SUV vs CUV vs 4WD

Passenger vehicles come in many shapes and sizes, and to make things even more complicated, even vehicles of similar shape and size can have vastly different capabilities when it comes to carrying capacity, towing ability and fuel economy.

So to avoid confusion, manufacturers classify passenger vehicles into categories based on their design intentions and capabilities. This is a win for consumers as you can have more of an idea of what a vehicle is designed for.

In a recent article, we covered how you might choose the right tyre for your vehicle, but today we’re going to take a closer look at vehicle choice. Choosing the right tyre on the wrong vehicle will get you so far, but pairing up the ideal vehicle with your perfect tyre is a recipe for smiles all around.

If you’re looking at a new or secondhand vehicle, the best thing to do is take a step back and plan how you’ll use it, common questions you might ask are:

• What size vehicle do I need?
  Do I really need a full size car or will something more compact meet my needs? A more compact car will be easier to park, use less fuel and often be cheaper to maintain.
• Do I need 2wd or 4wd?
  Australian researchers have determined that even amongst vehicles with engageable AWD systems, the systems were only engaged an average of roughly 0.01% of the time. If you drive your vehicle for 100,000kms, chances are your AWD system is actively engaged and working for 100 kilometres of that distance, the rest of the time, its excess weight isn’t doing you any favours.
  Although, if in the position of choosing between a vehicle with 2 wheels driven or ticking the options sheet for 4 wheel drive, you probably don’t need the added expensive and servicing costs of the 4wd version.
• Do you often tow heavy loads?
  Towing safety depends greatly on your vehicle choice. What might be a perfectly safe trailer to tow for a full size ute might be incredibly dangerous if you’re in a small compact vehicle.
• Do I want a petrol or diesel engine?
  Diesel emissions scandals aside, both engines have their pros and cons. Diesel vehicles typically cost more than their petrol counterparts but cost savings from cheaper fuel are often offset by higher maintenance costs as well as complex emissions control equipment. Diesel engines also periodically require longer drives. If your commute to and from work is just 20 minutes or so, your diesel engine can begin to suffer degradation in performance.
  Diesels are however outstanding for towing as they produce more torque at lower engine speeds than equivalent petrol engines. Most small diesel vehicles feel more peppy at slow speeds as the torque from a small diesel will be 3-4 times greater than of the petrol variant. The petrol will still usually have a faster 0-100 time, if traffic light drag racing is your thing.

You know what you need, but not *what* you need.

Focusing on your driving style will help you understand the requirements of your next vehicle, however every manufacturer measures their vehicle with different yardsticks.

SUV - Sports Utility Vehicle

The category of ‘SUV’ covers a wide range of vehicles, ranging from the Ford Everest, to Toyota Kluger, Landcruiser 300 series, Prado, Mazda CX8, CX9, Kia Sorento and so on.

SUVs are typically full size vehicles that offer spacious interiors, good ground clearance and the option of all-wheel-drive drivetrains. Towing capacities are often on par with 4WD vehicles.

SUVs are offered in the ‘wagon’ style body, as the lockable, air conditioned cargo area makes for comfortable trips for larger families or for taking pets away with you.

Most SUVs aren’t designed from the factory as hardcore off-road machines, but some vehicles such as the Landcruiser, Prado and Everest have extensive aftermarket support.

CUV - Compact Utility Vehicles

The name is pretty straightforward, imagine any of the vehicles from the SUV category but shrunk down to the size of a large sedan.

Vehicles that are great examples of the CUV category are the Mazda CX3 and CX5, Subaru XV, Kia Seltos and Stonic, Ford Puma and so on. Think of an overgrown ‘small car’ and you’re on the right track.

4WD - Four Wheel Drive

SUVs and the 4WD category share a lot in common mechanically. The name is a bit misleading and is a throwback to when only utility vehicles were offered with all wheel drive drivelines. Now, of course, many vehicles in all sizes have the ability to power all 4 wheels.

They’re often featured with the same engine and transmission options as SUVs, such as the Ford Ranger and Ford Everest mentioned earlier, and where SUVs tend to have a wagon shape, vehicles in the 4WD category are often single or dual cab with either a tub or flat tray out the back.

Toyota Hiluxs, Mazda BT50s, Landcruiser 70 series, Nissan Navaras and other cab-chassis utes are all commonly referred to as 4WDs. Of course, many of these vehicles are offered in a 2WD variant, adding to the confusion.

Many of the vehicles in this category are capable of carrying massive payloads, and towing the heaviest legal trailers available for passenger vehicles.

Anything else?

Sure. Different manufacturers tend to label their vehicles any way they please, so one manufacturer's SUV might be smaller and have less capabilities than a CUV from another manufacturer. So it pays to take manufacturer naming with a grain of salt and compare the actual specifications. If you’re deciding between multiple vehicles, pay attention to specifications such as boot volume, towing capacity and fuel economy before choosing vehicles based on their label.

Regardless of what vehicle you choose, talk to the friendly team at Tyres R Us for all your tyre and wheel alignment needs. We are experts on a wide variety of vehicles ranging from classics up to the latest tech from premium vehicle manufacturers. Phone us on 03 9362 1611 today or visit our workshop, located at 122 Munro Ave, Sunshine.