Cars For Everyday Life: A Small City Car, A Practical SUV And A Family Car - Vol.278
While it is always fun to wish for a "dream car", those seductive vehicles are often not practical for everyday use. Here we will examine the best vehicles for daily use, and what characteristics they should have.
Small City Cars
Choosing a small car for city driving is more complicated than merely selecting a vehicle that is smaller than the rest. Drivers who are consistently traveling through the city have many different hazards and criteria to deal with. This style of driver needs to acknowledge that city driving is very different than driving on highways or larger open roads. The performance and specifications that your vehicle requires is therefore also far different.
Characteristics of a Good City Car:
- A car that is appropriate for city driving is small, not necessarily too small to be comfortable, but smaller than many typical sedans. In many cities, especially the older ones, the streets are much narrower than normal roads. The car needs to be small enough to comfortably contend with these road limitations.
- A good city car will offer plenty of storage. Just because you are purchasing a small car for city driving does not mean that you should have to sacrifice all of your cargo and passenger capabilities. It is for this reason that many of the most popular city cars today are a hatchback design.
- A city car needs to drive and handle comfortably. If you are going to spend any length of time driving in the busy city, then traffic is inevitable. You do not want to be stuck for lengthy periods of time in a traffic jam and feel stiff, cramped, or claustrophobic in your vehicle. The performance of the vehicle must also be up to par, as a rough ride will make the traffic that much more tiresome.
Practical SUVs
SUVs, or Sport Utility Vehicles, were designed to be fun to drive. However, anyone who plans to purchase an SUV should want one that is as safe and comfortable as it is exciting. While many SUVs can be taken off-road and into wilderness situations, a vast majority are driven on normal streets. Another item to think about is that many SUVs are purchased as a family vehicle, and we strive to provide the best for our families.
Characteristics of a Practical SUV:
- An SUV should be safe for you and your passengers. This means that it should pass the IHS Safety Ratings, have adequate airbags, and at least the minimal safety features. These SUVs should also drive well in poor weather conditions.
- A practical SUV should not be a gas hog. Fortunately, most of the mid-size SUVs sold today offer a moderate MPG.
- In today's market, a reliable and user friendly SUV will also come equipped with the latest technologies, concerning safety, handling, and even entertainment.
Family Cars
A car that is purchased for family use must first and foremost fit your individual family's needs. Different sizes and age ranges within the family will play a part in determining which vehicle is purchased.
Characteristics of Good Family Cars:
- A family car must be versatile, meaning you should be able to drive everyone in your group from point A to point B comfortably on one day, then have the ability to haul your daughter to college (with all of her belongings) the next day, and even take your Labrador to the veterinarian.
- The best family cars are the ones with the highest safety ratings, if the vehicle does not have a good safety rating, then it is not right for family transportation.
- Any car chosen for the family needs to offer very high fuel economy. This will likely be your primary vehicle, therefore it will be used the most and refueled the most.
Examine what your needs are, who you are transporting, and where you will be driving. Once you know your needs, then look at the safety, comfort, performance, and added options of the vehicles currently being sold.