"Pros" and "cons" of body type.

Any technical products, the main advantage of which is versatility, are woven from compromises. But these compromises do not always mean the success of the implementation of the principle of universality. This fully applies to crossovers.

The emphasis is not on that

Crossovers are one of the fastest growing segments automotive market for many years now. It would seem that this type of car should best meet the operating conditions in Russia. With ours not always smooth roads- big suit ground clearance, and with our slippery winter - the most all-wheel drive. But in fact, it turns out that we use all these opportunities only a few times a year. And the opportunities themselves turn out to be completely different from what the intrusive advertising focuses on and what we fell for. Let's figure it out.

Tires

When I have seditious thoughts about buying a crossover, the first thing I think about is … tires. More precisely, about the overpayment that will have to be made in the fall. After all, it is in the fall that we think about buying winter tires. Simple monitoring shows that typical for an average family passenger car 205/55R16 tires are at least one and a half times cheaper than typical 225/65R17 crossover tires. This is first.

Secondly, the coveted all-wheel drive is tempting to buy “quiet” and “comfortable” non-studded tires. Say, the same “magic” all-wheel drive will allow you not to slip on slippery surfaces and on the so-called “friction” tires. Partly it is. But when braking, all this all-wheel drive is not involved in any way. And the nature of braking practically does not depend on the type of drive. So - spikes, as usual, are preferable.

Fuel consumption

Here again, nowhere is more eloquent. The crossover "eats" much more than the family "passenger car". First of all, because it is corny heavier. In addition, as we wrote earlier, the drive shafts in most crossovers always remain connected to the wheels. And even in 2WD mode, they continue to spin and require additional power from the engine for their promotion. Which can be taken only by spending extra fuel.

But that's not all. The crossover is more voracious on the track. After all, the area of ​​​​its frontal projection is a priori larger than that of a “passenger car”. And the drag coefficient is usually higher. Accordingly, you need to push a much larger mass of air ahead of you. Which at speeds over a "hundred" takes away the lion's share of the engine power.

Resource of units and assemblies

The vast majority of modern crossovers are made on the basis of any purely passenger models (with the exceptions of the Land Rover Freelander vanishingly small). And the crossovers use the same engines and transmissions as the "donors". Obviously, these motors and gearboxes will work in a more loaded mode. As a result, a smaller resource and a higher probability of not only a breakdown, but also a “simple” overheating. Which also leads to breakdowns, only larger and more expensive. And let's not forget about the temptation to use all-wheel drive on "off-road", where the load on components and assemblies increases many times over.

Dreams of all-wheel drive

Almost all modern crossovers all-wheel drive equipped purely nominally. Yes, in the same conditions, for example, a deep puddle on a muddy country road, even a crossover “incomplete” drive will be preferable. But ask yourself the question - how often do you drive deep puddles on muddy roads after the rains? I bet that the average citizen big city does it once every ten years. Personally, in my 22 years of “passenger” driving life, I have NEVER been stuck in such situations. In winter, with the wrong tactics for overcoming snow-covered sections of secondary roads, yes, I had to call for help a couple of times. But with the same "success" I planted real jeeps. Only they had to be pulled out at much more serious costs.

As for the crossover “all-wheel drive”, then on any more or less frivolous off-road (we won’t even talk about serious ones), the drive clutch on the second axle will overheat in a few minutes. And the car won't go any further. You can wait until the clutch cools down and restores performance. But even a novice jeeper knows that starting off (or driving “pulled in”) on difficult sections is not at all the same as skipping them.

Any advertisement, where the “merits” of the all-wheel drive of the next crossover are signed, necessarily contains the word “intelligent”. Say, our "intelligent" mega-fancy all-wheel drive super-system is so perfect that it determines by itself what kind of coverage under each wheel and distributes traction accordingly. Firstly, in 98% of cases this is cunning, which in especially neglected cases turns into a blatant lie. If only because it is very difficult and expensive to adequately control traction on each wheel. For "intelligence" is usually responsible for a single electronically controlled clutch, which is "helped" by regular brake mechanisms, slowing down the slipping wheels and redistributing traction through the differential to the other wheel of the axle.

But all this "intelligence" works with lags and inevitable delays. And with these delays, it can be dangerous, especially for an experienced driver who has just completed a crash course. Experienced driver“on the subcortex” will react with gas and steering wheel to a sudden skid on a slippery surface, and it is sewn into the “intelligent” all-wheel drive algorithm that the car is driven by an outright “teapot”. These actions of the driver and the algorithm inevitably collide, ending either in a ditch or in the oncoming lane.

Yes, and in normal modes, the balance of "handling / smoothness" for crossovers is a priori worse than for "passenger cars". Not only a higher center of gravity and a non-optimally located roll center affect, but also a large unsprung mass.

Many fellow citizens have “nailed in” in their heads that four-wheel drive is better than any other. Not for nothing, even in the current crisis times, 35% of the country's car market falls to the share, and in better times this percentage jumped to 40. Most owners of such machines explain its presence by the urgent need to constantly break through multi-meter snow drifts, daily force wet primers gouged by timber trucks, and also describe their feelings of comfort and confidence in the future when starting and driving on slippery winter roads. Usually these people are very surprised and do not believe when you tell them that you connected the “front end” of your frame “crocodile”, maybe a couple of times a year. And even then - somewhere in the suburban mud in the process of going fishing.

And in the city, it turns out, it is quite possible to ride on rear wheel drive, the main thing is that the tires are good and for the season. The average crossover lover has heard something about some electronic systems living their lives in the bowels of his car. However, he does not realize a simple thing. Exactly the same electronic "brains" would help him start at traffic lights in snowy conditions and in a car with front-wheel drive. And in the same way they would “choke” the motor when slipping in the snow blockage left over from the snowplow. The fact is that all the "differential locks" that allow you to enjoy the benefits of all-wheel drive are not "real".

As a rule, this is just an electronically controlled emulation. It simply slows down the wheel that starts to slip or removes the moment coming from the engine from it, nothing more. This means only one thing: if the obstacle is, in principle, insurmountable for a car with front-wheel drive and normal rubber on wheels, then it is highly not recommended to meddle there. Most likely he will also "sit down" there. Yes, the sane owner of the crossover himself will not climb into such a place. It turns out that the advantages of an all-wheel drive crossover over exactly the same, but front-wheel drive, come down mainly to the inner conviction of its owner. All the same, in 99.99% of cases, the potential advantages of "all-wheel drive" are either not used, or reduced to almost nothing by "smart" electronics.

But the cons are quite material. Firstly, with all-wheel drive, you will have to pay a great extra when buying a car. In different ways, depending on the model and brand of the crossover, but, on average, at least 100,000 rubles “from above”. Then you have to fork out additionally for daily use. An all-wheel drive transmission, by definition, "eats" more power produced by the engine than a two-wheel drive. And this is additional consumption of gasoline. In other words, for a city dweller, complete is pampering, additional expenses and self-deception. In this sense, it is quite possible to take an example from overseas motorists, who quite calmly and en masse use mono-drive versions of all-wheel drive cars.

The crossover segment in Russia has been growing for years. And what is in demand, the price goes up. So maybe we're overpaying for a crossover? Isn't it more profitable to buy a car with a different body type? Buyers of crossovers cite the high seating position, high ground clearance and the stylish appearance of the SUV as the main reasons for buying. And very often they call these cars "jeeps". But the off-road qualities of most crossovers are mediocre.

Four-wheel drive

However, the vast majority of car owners do not need serious off-road capabilities of cars. According to manufacturers, even large SUVs drive off the pavement only a couple of times a year. What can we say about premium crossovers like the BMW X5 or Porsche Cayenne- their owners, if they leave the asphalt, then only to the side of the road. However, the share of sales of all-wheel drive vehicles in the SUV segment, according to the agency "AUTOSTAT", in the first quarter of 2016 was 78.5%. The remaining 21.5% fell, as you understand, on mono-drive crossovers. Moreover, their share has recently been decreasing: in 2015 this figure was 22.2%, and in 2014 - 23.1%.

But in the period from 2007 to 2013, according to the same agency, sales of mono-drivers, on the contrary, grew. And quite significantly - from 7.1% to 22.4%. There is an explanation for this. Then Chinese brands actively came to Russia, and they did and continue to rely on front-wheel drive SUVs - at least remember. In the segment compact crossovers this is common practice. Let's say 85% of buyers Nissan Juke chose the front-wheel drive option. Yes, and the lion's share of sales of such a popular crossover as Opel Mokka, also accounted for monodrive versions.

The growth in the share of all-wheel drive in subsequent years can be explained, firstly, by a sharp devaluation of the ruble, when the population in a hurry began to spend money on buying real estate and more expensive cars. And secondly, the launch of several popular mid-size crossovers on the market at once: they prefer to buy them in an all-wheel drive version. Say, in 2015, a new generation appeared Hyundai Tucson and co-platform Kia Sportage. Updated and Toyota RAV4. However, in the Russian representative office of Toyota, they said that they did not plan to refuse front-wheel drive.

Indeed, some of the buyers who have tried the monodrive are no longer chasing the 4x4 wheel arrangement.

There has been and will be a demand for mono-drive crossovers, if only because you can save money on buying such a version. Let's say front wheel drive two-liter engine in 146 forces and a variator (1,536,000 rubles) is 99,000 rubles cheaper than the same Toyota, only all-wheel drive (1,635,000 rubles).

And if the buyer does not intend to conquer off-road and moves only around the city, he simply does not need all-wheel drive. In addition, a car with all the leading ones will spend more fuel in comparison with a similar mono-drive modification, all other things being equal.

Manufacturers also understand this, and therefore, in most cases, they offer an affordable alternative to all-wheel drive SUVs. As a result, a whole layer of under-crossovers appeared on the market, which do not have an all-wheel drive modification at all. They joined and.

Ground clearance

Apart from the body kit made of black matte plastic, which is less noticeable chips and scratches received when driving over rough terrain, such cars are completely devoid of off-road qualities. But they are cheap (price Sandero Stepway starts from 599,900 rubles), have an impressive ground clearance, which allows them to confidently drive on the dirt road, and at the same time they are not inferior in comfort to ordinary cars. Even AVTOVAZ is trying to keep up with the trend by offering the XRAY pseudo-crossover (from 549,900 rubles) and lifted station wagons - Lada Kalina Cross(465,800 rubles) and Lada Largus Cross (from 664,900 rubles). Cross-versions of Togliatti station wagons may well become an alternative to an all-wheel drive SUV if you drive around the city and to the country. And the payload will be transported much more. In addition, an even more spacious one is on the way.

The sedans from Tolyatti have a lot of ground clearance too. According to this indicator, they can compete with most crossovers.

So before you buy a crossover, you can consider an alternative in the form of cheaper lifted hatchbacks and sedans.

capacity

If you drive mainly around the city and to the country, you can consider such a body type as a liftback.

I want to big trunk, good ground clearance and four-wheel drive? For example, Skoda offers station wagons and. Of course, they are more expensive than most crossovers, so they are more suitable as an alternative to representatives of the premium SUV segment.

So what's the bottom line? For comparison, we have collected data on the most popular models on the market in one table. Knowing what qualities your private car, that is, what ground clearance, trunk volume and drive type are really needed, you can choose for yourself best option. Now take a look at the right column - can you imagine how much you can save?

Model name	Market positioning	Drive unit	power unit	Ground clearance, mm (ZR measurements in brackets)	Trunk volume, l(measurements in parentheses)	Price from, rub.
	crossover	Front	2 l (146 hp), M6
	crossover		2 l (149 hp), M6
	crossover		1.6 (123 hp), М6
	crossover	Front	1.6 (123 hp), М6
	B-class sedan	Front	1.6 (123 hp), М6
	crossover		2 l (143 hp), M6
	crossover	Front	1.6 L (114 HP), M5
	B-class sedan	Front	1.6 (82 hp), М5
Renault Sandero stepway	Lifted B-class hatchback	Front	1.6 (82 hp), М5
	crossover	Front	1.5 (106 hp), М5
Lada Largus Cross	Lifted station wagon (B+)	Front	1.6 (102 hp), М5
	B-class liftback	Front	1.6 (90 hp), M5
	B-class hatchback	Front	1.6 (87 hp), М5
	B-class sedan	Front	1.6 (90 hp), M5

* For engine protection;
** AVTOVAZ indicates ground clearance at full load;

*** In a five-seat version.
Of course, the choice of a car when buying is influenced by many nuances: for example, do you need automatic transmission gears and what type of machine to prefer. The level of equipment, comfort, etc. is also important. That's right. We wanted to pay attention to the image of crossovers, created mainly by marketers. In comparison with reality, it is, to put it mildly, distorted.

In other words, when choosing a crossover, do not think that you will get roomy interior and enviable geometric passability. According to these indicators, there are plenty of alternatives to the crossover. In most cases, they are also cheaper. You can choose sedans, lifted hatchbacks or station wagons. The latter are the least popular among hijackers, which means that you can save money on buying an insurance policy. And in maintenance (for example, washing the body), all of the listed options, as a rule, are cheaper than crossovers.

Why do we continue to talk about car drives, today we have a global topic, namely, what is better and what to choose front or all-wheel drive for an SUV or crossover? As you and I know, it is not entirely honest there, that is, it is not permanent and often does not have a hard differential lock, that is, you cannot manually lock it, it is connected only after the front axle starts to slip. And now a completely fair question arises - “is it necessary or is the front axle enough for the eyes?”. Everything is not clear here, let's understand ...

Well, to say in general — that four-wheel drive is bad, I will not! Still, I think that quite the contrary, it's even good! There are large and heavy cars where he works all the time, which greatly improves cross-country ability. There are also not very large cars, middle class "C", sometimes "D", where it is also constant or hard-wired (which improves both cross-country ability and handling under certain conditions), but SUVs or crossovers are completely different. All-wheel drive in them, unfortunately, has now become the property of marketers and businessmen, that is, they are trying to prove to you that they are “digging” four wheels, but in the end everything turns out completely wrong. In this article I will try to debunk all the myths, but for a better understanding, you need to talk about each type, and I think it’s worth starting from the front.

As we have already said, there are also many “copies broken” about this topic, but there the principle of talking is different, yet one driven axle is either front or rear, today the essence of the issue is different.

The front-wheel drive is very simple in structure, and it has now been practically brought to perfection, that is, it can go for a very, very long time without any breakdowns.

Device :

• Engine
• Attached to the engine gearbox with differential, often in the same housing
• From the box (differential) there are two axles with. Each side has two CV joints (inner and outer)
• These CV joints fit the front wheels through special hubs.

Torque is transmitted from the engine - transmission - axles - wheels. This is how a front-wheel drive car is driven.

It is worth noting that transmission fluids there is not much here, that’s all in the box itself, as a rule, the rest of the joints are dry (well, or almost dry, there is grease under the anthers in the CV joints, but there it’s really minuscule and it doesn’t change). This tells us that you can not follow this design at all. Of course, I still advise you, because if they break, the hinge will soon fail, but believe me, for the next 70 - 80,000 km, this can not be done. If the manufacturer is serious, then anthers can walk 150 - 200,000 km.

The rear suspension in the front drive does not carry any semantic load, that is, it is a banal “support for the wheels”, there is practically no weight, it is light here (either a beam or a “multi-link”). And importantly, the rear end is virtually maintenance-free, well, unless brake pads change.

Four-wheel drive

Even a plug-in all-wheel drive through a viscous coupling has a much more complex structure (I'm already silent about the permanent ones). There are more parts that spin (most of the time) at idle, there are already two bridges, not one, also appear cardan shaft and the rear axle is no longer secondary.

Device :

• Engine
• A gearbox that can be combined with a front differential. However, the front differential can be taken out separately
• Front axle with CV joints for front wheels
• Center differential, it can also be in the same housing with the box, but it can be separate (it all depends on the design)
• Transfer case.
• Rear cardan to transmit torque to the rear axle
• Visco coupling or electro coupling (hydromechanical) for automatic connection of the rear axle
• Rear axle. It can be made in a molded case, from which two axle shafts go to the rear wheels. But now often two axles with CV joints also go from the rear differential, by analogy with the front axle.

As you can see, the structure is much more complex! Two more differentials appear here, center and rear, there is also transfer case, viscous couplings and more. All this adds to the weight of the car at least 100 kg, and possibly more. There are also a lot of parts that are "spinning" in oil, and they really need to be monitored. Some manufacturers recommend changing them transmission oil. If any oil seal leaks, the whole assembly may fail. I think everyone understands this, but again, everyone thinks since I have four-wheel drive, then I’m on some SUV or crossover, on a RAV4 or the same Duster, I’ll just become an off-road conqueror - “what do I need an UAZ, I myself am like an UAZ” ! BUT is it really?

Four-wheel drive through a viscous coupling (electric coupling, hydromechanical coupling)

Well, here we come to the most interesting thing, for whom is the all-wheel drive of such crossovers, where can it be used? For many, this means that you can immediately go to the forest for mushrooms and berries, that you can fight such impassability, that, as they say, “on the door”! Guys, stop, all-wheel drive on crossovers and SUVs is very conditional, I would even say “urban” it is not intended for serious off-road tests.

Why? Yeah, it's just not designed for it. Often, on many crossovers, it is connected through a viscous coupling or an electric coupling.

• viscous coupling , we have already talked about it (you can in detail). Transmits torque through special liquid enclosed in the viscous coupling housing. When one axle begins to slip, the fluid quickly hardens, thereby closing the rear axle and connecting it. The disadvantages of such a drive are that it is almost impossible to turn it on yourself or lock the rear differential to work. ONLY AFTER SLIP. Therefore, the efficiency of such a full drive is quite low.

• As it becomes clear, the work is a little different. There is no special liquid here, but there are electromagnets that close or open the disks when voltage is applied to them, thereby connecting or disconnecting the all-wheel drive. This clutch is dry, there are no oils in it, which is both good and bad. The good thing is that you do not need to monitor the leakage of seals and change the fluid. Bad - this clutch overheats quickly. All-wheel drive is connected after front-wheel drive slips, usually after the second rotation front wheel. In some cars equipped with such a node, there is a forced lock, that is, you can physically lock the rear axle. It seems that here it is the DECISION, the control is much better than that of the viscous coupling, HOWEVER, THERE IS A BIG FLY IN THE OIL. Such a drive overheats very quickly and turns off, if you can slip for a long time on the viscous coupling, then the electromagnetic clutch will turn off after 3-5 minutes of slipping. They also fail faster due to high temperatures, as the experts say - they just burn.

• Hydromechanical clutch. Very similar design with the electromagnetic version. However, here the discs are closed due to oil pressure. Inside there is a pump that creates pressure to compress or unclench them. Pumps can now also be electrically driven, before it was mechanical.

Actually, such designs are used on a large number of crossovers or SUVs, it is very, very difficult to find another here.

Full or front?

As you can see, to call such all-wheel drive - COMPLETE, somehow the tongue does not turn! What are they made for. You know, I once talked with a "hardened" mechanic about such automatic connections, and this is what he told me - “poking into even (medium dirt) on such machines will be expensive, they are simply not designed for this off-road, do not think that you bought a car similar to our UAZ in cross-country ability, THESE ARE DIFFERENT CLASSES! Especially if you have an automatic transmission, because it can also overheat quite quickly (everything is a little better with mechanics). These cars are designed to deal with a snow-covered yard in the city in winter, or with a couple of shallow puddles on the way to the country house"

You know this like a shovel in your trunk or a neighbor is a passenger - what do I mean? On the front wheel drive car you will need to clear the track ahead a little (with a shovel), or ask a passenger next door to give you a little push. And here is such a connected all-wheel drive vehicle can get out on his own. Good? Of course yes! But is it worth paying extra for it?

If you disassemble the front and full options, you should think about where and how do you move? It is also worth considering that an all-wheel drive vehicle:

• Costs more.
• Complete sets with all-wheel drive are at least "medium" and "top", that is, you will not find it in the "standard".
• The car weighs more
• More vibrations. Because more knots are spinning.
• Service costs more
• More rotating elements, which reduces the resource
• More fuel consumption
• The modest capabilities of this all-wheel drive car

Actually, if you are a 100% city dweller, the snow is removed in the cities, you go to the country where there are several meters of dirt that are not quite comfortable - THEN TAKE SUCH ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, AS I THINK THIS IS OVERPAID, AND IT IS NOT NEEDED!

If you are a resident of the countryside, you have only seen asphalt on TV, and the snow fills up so that it is difficult to move on a tractor - IT WILL NOT HELP YOU ALSO! Here you need to look at a more brutal technique, possibly on a frame. YES, at least the same UAZ will be more practical.

All-wheel drive for crossovers and SUVs, this is not quite what you expect - BELIEVE IT. This is more of a marketing trick, rather than an all-wheel drive car in the sense of an “off-road conqueror”. Of course, there are benefits from it (for example, you live near the city, in winter they seem to clean the roads, but not always), but it is so insignificant that giving 100 - 200,000 rubles more, as I think, is POSSIBLE. YES, and to serve such a car is EXPENSIVE! Given all the pluses and minuses, then personally I would not buy! Although you may have other thoughts, write in the comments.

Now a short video.

Still not sure if you really need to buy a crossover? We will give the 5 most common reasons why people buy crossovers, and whether they are objective or not, convincing or mean nothing - of course, it's up to you to decide.

So, 5 reasons why you should buy a crossover:

Reason #5

Crossovers are capable of towing more cargo, coupled with increased space in the cabin for passengers. Many crossovers are capable of towing trailers weighing up to 3 tons, and almost all SUVs can accommodate 5 passengers, and some even have a third row of seats, allowing seven riders to sit in the cabin.

Reason #4

People believe that an SUV is safer than a car because it is bigger and supposedly more durable. It must be said that this is true and confirmed by statistics from American researchers published in 2011: for a million owners of crossovers and SUVs of 2005-2008, only 28 deaths of drivers in accidents occur, while for sedans, hatchbacks and station wagons this figure is 56 deaths (for pickups - 52).

Also, buyers of crossovers appreciate the high seating position of the driver in the car (here you can argue and recall the danger of flipping high cars on the roads, but most manufacturers are seriously working on creating systems that minimize the risk).

Reason #3

A crossover has more cargo capacity and more trunk space than even a station wagon (to be honest, an SUV's trunk can be higher, but in many cases it's not as long as a station wagon).

Reason #2

Drivers appreciate the car's ability to overcome snowy obstacles, which is very common for motorists in Russia in winter (although such an advantage for a crossover will be noticeable only when compared with a rear-wheel drive car, and, most likely, a crossover will not have a serious advantage over an all-wheel drive sedan or front-wheel drive car with proper tires).

Reason #1

It is believed that crossovers have wide off-road capabilities (it is worth noting, of course, that, firstly, most modern SUVs will not overcome anything but a low curb in a supermarket parking lot, and secondly, the number of people who actually drive off-road is negligible) .

But really…

Most people buy crossovers and SUVs just because they can afford it. These machines may not meet the needs of the owner at all, but they fulfill his desire - to have a large, roomy and beautiful car, which is also more secure than the others. And, of course, an all-wheel drive crossover can save the owner a lot of effort when leaving a snowdrift after a night blizzard.