Done with SUVs
I have driven a large SUV for the last ten years and now find myself not in need of the large vehicle anymore. I am not the station wagon/crossover or minivan kind of person. Want something fun, not too small, but somewhat sporty. I do go off road, camp and am an outdoorsy woman. I would rather be on gravel than pavement, but still need a vehicle sophisticated enough that I could pick up a work associate at the airport. Any suggestions for something that would fit my lifestyle, be somewhat economical on gas and still fun to drive?
– Deborah
Austin, Tx.
Excellent question! You’re the kind of gal who wants it all. And why not? But since you want to maintain off-road capabilities, inject urban swankiness and style but don’t want an SUV, your choices are a bit more limited. To allow for handling and control in non-pavement situations, you’ll need to choose an all-wheel-drive vehicle. This will give you the grip of all four wheels when you’re on rugged surfaces. There are a few cars that come equipped with all-wheel drive, but the majority of vehicles with this feature are trucks and SUVs.
BMW has a small SUV called the X3, which handles like a car but has the ability to stay on track when the road turns rough. It has Active Steering, BMW’s proprietary name for technology that really does enhance the steering capabilities of the X3 when the road gets ugly.
Also check out Range Rover’s new Evoque. It is more of a crossover vehicle but has exceptional off-road abilities and still drives like a car. Plus, it looks great.
Audi makes a line of Quattro vehicles – wagons, hatchbacks, sedans and SUVs – which have all-wheel drive. They’re posh looking, yet capable of handling rough road conditions.