2012 Crossovers

As hybrids gain popularity, 2012 crossovers prove more car manufacturers are getting in the game. The demand for a fuel efficient, more environmentally responsible, but affordable hybrid vehicle is growing and gets stronger with each new year. Luckily, on the current market, there are more than enough to choose from. This is partly due to the fact that consumers can now even choose between cars or SUVs when it comes to purchasing a crossover vehicle. The best thing to do is learn about some of the options available to help decide what might work for your individual needs.

Understanding 2012 Crossovers

The first thing that is important to understand is what exactly a crossover is. This is, basically, a sports utility vehicle (SUV) that has been constructed on a frame designed for a car. This gives them some, but usually not much, off road ability and allows them to sit lower than a standard full size SUV. They are, also, generally front-wheel or all-wheel drive.

Some of the Top Contenders

The 2012 Jeep Patriot is one option for a crossover. It is a compact SUV with the expected classic Jeep style and an affordable price to match. The invoice price, the estimated price of what the dealer paid the manufacturer, starts at $15,805. This crossover does have some off road ability. The Jeep can be either front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive and includes a “lock” mode that is meant to improve traction during certain weather situations. The transmissions available for the 2012 Jeep Patriot are a five-speed manual and a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). Since the Patriot was redesigned for 2011, not too many changes have been made for the 2012 model.

Another crossover for 2012 is the Kia Sportage. The overall feedback for this vehicle includes that it is affordable, safe and extremely versatile. With an invoice price of $18,135 it will, obviously, be on the market for more than some, the Jeep for example, but far from the highest price sticker. For city driving, the Kia Sportage gets 21 miles per gallon and on the highway this vehicle gets 29 miles per gallon. It is a five passenger, front or all-wheel drive and six speed crossover with standard safety features, including anti-lock disc brakes and six airbags.

Dodge and Hyundai

What Dodge offers for the 2012 crossovers market is the Journey. The feedback on this is that, though constructed on the car style structure, it can still hold its own against the larger scale SUVs. As with many others, this one is available in four-wheel or all-wheel drive. You can expect to get 19 miles per gallon on surface streets and 26 miles per gallon on the open highway. There are four and six speed versions available, based on the engine type, and the invoice price on the 2012 Dodge Journey is $18,855.

The Hyundai Tucson is a popular choice in the crossover utility vehicle, or CUV, market. It is designed to seat five passengers comfortably and has better fuel efficiency than some of the competition. You can expect to get 20 city and 27 highway miles per gallon for the Tucson. Again, this crossover is offered in front or four-wheel drive and is powered by the 2.0 liter four cylinder engine under the hood. The invoice price on the Hyundai Tucson is $18,357. It has some of the expected basics for safety, such as the electronic stability control and six air bags.

The Volkswagen Tiguan

This is the VW version of the Sports or Crossover Utility Vehicle market. For an invoice price of $21,926 you get sleek European design paired with sophistication. The fuel economy isn’t the best on the SUV or CUV market, but isn’t the worst, either. For highway driving you’ll likely experience 26 miles per gallon, while the city driving only gets 18 miles per gallon. It comes standard with a versatile 200 horsepower 2.0 liter turbo FSI engine.

The Bottom Line

Crossovers are fast becoming a popular, best selling variety of vehicles. More and more each year, more car manufacturers are getting into the market. There are already plenty of great choices from some of the most trusted names in the car industry. If you are looking to buy one, the best thing to do is decide how much durability you may need in off road situations. Since some are designed to handle the off road situations better than others, and you do not want to end up with one of the 2012 crossovers that isn’t sturdy enough for your needs.

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