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following article may be of interest.
SUVs vs. Minivans: Making The Right Choice
by Tom McKnight
Has your family started to cram into the old sedan like
a pack of sardines? Have members of the neighborhood car
pool begun to look suspiciously at your battered station
wagon? Perhaps it's time to retire the old family car
and move up to a bigger vehicle. Often, the choice for a
more spacious family vehicle is a toss-up between a
sport utility vehicle (SUV) and a minivan.
Both offer flexible passenger and cargo areas,
comfortable seating for five to eight persons, and
rear-seat entertainment systems. Although the SUV has a
slightly higher risk for rollovers than minivans do,
both are equipped with similar safety features, such as
air bags and anti-lock brake systems. So, which one
deserves to park in your family garage? To come up with
the right choice, you need to look at how the vehicle's
styling, fuel economy, passenger and cargo space, towing
capacity, and safety will suit your family's needs and
lifestyle.
Styling
More than a matter of need, a vehicle's styling is a
matter of personal preference. The SUV usually wins out
over the minivan when it comes to appearance. With its
rugged, sporty styling, an SUV oozes urban cool, unlike
the minivan, which is perpetually associated with soccer
moms and suburban neighborhood carpools. Most men would
recoil at the thought of driving a minivan, so if your
husband would be sharing driving duties, you might have
to talk it out with him. Likewise, many teenagers
wouldn't be caught dead stepping out of a minivan, so if
you'd be using the vehicle mainly to drop off and pick
up your adolescent children from school, you'd have to
consider their preferences, too.
Fuel economy
Minivans give better mileage than SUVs, which have a
reputation for being gas guzzlers. If you want to
squeeze more miles out of the gasoline tank, then a
minivan would make a more economic choice than an SUV.
Other ownership costs, such as maintenance and
insurance, also tend to be higher for SUVs than
minivans. Unless you're willing to pay the price for
being cool and stylish, the practical minivan is the way
to go.
Passenger and cargo space
Sport utility vehicles and minivans have comparable
passenger and cargo space, but the roomy interiors of a
minivan can be a delight to young kids. Unlike SUVs,
minivans also have a low step-in height, so they're
easier for kids to climb into. Minivans' large picture
windows afford young passengers a better view of the
passing scenery, therefore keeping your impatient young
ones amused for a good part of the ride.
Towing capacity
If you own a boat and like to take the entire brood for
weekend sailing retreats, then an SUV would make an
appropriate choice. SUVs have superior towing
capacities, enabling them to pull practically anything
between a trailer and a small boat. Otherwise, if you're
only schlepping groceries and your kid's soccer team,
then there's no reason to overlook the minivan.
Safety
Although both have comparable safety features, SUVs have
a higher rollover risk than minivans. SUV devotees
counter this by pointing out that rollovers account for
only three percent of all traffic accidents and claiming
that SUVs offer excellent passenger protection in
two-car collisions. It remains to be seen whether this
supposed collision safety factor outweighs the risk of
rollovers. If the threat of rollover accidents keeps you
awake at night, then a minivan could give you a little
peace of mind.
About the Author
Tom McKnight is a freelance author and Ford Mustang
enthusiast who writes articles for
http://www.Mustang-Shopper.com |
