2013 Crossover Vehicle Buyer's Guide

2013 Crossover Vehicle Buyer's Guide - Our Top 10 Picks
by Martha Hindes

With Contributions by Tim Healey and Bob Plunkett

When sport utility vehicles lost favor with a lot of American consumers a few years back and sedans didn't fill the need for flexibility and more space, auto makers came up with a new package to offer the best of both worlds. No one knew for sure what to call it until someone suggested “crossover or CUV” for crossover utility vehicle. The name stuck. For drivers ready for a new, more adaptable driving flavor, the idea also stuck. And the vehicle that some think of as a softened SUV or a wagon on steroids became a hit.

Since the CUV emerged as its own sub-classification it has continued to evolve, adding flash and dash to its utilitarian underpinnings, zip to its performance, comfort despite its expanded character and in many cases coddling its drivers with luxury details normally found in a premium auto. Let’s face it; the flexible CUV is getting lots of attention from the people who develop them and the people who buy them.

That transition has resulted in a number of new entries and redesigned vehicles for 2013 that are teasing potential buyers for attention with a deliciously appealing variety. At Road & Travel Magazine we chose our Top 10 CUV Picks for 2013, presenting those along with some other new or revived models that we expect to become “gotta haves” this coming year. Read on...