Buying A Nice Big Comfortable Car For Your Family |
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Winston Takeda
25 September 2012
In the post industrialized, western world, there's something called "demographic shift." It refers to a trend where the richer a country gets, the less children there are per couple, and even the less people that get married. While this is definitely noticeable across the board, there are still big families. And if you've got one of those, then you need a car to drive everybody around in.
The good news is that there are many different choices. I remember when I was a kid, the only car large enough for families was a big station wagon. The kind that had an additional seat in the way, way back, that was only accessible through the rear door. And often times, this seat was facing the opposite direction. I don't know if cars built like that would be even legal today, given some of the blatant safety violations, but they sure weren't that comfortable.
If you wanted to buy a van, you had to buy some huge contraption that looked like a bus. Several bench seats, hard to drive, hard to park, and horrible on the gas mileage.
But today, you've got plenty of options. From oversized sedans to minivans to luxuriously large SUVs, it's truly a buyer's market when it comes to getting a big family car. If you are like most people, you're going to have to choose between an SUV and a minivan. Both have their advantages, and both have their disadvantages.
SUVs are really trendy, while minivans are kind of geek, soccer mom. Sure, minivans are much nicer to the environment, and they get great gas mileages, but they're not exactly the most happening vehicle to take a road trip to Vegas in. On the other hand, if you're doing nothing but hauling the kids around, then having a minivan is a great idea.
They are safe, most have plenty of airbags, and they've got all the creature comforts you could want. Individual climate controls, power everything, luxurious leather seats that feel like you are in the Starship Enterprise, and some nice colors to boot.
The SUV, however, is a monster. You'll be up higher when driving around, so you'll feel a lot more in control. If you happen to be driving alone, you won't look like a soccer mom who's lost her kids. They are considered stylish, and sometimes, even pimpish.
The bottom line is that you can pick whatever vehicle suits your fancy. So long as all the kids fit, and it's safe, then go right ahead.