Family vehicles have changed throughout the years. One thing that has changed is the categories of vehicle. Phrases like “crossover,” “SUV,” and “van,” often get customers confused when searching for their perfect family vehicle.

In this article, we’ll describe the differences between SUVs, crossovers and vans and what vehicle may fit your family the best!

SUV

An SUV is an acronym for Sports Utility Vehicle. Usually, these vehicles have off-road capabilities, feature 4-wheel-drive, and built on a truck chassis.

According to Kelly Blue Book, an SUV “is a vehicle that combines the interior space of a minivan with the towing capacity and off-road attitude of a pickup truck.”

Many modern SUVs are equipped with plenty of technology and user-friendly features that large families will love. As well as a roomy interior and plenty of cargo room.

The Ford Expedition Platinum is a great example of a modern SUV. Key features on the Expedition Platinum include seating for up to 8, plenty of safety features, and a luxury leather interior that features Active Motion technology to lessen fatigue on long rides.

View our Expedition Platinum inventory

Crossover

Kelly Blue Book describes crossovers as having “the upper body of a sport utility vehicle essentially riding on the chassis of a car.
The chassis and suspension [on a crossover] are designed for a car, which means the vehicle is lighter, so it will get better gasoline mileage and it will ride more like a car.”

A crossover is basically a crossover between a sedan and an SUV. This offers the pros of an SUV and a sedan in one. With features like expanded seating, increased cargo space and great gas mileage for its class, crossovers are great for a busy family!

The Chevrolet Trax is a perfect example of a crossover. Key features on the Chevrolet Trax include seating for up to 5, a max cargo volume of 48.4 cu. ft., a standard 1.4L turbocharged ECOTEC engine that offers up to 31 MPG highway.

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Vans & Minivans

A van is classified by Kelly Blue Book as having a “powertrain and platform similar to that of a light truck and has body-on-frame construction which drives similarly to a truck.” Vans are usually used to haul massive amounts of people or cargo and are used commercially.

A minivan‘s storage and safety features help ensure its appeal to families and business professionals alike. Minivans are exceptionally versatile vehicles, able to handle a broad variety of daily tasks, according to Kelly Blue Book. Minivans are usually used for large families who

Great examples of commercial vans would be Ford Transit, Ford Transit Connect, RAM ProMaster City, and RAM ProMaster Cargo Van. All these commercial vans come equipped with the technology and space to haul for commercial purposes, as well as the technology to make any job easy.

A great example of a minivan would be a Dodge Grand Caravan. Key features on the Dodge Grand Caravan include 3.6L V6 24-Valve VVT engine, three rows with seating for up to 7, 140 cu. ft. of space with the second and third row folded down, and plenty of comfort features to ease all passengers on long rides.

View our commercial inventory and family van inventory

SO, which is best?

Overall, it depends on what you and your family are looking for in a vehicle. An SUV is great for off-roading, a crossover is great for those who want a bigger vehicle that’s lightweight, and a minivan is great for large families who need a lot of room.

Payne Auto Group has plenty of family vehicles that can fit the lives of any family!

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