The term "body style" is an all-encompassing label used to describe the size, shape, and characteristics of a vehicle. For example, sedans and pickup trucks are two popular vehicle body styles in the United States. At Car and Driver, we separate vehicles into eight primary body styles, making them easier to categorize (and easier for you to shop).
Within those eight broad body styles are a host of different variations that get even more specific. Size is one of the most important distinctions. We typically categorize vehicles in the following sizes, listed in increasing order: subcompact, compact, mid-size, and full-size. There are also differences in luxury vehicles versus non-luxury vehicles, and some vehicles that defy categorization altogether. Not sure where the car you’re interested in fits? We've broken down all of the main vehicle types and their subcategories to help you understand the body style basics.
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Sedans
Sedans are what most people picture when they think of a traditional passenger car. Sedans have four doors and incorporate a three-box design (jargon for a design with a distinct hood, passenger compartment, and trunk). Sedans come in multiple types and sizes, ranging from fuel-efficient and small compact to luxurious and large full-size options.
Subcompact Sedans
The smallest sedans in the U.S. are subcompact in size. Among non-luxury options, there are no sedans remaining in this segment, as automakers have dropped these entry-level options. The luxury subcompact segment is more flush with options. This subset includes the Audi A3 and Mercedes CLA-class.
Compact Sedans
Compact sedans are larger than subcompacts but smaller than mid-size models. Both mainstream and luxury options abound. In either form, compacts tend to offer reasonable space for cargo and people, though taller individuals may find these models’ rear seat room a bit too confining. The Honda Civic is a benchmark of the mainstream compact segment, as it expertly blends a reasonably roomy rear seat and trunk with enjoyable driving dynamics for a reasonable price. It’s why the model’s practically a regular on our 10Best Cars.
Mid-Size Sedans
Mid-size sedans tend to sacrifice some of the driving enjoyment of their compact kin for additional rear seat and cargo space. These machines are perfect for those who regularly carry passengers or haul various items. The best mid-size sedans afford this extra versatility with only a marginal hit to behind-the-wheel joy. This includes the 10Best-winning Honda Accord in the mainstream segment and vehicles such as the BMW 5-series in the mid-size luxury segment.
Full-Size Sedans
Full-size sedans these days are the flagship models in a brand’s lineup. Only luxury-badged full-size sedans remain, as previous mainstream full-size options such as the Ford Taurus were discontinued years ago. The luxurious Mercedes-Benz S-class is a prime example of the category. Such sedans tend to emphasize a comfortable ride and loads of rear seat space above all else.
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Sports Sedans
Sports sedans come in subcompact, compact, mid-size, and full-size forms. These models tend to be high-performance variants of more run-of-the-mill models, though some may argue that a number of these “run-of-the-mill” options are sports sedans in and of themselves. For instance, the subcompact Cadillac CT4 and compact Cadillac CT5 feature engaging rear-drive dynamics that arguably make these sedans worthy of the title. However, we limit the sports sedan designation to the models' truly sporty 10Best-winning CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing variants.
Sport-Utility Vehicles (SUVs)
Sport utility vehicles, better known as SUVs, are the most popular vehicle type in the United States. This is in large part due to their versatility. Most SUVs offer generous space in the cabin and cargo area. They’re also offered in a variety of forms, from wagon-like crossover SUVs to hardcore off-road ones. Some are even capable of holding their own on the track.
Subcompact SUVs
Subcompact SUVs are the smallest of the breed. These typically inexpensive SUVs (relatively speaking, of course) often offer middling room for rear seat passengers or cargo, but do include the higher seating position and extra ground clearance that SUVs are associated with. Like their sedan stablemates, these models are available in both mainstream and luxury guises. While some subcompact SUVs feel more like penalty boxes, others, such as the 10Best-winning Chevrolet Trax, do a great job of making these entry-level machines feel anything but.
Compact SUVs
Compact SUVs—for example, the 10Best-winning Honda CR-V,—are effectively modern-day station wagons, combining reasonable rear seat and cargo space with a manageably sized footprint. Most mainstream compact SUVs are relatively affordable, and the best examples offer a versatile interior in a reasonably fun-to-drive package. On the other end of the spectrum, the 10Best-winning Porsche Macan trades interior space and versatility for dynamics that rival those of the best sports cars. In between sit luxury compact SUVs like the Genesis GV70, which combine luxurious wares with a comfortable ride and a generally playful chassis for once the roads start to turn.
Mid-Size SUVs
Mid-size SUVs often have more passenger and cargo space. They also tend to offer a more premium feel, though both mainstream and luxury options are available. Some mid-size models offer just two rows of seats; while these choices offer the same five-passenger seating capacity as compact SUVs in most cases they have more space behind the rear seats for cargo when compared with a compact SUV. A prime example of a two-row, mid-size SUV is the Honda Passport.
Many mid-size SUVs are available with three rows of seats, providing seating for six, seven, or eight passengers depending on the configuration. The 10Best-winning Kia Telluride exemplifies the mid-size three-row category.
Full-Size SUVs
Full-size SUVs take advantage of their substantial dimensions, providing generous space for passengers and their stuff, as well as formidable towing capabilities. General Motors' Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon are two notable examples.
Crossover SUVs
Crossover SUVs are available in all shapes and sizes, and many of the models we’ve already discussed are categorized as crossovers. Unlike traditional SUVs, which ride on truck-like body-on-frame underpinnings, crossover SUVs including the Honda CR-V use car-like unibody construction. The result is a vehicle that looks like an SUV (and in some instances, performs as well as an SUV—such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Land Rover Discovery) and offers the high seating position and—typically—the ground clearance of an SUV, but combines the maneuverability and ride comfort typically associated with cars.
Hatchbacks
Unlike traditional passenger cars that have a separate trunk around back, hatchbacks combine the passenger compartment and cargo hold into one continuous area. In place of a trunk lid, hatchbacks have a flip-up tailgate, called a "hatch," that can be raised to expose a large storage compartment behind the seats. Hatchbacks typically have either two or four passenger doors plus the hatch, which automakers often classify as an additional door.
The appeal of a rear hatch is rooted in practicality, and that is exactly what traditional hatchbacks are known for. Some models, like the Honda Civic, come in both sedan and hatchback body styles, the latter affording additional cargo volume.
Hot Hatchbacks
Hot hatchbacks inject some adrenaline into the traditional hatchback formula. Models like the Volkswagen Golf R and Honda Civic Type R are fitted with potent engines and other go-fast features while retaining a rear hatch. That combination makes them equally usable for hefty grocery store runs and weekend track days.
Coupes
Like sedans, coupes feature a three-box form. Unlike sedans, which feature four doors, coupes come with just two. Coupes tend to prioritize style over practicality, with attractive sloping roofs and limited rear passenger space.
Performance Coupes
Performance coupes sacrifice nearly everything in the name of high speeds and engaging handling. Two-seat sports cars like the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 911 GT3 RS also fall into the performance-coupe category, with mighty engines and sleek body lines being key pillars of the segment.
Luxury Coupes
Luxury coupes take the two-door body style and up the extravagance with opulent cabins and high price tags. The Bentley Continental GT is an exemplar of the luxury-coupe class with quilted leather upholstery and sleek bodywork that oozes style.
Nontraditional Coupes
In recent years, some automakers have started calling vehicles with sloping rooflines coupes, regardless of their door count or size. The Mercedes CLA-class is an example of a model that is marketed as a four-door coupe. Even some four-door SUVs, such as the BMW iX4, are sold as coupes despite the obvious contradictions.
Convertibles
Convertibles, often called droptops, feature a roof that folds (or drops) away into a compartment behind the passenger compartment for an unfettered view of the sky while cruising. Most convertibles have just two doors, but four-door options do exist. Some convertibles have electrically operated tops that tuck away at the push of a button, while others require the roof to be folded away and raised manually.
Softtop Convertibles
Softtop convertibles lack a solid roof and feature a canvas or fabric lid instead. These convertibles tend to weigh less than their hardtop-convertible counterparts.
Hardtop Convertibles
Instead of using a soft material for the roof, hardtop convertibles feature hard body panels for a roof, which can be folded away—typically at the push of a button, as on the Chevrolet Corvette. Such a setup affords owners the benefits of open-air driving while allowing for additional protection from the elements with the roof in place, including outside noises.
Wagons
Station wagons are a dying breed. Though they wear a similar shape to many squarebacked SUVs and crossovers, these typically lower-riding machines often share styling fore of the B-pillar (or from the front door forward) with an equivalent sedan in an automaker’s lineup. With no separate trunk and little to no peak in their roofline, station wagons offer a large and versatile cargo hold for hauling items of all sizes.
Luxury Station Wagons
Luxury station wagons combine the niceties of an automaker's equivalent sedan and pair it with a more cargo-friendly wagon form.
Crossover Station Wagons
Crossover station wagons, for instance the Audi A6 Allroad, take the basic wagon form and add a bit of (typically pseudo) off-road kit. This normally comes courtesy of unpainted plastic fascias and fender flares, a suspension lift, and standard all-wheel drive. Though these station wagons cannot replace a proper body-on-frame SUV with four-wheel drive off-road, they are capable of handling light off-tarmac terrains.
Pickup Trucks
Pickup trucks are high-riding, utility-focused vehicles that feature a front passenger compartment (known as a "cab") and an open cargo bed in the rear. Most trucks offer some form of all-wheel drive system to improve their off-road and rough-weather capabilities. Pickups range in size from the compact and economical to big and heavy-duty.
Compact Pickup Trucks
Compact pickup trucks trade expansive cargo bed space for efficiency and versatility. While models like the 10Best-winning Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz only have enough space in the back for hauling small loads, their small form factor and efficient engines grant them easy maneuverability and relatively impressive fuel economy.