Tuesday 22nd November 2011

by david

During these financially difficult times, it is prudent to buy a high-occupancy or seven passenger vehicles and using them to carpool on the way to work or school. By not driving separate vehicles on the way to your respective destinations, your usual expenditures in terms of petrol and road tolls would be lessened considerably. Also, sharing a ride is a greener alternative as it decreases your carbon footprint. Moreover, you will be actively contributing to decreasing traffic congestion and increasing the availability of parking spaces in the city. Authorities try to encourage carpooling as well by introducing exclusive lanes for high-occupancy vehicles and by reserving parking spaces especially for carpoolers.

There are different types of high-occupancy or seven passenger vehicles you can choose from these days. One would be the SUV, which have four wheel-drive capability, and spacious passenger cabins with three-row seating. These kinds of vehicles are made with utility in mind, and it is common to see them being used to tow trailers and speed boats. However, because of their size, and the rising fuel prices, some individuals are leery about getting a truck-based SUV and instead settle for smaller high-occupancy vehicles, like minivans and crossover SUVs. These days, a lot of car buyers go for cars that aren’t as big but are more fuel efficient, such as minivans and crossover SUVs.

Some people refer to minivans as multi-purpose vehicles. They are usually 5 to 7 passenger vehicles which have 2-3 row seating. Most minivans have seats which are designed to be removed, or folded to provide cargo room. As opposed to their SUV counterparts, current minivans are almost always front-wheel drives. Crossover SUVs on the other hand combines features of a sport utility vehicle and that of a station wagon. Unlike their SUV counterparts, these crossovers are designed only for light off-road capability. Because of the similarities between crossovers and truck-based sports utility vehicles, some people get utterly confused when trying to identify them. To make things easier, one could think of these hybrids as SUVs placed on a car platform.

If you intend to purchase a 7-passenger vehicle and you will be using it to transport your loved ones, checking for safety is of utmost importance. Statistics and crash simulations reveal that truck-based SUVs carry the highest incidence of rolling over, which is the deadliest kind of crash. Research on a car s crash test course with attention to side-impact crashes as this is the kind of collision that most likely will injure backseat passengers.

Space is also something you need to look into. Choose a vehicle that can accommodate your booster seats and your passengers comfortably. You also have to find features which can make riding with several other passengers not a problem at all. Go for vehicles which allow passengers to enter and exit effortlessly, and have seats that you can adjust to fit your different space and function requirements. You also have to take into account the fuel efficiency of the vehicle you intend to buy Read up on a vehicle’s miles per gallon rating and choose one with low gas mileage. A car with a fuel-efficient engine will translate to savings down the road.

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