Choosing the best Suv
Best SUVs of 2012When a consumer decides he/she wants to buy a new vehicle in today's age, they are presented with a dizzying array of options based on which car or truck will best suit their lifestyle. SUVs often meet a common ground between the economy of a car, and the practicality of a pickup truck, so SUVs are a popular choice for consumers living in the suburbs of today's cities. However, there are almost as many SUV choices as there are manufacturers of automobiles today.Other factors can add to the confusion when deciding which SUV to buy, such as country of origin, overall physical size, standard and optional equipment, and general reliability. Consumer Reports and Edmunds.com are good tools to use when trying to find the best SUV based on the in-depth reviews they conduct. These sources rate everything about a new vehicle, taking into consideration interior space, handling characteristics, fuel mileage, projected reliability (e.g. M.S.R.P vs operating costs), and many other variables.Because there are so many SUVs out on the market, no one can tell someone else with certainty which SUV would be the best buy. It really depends on that person's lifestyle. Do they take long road trips with their five children for vacation? Or do they just drive a few miles back and forth to work everyday, and they want some ground clearance for the snow? The single commuter would do best with a fuel efficient cross-over, whereas the family would be best of with an SUV with a third row of seats, and lots of storage space, warranting a more powerful- and thirstier- powertrain.Another important choice to make is the country of origin. Consumers have to choose between American, Asian, or European cars, and all have their pros and cons. Generally speaking, American cars tend to be the cheapest to buy, but are often outshined by the dependability and cost to own of Asian cars. On the other hand, Asian cars usually lack the rock solid handling of European cars. As of recent years, the competition between all of these continents has intensified, and they all copy off one another, so American cars, Asian cars, and European cars have become more like each other.According to Edmunds.com, the 2012 Ford Explorer is the best rated overall SUV, claiming it drives and handles exceptionally well, and that it has a very nice interior, packed with high-tech pleasantries. One catch about the explorer is that the seating position and the way the dash is designed makes the Explorer feel bigger than it really is when driving it. Edmunds.com also recommends considering a Toyota Highlander, or a Volvo XC90 if one prefers a foreign car.A bunch of resources exist that aid in the car choosing and buying process for consumers, with a few of the big ones being Road and Track magazine, Cars.com (go figure), and Car and Driver magazine. All it takes is a couple keywords in a web browser to find these services. Most of these magazines and sites rate different cars in the same way, scoring them based on the categories mentioned at the top of this article.
