Are you ready to cross over to a crossover?

If you are, the line forms to the left, please. Crossover sales are booming and it is one of the strongest segments in the industry.

What makes this segment so hot? Who is the typical customer?

And, just what is a crossover?

A crossover is a vehicle that combines the best attributes of minivans and sport utility vehicles with all the characteristics that we know and love on passenger cars.

They have the room and passenger carrying ability of minivans, along with the usefulness, utility and -- depending on model and customer preference -- the all-wheel-drive systems that characterize SUVs.

And they have the nice ride, secure handling and ease of operation that have been the hallmarks of passenger cars.

Bottom line: Crossovers are designed to combine the best of all worlds.

Buyers for crossovers generally are busy with activities and interests that demand flexibility and they are looking for practicality and a variety of features. They want to be ready for anything, so the vehicles they drive -- crossovers -- have to be ready for anything, too.

Other crossover buyers are people who need room for more than four or five passengers, but they disdain the minivan image, and SUVs are out because SUVs use more gas, and often handle clumsily.

As you can imagine, this is a crowded segment of the auto market, with new entries coming out fast. To make things easier for you, we've divided some of our suggested crossovers into small, medium and large categories. Here they are:

Small Crossovers

Pontiac Vibe, $15,310 - $19,310, 2.4-liter, 158-horsepower four, 20/26 mpg city/highway:

Here's another well-done car from GM. The Vibe is all new this year, and shares its platform, equipment and body with the Toyota Matrix. But it looks a lot better than the Matrix, has a sportier ambiance, and includes GM's "gotta have" OnStar Security and Safety System. Consumers can get full power equipment, automatic, all-wheel drive, traction control and stability control, and lots of other goodies for precious little money. The Vibe is fun to drive, comfortable, well-mannered on the road, and a car you'll love to own.

Medium-sized Crossovers

Hyundai Santa Fe, $20,995 to $29,600, 17/24):

This is another value-packed product from Hyundai that looks and drives like an expensive SUV. It's quiet, well built, stylish, and comes with Hyundai's much-lauded 10-year, 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty. Reliability records are strong, and the interior is attractive and functional. And, you can get a third-row seat at a price far below other manufacturers. It also has an unusually strong list of safety features that are standard, down to side-curtain air bags and traction control and stability control.

Toyota Highlander, $27,300 to $39,950, 18/24, 31/27 (hybrid):

It's got sharp new looks, a highly flexible interior that even allows you to reconfigure the second row using the middle portion that converts into a number of practical uses.

It's got fold-flat seats, lots of safety goodies and plenty of cargo space, too. It's hard to top this one for a family hauler. It's also classy. The biggest thing you need to be aware of with the Highlander is that upper models tend to be pricier than their competitors, and you need to be extremely careful with the options list, or you'll find that you're way over budget.

Dodge Journey, $19,985 to $28,295, 16/23

The Journey is Dodge's chiseled, handsome crossover, the first of its kind for the car maker. It's one of the more ingenious crossovers with all sorts of hidden storage, including bins under the front passenger seat cushion. Also available are integrated child-booster seats, designed to raise the seat about four inches. Power comes from either a 173-horsepower, 2.4-liter four or a 235- horsepower 3.5-liter V-6. It comes in front-wheel or all-wheel drive, as well as five- or seven-passenger versions. The only complaint I've heard is that the Journey's interior has some materials that aren't quite up to snuff.

Ford Edge, $25,330 to $32,070, 15/24:

All of its other sterling qualities aside, the Edge truly ushers in new styling at Ford. The Edge is a much more contemporary looking product than other Ford models, with razor-sharp character lines and a dynamic looking three-bar grille. Its power comes from a 3.5-liter, 265-horsepower V-6, backed by a six-speed automatic. The Edge comes in front-wheel and all-wheel drive, but you can't get a third row seat.

Another strength: High quality. Everything fits beautifully and there aren't rattles and squeaks that you hear with many new cars. Consumer Reports rates its reliability above average. The only issues I had with the Edge was that it feels pretty heavy when you drive it, and some of the bits and pieces of the interior look and feel cheap. Handling is stable, but there is moderate body lean.

Subaru Forester, $19,995 to $29,995, 19/24 to 20/26:

The new Forester has a lot going for it -- an all new platform, much roomier interior, classy new style that looks as though it was influenced by the Tribeca, and additional safety features and convenience items.

The new Forester comes standard with Symmetrical All Wheel Drive.

One of the biggest pluses of the new Forester is that its all new platform provides a 3.6-inch longer wheelbase -- about 103 inches now -- and I'm told that it rides much better and more comfortably as a result.

Mazda CX-7, $23,750 to $28,000, 16/22:

Forward-looking design and strong handling and acceleration make the sleek Mazda CX-7 a real class leader. The ride is more like you'd experience in a decent quality four-door sports sedan, and access to second seats is another strong point. Power comes from a 2.3-liter, 244-horsepower four-cylinder engine.

It also has plenty of room for carrying stuff, and includes a reversible carpet/plastic rear floor panel. The releases for the second-row seats are located right back toward the hatchback opening, making it really easy to lower the seats.

The main challenges in this car involve what some magazines say is an initial lag when the engine is at low speeds, and reliability could stand some improvement, too.

2009 Nissan Murano, $27,830 to $31,930, 20/24:

Nissan Murano has been a leader in the crossover field for years, and Consumer Reports says, it's "one of the better and sportier car-based SUVs we've tested."

The 2009 version has been on the showroom floor for a couple of months now, and the styling is every bit as daring and unique as it was with the first generation. Check out the front end, which really gives the car a 21st century edge.

The 2009 Murano is offered in five models: Murano S FWD, Murano S AWD, Murano SL FWD, Murano SL AWD and a new Murano LE AWD model.

Standard features include intelligent Xtronic CVT(TM), dual-zone air conditioning, power front windows with one-touch auto up/down with auto-reverse feature, push-button ignition, 60/40 split fold-flat rear seat, auxiliary audio input jack, 18-inch wheels and much more.

Power for all Muranos comes from a 5-liter, 265-horsepower V-6 backed by a CVT transmission and adaptive shift control.

Consumer Reports says some issues on the new Murano are a stiff ride, limited rear visibility and the need for premium fuel.

Honda Pilot, $28,395 to $35,645, 15/20:

This popular crossover is the only one I can think of that offers space for eight passengers in the mid-sized crossover segment. The Pilot is a solid, quiet, spacious car with lots of the expected amenities including cup holders and bins. The ride is a bit float-y, but nothing to worry about overall. Controls are fine except for a hard to reach navigation system. And of course, quality and resale value wise, the Pilot can't be beat. My biggest problems with the Pilot was the tiny rear seat with almost no leg room, and the relatively narrow door that you must negotiate to reach the third row. There's also little room for storage behind the third-row seat when it's up.

But the 2009 Pilot is a big improvement over the 2008 model, and both of my concerns have been addressed.

Large Crossovers

Buick Enclave, $32,055 to $36,255, 16/22:

"Drive Beautiful" is Buick's new rallying cry and, judging from the Buick Enclave crossover, they really mean it. This is one gorgeous vehicle. With that shiny Buick grille, voluptuous lines that include a hint of the historic Buick sweepspear, the Enclave shouts its road presence.

It's got an excellent platform that is shared with the GMC Acadia and the Saturn Outlook, but each of those cars (and they are cars, not trucks) has its own distinct styling identity.

The Enclave comes with front-wheel or all-wheel drive versions and CX and CXL: trim lines. It handles beautifully, and is quiet as can be on the road. There are three rows of seats, and every conceivable piece of safety equipment you can imagine. Full power accessories are standard, as is OnStar, traction control and skid control. Power comes from a 3.6-liter, V-6 engine.

Mazda CX-9, $29,595 to $35,250, 16/22:

The CX-9 is one of the most practical of the crossovers you can buy, with an easy, one-step entry system for getting to its spacious third row, wide doors that make entry and exit a snap, and lots of storage space, too. The CX-9 comes in front-wheel and all-wheel drive versions, and Sport, Touring and Grand Touring configurations. For 2008, it got a new 3.7-liter, 273-horsepower V-6 that keeps the fun coming on the road. And, it doesn't hurt that it's gorgeous.

Audi Q7, $42,500 to $58,600, 12/17:

Elegant, capable, and with one of the most beautiful interiors you'll ever see, the Audi Q7 is quite a desirable large crossover. Powered by a 4.2-liter, 350-horsepower V-8, the Q7 has strong brakes, a decent steering system and lots of technology.

The technology includes the optional "Audi Side Assist" system that should be a boon for highway travel and navigating blind spots. It alerts drivers via a flashing light on the driver's side mirror that a car is close enough to make lane changing a bad idea.

Other features include a rear-view camera system that offers drivers some guidance via lines and shaded areas to help them parallel park or back into spaces. Other worthy technology includes a self-locking center differential and quattro all-wheel drive technology, and the ability, if you're going off road. to dial-in the road height.

Concerns? First, there's the poor gas mileage because the Q7, with a weight of 5,465 pounds, is one heavy crossover. Then there's reliability concerns. Consumer Reports rates the Q7 as much worse than average for reliability with problems with the power accessory, electrical and audio systems.

Other crossovers to consider: Pontiac Torrent, Chevy Equinox, Mercedes-Benz R Class, Lincoln MKX, Lexus RX Series, Suzuki SX-4 and many others.