Now playing the name game: crossover, hatchback, or wagon - whatever you call them, these six vehicles blend practicality, affordability, and a dash of sportiness.(Product/Service Evaluation)

The term "crossover" is one you could be hearing a lot in the coming months. Increasingly, automakers and the media alike are applying this label to a growing group of vehicles that straddle the line between SUVs and cars, and are essentially tall wagons or hatchbacks. Crossovers are usually based on the platform of an existing car model, and, like an SUV, typically provide a versatile interior for carrying cargo, a driving stance slightly higher than that of a typical car, and, often, the availability of all-wheel drive (AWD).

Subaru initiated this concept in 1996 with the Legacy Outback, a version of the AWD Legacy wagon that had a little higher ground clearance and more-rugged styling, and was intended to appeal to SUV buyers. Since then, we've seen the introduction of other "SUV wagons" as well as many car-based SUVs that have further blurred the old definitions of "car" and "sport utility." There are more to come this fall and in the coming years, as automakers continue to mine this segment.

For this month's test, we compared two new "crossover" models--the Toyota Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe (shown above)--with four similarly priced four-door hatchback/small wagons. The early-2003 Matrix and Vibe are basically the same vehicle with different styling and badges. They're built through a joint venture between GM and Toyota, just as the Chevrolet Prizm and Toyota Corolla twins had been for many years. Both the Matrix and the Vibe are based on the redesigned 2003 Corolla sedan, which we tested for the July 2002 issue. Despite marketing nomenclature, we found the Matrix and the Vibe to be space-efficient tall wagons, similar to the others here.

Of the other four vehicles in this group, three--the Ford Focus ZX5, Mazda Protege5, and Volkswagen Jetta--are hatchback/wagon versions of existing sedans. The Subaru Impreza Outback Sport, introduced in 1996 and redesigned in 2001, carries on the theme of its larger sibling, the Legacy-based Outback.

The six models here have as-tested prices ranging from $19,200 to $22,075. All scored reasonably well in our tests, and five of the six models are on our recommended list. The exception is the Focus, which, according to our annual reader surveys, has had below-average reliability, preventing us from recommending it.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Volkswagen Jetta wagon not only had the highest overall score in this group, but it topped the score of the Ford Focus SE, previously our highest-scoring small wagon. Unlike the Focus, the Jetta is recommended because its reliability has been at least average.