The Better Family Vehicle: a Minivan, an SUV, or a Crossover?

by jburney on January 7, 2010

A few years ago, things were much simpler. Take your pick: a Minivan or an SUV. As car companies began to introduce the Crossover, decisions became that much more difficult. By combining the desirable traits of both minivans and sport utility vehicles, crossovers have become very attractive to those in the market for a family car. When it comes to the decision making process, we can’t cure that headache of yours, but we help ease it by taking a look at what each product has to offer:

Minivan

The minivan is a very traditional option; it’s a vehicle that offers maximum versatility for the family says Nissan dealers Puyallup. Sorry to say, what you see is not the most exciting. The big complaint: it a minivan. No matter how practical your family’s minivan is, as an owner of a minivan, you are automatically a member of the infamous “soccer mom” group – welcome. The pros of a minivan include: the space for up to 7 passengers, lots of storage room, easy loading and unloading, automatic opening and closing doors, and most importantly, their generally high safety ratings.

SUV

The more modern, popular option is an SUV. Of course all depends on the size of your family and what you need the vehicle for, but different models of SUVs can seat anywhere from 5 to 8 passengers at one time. Another positive is the towing capabilities, all the while maintaining a cool look. On the other hand, customers visiting Toyota dealerships Brockton see that the seating arrangements can be looked at as a con. Between 5 and 8 seats is competitive with a minivan, sure, but are you able to fork out the money for those additional seats? A base model Ford Expedition, for example, can cost you a minimum of $33,000 whereas the price for a Honda Odyssey begins at around $26,000. By owning an SUV – that is not a hybrid – you are bound to get poor gas mileage. It costs to be fashionable! When buying an SUV, people must ask themselves, “Is this vehicle a necessity, or a luxury?”

Crossover

This is where the decision making process becomes more complicated. There is not just one type of crossover. A crossover can be a minivan/SUV, a minivan/wagon, or a SUV/wagon combination. Honda recently introduced the Accord Crosstour which is an SUV built on an Accord’s platform. A V6 crossover, an Accord platform, and over 250 HP? Sounds like Honda were looking to combine the reliability and safety of the Accord with the power, sport, and convenience of a part luxury and part sporty SUV. In its own new category, the crossover is offered by many makers; Porsche has the Cayenne and Mercedes has the GL, GLK, ML, and R, and now Honda has the Accord Crosstour. The crossovers are out there, you just have to know what you want and need. At used cars Fort Worth dealerships, pre-owned crossovers from Honda and other import brands are among the best sellers thanks to their power, versatility, and safety.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference says Westborough Infiniti. Depending on your family’s needs, wants, habits, hobbies, and income you will need to make a decision. For some, practicality is most important. For others, their appearance matters most. But for the majority of the people in the market, there is a lot of crossover.

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