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 its measure 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 absolutely need to look at how the vehicles styling, fuel economy, passenger and cargo space, towing capacity, and safety will suit your familys needs and lifestyle.

Styling

More than a matter of positive need , a vehicles 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 wouldnt be caught dead stepping out of a minivan, so if youd be using the vehicle mainly to drop off and pick up your adolescent children from school, youd have to ponder 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 contruct 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 youre 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 might be a delight to young kids. Unlike SUVs, minivans also have a low step-in height, so theyre easier for kids to climb into. Minivans large photo windows afford young passengers a better view of the passing scenery, therefore keeping your impatient young ones amused for a workable 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 contruct an appropriate choice. SUVs have superior towing capacities, enabling them to pull practically anything between a trailer and a small boat. Otherwise, if youre only schlepping groceries and your kids soccer team, then theres 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 visitors 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.