Two of a kind: crossovers versus pick-up platform Sport-Utility Vehicles

NOT ALL SUVS are built the same way, neither are they built for the same intended reason.

Cases in point are crossover SUVs and pick-up platform vehicle (PPV) based SUVs.

I have received so many inquiries from friends and families on which SUV to get, either a Toyota Fortuner or the new Honda CR-V.

But first, ask yourself this: do you even know how different they are as an SUV not just in size, but also in their purpose and utility?

First, let us identify what are Compact Crossover SUVs.

In this category, the SUV is built using a sedan’s platform.

This is where the CR-V belongs together with the Toyota Rav4, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX5, among others. These SUVs are considered crossovers because they were created using sedan platforms; Honda Civic for the CRV, Mazda 3 and 6 for the CX5 and so on.

The benefits are immense. You get a car like handling and comfort with added ride height and utility of an SUV. Using a car platform also saves on a lot of weight and space inside the cabin.

Interior space is usually better in this segment because there are no unnecessary crossmember frames/bars in the platform that intrudes into the cabin.

When an SUV is not as heavy as the pick-up based SUV, this translates to better fuel mileage and your engine is much more efficient.

Crossovers are meant for the urban jungle and some light off-road duties only. They can be optioned with AWD (all wheel-drive), but are usually front wheel drive by default. I do not recommend extreme off-road adventures using crossovers for the reason that their AWD may not be capable of conditions that are meant only for SUVs with multiple 4×4 capabilities and better body on frame support. This leads us to the PPV-based SUVs.

PPV based SUVs are the more old-school and tough. They were spawned by the idea that a pick-up truck platform could work in an SUV body. And it did.

One pretty good example would the Toyota Hilux sharing platform with the Fortuner or the Ford Ranger with the Everest. And it looks pretty good, right?

They kind of look the same but the pick-up truck retains its own character, so does its SUV brother.

What makes the PPV based SUV stand out is that they usually have ladder frames being sandwiched by the SUV’s upper body (the shell) and suspension components. This ladder frame is what gives it its rigid 4×4 nature, although some are 4×2 only.

The body on these PPV-based SUVs are more rigid than crossovers, hence many of the full time 4×4 and extreme 4×4 SUVs are pick-up based.

When you go hardcore off-roading, tortional rigidity is highly required of an SUV so is a good 4×4 system that can change from 4×2, 4x4H, 4x4L or with locking differential setting at a press of a button or switch. These abilities are not found in crossovers.

Aside from that, PPV-based SUVs have higher ground clearance than crossover SUVs because of the way the ladder frame is sandwiched in between the vehicle’s body.

The downside though is that PPV based SUVs are heavier because of that added structure to reinforce the vehicle. It naturally feels heavier and the added weight is noticeable at high speed cornering as it has a higher center of gravity than most crossover SUVs. Interior space also feels less spacious as you will have a noticeable hump around the center tunnel of the SUV to accommodate the axle driving the rear wheels intruding into the cabin.

With this much weight, it also means added stress on the engine and fuel economy may not be as good as their crossover counterpart.

The most noticeable downside of PPV based SUV is its unrefined road manners due to its suspension set up, heavy weight, higher center of gravity, road noise intruding into the cabin and of course that clunky diesel engine.

So the next time you are in the market for a midsize SUV, try to ask yourself first: do I need a comfortable SUV (not necessarily a 4×4) as your daily ride or do I want a high riding, rigid and brute SUV?