Are we buying a family car - a van, SUV or station wagon? Guide
First of all, a family car should have a roomy trunk. For this, there is enough space to ensure comfort on long journeys.
If we are going only on a one-time vacation trip, and the rest of the time the car will carry the owner to work, then we should recommend a station wagon and a roof box. If the trips are frequent and this is, for example, towing a boat, then a large van with a powerful engine will be a good solution. If we also want to organize frequent ski trips, consider a large SUV.
Family station wagon, van or SUV
Some consider the station wagon a typical workhorse and associate a passenger car only with a sedan. Others say that the van is a smaller version of the bus. We often associate an SUV with a big, bulky car.
— In my opinion, wagon — the best solution. But on the condition that it will be a middle-class car,” says Vitold Rogovsky, an automotive expert from the ProfiAuto network. - For a lower class station wagon, we cannot install three child seats in the rear seat.
The station wagon, according to Vitold Rogovsky, is also a car that we will drive without restrictions on a daily basis. The advantages include a comfortable driving position, the ability to quickly take turns without deep tilt and elegance.
When choosing a station wagon in which we want to accommodate five people and luggage, it is worth considering a car of at least the size Volkswagen Passat or Ford Mondeo. Ideally, the car is even larger, i.e. Audi A6, Skoda Superb or Mercedes E-class. It will be a little tighter Opel Insignia or Toyota Avensis or Honda Accord.
Five people will definitely not sit comfortably. Ford Focus or Opel Astrabecause the width of the car will not allow you to fasten three child seats. To do this, you have to take into account not too much trunk. Type cars Skoda Fabia, Peugeot 207 even in the station wagon they fall off. They are too small for a family of five.
A van is convenient if it is a large car such as Ford Galaxy or Volkswagen Sharan. Then we have at our disposal comfortable, independent chairs and plenty of space around us. Smaller vans have more room than a station wagon, but only overhead. Because of their higher center of gravity, they don't handle as confidently as passenger cars.
Rogowski: - An SUV often has less space inside than a lower-class passenger car. It is also more difficult to maneuver when driving around the city. We also have to remember one thing: we often decide to install a roof box that will allow us to place our luggage. A van and SUVs are like tall cars, firstly, they will make it difficult for us to get in and out of luggage, and secondly, their overall height, i.e. wagon plus box, exceeding two meters, will prevent access to the underground parking of the hotel. .
Engine matters
If we want to pull a boat or a caravan, there are two things to consider. First, the weight of the car. It must be a heavy vehicle with a maximum permissible mass exceeding the mass of the trailer. Secondly, the car must be strong - it must have an engine with a lot of torque.
Here, the minimum value seems to be 320-350 Nm. With a heavier trailer, a car with an engine torque of 400-450 Nm would be useful.
Witold Rogowski reminds us of a truth as old as cars: he drives with power, he wins rallies with power. Looking at the moment, we have two paths to choose from:
– large engine volume;
– engine with turbine/compressor.
The first solution is higher liability costs. The second (low power plus boost) is the risk of turbine failure. Fuel economy is not an argument against any of these options.
If we want to save on fuel, we only have diesel, although it is worth carefully calculating the possible profit - with a small annual mileage, the higher cost of buying a diesel may return to us only after a few years.
Safety is important in a family car
Check if your car has ISOFIX child seat anchorages. This is convenient if we often change seats between cars. Airbags and curtain airbags are essential, and side curtains protecting rear passengers are becoming standard in mid-range and high-end cars.
Remember that parts for a van or SUV (tires, brakes, shock absorbers) are more expensive than for a car. In addition, the heavy weight of the vehicle means that these parts have a shorter lifespan.
Petr Valchak
