THE WORLD AS IT TRULY IS...

…a fascinating map that labels each state with an entire country which has a GDP of equivalent size. Astounding….Nigeria, with 132 million people and vast oil reserves, has an economy no bigger than Hawaii’s. Washington, DC alone has an economy the size of New Zealand’s. Dave.

What is a crossover?

What is a crossover?
Before looking at the newest vehicle to wear the Blue Oval, let's define what, exactly, a crossover is. A crossover is an SUV built on a car or minivan chassis instead of a truck-based platform. Trucks traditionally have separate frames with bodies placed upon the frames. Cars and minivans overwhelmingly feature a structure that combines the frame and body into one unit (often called a unibody) that is significantly lighter. The non-truck chassis helps these vehicles deliver carlike ride. The larger size of the crossover offers passenger and cargo capabilities that traditional sedans and station wagons can't match.

Names will help define the breed: The first was Toyota's 1996 RAV4, followed by a flood of others including Pontiac's ill-fated Aztek, Chevrolet's popular Equinox, Honda's Pilot and CR-V, and Ford's own Freestyle and segment-leading Escape. These Fords further illustrate the two main categories of crossovers, those that look more like tall station wagons and those that look like downsized trucks. For 2006, there are some 50 crossovers to choose from.

Uros, did you remember those photos??? Good old days :)

Urfa & nite...

Ismail - our tour guide :)

Balikli Gol in Sanliurfa, Turkey.