What's the Difference Between a Crossover vs Sport Utility Vehicle? SUV vs CUV Explained 

The Crown Victoria is the anti-crossover. It's a car body on a truck frame. 😂

lose the sound effects

those sound effects very annoying, sorry

Great video! Unlike some people, the sound effects didn't bother me at all. I thought the images and editing were really well-done. I appreciate the work you guys put into these videos! I've been subscribed to your channel since were around 100k subs and I've watched the majority of the videos you've published since then!

I agree with most everything. But, as for #1 some trucks are unibody; like the older Jeep Cherokee XJ (not the new Cherokee). It's unibody, but, I'd consider it a SUV and very capable offroader.

Roman or Tommy, I request that you don't use audible tones when including tips (sidenotes) in your videos, I found it really distracting. Otherwise I really appreciate your program, it's impartial, honest and look forward to you'r videos.

the honda Ridgeline perfectly fits into the crossover category. just throwing that out there. independent suspension, unibody, cross over based, lower tow rating, ect...good video like always guys!

I wish GM hadn't quit making the "3/4 ton" Suburban.

I agree basically an SUV is a truck while a crossover is a large car I even called them a large hatchback sedan and just as common as Passenger cars

awesome videos love them ! keep up the goood work

Good video Roman , Very informative . You guys make great videos....

Good show! I especially liked the history of the Suburban. Thank you.

Beautiful video shots! Kudos from Mongolia!

CUV = car with "suv" body SUV = truck with "suv" body The advantages of a true SUV are too numerous to list here, but sadly most every company makes no SUVs anymore due to govt. regulations.

Which is exactly why I call my Tahoe, and full size SUVs like it, trucks. Because they are built on a truck chassis. And up until about 2003, chevy trucks and SUVs were identical from the b pillar forward.

The best explaination on the topic on yt.

So what do you guys think about the escalade awd? I was looking into a few 08-10 models and noticed there are quite a few on the market. It's a truck on frame but is the awd a good thing on this vehicle? it does not snow where I live but rains alot. should I consider it?

according to this video my 2002 olds Bravada is a mix of both. it has AWD and front independent suspension but it has a frame and a solid rear axel, but the trailblazers (basically the same) has 4wd as well as auto 4wd. so which is it a cuv or an SUV??

Great video Roman, I'm glad you mentioned the grand Cherokee until recently. I've always seen the Compass and Patriot, including more recently the renegade as crossovers. Grands, Liberty's and Cherokees are SUVs. The wrangler personally is a class of its own. Like the original defender (90 & 110) from Land Rover. Which btw may make an interesting production of 10 year old wrangler vs defender.

Hilarious that in #3 (solid rear axle) ALL the vehicles you name except the 4runner have 4 wheel independent suspension and not solid axles.

And people will still call crossovers SUVs and trucks.

So a Ridgeline is a crossover truck?

Whats the red dot on the front bumper of the lexus ?

Thanks for doing this video. I always wondered why you guys said the Grand Cherokee was a CUV

Chevrolet suburban was a great looking car back in the day, what the hell happened its hideous now

Hi Roman. Many in the press have compared the Cadillac CT6 with the Mercedes S Class and E Class, the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series and said that it's sized in between the mid and full sized models from both of those manufacturers. So I have a question. Would a comparison between a CT6 and a 640i Grand Coupe be something that could be arranged? It seems the natural comparison to me.

Great Video. Very sensible and well done. The Sound Effects were very distracting but not because of the sound itself. It was the VOLUME of the sound effect as compared to the "talking" volume. Listening intently on head phones to Roman and then a clear loud overlaid jingle PIERCES the "conversation". Please tone it down and check with headphones.

Are you guys gonna do a vid on the 2017 4Runner soon?

What about the pilot, specifically the 2006 model? Is that considered a crossover because it has a car frame or a suv because it has 4wd?

Roman, what category is the new Jeep Cherokee in? I believe it has 4wd but is car-based and front based. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Very informative, thank you

Wow this explained so much thanks Roman

So I have a 2011 Jeep Liberty. Body on frame, solid rear axle, and it has a transfer case. However it only tows 5k pounds. Crossover or SUV?

What about sport utility trucks like the Cadillac Escalade ESV and the Honda Ridgeline and the Chevy avalanche?

Thank you for your enlightenment

I love your videos, but the cheap lower thirds and jingle are annoying and unprofessional.

My 2003 Nissan Pathfinder has solid rear axle and is unibody. Is it SUV or CUV?

great job explaining.

Originally Body-On-Frame was the money maker and marketed as toughness, but strategy regrouped under the Unibody structure to emphasize Third Row Seating and the lovable All Wheel Drive system. Crossovers maintained the traditional SUV shape and appeal, especially by including luxury items previously featured on the larger heavier platform. Despite their structural differences, over time the general public would refer to both of these configurations simply as SUV’s.

In Australia we call a CUV a soft-roader as opposed to an SUV being a proper off-roader or just plainly a '4WD'.........generally ;)

The Suburban is also possibly the biggest SUV you can buy today, along with its two GM triplet siblings, the Yukon XL and Escalade ESV.

So what would you classify a Jeep Cherokee XJ as? SUV? CUV? It had solid axles, but a unibody. The Wrangler of same years had essentially the same drivetrain & suspension, but was BOF. So if the Cherokee is an SUV, is the current Grand Cherokee an SUV or CUV? It can tow over 7k lbs, but has a unibody, independent suspension, and full time 4WD (RWD bias with xfer case)... The lines are way more blurred than the video presents it as ;)

That Suburban looks so awesome!!

So you take a truck and give it a station wagon body it becomes an SUV. If you take a unibody Stationwagon and make it taller and give it AWD (generally) you get a crossover... what if you go the other way? You take a Crossover and give it a truck body... is that still considered a truck or a Crosstruck? Looking at you Ridgeline....

So the touareg tows 7700lbs does that make it a truck like vehicle or suv?

1 Vehicle you's haven't done a review on, based on the SUV VS CUV class, is the Jeep Commander Limited edition with the Hemi... I own 1 and I would honestly like to see you guys do an actual real world review on them and see what you gents think... Thanks for the great videos...

In general you have good videos guys)

The latest truck SUVs - such as the latest Ford Expedition and latest Chevy Suburban - have moved over to the independent rear suspension. Yes, I was surprised.

So what about the Jeep GC?

Are Compact SUVs such as CR-V an SUV or a Crossover?

Is there a hatchback vs wagon video?

You need to make update of this video.

Well then what are jeeps, is wrangler the only SUV? I don't think all those Fiat's have solid Axel's or ladder frames but TFL gave Cherokee a good review. I think this is old info and the lines are blurred now.

So what would you classify a Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and a discovery? Through the evolution of them?

Great but: Could you do a test on black ice or icy wet roads please, and also a tire chain test for FWD cars, not everyone has access to AWD/4WD or budget for an extra set of winter tires for about a month's worth of bad winter weather in some states. Second request would be for you to review cars and tires in rainy weather roads, some winter tires are not even well rated for hydroplaning.

What bout range rover??? Is it suv or crossover?? It has monocoque body air suspension, but a proper 4WD system?? What d you think??

I don't get it, I still can't understand why some cars are called SUVs and others not? Just what is the difference between an SUV and a road going car? I have a Mitsibushi Colt CZ2. This seems to be an SUV given that:- S) Does my Colt do 'Sport'. Well, I often go out just for a drive around the New Forest, or the Purbecks. Not particularly going anywhere, or for no particular reason. Just to enjoy the drive So, yes it does Sport very well. In fact even better than many cars specifically labelled as 'Sport' as it very undemanding on the petrol. U) Does my Colt do utility? Well, I go shopping in it very often. I am often transporting stuff in it. So, yes it definitely does Utility. V) Is my Colt a a vehicle. Well, I can't see anyone arguing with that. Even though it is like driving a childs pram it is obviously a Vehicle. So my Colt MUST be a Sport Utility Vehicle, along with many others ranging from bicycles to buses, and Model T Fords to Rolls Royces. It strikes me that aside from a few very specialist ones, Formula 1 racers for example, all cars are SUVs. But I am told by many that this is not so. When I ask 'Why is my Colt not an SUV?' I am given meaningless answers, such as pointing to another car and saying that that is an SUV even though my Colt is just as capable. Can anyone resolve my confusion?

Wait Roman, did you say "solid rear axle" which may not be always true such as the Armada, if I am not mistaken has independent rear suspension so not a solid axle... Just being picky but I am sure we all know what you meant. Thanks for the video!

Very well explain

nice... that noise tho dear goodness x.x

So what's a my BMW X5? It's not a fwd setup and it tows more than 5000 lbs.

You said a crossover is basically a car with a station wagon body on top of it. Weren't station wagons cars to begin with? So that means crossover = station wagon, right? The lines are so blurred these days. GM refers to my Chevy Trax as a compact crossover suv. I've also heard them refer to it as a subcompact suv. It's a unibody, but my vehicle registration says it's a truck. Nothing makes sense anymore.

GMC Denali has AWD, not? Great video though, very informative and interesting. Waited all day for Wifi so I could watch it...

So what's the difference, if any, between a 5 door hatchback and a crossover? Height?

I know they're not as common as other cars, but a mashup or old vs new of the '08 touareg 2

Based on the snowfall it looks like this was filmed late Wed or early Thur. That's a quick turnaround.

ya'll have really improved the music, I like it. This is obviously a hard video to make, because there is an exception to every rule. A lot like biology, sometimes a hard distinction between species is completely arbitrary, there is really a full spectrum of traits between one species and another. And as fanboy, I would just like to point out that the Jeep Grand Cherokee is the absolute best combination of traits on sale today. Too bad they no longer make the unibody with two solid axles and a manual transmission, as that is the ultimate best combination of traits (Jeep XJ).

so is the jeep wrangler an suv or crossover?

Some military vehicles are unibody, because they don't need ladder frame at all, so are they CUV ?

So what is something like a G-Wagon? An SUV obviously but it isn't based on a truck but can they make a truck based on the G-Wagon?

Seems like he wanted to hurry this vid and get out of there 🤣. Love the historical perspective. Thanks

So, what’s a Ford Crown Victoria supposed to be? A trucky car, or a car-shaped truck? Or just a huge sedan.

crossovers are better for most people

Why do you guys put Jeep Wrangler videos on TFL Car, but you put body on frame vehicles like the Suburban on TFL Truck?

So why you guys call the Grand Cherokee a crossover? What car my srt is based on?

Jeep compass is 4wd but does not look like an SUV I'm confused, please let me know, if jeep compass is SUV or a cross over

You guys should do some sort of SUV competition of sorts one of these days, Jeep Vs Chevy Vs Ford Vs Toyota.. Why?.. for Fun.

Nice, Thanks

No 4Lo on the new suburban??? But the pick up do have it?? Hmmmm. No wonder consumer report rated the suburban/Yukon/escalade as the worst(trans issues) but the pick ups we not mentioned.

Crossover are more popular because they're taller than cars so they are more comfortable in a long road trip. They have more cargo space than cars. And the biggest advantage over SUV is that they are much more fuel efficient than SUV.

Well done

good video

AWD vs 4WD vs 4x4. If none of them have lockers on, anyone of them can be superior. Should start implementing Diagonal tests on all of them to show if the AWD/4WD/4x4 systems can compensate for the open differentials. My friends 2008 Toyota Highlander 4WD for some reason always gives power to the front driver side tire and the passenger rear tire and neglects to give power to the other tires for some weird situation. Including a flat surfaces. I find that the subarus symmetrical AWD and audis Quattro is the best in the AWD spectrum. As for the 4WD if I had to guess it probably would be the Nissan Xterra and Toyota 4 runner. If I had to rank the 4x4s I'd but the wranglers rubicon on the top of the list.

Is the Explorer still a SUV or is it Considered a crossover

I bought a 2013 highlander SE and it is a crossover. What I don't get is why toyota calls it 4-wheel drive instead of all-wheel drive. It's in "4-wheel drive" 100% of the time with power 50-50 front and rear wheels.

Clear, helpful info for sure! sound fx rather jarring.

From the manufacturer's point of view, there is an extraordinarily important and incalculably crucial difference between a crossover and an SUV that subsumes all others -- TAX LAWS. SUVs are classified as a "like good" to light trucks, which subjects them to different taxation and/or tariffs when exported to various regions. Crossovers skirt that by doing things like unibody construction or using car-based chassis or lacking low-range transfer cases. The specifics aren't that important and you can do without certain ones in that list, but the important thing is that you cross that threshold of what can be legally argued as no longer "like" a truck.

what would that make the xj

AMC Eagle was one of the first CUV back in 79. CUVs are generally unibody by the way.

So than how about the ZJ's and WJ's? They're pretty much an SUV with a unibody, but I don't think I'd ever consider it a truck or crossover

Can you take the Suburban off road?

thank you

but Cherokee's were originally body on frame. In the 90's Jeep was making a Cherokee Sport- body on frame.

Then there's the LUV, Luxury Utility Vehicle segment.

I used them almost synonymous, because manufacturers themselves seem unable to make up their mind on what to call their own products. However don't think I will be the type to confuse a Range Rover for a MDX; I know which can be used off-road and one can't.

Good simple video right to the point... turn down the iPhone alarm sound😀😀😀

does it make me a toddler that I giggled at the video id?

What Is my fj cruiser?

The amount of times I checked my phone for a message throughout this video! 🤦

And then there is my vehicle, the Jeep Liberty KK Sport. A Unibody vehicle with a solid rear axle with proper 4wd. (switchable 4hi and 4lo using an electronic transfer case, but NO full time AWD) I defy your organizational boxes!