Soft-Roader or Off-Roader?

If you didn't know any better, given the growing number of big, burly SUVs traversing our highways and byways, you'd think the United States infrastructure was made up completely of dirt trails, rock-strewn river washes, and broken pavement.

In this "super-size-me" marketplace, auto buyers increasingly are looking to upgrade to larger, tougher vehicles for the no-boundaries versatility and the adventurous spirit. As the SUV marketplace matures, however, automakers are finding many consumers ready to make the switch from a full-size, body-on-frame vehicle to something with similar features yet more everyday practicality.

Answering this call for vehicles that slot between cars and traditional SUVs, manufacturers from Detroit to Japan now offer "crossover vehicles"--essentially compact and midsize SUVs based on a car or minivan platform. Sharing underpinnings, powertrains, and components among models has proven a cost-effective way for the automakers to fill a niche between two long-standing vehicle segments. The term "crossover," however, is becoming blurred as manufacturers apply it to everything from the Chrysler Pacifica to the Ford Five Hundred sedan. Thus, it may be more appropriate to refer to the emerging breed of SUVs as "soft-roaders."

While these vehicles have more ground clearance under their axles and increased wheel travel compared with the platforms from which they were spawned, most soft-roaders have only modest off-pavement ability. Oriented toward street driving, soft roaders have minimal underbody protection, relatively high gear ratios, and an all-wheel-drive system (usually more safety feature than adventure aid) derived from a single-speed transfer case. Recognizing that most SUV buyers never venture into anything woolier than a dirt road, these soft-roaders are designed to offer SUV interior versatility and styling in a more practical, refined package.

True off-roaders, like those populating the Hummer, Jeep, and Land Rover lines, are engineered to survive great challenges, with powertrains, suspension, brakes, traction devices, and even tires built for a heavy-duty service life. Most soft-roaders have light-duty all-wheel-drive systems that route power to the corners with most traction. And although modern AWD systems can truly enhance both low- and highway-speed grip, their inherent lack of a two-speed transfer case (which allows a low, torque-multiplying gear for improved low-speed performance) is a key limiting factor for rock-crawling, hill-climbing off-road action. This isn't to say you can't take your Ford Escape or Honda CR-V on an unmaintained dirt road or even low-rated trails, but you should first ask yourself whether it's worth it to push your softie into a situation it wasn't built for, risking expensive body and mechanical damage.