Revisting the Small Crossover SUV, I Guess In-Between Comes With Age...

Twenty years ago- you had sedans, coupes, minivans and wagons- with the convertible or roadster thrown-in. That was pretty much it. Nothing in-between.

What we know as Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) were outright "trucks" and they were anything but accommodating or popular.

SUVs boomed fifteen years ago- then another funny thing happened- SUVs got smaller, more car-like and highly versatile. Now they're based-on compact sedan platforms- come with all-wheel-drive and an airy compliment of standard truck niceties- like a slightly elevated ride-height, and a lot of "space and place," what I like to refer to as space, room and easy placement for both people, things and, well... the occasional large dog or flat-screen television from Best Buy.

I'm talking about the smaller, crossover SUV.

Shopping a new car with some good friends of mine (an older couple in their late 70's and 80's) something amazing happened- they went for the smaller crossover SUV over any other kind of car; and we're talking about a couple who have driven exclusively Toyota Camry sedans for a quarter of a century- that's 25 years!

Why no more sedan? Surprisingly the current Toyota Camry, while fatter in looks is actually quite cramped inside compared to an older Camry... And the Honda Accord- once the smallest of the Asian-import sedans- is now too big- the largest, longest and widest of the bunch. (It's like Cadillac or Buick-big- seriously.)

My dear friends ultimately went for the Honda CR-V- and while the CR-V is highly-rated by most who evaluate it- you'd never believe why the little, slightly rugged yet highly urbanized all-wheel-drive small SUV is the geriatric vehicle of a new/old generation....

It's easy to get-in and-out of!

Seemingly, elderly people find it easier to get-up-and-in and gentler to fall-out-of the smaller, crossover SUV. No crouching or hoisting to get out of a low-slung sedan- but rather, just slightly fall-out-and-down without having to pull or strain a muscle every time you want to get out of the car.

I really don't read a lot of mainstream automobile magazines anymore- and I most certainly don't read about crossover SUVs like the CR-V; but I'll bet no-one has noted this little fact- older people are less-likely to pee-a-little getting in and out of a smaller crossover SUV!

The CR-V is really quite cleverly sized. I like to call it the "big Japanese sedan of 15 years ago" in size- right-sized for so many who remember when American cars were too big; yet smaller Asian imports were, well... too small... and the CR-V has all-wheel-drive- something you cannot get in a Japanese sedan outside of a Subaru, of course.

Addie and Morry settled on a Urban Titanium CR-V LX with Real-Time All-Wheel-Drive and dealer-installed Dark Graphite leather (so smooth- it looks factory), it's a stunning little number!

Morry whispered "what do you call this kind of car?" when he first laid eyes on it.

I said "it's a crossover."

Morry grumbled "sounds like something that should live in the Village..." (dating himself a little, clearly...)

But unlike Billy Joel sang over thirty years ago- these days, however- "your best bet is [NOT] a true-baby-blue Continental..."

These days, the lines are blurred, looks can be deceiving, and well... they just don't make them like they used to anymore.

The CR-V is still rock-n-roll to me... enough for this Car Guy.