Selection of a new car for the family is sometimes a tricky problem. If budget is the only consideration then one can go for the cheapest vehicle. As it is for the whole family personal consideration cannot be the only criterion. The vehicle cannot be a small one if it is to be used for the entire family. So the option narrows down to a sedan or a utility vehicle. Both have their own merits and demerits.
A sedan is generally cheaper than an SUV. A sedan is stylish and easy to drive on the city roads. The petrol sedans have less mileage and their fuel expenditure will be high. But maintenance cost will be less normally. Diesel sedans have 30% more fuel efficiency than diesel SUVs. Normally fuel cost is less for SUVs as they run on subsidised diesel. The maintenance cost is more for an SUV. The CO2 emission level will be less for a sedan because of its better power to weight ratio. The Best sealing cars in sedan is Honda city and in the SUV segment Ford EcoSport is the best sealing car.
When we consider the drivability, a light weight sedan is better especially in congested city roads. If one has to use composite roads the SUV scores better because of its higher ground clearance. An SUV can be used for off-roading. When other vehicles wait on the road an SUV can leave the road and overtake other vehicles. An SUV can move with ease through mud tracks, rough terrain and bumps as most of them have all-wheel drive. A driver will get a better view of the road ahead in an SUV.
The seating and cargo capacity is less in a sedan. A sedan can carry 4 to 5 passengers, but an SUV carries 7 to 8. More cargo can be carried in an SUV. An SUV can be used for towing. For long trips like tours an SUV is preferable as it is fine on all types of roads. But on a road with sharp bends and slopes a driver will prefer a sedan.
From the safety point of view the high Centre of Gravity of the SUV makes it topple if the driver is careless. A rugged SUV survives crashes better than a sedan. A well secured boot is advantageous for a sedan.
A smaller sized sedan will easily fit into any garage. Parking in the city and driving under some low over bridges are easy for a sedan. A sedan can accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in 11 seconds where as an SUV takes 15 seconds for the same. Nowadays Cross overs are also coming which are cheaper and smaller compared to big SUVs. The pride of the owner is high if it is a big utility vehicle.
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