Comparing the Subaru Outback with the Chevy Equinox and Toyota RAV4

It's getting harder to harder to pigeonhole crossovers into categories of small, medium and large these days, as they come in an increasingly wide array of shapes and sizes. Case in point: the Subaru Outback, Chevy Equinox and Toyota RAV4 are three of the most popular crossover models on the market, but each is of a particular type. The Outback is the most non-SUV-looking of the bunch; instead looking - and driving - much more like a traditional station wagon. The Equinox is dimensionally the largest, but is still smaller than a traditional midsize SUV. And the RAV4 has an SUV shape, but falls into the compact crossover category.

Yet for anyone looking for a crossover with serious off-road, bad-weather capability, only the wagon-like Subaru Outback features standard symmetrical all-wheel drive, for which the automaker has become legendary, as well as a whopping 8.7 inches of ground clearance. While the Equinox and the RAV4 are available with all-wheel drive, in each case it's an expensive option.

Let's take a look at other ways these vehicles compare.