Living in a day and age where everyone’s glued to their smartphones, there are few things that are more liberating or enjoyable than a good ol’ road trip. The scenery, the open roads, the limited trunk space, and cramped seats—that’s if you decide to take a car. But if you have an SUV, then there’s plenty of space for your friends or family and their gear. Add to that horrible fuel economy and a rough ride. Perhaps an SUV isn’t a good option either.

Choosing between an SUV and a car is like being in a catch-22 situation. Enter the crossover. It combines the benefits of a sedan which is good fuel economy and a comfortable ride with those of an SUV i.e. plenty of space. In fact, according to The Atlantic, small crossovers are on the rise.

In this post, we’ll go over a number of reasons why your next car purchase should be a crossover.

If you happen to have a big family, it’ll be next to impossible to fit everyone in a single trip. A family of seven that owns an Insight or a Prius and needs to get from one place to another can’t do so without a crossover or an SUV. You’ll need to make more than one trip or use more than one vehicle. With a crossover, you contribute less to the traffic, use up less parking space, and save fuel, all while maximizing your resources.

SUVs have long had a reputation for being gas-guzzling, inefficient hogs. While that may have been the case a decade or so ago, it’s simply not true anymore. There are several SUVs on the market that even manage to go above 30 mpg on the highway.

The ability to tow heavier equipment  becomes easy with a crossover or an SUV. Aside from that, many hobbies such as boating, fishing, antiquing, camping, and anything related to motorbikes and horses rely on towing once in a while. Modern SUVs and Crossovers come with  towing capabilities and some even have a trailer sway control option!

It’s generally not a good idea to let pets roam freely inside the vehicle as they may be a source of distraction for the driver or end up as deadly projectiles in case of a collision. In a Crossover, accessories such as a pet carrier or a pet barrier make the cargo bay a safe place to position pets during travels. Some manufacturers even target pet owners by releasing dog-friendly editions.

It’s not just a beefy suspension and ground clearance that make SUVs and Crossovers ideal for off-roading, it’s also the differentials and transmissions that are designed specifically for rough terrain. Additional features include underbody protection such as skid plates and hill descent control. The fenders are shaped for long suspension travels and a sloping hood allows for clear visibility at all times.

In areas that experience heavy rains, hurricanes, and storms, it’s a common sight to see coupes and sedans submerged half-way underwater. A big SUV like the Toyota 4Runner can still move forward in 24-inches of water and can even maneuver in deeper waters with some aftermarket equipment.

Being in a command seating position does more than just give you a good view of the traffic. You can also avoid trouble and hazards ahead, identify empty places in parking lots, look over hedges and  obstacles when driving on rough terrain.

  

This Guest Post was written by the experts over at CarShopper.com. They deal in new and used vehicles and offer some of the best car deals in Pennsylvania market.