What features to look into SUV’s?

Are you looking for to upgrade your family car? For many, SUV’s (sport utility vehicle) can be a very bright option to consider. SUV’s are very popular vehicles these days and also are the first choice for many families over other types of vehicles that are in the market. However, the availability of SUV’s from many car manufacturers can make things very difficult for the normal customer to make the right choice. Choosing the right SUV actually depends on a number of factors too. These are basically related to the vehicle itself and quite a handful of them are also related to your needs. So basically, it is always a very good option to go through a number of factors and carefully examine stuff before you opt for the vehicle of your choice. This gives you an even chance to make the right pick, because an SUV is not something that can be exchanged after it has been bought. Therefore some of the factors that you should carefully tread through before you happen to buy an SUV are –

Choice of Manufacturer –

While there are numerous car manufacturers in this market segment, one often has a preference for a certain manufacturer. This may well have nothing to do with the detailed specifications of the SUV, but that opinion you have about a certain manufacturer. Therefore, if you feel like you have always wanted to own a vehicle of a certain manufacturer, it should duly be considered. The satisfaction of the mind plays a major role in rating a purchase as a success, so there is pretty much nothing wrong even you limit yourself to a certain manufacturers SUVs only.

Your needs –

The SUV that you are going to opt for must also suit your needs. Your needs can be classified as for what purpose do you plan to use the SUV. For example, you could buy it as a family vehicle or as a vehicle that you shall operate for distance travelling, while some may even be ply them for business purposes entirely. Thus, according to your needs, you will know exactly what features to look into Suv when you are planning a purchase.

Budget –

The price of the vehicle is something that is always needed to be considered. The price not only includes the original price of the vehicle but also many other important factors. These factors play a major role in the overall expenditure on the vehicle too. The cost of SUVs is generally pretty high, and almost most people who buy them opt for some kind of financial help in this regard. The entry level SUVs are ones that are roughly priced at around $20,000. That itself is quite an amount. Then there are luxury SUVs that come at around $32,000. The best SUVs in their ranges can even be priced as much as or over $100,000.

SUV Comparison Chart

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It is highly improbable that one would bear the burden himself while buying an SUV. Therefore, it is important for the interested party to arrange for a loan of some sort. Often there are financers who are ready to offer you help on this front. Then there are banks that that could offer you car loans. However, these are also dependent on the tax files you have maintained. Also, sometimes it is possible that many of these financial bodies will actually charge you very high interest rates on the loaned amount. So you will also need to consider that. Then there are other expenses that come in the form car insurance, yearly service and maintenance, etc. All of this must be well taken note of. Thus, you can basically see why considering the financial side of things is a very important thing to do before you make a high expense purchase like an SUV.

Size –

The size of the SUV basically depends on the needs of the buyer, and is another feature to look into Suv. The market offers many different sizes of SUVs (for example 8 seater, 7 seaters etc) and they come from different manufacturers. Generally, there are three primary sizes that these vehicles can be largely classified into. These three happen to be compact, mid-size and then there is full size. You will also often come across the term “crossover” when you are looking for a vehicle of such types. This is mainly used to describe a vehicle that is mainly based on a car platform than a truck platform. Another thing to take note of would be that the SUVs that come in larger sizes also have higher engine power, more room for passengers, towing ability (for truck based ones) etc. There are also luxury models further up in the list, which can also be a good choice for many who prefer to own them.

Car and Truck based –

Among SUVs you almost certainly likely to come across this classification, i.e. car based and truck based. Car based ones are also popularly termed as “crossovers”. Car based ones are those that provide some features like better fuel economy, comfortable and quieter rides, sharper handling, etc. On the other hand, truck based SUVs will offer features like sturdy and heavier outlook, can tow more weighty stuff, better mobility on off roads, etc.

Fuel economy and engines –

This is among the most important factors that one needs to take into account before buying any vehicle in general. Compact SUVs generally come with four or six cylinder engines. These can offer one a mileage between 20 – 25 miles per gallon. The midsized SUVs are ones that come with six cylinder engines, and with four or eight cylinder power plants. These are ones that offer a mileage that pertains to the upper teens. You should note that hybrid models of these types can actually go on to give you more mileage, and hence, might be more preferable to some. The large sized vehicles are powered by v8 engines and mileage is generally between 12 – 20 miles per gallon.

Safety Features –

The safety features of vehicles should always be considered and are of utmost importance. These days SUVs come equipped with safety features like front seat side airbags, full length side airbags, antilock brakes, stability control features, etc. Knee airbags, parking sensors, rear view cameras are also coming with non luxury makes these days. This makes things a lot safer for drivers and passengers alike. Besides, companies these days are also making very good use of technology and electronics to incorporate many features in their vehicles like impending collision detection and blind spot intrusion. However, despite these inclusions SUVs are not so agile like a car would be. Therefore, these are some of the things one will have to also check out.

Luxury Features –

Many of the SUVs offer luxurious features these days. Some of such features that you can be on the lookout for are heated seats, climate control features, navigation systems, in built entertainment, iPod integration, keyless start and Bluetooth features. Also, there are family friendly features offered like that of flat folding seats, storage bins, sliding rear seats, etc.

Interior space –

Most SUVs offer space for at least five people. However, mid-sized and full sized ones are likely to offer more seating capacity. In fact, many allow adjustments and also offer facilities for the adding of extra seats to the vehicle. Therefore, these come into use especially when there are additional passengers. Also, often there are ways you can move out seats to earn some extra space on the interior. This comes into handy when you basically have cargo to carry, and this increases the capacity to carry such loads.

Wheel Drive –

The wheel drive feature can also be an important point to consider. A 2WD usually means only the front or the rear wheels have the capability to provide power to the vehicle. 4WD ones give the driver the option to either go with 2 or 4 wheel drive. There are also all wheel drive (AWD) vehicles, which automatically tend to distribute the power in different degrees to the wheels.  These are also typically ones that are best suited to all weather driving conditions rather than complete off-road driving. These also largely affect fuel economy of the vehicle and that should be taken into further account.

Operating Expenses –

While, the SUV is in its running life, there will always be operating expenses that come up. Most of these are directly related to the vehicle itself like cost of maintenance, cost of spares and parts when required, etc. Therefore these are also basically stuff that one should seek to go through while buying a SUV.

Finally, buying and SUV lies in the sole hands of the interested party. By going through features to look into Suvs, one can actually get an overall idea of the necessary conditions that the vehicle must satisfy for it to be classified as a good buy. Therefore, going through this should equip you with all the major factors that you need to know about SUVs before you decide to splash your cash.

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