What car should you choose to transport your family?
What car should you choose to transport your family?
Transporting our families is important and it used to be the job of stalwart minivans like the Chrysler Voyager. But just reading a Toyota RAV4 or Kia Telluride review will demonstrate that there is far more to the modern family car than the default minivan choices of the ’80s and ’90s. If a normal sedan or wagon isn’t big enough, you now have far more to choose from besides minivans or MPVs. But which car is the best for your family?
Determine Your Needs
First of all, what are the most important things the family car of your choice should be able to do? Here are a few possible questions you could ask as a starting point to determine what type of car your family needs:
- How many people at a time do I typically have to transport?
- How much cargo space do I need?
- What type of roads must I traverse?
- What size restrictions or requirements apply, e.g. width or height?
- Must the vehicle be able to tow?
- What family-friendly features do you need?
Key factors here that will directly affect the vehicle you choose will be whether you will have a maximum of five or more passengers in the vehicle on a regular basis and what abilities the car should have, like being able to drive on bad roads or be able to tow. Answering these questions will quickly reduce your options to a few ideal vehicles, making it easier to choose.
The Types Of Family Cars
As we’ve mentioned before, you are certainly spoilt for choice. We have classified family cars into four main categories:
- The traditional sedan. Although it’s a dying breed, some people want nothing more than a normal sedan like a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. For two parents and a maximum of two children, a normal sedan with a large trunk is still the ideal choice, especially if there are no special requirements such as off-road ability or having to tow heavy rigs. Just keep in mind that a sedan is not multi-talented and that you should be fine with these limitations because they cannot be changed.
- Compact crossover SUV. The car that is responsible for mostly displacing the sedan, the compact crossover is the top-selling vehicle type in the USA after trucks. They have a smaller footprint than a traditional sedan, but similar or more interior space thanks to their height advantage. They are also very configurable and thanks to the rear tailgate, large objects can be fitted in with the back seat folded. Having better ground clearance than a sedan, they can traverse worse roads too and go camping. Typical vehicles in the class include the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Chevrolet Equinox, Lincoln Corsair, and Ford Escape.
- Minivan/MPV. US manufacturers have all but given up on the minivan, with only Chrysler still offering them in the shape of the Pacifica and the ancient Voyager. There are a few Japanese and Korean models still on offer too, notably the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, and new Kia Carnival. Minivans are huge inside, with lots of space for people and luggage, but most are low-riding and can only drive on good roads. The in-betweener Kia Carnival is an interesting MPV, with more rugged styling than the typical MPV or minivan.
- SUV. We oversimplified it a little because there are simply so many cars under the ‘SUV’ banner. The typical mid-size crossover SUV has five seats and 2WD, usually with AWD as an option. As we progress up the size ladder, an additional row of seats may become available, as well as high-horsepower models with large engine options and plenty of performance. The full-size SUV tops out with enormous three-row models that can accommodate up to eight passengers, carry lots of luggage, and tow big rigs. Keep in mind that big SUVs’ fuel economy is usually terrible. You don’t buy them for good gas mileage.
Some Popular Family Cars
America’s top-selling vehicles are all trucks. These are, in order of popularity, the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, and Ram. They are often used as family vehicles, especially in their dual-cab configurations. SUVs are compact five-seater crossovers – the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. The Ford Explorer is notable for being the top-selling mid-size SUV, and it faces stiff competition from newer contenders like the Kia Telluride, which has made a big splash in the US. It was the 2020 World Car of the Year and MotorTrends 2020 SUV of the year. The minivan still occupies a relatively popular niche, though, and 2020’s top-selling minivan in the US was the Chrysler Pacifica with 93,802 units sold.
Conclusion
However, Americans still love their sedans and if you want nothing more than the classic three-box sedan design, you’re in good company. In fact, the Toyota Camry is still the top-selling sedan in the US, having sold more than 294,000 units in 2020. The most important thing is to know what you want from your family car and how much you are willing to spend on it. Not everybody wants or needs a full-size SUV and that’s fine. This useful guide should help you decide what you need more easily.
Differences In Maintenance: Gasoline Vs. Diesel Vehicles, was provided by Powerhouse Diesel
