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SUVs, Cars and Vans – Oh My!
Choosing the Perfect Family Vehicle
By Jessica Woods
According to Sanchez, he hears that same sentiment from a lot of SUV owners. "They feel safer," he says. "[SUV drivers] feel good in something high and big."
According to information provided by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, "The laws of physics dictate that, all else being equal, larger and heavier vehicles are safer than smaller and lighter ones."
For Johnson, with the combination of commuting to work each day, shuttling her four kids (three of them boys ages 15, 11 and 7) to practices and regular trips to their cabin in the mountains, the large SUV was the answer for her family. "I guess the main reasons we chose the SUV were safety, the four-wheel drive and the extra seating, and the DVD player is great for the kids on long trips in the car!" she says.
What's the bottom line? An SUV offers larger families more space and a feeling of security on the road. With the addition of third-row seating in most full-sized SUVs, seating eight passengers is no longer a luxury. While good gas mileage isn't something the SUV is known for, owners are often willing to pay more at the pump in order to feel safer on the road.
Although the thought of buying a new car can be intimidating – on many levels – if you take the time to carefully and realistically consider your family's needs and do some homework before you go, chances are you'll drive away happy.
