Snowfall is beautiful. It blankets everything in layers of white and makes everything look clean and pure. But if you’re behind the wheel, it can be deadly. Snow and ice seriously compromise traction whenever you’re driving on the road. After all, it’s only four fist-sized patches of rubber that keep your car connected to the street. So if you’re considering buying a new car or renting one and you’ll have to drive in snow or over ice, we’re comparing crossovers and sedans to help you decide which one is better.
Points To Consider
Platform: Crossovers may look like mini-SUVs, but that doesn’t mean they are as capable. Usually, a crossover is based on the same platform as a sedan. A proper SUV can share its platform with a pickup truck or be purpose-built for its utility. So cars and crossovers are much closer than you’d imagine them to be.
Drive train: Some crossovers do have features similar to SUVs. If you can choose a crossover that has two-wheel drive and can switch to four-wheel drive, it would be the one to choose. But you also need to look at reviews of the vehicle to see if it is capable in the snow despite having 4WD.
Tires: Proper winter tires can make a massive difference in your driving experience. So ideally, you should choose a vehicle that has these tires installed if you’re renting one. And it won’t matter if the car is a crossover or a sedan. The tires matter that much.
Ice vs. snow: The driving experience on these surfaces is completely different. Snow means driving on uncleared roads, but ice means driving on a slick surface that has zero grip. You’ll probably need snow chains here.
Advantage Crossover
If you compare sedans and crossovers in terms of ground clearance, crossovers win easily. This makes them better in deep snow, and the wheel wells are also less likely to get packed with snow. Packed wheel wells can jam your tires and keep you from turning the car. If you slide off the road in a crossover, you may just be able to get it to crawl back on the road. Sedans would just get stuck. If you are involved in a collision with another car, the height of the crossover makes it safer. Sedans are usually sleek and can slide under taller vehicles in the event of a crash.
Advantage Sedan
Crossovers tend to be heavier than sedans. They’re also taller, have a higher center of gravity, have more momentum when they’re being driven, which makes them harder to control in the event of a slide. Because they’re taller, they could also roll over. Crossover drivers also tend to be overconfident in their and their vehicle’s abilities and therefore, could be more likely to crash.
A sedan, on the other hand, is much lower to the ground. And if you go for a larger sedan, you’re likely to get a more powerful engine with more driver-assist features. Crossovers are usually designed to be efficient.
Eventually, it comes down to you. Choose a type of car that you’re comfortable driving, drive carefully, and practice defensive driving in all conditions.