SUV vs. station wagon vs. minivan --what's the difference?

[Bill V]

OK, here's a question--



How do you determine whether a vehicle is an SUV, a station wagon, or a minivan?



I've seen a lot of vehicles lately that are calling themselves SUVs, that me me really don't seem to fit in that category. For example, a Subaru Outback--appears to be a station wagon to me, regardless of their marketing.



So what criteria do you set when differentiating these? I see one of the main differences between a station wagon and an SUV as being the height of the vehicle. SUVs ride higher, like a truck, while station wagons are lower to the ground, like a car. And to me, one of the main differences between a minivan and an SUV is the angle that the windshield makes with the front hood--the closer those two are to being in a straight line, the more it appears to be a minivan. The position of the engine plays a part as well--SUVs generally have the engine more in front of the front passengers, while minivans can almost have the front seat above the engine.



And yes, some of the criteria simply come down to "I know it when I see it". But what other criteria do you think should be involved?

 

[Gavin Allan]

Outback is designated as a "truck" for CAFE purposes!



Of course, Outback is also a "made in USA" vehicle as well (Indiana).

 

[Kevin Palmer]

I have seen it where various states call it different than other states just so that they can charge higher amounts for the license plates.



In Ohio, if you have a Jeep CJ/Wrangler body and it does not have a rear seat in it, it is considered a truck and they charge you big bucks for it.



With a seat it is a station wagon and charge like a car.



So who knows....

 

[WXMotorSports DecalsPartsAccs]

Wagon and Mini Van are fugly!

 

[Greg Stuhlsatz]

What about the old chevy nomad? Ugly? I think it is beauty!

 

[Adam Smith 2]

SUVs are usually enclosed passenger compartments bolted onto pickup truck frames.



Station wagons are typically unibody cars with a flat interior cargo area behind the second row of normal car style seating.



Minivans are mostly unibody construction also these days, but are distinguished from station wagons by their larger volume, sliding side rear door(s), and flat interior floor with 1 or 2 rows of van-style bench seats bolted to the floor (and usually easily removable).

 

[Bill V]

Let me rephrase the question:



I was wondering not what the various states say, or what the companies say. I'm curious about what you personally consider to be the dividing lines between these classes. What you see a vehicle and say, "That's a sharp SUV", or "What a fugly minivan", or whatever, what about it makes you say that it is that type of vehicle, and not some other type?

 

[Thomas Rogers]

The lines are blurred for me, Bill V. I was behind an Infinity Qx56 today, and I have to say, that's an SUV. Why, because it's big. It's big, it's wide, it's just got SUV written all over it. And it looked pretty sweet.



But compare that monstrosity to FX35, which is smaller. The Fx35 reminds me of all the other "hybrids" out there...not full size SUV, not a sedan, but something in between. Those, I call hybrids. They don't really look like sedans, or station wagons, or SUVs, they have their own look. Others like this include the MDX and the Murano.



Then you have the mini-SUVs. These KIND OF look like their bigger brothers, just smaller. The Escapes, the Pilots, the Rav4, etc.



So, if its big, and wide, and tall, and boxie, it's and SUV. If it looks like an SUV, but smaller, than it's a mini-SUV, and if it's more of a new millenium AMC pacer, well then it's a hybrid...not SUV, not sedan. The rest are either sedans or trucks...or SUTs...or true station wagons like the Volvo X-country.



TJR

 

[Adam Smith 2]

I consider the construction details to be the defining characteristics, as noted in my post above. In other words, I would not consider a unibody car like the Outback to be an SUV. It's a station wagon. Likewise, the Subaru Baja is not a pickup truck, it's a station wagon modified to have a pickup style external cargo bed.



Ford calls the Sport Trac an SUV, but personally I like the SUT designation. I think of it as a pickup truck that is as close as possible to the SUV end of the interior to exterior cargo space continuum wihtout actually being an SUV. It's like a crew cab, but pushed one step farther towards SUV in terms of people space, comfort and trim options, at the expense of bed space.



The Explorer-Ranger continuum:

SUV - Explorer

SUT - Sport Trac

Crew Cab Ranger**

Extended Cab Ranger

Standard Cab Ranger



**Apparently only available south of the border

 

[Area 51]

We had one person here who owned a Scion B, and constantly referred to it as a SUV. After a few times of back and forth on why that thing did not constitute a 4x4, I finally "conceded" to her, and said, you know, I was wrong, it DOES qualify as a SUV. As long as SUV means shitty ugly vehicle.



Then there is the other person who owns a POS Suzuki that constantly refers to it as a Jeep.

 

[Dale Carlson]

Kinda with Adam on this. To me it's what's underneath, first, that makes it what it is.

 

[TrainTrac]

Just to mix it up a little more, let's not forget the new CUV "Crossover Utility Vehicle" category. Vehicles like the new Ford Edged/Lincoln MKX, Ford Freestyle, and Chrysler Pacifica for starters...

 

[Gavin Allan]

Chrysler PT Cruiser is a "truck".

 

[Ed C]

SUV,SUW,SUT,CUV...WTF?

 

[Nelson Atwell]

Both of these vehicles are on the same chassis. The only difference under the skin is that the Volvo is slightly longer. The Volvo is considered a station wagon and the Mazda is considered a hatchback.



[Broken External Image]:



Volvo V50 Station Wagon



[Broken External Image]:



Mazda3 Hatchback

 

[Paul Maurer 2]

Check the cupholders:

Dunkin Donuts coffee w/extra cream- its an SUV.

black coffee, a nestles quik box, Avent baby bottle w/juice and 2 pacifiers- minivan.

half skim double foam mocha latte from Starbucks- its a station wagon.

 

[TomT]

LOL. That's good lasik1!

 

[Fred]

:lol: lasik1

 

[Bill V]

LOL lasik1! I grew up in a 2-station wagon family (specifically, Chevy Caprice Classics), and there was never a Starbucks (or coffee of any sort) in either one, ever. But the other two really ring true...

 

[Richard L]

I think it was originally based on the type of chassis the vehicle used.



Station wagons were just passenger cars with an extended cabin and no trunk.



Mini Vans were usually classified as Vans/light cargo trucks with extended seating, but many were built on smaller lighter car, car/like chassises.



SUV's were classified as light trucks with extended cabins.



The newere breed of SUV's are smaller and more like the Station Wagon. These are usually refered to as "Cross-over" vehicles. They may or may not offer 4WD.



They are pretty much just station wagons, except term "Station wagon" is an older less accepted term for the new Cross-Over vehicles.



...Rich