What cars have a unibody frame?
Most modern passenger cars, crossovers, and many sport-utility vehicles use unibody construction, where the body and frame form a single integrated shell. In practice, this means the vast majority of everyday vehicles on the road today are built this way. Representative examples include the Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Tesla Model 3, and Toyota RAV4.
What unibody construction is and why it matters
Unibody, short for "unitized body," combines the vehicle’s structural shell with its chassis into one continuous structure. This design typically yields lighter weight, improved fuel efficiency, enhanced crash protection, and smoother ride quality compared with traditional body-on-frame designs. It also enables flexible platform engineering, allowing many models to share common components across varied body styles.
Vehicles that commonly use unibody construction
Below are representative categories of vehicles that almost universally rely on unibody frames, along with typical examples you’re likely to encounter on streets and highways.
- Compact cars and hatchbacks:
- Toyota Corolla
- Honda Civic
- Mazda3
- Hyundai Elantra
- Midsize and larger passenger cars:
- Toyota Camry
- Honda Accord
- Nissan Altima
- Hyundai Sonata
- Luxury and performance sedans/SUVs:
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class
- BMW 5 Series
- Audi A6
- Lexus ES
- Electric vehicles and modern crossovers:
- Tesla Model 3
- Tesla Model Y
- Hyundai Ioniq 5
- Nissan Leaf
- Crossovers and SUVs (most models in these segments use unibody):
- Toyota RAV4
- Honda CR-V
- Ford Escape
- Hyundai Santa Fe
- Kia Sorento
- Subaru Outback
- Nissan Rogue
Across these categories, unibody construction facilitates efficient manufacturing, balanced ride and handling, and strong crash performance across a wide range of vehicle sizes and purposes.
Notable exceptions: body-on-frame still used in some vehicles
While unibody dominates the mass market for cars, some vehicles—especially certain trucks and traditional off-road SUVs—continue to use body-on-frame or ladder-frame designs. These configurations favor severe-duty towing, off-road durability, or heavy payloads in some applications, though they can trade off ride comfort and efficiency.
Examples of body-on-frame vehicles
Some well-known body-on-frame models include the following full-size pickups and off-road-focused SUVs. These platforms tend to be favored for towing and rugged off-road use.
- Ford F-Series (e.g., F-150)
- Chevrolet Silverado
- GMC Sierra
- Ram 1500
- Toyota Land Cruiser (current generations)
- Toyota 4Runner
- Jeep Wrangler
- Ford Bronco
- Chevrolet Tahoe / Suburban
- GMC Yukon / Cadillac Escalade
In practice, the choice between unibody and body-on-frame matters for capabilities, repair considerations, and efficiency. The vast majority of daily drivers, families, and urban-to-suburban commuters rely on unibody designs, while work trucks and dedicated off-roaders may still prefer the durability of a body-on-frame platform.
Summary
Today’s automotive market is overwhelmingly unibody. Virtually all modern sedans, hatchbacks, most SUVs and crossovers, and many electric vehicles use unibody construction for efficiency, safety, and ride quality. The main exceptions are traditional body-on-frame pickups and some large or off-road-focused SUVs that retain chassis designs optimized for heavy towing and rugged terrain. As platforms continue to evolve, unibody remains the foundation for the vast majority of the driving public’s choices.
