Your Next Ride

Mom by Day, Woman 24/7
She wants to ferry kids safely to baseball games and dance lessons, without feeling like she's lost her charms.

Truth be told, the sport-utility vehicle has never lived up to the hype. Why? Consider its conflicting ambitions: the room of a minivan, the drivability of a car, the traction of a snowplow, and the image of a ranch hand. The good news is that the SUV of the future promises improved safety and ride, more room, and even better fuel efficiency-all without messing with the coolness factor.

Even the vehicles that started the SUV craze-the Ford Explorer, Chevy Blazer, and Jeep Cherokee-are undergoing dramatic changes for 2002. The Explorer gets a new independent rear suspension, which greatly improves ride and handling. General Motors, meanwhile, has enlarged its stable of midsize SUVs (which include the GMC Envoy, Olds Bravada, and Chevy Blazer, renamed the Trailblazer), which are now powered by a new line of fuel-efficient powerplants. And Chrysler's Jeep division replaced the popular Cherokee with the Liberty-which is roomier and, thanks to an independent front suspension, drives much better.

The future of these vehicles, however, depends on shedding their truck DNA. Most current SUVs are built on truck platforms, but many future models will be based on cars or even minivans. The end result: a more stable, more spacious, and lighter vehicle-one far more suited for day-to-day use. The 2002 Toyota Highlander is a good example. Like several Japanese models before it, it's built on a car platform (the Camry's).

And in an effort to improve safety, automakers are introducing electronic controls that prevent dangerous skids by applying individual brakes. This stability technology is gravitating from luxury cars to SUVs and vans; the Highlander and Volkswagen's new Eurovan now offer the system. Because SUVs have a high center of gravity, losing control can lead to a rollover. So Ford will add a rollover-protection airbag to the Explorer, which already has optional side airbags. Jeep, meanwhile, now offers a new tire-pressure sensor to monitor stability on the Grand Cherokee. Up to now these devices were only available with run-flat tires.

As midsize SUVs become more car-like, they start looking more like station wagons, which themselves are undergoing a revival, especially in Europe. The newest wagons have high-tech drive systems and lots of space-and rate high on the cool meter too.