
  - kenhwang 8y ago
    Even a Miata can handle snow with modern snow tires until it's ground clearance isn't high enough anymore. Most people don't like maintaining two sets of wheels for summer and winter, nor do they get enough snow to justify having a full set of winter tires. For light snow and plowed roads, AWD and all season tires work well enough.
    - thrower123 8y ago
      Yes, people are lazy and don't want to shell out $500 for a second set of tires and $100 a year to swap them on and off. They'd rather be out in the puckerbrush off the road because they try driving in snow and slush on "all-weather" tires... The first snow storm of the year is a great day for the wrecker companies.
      - kenhwang 8y ago
        That's assuming you're willing to run winter tires on your summer wheels, which you probably aren't given the trend of big wheels, narrow sidewalls. You're probably going to want a set of smaller steel wheels for the winter. AWD is usually a <$1500 option which makes it really competitive against a second set of wheels and tires.
    - ehaliewicz2 8y ago
      If you need AWD to get moving, that's kind of dangerous, since it doesn't increase your ability to stop.
      - kenhwang 8y ago
        I think most people just want the AWD to get in/out of their driveway, then you're on plowed roads and the AWD doesn't really make a difference anymore. Plus, AWD+snow tires is still better than FWD/RWD+snow tires. It's not always an either-or situation.
        ehaliewicz2 8y ago
        I suppose but I find that AWD is generally a crutch that most people don't need at all, and those that think they do just don't want to use proper winter tires and endanger others on the road as a result. The amount of people who actually need AWD in addition to proper equipment, is probably a minuscule fraction of the people who think they need it. I specify winter tires instead of snow tires because it's not just about snow, it's about temperature as well. All-season tires are generally pretty good about this, compared to summer tires, but once you get to 10F or less, most all-season tires (maybe all of them?) are about as good as driving on rocks.
rleigh 8y ago
But they make some terrible compromises. The crossover-type have less boot space than my old UK Ford Focus hatchback, same with the rear seats down. A real station wagon has gallons of space. It's all cosmetic style without a huge amount of substance, and you pay a premium for it as well! I'll grant that they have good riding position and front visibility. But rear visibility is truly dire. The Qashqai I test drove had a rear camera (actually 360°) with front display just so you could reverse without hitting something due to the poor visibility. Ride quality is reasonable. Fuel economy as well, though still not as good as a lower, smaller body. But in no way does it compete with a minivan. I'd go for a Ford Transit Connect or VW Caddy if I actually wanted some space. And the dimensions aren't much different to the SUV!

kenhwang 8y ago

It's hard getting a minivan with AWD, but every crossover/SUV has it available as an option. Wagons just aren't commonly offered in the US. The higher ground clearance a crossover typically has compared to a minivan is also quite nice for both increased visibility and less scraping against curbs and driveways. It's not clever marketing, it's just a better product for most people.

thrower123 8y ago
Those old heavy front-wheel drive minivans drove like tanks in snow. Especially with a cheap set of studded snow tires, there was very little need for AWD.
- kenhwang 8y ago
  Even a Miata can handle snow with modern snow tires until it's ground clearance isn't high enough anymore. Most people don't like maintaining two sets of wheels for summer and winter, nor do they get enough snow to justify having a full set of winter tires. For light snow and plowed roads, AWD and all season tires work well enough.
  - thrower123 8y ago
    Yes, people are lazy and don't want to shell out $500 for a second set of tires and $100 a year to swap them on and off. They'd rather be out in the puckerbrush off the road because they try driving in snow and slush on "all-weather" tires... The first snow storm of the year is a great day for the wrecker companies.
    - kenhwang 8y ago
      That's assuming you're willing to run winter tires on your summer wheels, which you probably aren't given the trend of big wheels, narrow sidewalls. You're probably going to want a set of smaller steel wheels for the winter. AWD is usually a <$1500 option which makes it really competitive against a second set of wheels and tires.
  - ehaliewicz2 8y ago
    If you need AWD to get moving, that's kind of dangerous, since it doesn't increase your ability to stop.
    - kenhwang 8y ago
      I think most people just want the AWD to get in/out of their driveway, then you're on plowed roads and the AWD doesn't really make a difference anymore. Plus, AWD+snow tires is still better than FWD/RWD+snow tires. It's not always an either-or situation.
      - ehaliewicz2 8y ago
        I suppose but I find that AWD is generally a crutch that most people don't need at all, and those that think they do just don't want to use proper winter tires and endanger others on the road as a result. The amount of people who actually need AWD in addition to proper equipment, is probably a minuscule fraction of the people who think they need it. I specify winter tires instead of snow tires because it's not just about snow, it's about temperature as well. All-season tires are generally pretty good about this, compared to summer tires, but once you get to 10F or less, most all-season tires (maybe all of them?) are about as good as driving on rocks.

rleigh 8y ago

But they make some terrible compromises. The crossover-type have less boot space than my old UK Ford Focus hatchback, same with the rear seats down. A real station wagon has gallons of space. It's all cosmetic style without a huge amount of substance, and you pay a premium for it as well! I'll grant that they have good riding position and front visibility. But rear visibility is truly dire. The Qashqai I test drove had a rear camera (actually 360°) with front display just so you could reverse without hitting something due to the poor visibility. Ride quality is reasonable. Fuel economy as well, though still not as good as a lower, smaller body. But in no way does it compete with a minivan. I'd go for a Ford Transit Connect or VW Caddy if I actually wanted some space. And the dimensions aren't much different to the SUV!