Crossovers' Appeal Grow in SUVs

Apr. 5--With the look of a sport utility vehicle and the fuel efficiency of a smaller car, it's no wonder consumers are starting to switch to crossover vehicles.

From the Toyota RAV4 to the Ford Edge, to the new GMC Acadia, automakers are producing a crop of vehicles hoping to appeal to drivers who want a little extra room -- but don't want to pay for it at the pump.

By combining space and reasonable gas mileage, crossover vehicles have become the fastest-growing vehicle segments, and auto dealers don't expect their popularity to run out of gas anytime soon.

"I wouldn't expect the crossover vehicle to go away," said Greg Long, purchasing manager at the CarMax retail store in Oklahoma City. "It just makes good economic sense."

Long said he wasn't surprised to see the increasing number of manufacturers and retailers joining the crossover trend.

"To be competitive, you have to have something to offer in that market," Long said.

Laine Diffee, new cars sales manager at Diffee Ford Lincoln Mercury in El Reno, said he saw interest in crossovers increase after Hurricane Katrina hit and made gas prices soar.

"A lot of people for years have over bought in the SUV segement," Diffee said, recalling seeing families with one or two kids buying Ford Expeditions. "When gas increased these crossovers made sense."

Diffee said crossovers drag less wind than full-size SUVs, allowing the combination vehicle to use less gas. Although more space and good gas mileage are enticing features of the crossovers, Diffee said they are not the main reason these vehicles have become so popular.

"I think the biggest reason people choose crossovers is the styling," he said.

The crossover has become the new minivan for the soccer mom, Diffee said. He said like the minivan, crossover vehicles have roomy interiors and safety features. But Diffee said it's the crossover vehicles' lack of a stereotype that has some consumers choosing them over a minivan.

"The minivan has kind of gone by the wayside," he said. "If you talk to any mom between the age of 25 and 45, she doesn't want a minivan. I think it's the stereotype that it labels her as a grandma."

John Thomas, spokesman for the National Automobile Dealers Association, said though minivans and SUVs haven't lost their appeal to certain segments of the market, the crossover vehicles do bring a certain image and style that may attract those consumers.

"The crossovers have bridged the gap between the minivan and the SUV," Thomas said.

Crossovers aren't only appealing to consumers, Thomas said.

"They give the dealers another desirable vehicle to offer," he said.

Mike Fowler, chief executive officer of Fowler Toyota in Norman, agrees.

"Because of the technology we have today, the styling of these crossover vehicles have changed dramatically," said Fowler, who remembers getting his first crop of Toyota RAV4s in 1998. "We're getting better-looking vehicles and they are just getting better."

Fowler said technology will help manufacturers broaden the crossover vehicle, giving them more interior space and fuel efficiency over time.

Although Fowler said he, too, expects the crossovers to have a long journey in the market, he won't be surprised when another trend comes rolling in.

"I've never been able to guess what consumers will be into," Fowler said. "Now it's crossovers, before that it was SUVs, then vans, then pickups.

"It's anybody's guess what will be next."

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