2008 Crossover Buyer's Guide
by
Martha Hindes
Collective taste can be an unpredictable thing. It's sometimes fickle. Often rebellious. It can create trends, or dash them once they seem insurmountably secure. When sport utility vehicles were the king of the heap just a couple of years ago, who knew that some more subtly designed kin, with carlike underpinnings, loaded with creature comforts and an ambience of subdued boldness would cut deep into their territory. Consumers probably did.
Those vehicles now tagged as "crossovers" have been making as blatant a statement in the world of vehicles as nearly any trend in recent years. Even auto makers that still thrive on their burlier brother SUVs are tagging softer versions with such designations as "sport utility crossover" or "crossover SUV" so they won't be passed over in the showroom.
Such an expanding field of entries can only be good news for the person who's in the market for a new vehicle and wants a lot of choices. Crossovers, generally less trucky looking and often more fuel efficient than their SUV counterparts with a more sophisticated demeanor, have been proliferating in recent months. And more are on the horizon. For our March, 2008 Buyer's Guide, we pick a sampling from the growing variety of choices that can range from small and practical to large and luxurious, all with that characteristic extra splash that gives a crossover its flair.
2008 Crossover of the Year: Buick Enclave
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