Selection criteria for SUVs
SUV - Sport Utility Vehicle have become increasingly popular in recent years. They usually offer a lot of space, are versatile and have an elevated seating position compared to limousines. Even if they are often not suitable for off-road use, their body shape is derived from off-road vehicles, so that a portion of adventure resonates with everyday life.
It is understandable that you want to choose an SUV, but it is difficult for you to choose the right SUV. It is therefore helpful to consider some criteria when making a purchase decision.
Financial possibilities
The key point for which SUV you can choose is primarily the financial possibilities that are available to you. Do not only consider the purchase price, but also follow-up costs such as fuel consumption, maintenance, insurance and tax. Do not underestimate the follow-up costs.
Intended use
+ You should think carefully about what you want to use the SUV for.
+ Do you often go off-road hunting and have special requirements for the off-road properties of your vehicle?
+ Do you often pull large trailers and always need sufficient power?
+ Do you need a lot of space for your family and maybe even a third row of seats?
+ Or is it supposed to be compact and manoeuvrable so that you can move around the city quickly?
New cars or used cars?
New cars are more expensive to buy and have a significant loss in value, especially in the early days. But they are usually more reliable than older used cars and often have extensive manufacturer guarantees. Used cars are often cheaper to buy, but repairs to wearing parts are often earlier.
Motorization: petrol, diesel or hybrid?
Diesel engines are usually more economical and more torque-rich than petrol engines. An important point with modern diesels is still the driving profile, because if the vehicle is equipped with a diesel particle filter, long-distance journeys are more often necessary for regeneration.
In the case of SUVs with hybrid drive, the higher purchase costs can be quickly amortized thanks to the significantly lower fuel consumption.
Gear shift: manual or automatic?
For a long time, the choice between manual transmission and automatic transmission was determined by the fact that automatic transmissions contributed to significantly higher consumption. Thanks to modern technology, this is no longer the case for more current vehicles.
Drive type: all-wheel drive or only 2WD?
Here it depends on the purpose. All-wheel drive is required in the off-road area, which can also prove useful on the road. A vehicle driven only on one axle has worse off-road driving performance, but is more economical in fuel consumption.
Manufacturer
Almost all major manufacturers now offer one or more models in the SUV segment. German and Japanese manufacturers still stand for good quality today, even if the VW scandal has caused damage to the opinion. US manufacturers often still have very displacement-oriented engine ranges, whereby these attributed competencies are now often overtaken by the competition.
If you take these points into account, you will surely find an SUV model that suits you perfectly.