What's the difference between an SUV and a Crossover?

[Bailes1992]

Crossover is a hatch that's been jacked up. Usually still 2WD.

SUV to me is a vehicle that has been designed from day 1 to be taller and have AWD/4WD options .

 

[supton]

Height.
If I stand next to it and can see the top of the roof, it's a crossover.
If I stand next to it and can't see the top of the roof, it's an SUV.

Ha! My daughter has informed me she doesn’t want a. CRV. Too hard to clean snow off of, at just over 5’ tall.

 

[DejaVue]

Ha! My daughter has informed me she doesn’t want a. CRV. Too hard to clean snow off of, at just over 5’ tall.

Yep. She'd have to keep one of those 13-foot Little Giant multi-ladders in the back to get up there.

Similar happens when people try putting skis and surfboards and canoes and bikes and things on top of an SUV's roof. Suddenly those lower-profile lifted wagons etc become more attractive.

As for a CRV, I skip the fancy jargon people can't agree on anyway and just call it a mid-size SUV.

 

[Touring5]

It's just the size of the cookie cutter: Large cookie cutter makes SUVs, Small cookie cutter makes crossovers...