[prince_pervez]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

It depends on roads. If you are doing expressway travel or good road travel like NH1 GQ etc., a modern sedan will allow you to comfortably cruise at higher speeds.
But if roads are broken, in an SUV you will go faster over potholes etc.,

with what has been said. Under very ideal conditions (read good roads perfect weather ) then it all depends of vehicle specs and driver skills. So there are many parameters to decide on which one would be faster.

[gkrishk]

Travelling from Trivandrum to Bangalore and back last month in my diesel Octavia I noticed many Scorpios and Taveras, mostly taxis. Its probably driver-dependent but they all tend to ride fast and rough over bad roads and speed breakers when I slowed down to a crawl (I want to keep my car's suspension in good condition-Skoda spares are expensive!). On long smooth segments and in the hill roads they were no match for me. By the way I am a sedate driver never going above 120 but maintain a cruising speed of 100, road conditions permitting. The Safaris I saw were quite slow.

[JVH]

SUVs are not exactly bought for cruising fast on highways. It is more due to the size, comfort and the presence they offer.

It is quite debatable actually, the deciding factors being driving skills, roads, twists and turns.

[rajshenoy]

Considering the state of Indian roads(Atleast here in Karnataka) SUV is definitely faster compared to Sedans(Just because you dont have to worry about that bad road)

My opinion wont change till our Govt improves our roads first

[gpa]

My vote would go to the sedans. They can maintain a much higher average speed when compared to SUVs on the highway. The times gained by SUVs on bad roads can be eclipsed by sedans when on a good stretch of road as the cruising speed is much higher.

[greenhorn]

my vote for SUV. I like to keep my speeds constant. slowing down for bad roads and speeding up on good ones is still not too much fun, and there is the added risk of accidents.
In india, where bad roads > good ones, SUV's win

[musicmanaman]

Totally depends on Road conditions, if the roads are good, the sedans will be ahead, if roads are bad (which is the case in our country) SUV's will b ahead.

[unni.ak]

There are too many variables involved to give a Yes or No answer to this. Road condtions, driver mindset, vehicle condition etc etc.

[SCH]

I think the Sedans are any day faster than the SUV's on the highway. The CG is much better in Sedans and hence the roadgrip.

[Ardy]

IMHO, on a Flat out surface, its going to be a Sedan.

But on a rough terrain, SUV would be one faster.

[D.V.R]

On a crowded highway like Hyderabad-Vijaywada on which I travel regularly a part of it about 120 kms, the faster SX4 takes 2and a half hours the Pajero covers it in only 2 hours .The driving pattern is the same for both.The advantage in Pajero is slower traffic tends to give way,but while in the SX4 I just get bullied by other bigger vehicles .The driving confidence is more while in the pajero as you're seated higher and the oncoming traffic high beams don't disturb much.

[Samurai]

In my part of the country, there is no dispute about who is king.

[greenhorn]

mods, can we have a poll added to this ?

[1100D]

In an SUV you sit higher up, gives you better (read further) visibility and that alone lets you confidently and comfortably cruise at a higher speed than the speed you would cruise at in a sedan.

Moreover if the road conditions could also be an impediment for the lower sedans which might force them to slow down.

Hence, even if a particular sedan might win the side-by-side drag with a particular SUV handsdown on a smooth tarmac (straight or curvy), an SUV is most likely to reach its destination faster if both are driven within the same safety considerations of the driver. However we cannot say for sure who will win the result of throw-caution-to-the-wind driving.

[suman]

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

Though at straight lines the sedans have the edge, when it comes to the curves and bends, the Endy with its big Continental tyres provides a better grip thereby by not letting the speed to go down. Also breaking is top notch which gives an option of late breaking.

For a moment, when I saw late breaking & overtaking, I thought we were discussing F1. On a serious note, I'm not sure if I agree that a SUV handles better than a sedan on curves & bends, my experience has been otherwise. But TEHO. I think I agree with the two posts below, my personal experience has been similar -

Originally Posted by D.V.R

The advantage in Pajero is slower traffic tends to give way,but while in the SX4 I just get bullied by other bigger vehicles .The driving confidence is more while in the pajero as you're seated higher and the oncoming traffic high beams don't disturb much.

Originally Posted by 1100D

In an SUV you sit higher up, gives you better (read further) visibility and that alone lets you confidently and comfortably cruise at a higher speed than the speed you would cruise at in a sedan.

Moreover if the road conditions could also be an impediment for the lower sedans which might force them to slow down.