Sport utility vehicles

WHAT LOOKS A LITLE LIKE A TRUCK and a station wagon? Travels off-road as well as on, and is particularly useful in bad weather? And is fun to drive? If you guessed "sport utility vehicle" (SUV), you're right on the money. These vehicles have all sorts of uses for recreational, personal and business travel. American consumers buy nearly 3 million of these each year -- almost 20% of all light-duty vehicles sold.

The similarity to trucks is not surprising. SUV's are built like pickups, with truck frame suspension systems and added ground clearance. They're equipped with rear-wheel-drive (RWD) for hauling and towing, or 4-wheel-drive (4WD) for driving in bad weather, off-road or on rough terrain. Utility vehicles come in a wide range of configurations -- different sizes, engines, interiors, towing capacity, even removable soft tops on some. Motorists use SUV's for a variety of tasks -- towing trailers, hauling cargo, transporting families, driving off-road. They help to fill the void left when Federal CAFE standards squeezed full-size station wagons out of the market in the 1980's.

Compact and mid-size SUV's: The popularity of these SUV's has grown rapidly over the past 15 years. Small SUV's usually have 4-cylinder engines; mid-size utility vehicles often have 6-cylinder versions, which can be used for towing light-to-moderate loads. Some also offer 4WD to enhance driving security. Compact and mid-size SUV's are usually priced less than full-sized utility vehicles, and provide gas higher gas mileage, although their towing and hauling capabilties aren't as great. But SUV's offer better hauling, towing and off-road performance than cars.

Compact and mid-size SUV's include: Chevy Blazer, Chevy Tracker, Oldsmobile Bravada, GMC Jimmy; Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, Mercedes ML320 & ML420; Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer; Toyota RAV4 and 4Runner, Lexus RX300; Honda CR-V and Passport, Acura SLX; Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4; Isuzu Amigo, Rodeo and Trooper; Suzuki Sidekick and Vitara; Mitsubishi Montero; Kia Sportage; Subaru Forester.

Full-size SUV's: These larger utility vehicles serve the needs of motorists who want extra hauling and towing capacity. All come with 6- or 8-cylinder engines, heavy-duty transmissions, and strong suspension, and many feature 4WD and anti-lock brakes as well. Full-size SUV's are often used for heavy-duty towing -- such as campers, boats and horse trailers -- a task requiring both power and stability for safe operation on the highway. Understandably, these vehicles cost more than the compact SUV's, and their mileage ratings are lower. But they do their jobs well!

Full-size SUV's include: Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon and Suburban; Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator; Dodge Durango; Toyota LandCruiser, Lexus 470; Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover.

Federal standards: Here's what the government requires on SUV's and other light trucks:

• Safety -- SUV's and other light trucks provide some natural safety advantages for occupants in crash protection, because of the vehicle's size and weight. In addition, Federal safety standards for new light trucks have been strengthened in recent years, and are now similar to those for cars. Dual air bags and improved side-impact protection were phased in during the mid-90's and are now standard equipment. Because most SUV's have higher ground clearance, drivers should avoid sharp turns, and occupants should always wear safety belts. Utility vehicles carry a reminder label about their handling characteristics.

• Emissions -- The Federal government sets tough limits on harmful tailpipe emissions from light trucks, as well as for cars. Those standards were tightened in the 1980's, further tightened during 1994-96, and many new trucks meet the even stricter voluntary "NLEV" standards (see emissions info). Emission limits for smaller light trucks (under 6000 lbs. GVWR) are now similar to cars. There are separate standards for larger vehicles (6000-8500 lbs. GVWR) with bigger engines, because of the extra work those truck engines must do, but emissions are still quite low.

• Fuel economy -- Light trucks incorporate many modern fuel-saving technologies, although basic truck functions limit the use of some techniques used in passenger cars (such as FWD, smaller engines and extreme aerodynamic styling). Gas mileage varies among SUV's, depending largely on vehicle size, weight and engine, with higher ratings for compact models (see consumer guides). SUV's under 8500 lbs. GVWR are subject to the Federal "light truck" average fuel economy standard, 20.7 mpg for MY1997-2001.