Minivans and SUV’s or sports utility vehicles are among the desired choices when it comes to family vehicle and the need to carry more passengers than sedan, station wagon or hatchback can.

Sports utility vehicles such as the Jeep and the Land Rover are popular among people who live in the countryside. This is because SUV’s have been designed for rough terrains. Hence, they have been nicknamed off-road vehicles. Before their surge in popularity during the 1990’s, SUV’s are preferred choices of vehicle of rural people. Aside from the rough terrain, it is possible to drive an SUV while towing another vehicle, a recreational home, a trailer or a boat. This type of vehicle has been built for roughness on the road and ruggedness on its use.

However, during its commercial popularity among urban people in the 1990’s, the features of typical SUV undergone certain modifications. Although the utilitarian image still remained, more and more car manufacturers introduced different models of SUV’s with luxury features.

The usual high height of SUV has been changed to better accommodate the on-road driving in urban areas. This feature can be found in crossover SUV’s.

The popularity of SUV has been rivaled by the minivan which possesses a more utilitarian image when it comes to passenger capacity. Minivan or multi-purpose utility vehicle or multi-purpose vehicle has been designed to be smaller than a van but taller and larger than sedan and station wagon. The height of some models of minivan can be compared to an SUV.

Minivans are made to target the families in the suburban areas. Also, there are many individuals that choose to purchase the minivan over the SUV.

Both SUV’s and minivans are considered to be family-oriented vans. They are both regarded as mid-sized passenger vehicles. Because of their large sizes over other types of vehicles, they are regarded to be safer. SUV’s can withstand rough terrain. There are models of SUV’s nowadays that are designed for on-road and off-road terrains.

On the other hand, minivans can carry more passengers. Most models of minivans have cargo rooms providing storage for equipment that can be used in camping or other recreational activities.

Although the designs of SUV’s and minivans may vary depending on the brands and models, both vehicles are constructed with a storage capacity larger than sedan or station wagon. They allow users to use them for different road activities.

The issue that differentiates the minivans over the SUV’s is the fuel economy. Minivans, depending on the models, have a better gas mileage than SUV’s. Although there are car manufacturers that have withdrawn the minivan market, there are carmakers and dealers of minivans that have benefited from the sales of minivan during the fast-rising prices of fossil fuels. Car consumers who have great regards to fuel economy may find a minivan to be a better option than SUV.

During the rise of oil prices, some car manufacturers have reduced the production of SUV’s. Other carmakers have modified the structure of the utility vehicle to be aerodynamic for an efficient fuel economy. Instead of a boxy body of the vehicle, car makers have designed the vehicle with rounded edges. 

Although there has been a decline in the demand of SUV’s, there are individuals that still opt for this kind of vehicle. There is a market segment that does not regard the costs that come in the acquisition of the vehicle. That special market segment would rather go after the features of the luxury vehicle and the sheer pleasure of owning one.

It all comes to personal preference and convenient features in choosing between minivan and SUV’s. Both of the vehicles are utilitarian though there may be superior features and qualities in one of the two types.  Affordability can also be a consideration in the selection of vehicle types. Other consumers go after the quality, brand and model.