How is ground clearance measured?

Question

I have a 2002 Honda Accord, which has a stated ground clearance of 6.2 inches. I am looking to replace it with a small SUV/crossover and was looking at a Hyundai Tucson. But when I google the specs I see the ground clearance reported as 6.4 inches - a mere 0.2 inches higher than my Accord. Yet the Tuscon appears to be visibly higher than the Accord!

So how is the ground clearance typically measured? And is it just my perception that in this case the Tuscon should have more ground clearance than my Accord?

Images from Hyundai and Autoblog

Answer 1

Ultimately it may not matter how it's measured. If you have a certain application in mind you should probably just get a look under each type and see what kind of clearance it has. The low point may be on the suspension near the wheels, but it may also be closer to the center. Consider that many lifted 4x4s have the low point at the differential housing in the center of the axle, but may have a few more inches on either side that would effectively allow them to clear an obstacle taller than their "official" maximum clearance point.

Also consider that in practical terms you may be more likely to encounter a poor road with a lot of potholes/divots than one with large obstructions. In that case low points nearer to the wheel are less important because they will still clear when the wheel enters the hole, and it's components more near the center that potentially can hit on the edge of the hole.

Answer 2

It will usually be the suspension components at the wheels - they tend to be similar until you get to larger wheels...

So, the lower arm ball joint or king pin joint is the most likely candidate, while you can jack a car up, the suspension "droops" until it reaches maximum travel. Given that some cars have different wheels, the offset of the wheel can also make a difference - some are deep enough to have that king pin joint inside the inner edge of the wheel, so a different point then becomes the lowest..

The difference for 4x4 is that they may only have 8" clearance to a given low point of the suspension but the available movement for the wheel compared to the body can be so much more - 20 or 22" and on custom ones even more. Which is why it is so impressive to see the "axle twisters" in the 4x4 competitions...