Recently, the sedan market has taken a dip, with crossovers taking over. When you find yourself wanting to invest in a car and wondering if you should buy a sedan or a crossover, refer to this handy guide.
The Highway
The sedan’s lower, longer silhouette lets it enjoy several advantages over a comparable crossover in highway driving. Thanks to its longer wheelbase, which is the distance between the front and rear wheels, sedans usually provide a much less choppy, more-composed ride than a crossover would. A sedan’s lower, aerodynamic shape often affords better fuel economy and reduced wind noise at speed, which may attest to a smoother drive.
The City
For those who enjoy city living, a crossover’s tall, rather boxy shape affords a number of advantages over a sedan. With their reduced length, crossovers tend to be more maneuverable in tight spaces. The upright seating position gives drivers a more commanding view of the cars and pedestrians around them, which can help reduce stress while driving in congested environments.
Carrying Passengers
The difference between sedans and crossovers comes down to ingress and egress. For most passengers, like older folks, sliding sideways into a crossover is preferable, and easier, compared to lowering oneself into the seat of a sedan.
Carrying Cargo
Crossovers afford more space for a driver while carrying cargo.
Ownership
The average cost of owning a crossover is 10-12% higher than that of a sedan. This number comes from calculating vehicle ownership costs, purchase price, insurance, fuel economy and more. Most of the cost differences come from the variance in purchase price for both types of vehicles.
Intangibles
While this is mostly anecdotal, many drivers report feeling much safer in crossovers. As roads continue to be populated with relatively taller and larger crossovers, riding low to the ground in a sedan can certainly lead to a sense of vulnerability. Car enthusiasts often bristle at the suggestion that crossovers can handle as well as cars do. They contend that cars, mostly because of their lower center of gravity, are naturally better-handling vehicles, and are safer and much more fun to drive. While this is probably true in extreme circumstances, anyone who has driven a crossover can agree that it can be tuned to handle nearly as well as a car.
