IT SEEMS MADISON AVENUE has turned every 5-door sedan into a “Sport Utility Vehicle.”
- A TWO-door car is a “coupe” A FOUR-door car is a “sedan.”
The English prefer to call such vehicles a “jeep” — with a lower case “j.” Jeep, with a capital “J” is a registered trademark of (currently) Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles, a/k/a FCA.
- A little jeep history can be read online.1
What IS an “SUV?”
Consumer Reports2 actually called the 2008 version “overgrown station wagon.” It does have fold-down seats and can be outfitted with a roof rack, so “utility” may be allowed. But “sport”? There is nothing “sporty” about the vehicle.
Looking for an SUV with at least a “sporty” name?
Consumer Reports finds3 that “For 2017, three 3.0-liter V6 turbo engines are offered, ranging from 340 to 400 hp, in addition to a new 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder. Typically equipped S models land in the low-$60,000 range, and the uplevel Turbo starts at $76,000.”
A 400-horse power engine IS impressive and might prove useful at the SUV races or scooting up Pikes Peak, but the Macan’s low body and lack of either All Wheel Drive (AWD) or 4 Wheel Drive (4WD) prevents if from any off-roading.
Consumer Reports4 opines that for the Forester (right), “Handling is nimble enough and very secure, but the Forester isn't particularly sporty to drive.” Yet the Forester, as with all Subaru sedans, has AWD and it has a higher ground clearance than most vehicles in its class, so “civilized” off-roading is possible,
The Durango is in the same class as several GM and Ford offerings.
They all are available with either AWD or 4WD, they have decent inside dimensions and, when outfitted with a roof rack and trailer hitch, are truly “utility” capable.
Of course so are what USED to be called “panel trucks,” now renamed to be “cargo vans,” albeit most cargo vans lack passenger seating and off-road capability.
I once owned a Ford Explorer with 4WD and it WAS truly an SUV. An acquaintance owns a Chevrolet Suburban, a beautiful vehicle with 4WD availability and lots of interior space, but a bit too big for following forest trails.
There are many vehicles that manufacturers claim to be SUVs. Most are redesigned station wagons that are neither sporty nor utility vehicles. Some are one &mdash the Porsche Macon is road sporty but hardly a “utility” vehicle, and who would want to take a $60,000 sedan on a drive on a forest path. The FCA Jeep (with a capital ”J”) Wrangler is suitable for off-roading but lacks the utility of its bigger relatives or even the Subarus.
The 1960s vintage Ford LTD Country Squire wagon (above) had seats for nine (!) and "fair" interior capacity (the middle row bench seat did not fold down). It had decent ground clearance but lacked AWD/4WD but with a roof rack and trailer hitch, it was an honest "utility" vehicle.
I suppose “sport” is how each individual defines it — racing from point to point on pavement or sneaking between trees in a forest. “Utility” also is in the eye of the beholder — fold down or easily removable seats, roof racks, trailer hitches.
Bottom line for this scrivener: there are very few true “Sport (and) Utility Vehicles.
Sources
1. “Jeep” history: http://tinyurl.com/y96pv9cv
2. Toyota Highlander: http://tinyurl.com/yaqhm2c2
3. Porsche Macan: http://tinyurl.com/yadgqx9h
4. Subaru Forester: http://tinyurl.com/yc9sn9nj
5. Dodge Durango: http://tinyurl.com/ybq7dbnx
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