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SUVs vs. Minivans: Making The Right Choice
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by:
Tom McKnight
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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
Circulated by Article Emporium
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