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2003 SUV Trends
Station Wagons of the New Millennium

by Jim Walczak
for About.com

It's Fall, the leaves are changing and auto dealers are raking up their lots to make room for the '03s. Fasten your seatbelt and get ready for the ride... You may not recognize this year's SUV line up without a score card.

The history of SUVs began as early as the automobile itself, built as a vehicle to move people and cargo simultaneously. Short diversions to station wagons and minivans peppered the legacy of the SUV in the '70s and appear to be making a resurgence in the new millennium.

The New Minivan
Doesn't sound appealing does it? That's probably why so many recent rides have taken on the nameplate of SUV. The line between SUV and minivan (and even the car) has clearly - well - been blurred. Witness the beginning of the new era. Automakers have gone as far as adding a classification called "mid-sized" SUV. What's next? ... The "compact" SUV? Oh, wait... they're here! Some of these new "SUVs" resemble the 5-door hatchback of yesteryear.

Who Am I to Judge
If Detroit, Asia and Europe have done their collective homework, consumers will find something here for everyone's liking. Begin your tour of the SUV 2003 model year here:

  • Compact SUVs
    Car-like, but don't be fooled, some of these are built to be tough.
  • Mid-size SUVs
    For those of us who refuse to drive a minivan. A hybrid ride built to appeal to the urban road enthusiasts.
  • Full-size SUVs
    The traditional people/cargo hauling machine built to scare our environmentalist neighbors.
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