It's become a little muddled when we talk about vehicles of this type, because there aren't all that many that are true truck-based sport utility vehicles (SUV) anymore as most have taken the more cost effective and fuel efficient crossover route. This is following in a trend in the marketplace that has a growing number of people demanding smaller utes that are still useful.

In fact, the Ford Explorer -- which dominated the SUV market for over a decade -- has finally be dethroned by the smaller Honda CR-V as the best-selling sport utility vehicle in the United States. Sales of the facelifted CR-V have increased a solid 42%, leapfrogging other small to medium-sized utes and crossovers like the Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, and Ford Edge. The Ford Explorer, on the other hand, has its sales plummeting. Numbers are down 23% so far this year. Whereas they sold 445,157 units in 2000, only 179,229 were sold in 2006.

Rising gas prices have people looking for alternatives, even if it just means downsizing a notch or three.

http://www.htlounge.net/articles/3256/1/Honda-CR-V-Is-Now-Best-Selling-Utility-Vehicle

Source: [url=http://www.htlounge.net/articles/3256/1/Honda-CR-V-Is-Now-Best-Selling-Utility-Vehicle]High Tech Lounge[/url]