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(Enlarge photo)
Three different vehicles — and three different philosophies on what a crossover vehicle should be.
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Road Test: Comparison Test
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2002 Entry Level Luxury Crossover Comparison Test
Sensible Sport-Utes
By
Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor
Date posted: 08-27-2002
As more and more Americans realize that they don't need low-range gearing and
a massive V8 to pick the kids up from school, the popularity of the traditional
truck-based sport-ute is slowly abating. Waiting in the wings to take up the slack
is a new breed of utility vehicle that promises equal parts capability and drivability.
Widely labeled as "crossover" sport-utes, these automotive half-breeds retain
all the attributes that made sport-utilities so popular in the first place —
plenty of room for five (or even seven) and their cargo, a high seating position,
all terrain capability — and blend them with the economy and performance
of a sedan. A tall order, for sure, but as we found out during our two-week-long
test, a very attainable goal.
Although our comparison includes only three examples of this new class of vehicle,
expect to see at least a half dozen more in the near future. As it stands now,
however, only Toyota, Subaru and Buick have what we consider to be true crossover
sport-utes in this price range. With sticker prices well into the $30,000s, we
added the additional label of "entry-level luxury" as well, as all three provide
amenity and comfort levels equivalent to many high-end sedans. The competitors
consisted of the Toyota Highlander,
Buick Rendezvous and Subaru
Outback.
Each vehicle was put through our usual battery of performance testing, as well
as extensive test drives on both city streets and mountain fire roads. The editors
examined and rated each vehicle using a 23-section evaluation sheet as well as
picking the 10 features they considered essential for cars in this class. Each
editor was also asked which vehicle would be his personal pick, as well as which
vehicle he would recommend for the average buyer in the respective category. These
scores, combined with additional statistics comparing price and performance, were
then thrown into the Edmunds mainframe to compute a winner.
When it comes to vehicles that are attempting to be so many things to so many
different buyers, it can be difficult to name one or the other as the best in
class. So, although we declare a winner, another member of the trio might be the
vehicle that suits you best, so read carefully. And, of course, if none of them
seems appealing, just wait a year or two, 'cause there's plenty more on the way.
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