Good afternoon, today we will talk about do you need an SUV for the city, which from them meaning on the streets locality and what is the main purpose such cars. In addition, we find out what is the main task of the jeep, how is the SUV different from urban crossover, and also consider Benefits and limitations vehicles with cross-country ability . In conclusion, we will talk about which automobile it is preferable to choose for city streets and off-road, as well as, why so strongly in recent years around the world have become crossovers are in demand.

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Today, more and more often you can hear from the majority motorists, the same question : "Is there any benefit from SUVs in the city ?". Note for reference that SUV or jeep is called a car with high off-road capability, thanks to high ground clearance(ground clearance), as well as leading front and rear wheels . Therefore, do not confuse the concepts SUV" And " crossover"because the former are for full off-road(usually have frame structure and constant four-wheel drive for all wheels), and the second for city ​​streets(usually have plug-in all-wheel drive and body car).

Most of the cars that are named SUVs and drive through the streets of our city, perhaps they have never even left it. As we all know the main purpose of SUVs or jeeps is an improved movement ability on the bad roads, as well as in places with hard to reach terrain. SUV in difference from passenger car car is good because it is capable of pass where he can't do it passenger car. These moments are clear to everyone, like God's day, however why buy people jeep who never leave the city?

Before as answer for this question, let's imagine the situation: there is an expensive one in the parking lot, very beautiful SUV from low profile tires and big alloy wheels , as well as sports body kit throughout bodywork. Can such beauty take the risk of going for mushrooms in the forest, on off-road? Of course not. Thus, in response to the above question, why do people buy jeeps , while they never leave the city on it, is that the main goal such car owners, which purchased an SUV- this demonstrate mine image or compensate, some personal limitations and no more. As they say, the bigger the jeep, the "cooler" its owner. In addition, by statistics more often inferior way to the owners big cars than drivers cars cars.

Based on the foregoing, we can say that the driver of a large SUV have to constantly supportstatus and hide your limitations. At the same time, the car owner of such jeep having difficulty moving along the narrow streets of the city and not paying attention to unthinkable fuel consumption and parking difficulties. And all these perversions for the sake of the image, and of a sense of personal self-respect.

Due to the above shortcomings who have SUVs, marketers, together with engineers, began to offer drivers an alternative to jeeps. And this alternative was compact crossovers. After all, we all understand that if the buyer wanted buy a big SUV, then it will be difficult to convince him, so he needs to offer alternative- at least comfortable, while more dynamic, yes and beautiful- crossover, he is Suv.

Note that with task transplant fans jeeps on the compact crossovers marketers still managed to cope, and they did it brilliantly. Modern crossovers for 3 years in a row they have been beating records on sales in the post-Soviet space. Almost immediately with their appearance on the market, they instantly conqueredpopularity million car enthusiasts. Note that crossovers- this no ordinary jeeps with their off-road ability. According to these parameters, as we noted earlier, they losing to jeeps, but crossovers there are others pros, and even more, how cons. Firstly, lower fuel consumption, Secondly, better behavior on the roadway, thirdly, optimum compactness on dimensions and a number of other equally important factors.

chief advantage major SUV US compact crossover clearly manifested winter when the roads are not cleared, mud and snow with drifts are everywhere. Passenger car, yes and compact crossover will be quite difficult under such conditions, but SUV with permanent all-wheel drive these conditions will be on the shoulder. Besides, jeeps are also good because, thanks to their huge ground clearance or ground clearance any border or let subdued without much effort. After all, few car owners SUV did not overcome the curbs, goal park in the green area. It is impossible not to take into account the moment that driving a large jeep feel more like protected than driving passenger car car.

For reference, we note that in recent years automakers more and more often began to release only front-wheel drive crossovers, and demand sometimes even more than all-wheel drive. Dec what do you need a car for from big ground clearance , but without all wheel drive ? And the fact is that many motorists buy cars with high ground clearance in order to enjoy go ice fishing, without touching in front of him and rear bumper about obstacles. For example, in a large metropolitan area there is no point in buying a crossover from all-wheel drive- it's just ejection of money to the wind. After all four-wheel drive in the city per year would need no more than 1-2 times during heavy snowfall.

Video review: "Do I need an SUV in the city. Advantages and disadvantages"

In conclusion, we note that if we are the happy owner of our country house, then buy an SUV, he is jeep certainly better than crossover. As for a city dweller who rarely travels by car outside the city, such a driver optimal there will be an option front-wheel drive crossover from increased ground clearance. Fans of frequent fishing trips off-road, better buy a jeep with permanent all-wheel drive. However, one should take into account the fact that systematically move on a full-fledged SUV more tiring than compact crossover.

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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.

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 automatic transmission gears, 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.

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” 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 tires 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 pay extra for daily operation. 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.