In this article, we are going to discuss car body types which may help you to select the right car that totally fits you. Indeed, car body type is one of the most important parameters when selecting auto, so let us explore what you need to know when choosing the bodywork. When selecting the type of the car, it is necessary to consider the purpose for which the car will be used, under what conditions it will work and what tasks you will perform on it.

Car body types are quite a lot, but now, we will list only the most common types of bodywork.

Types of body cars:

• Sedan
• Coupe
• Hatchback
• Station Wagon
• Minivan
• SUV (crossover)
• Pickup
• Van
• Convertible and Roadster

So, in order to get information clearly, let us take a look at each type in more detail.

Sedan

Sedan is the most popular among all options of automobile body types. Sedan has four doors and two full rows of seats. The rear door is missing, instead, the sedan has trunk lid.

Sedan looks elegant and impressive. Its whole appearance shows that this car is created for the transportation of passengers, not fridge or other large equipment. In general, sedan looks really solid, especially representative cars of F-class.

The main purpose of sedan cars is to be in the city and on the highway, so typically sedans are pretty low and off road quality is not adapted. Sedans are noticeably longer than hatchbacks, but this complicates parking.

The following simple example allows us to understand differences between hatchback, sedan and station wagon. Let us consider photos of popular Opel Astra model versions as an example:

Compact A-class does not have sedans, because the class's main advantage is compactness. But small B-class sedans are quite a lot.

Mostly, great number of sedans are manufactured under C and big D-classes. Business E-class models are mainly sedans and executive F-class cars are exclusively sedans.

Rear window on the sedans are not equipped with wiper because sedans stay clean in any weather. Also, the benefits of the sedan can be attributed to the fact that in the cold windy weather, when opening the trunk, the car remains sealed, preserving comfort inside the car. In rear accident, trunk of the sedan takes the impact energy and this somewhat makes better security than hatchbacks.

In terms of volume of the trunk, the sedan is significantly inferior to universal, but wins compared to hatchback. When transporting wheels in the trunk, hatchbacks can accommodate 1-2 wheels, while sedans and station wagons can have all four wheels easily.

Sedan fits you exactly, if you need a car solid and respectable, to drive it in the city and on the highway and carry small things.

Advantages of sedan body type:

• Appearance is solid and representative;
• Roomy trunk;
• Rear window is not polluted;
• More secure than the hatchback.

Disadvantages of the sedan:

• Parking is harder than hatchback
• Moderate permeability

Coupe

Coupe body type looks similar to sedan, but differs with number of doors, where coupe is made up with two doors instead of four. In addition, classic coupe is equipped with only two seats, but modern versions often have a second row. This is called 2+2 modification, when the second row of seats is very compact, so making long trips on it is not very convenient. Both doors of coupe are much wider than sedan, so getting on and off the car are more comfortable for the driver and the front passenger.

In terms of convenience, coupe body type is not really optimal, because landing on the back row requires some afford. Coupe is chosen by people who need a car to travel alone or maximum two people, that is why not all automakers produce models with a body type of coupe.

From a technical point of view, coupe body type is more torsionally rigid, which increases stability during in turns. Today, this body type is used to underline a sporty character of the car by marketers.

Coupe will suit you if you plan to travel by car alone or with a friend and take more passengers occasionally. In general, keep in mind that for the second-row passengers, getting on and off of the car will be a task that requires a great skill.

So, let us list again, pros and cons of body type Coupe.

• Benefits of Coupe:
• Wide two door - comfortable for two people;
• Increased rigidity;
• Looks very stylish.

Drawbacks of Coupe:

• Inconvenience in getting on and off to the second row.

Body style hatchback

The main advantage of body type hatchback is compactness. Hatchback is shorter than the sedan, and station wagon which makes parking and turning a lot easier. However, small hatchback length is achieved at the expense of the trunk, so hatchbacks usually have the very small trunk.

The main purpose of hatchbacks to be compact and maneuverable, so you will not find body style of hatchback among premium and business classes which focus on comfort. However, A-class cars are meant to be compact so all A-class models are only hatchbacks. Thanks to the small length, hatchbacks have increased compactness and maneuverability, which is why they could be considered an ideal car body type for the city drive.

Back door of the hatchback can be considered as an advantage as well as a drawback. On the one hand, large rear door allows you to load and place objects easily into the saloon, on the other hand, opening rear doors in cold and windy conditions may cause some inconvenience to passengers of the second row of seats. Hatchbacks are five-door or three-door. It is clear that three-door hatchback is less convenient for the passengers of the second row of seats.

Body style hatchback is an ideal option if you want to get a compact and maneuverable vehicle, where it is easier to survive in the urban jungle. For the same reasons the hatchback body style is well suited for novice drivers as well as representatives of the beautiful half of humanity.

So, benefits of the body type: hatchback

• Compactness and maneuverability
• Possibility of loading large items into the cabin

A distinct lack of hatchback just one:

• Small luggage capacity

Body type station wagon

This body type of cars is the most practical. A station wagons usually are the same as long as sedans, but in addition, they still have a vertical rear door as a hatchback. Thus, trunk volume of the station wagon at least twice as much as sedan or hatchback of the same brand model.

For many drivers, the roomy station wagon is the perfect body type, but others laugh on the design. A station wagon will suit everyone whom usability is important and especially, the spaciousness of the vehicle. If you plan to carry large loads, sometimes like a fridge or washing machine, this type is what you really need. Apparently, people who travel a lot by car appreciate the convenience of the station wagon models because huge trunk of the wagon enables you to easily accommodate all the necessary needs. Men of the family are especially satisfied with their car as placing huge or many objects does not require any effort.

Body style minivan

Body style minivan is very similar to the wagon and many minivans are designed based on station wagon and hatchback. For example, popular van Opel Zafira is created on the basis of the station wagon, Opel Astra.

Minivan is characterized by all the strengths of the station wagon and even they are expressed even more brightly. The capacity of the minivan, even more, trunk allows you to load almost everything your heart desires and many modern models of the minivan are designed with third row of seats. Two additional seats can be a good advantage if you like to travel by car with a big family or group of friends.

Typical minivans are high landing, so some drivers consider this quality as plus, but others think it is a disadvantage, but the fact remains that high landing is safer. At a high landing, a driver has a much better overview and in the event of an accident, the driver, who sits above is in more secure condition. In addition, minivans are safer because they are heavier than conventional cars.

Large minivans are not very convenient when maneuvering or parking, so you should not choose this car to learn driving. Another drawback of a minivan is a high center of gravity, overturn in rotating at a high speed is easier than hatchback, sedan or station wagon. However, if you do not plan to participate in races, this minus can be neglected. Finally, the last disadvantage of minivan type cars as you have already guessed is fuel consumption. As it is heavy, fuel consumption can be twice as much as other types and you may consider this as serious drawback of the model.

Let us remind advantages of minivans again:

• Very large capacity;
• Third-row seats;
• Better safety.

Disadvantages of the body type:

• The center of gravity is higher than another car;
• Increased fuel consumption;
• Quite large dimensions.

Body type SUV (crossover)

Body type SUV (Sport-utility vehicle) is the same as hatchback or station wagon, but much higher and with off-road quality and it is considered as the main advantage of an SUV, compared to other types of bodywork.

To achieve patency, body type SUV differs from a hatchback and station wagon with two mandatory parameters. First, the body of an SUV is always higher than hatchback or station wagon and it is characterized by high seating position. Secondly, SUVs always have larger ground clearance (more than 18-22 cm).

Respectively, the bigger the SUV, the higher its capacity, which is the second advantage of the SUV compared to many types of bodywork which are similar to minivans. As large minivans, large SUVs are equipped with the third row of seats, while on the contrary, compact version of the model has three doors instead of five.

SUVs and crossovers are heavier, higher and longer than regular passenger sedans, station wagons, and hatchbacks and it is a great advantage in terms of safety. On the other hand, SUV is above the center of gravity, that is why they are prone to rollovers. If you need a sports car to drive with high cross capability, it is better to choose not SUV, but one of the crossovers, which are better suited to roads rather than off-roads.

Lastly, due to the large weight of SUVs, they consume a lot of fuel, but in addition, they are usually equipped with four-wheel drive, which further adds, even more, power.

Advantages of SUV body type:

• Increased permeability
• Capacity of the cabin and trunk
• High safety

Disadvantages of an SUV:

• Increased fuel consumption
• Tendency to roll in turns

An SUV is ideal if you need a car high, passable, capacious and safe, but if the main feature for your efficiency and maneuverability, it's best to choose something else.

Body type convertible and roadster

Roadster and convertible are both identical in terms of folding roof. While convertibles are as coupes have two rows of seats, whereas the second row can be very compact. Roadster, on the other hand, has an open top exclusively for couples, where the second row of seats is excluded.

The main advantage of roadster and cabriolet can be attributed to the ability to fold the roof and drive on open air. On the other hand, in the winter, this feature serves as the main drawback of these body types. Driving in the winter on these cars are not comfortable. These cars are very good at the warm climate of the Mediterranean type.

Selecting body type

What kind of cars are better for learning?
If the driving experience is not enough, it is not necessary to immediately buy a large car. It is much better to first select a hatchback or small sedan.

What kind of cars are better for a girl or woman?
Female drivers prefer to select small or middle size cars of A, B or C-classes (such as hatchback), but if they are confident with their experience, then, more safe and passable crossover would be optimal.

What kind of cars are better for guys?
Active young people like stylish rapid crossover, sedan or hatchback of C-class orB-class.

Young guys who try to be solid, they can choose quite a large sedan or SUV. Traditionally, it is believed that men are good at big and powerful cars, and the higher the class, the better to drive. Ideally, this should be a medium or full-sized crossover, SUV or sedan of class C and above.

For large families, better stop the choice of universal, minivan or crossover, preferably larger with third row of seats.

If you intend to transport large loads, then you have to choose between pickup and van, although, if you wish to carry large items and have a solid car, then, quite large items can be accommodated into the cabin of large SUVs and crossovers.

What kind of cars are better for traveling?
Traveling by car requires capacious saloon and trunk that is why people usually buy crossover, SUV, pickup and van.

To actively drive, best option will be hatchback, sedan or crossover. But if the greatest value would be security for you, it's best to choose high and heavy automobiles, for example, full-size crossover/SUV or at least minivan.

Dear friends! This is a short instruction or advice on how to choose the type of vehicle. I sincerely hope that after reading all these, you will understand what you need and will be able to choose the most appropriate type of car body, which will suit you perfectly! Thank you for your attention!

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