How to Compare a Seven Seater SUV

Buying a car is a major purchase. SUVs are very popular but expensive, and are certainly a purchase you should carefully consider. Most SUVs can seat seven or eight people, but when you compare them you need to keep a few key pieces of information in mind, such as safety, gas mileage and legroom. With this in mind, comparing these SUVs follows along the same lines as comparing automobiles, and it can be done simply and easily but carefully.

Instructions

1

Find vehicles to compare. You can start by going to the major auto manufacturers websites such as GM, Ford, Toyota and Chrysler. You can look at their lines of vehicles and find what SUVs they offer that seat at least seven passengers. This will also give you information on standard and optional equipment.

2

Read reviews. After you have a list of seven-seater SUVs go to car review sites such as Edmunds.com and ConsumerAffairs.com to see what car reviewers found about the pros and cons of each SUV. Remember to pay special attention to things like cargo space and room, as you'll want to be able to comfortably fit seven people and any other luggage or groceries. Be sure to talk to friends and family as well to see if they have any experience with these cars. If you attend a church or belong to a community group, look for big families who might need a seven-seater car and find out their experiences.

3

Check the safety of the SUVs. Go to the insurance Institute's website (see Resources) and check each SUV for the safety rating. The Institute crashes automobiles to see how well they really do under different circumstances.

4

Consider trade-offs. There likely won't be a perfect SUV that gets good gas mileage, has all the options you want and is cheap. There's a saying that goes something like when considering anything you'll want good, fast and inexpensive, but you can only ever get two of the three. You may not be looking for a fast SUV, but you still won't likely be able to get everything you're looking for at a low price.

5

Test drive to compare. Test driving is a good way to get a feel for an automobile, but try to use it under real-world conditions--not just a quick spin around the block. Load up the SUV with a lot of people and drive it to someplace you normally go. Ask the dealer if you can drive it overnight. At the very least, try to imagine what the SUV will be like when it is full of people and stuff.