4 Reasons Minivans Beat Three-Row SUVs for Larger Families
Three-row SUVs have exploded in popularity in recent years; as well as offering seating for up to eight, they can head off-road or drive confidently in adverse weather conditions, and most people think they look pretty cool. The popularity of the three-row SUV has somewhat eroded the appeal of the minivan. However, not many drivers actually require the capability that comes with an SUV. For most people with larger families, a minivan will be a far superior option, and here are just four reasons why.
1. Sliding Doors
Sliding doors are one of the defining features of the minivan body style, and people often fail to appreciate just how useful they can be, especially since many new and used models come with a power sliding feature. If you have a growing family, you don't want to fumble around finding the door handle when you have a baby in your arms and a bag around your shoulder; hitting a button to have the doors open automatically is far easier. If you're in a parking lot and you need to slip in between two other vehicles, you don't want to have to worry about your kids opening their doors and slamming against another car.
2. Lower Height
SUVs are built tall because they need to offer maximum ground clearance, so younger children might not even be able to reach their door handles. Even worse, they might find it hard to get in. For teenagers and adults, it can be fun climbing up into an SUV, but it's not nearly as fun having to boost up your younger children so they can get inside. With a minivan, the floor of the cabin will be very close to the ground. You won't be able to head across boulder fields, but your kids will at least be able to get inside without a fuss.
3. Larger Dimensions
Yes, many three-row SUVs can provide seating for eight. However, that doesn't mean that they can provide comfortable seating for eight. In most three-row SUVs, the third row is only really designed to handle smaller people. Minivans are built with superior knee and footwell space across all rows, so everyone will be able to sit inside during longer journeys without feeling cramped. Cargo room will also be superior in a minivan.
4. Efficiency
Even though most owners will never take theirs off-road, three-row SUVs are still generally built to head into the backcountry. This means that they usually get more powerful engines as standard, and the body of the vehicle will typically be heavier. With more power and weight, three-row SUVs are usually incredibly inefficient. Of course, minivans are never going to rival subcompacts and hatchbacks in terms of fuel economy, but they do tend to fare better than SUVs, and every cent counts for those with larger families.
When looking at used cars to suit your family, keep the above points in mind.
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