Family Car

SUV's and Minivans may be the most popular choices for a family car, but these designs are far from the best. If you are looking for the ultimate family car, you need to be looking for a station wagon. A station wagon is a better family car than a minivan or SUV for several reasons. The first is drivability. Because a station wagon is based on a car, it drives and handles like a car. Minivans and SUVs are based on trucks, so they tend to drive like... trucks. The second reason is versatility. While SUVs and minivans can have extended cargo spaces, it doesn't translate well to extra riding space.

Face it - a minivan or SUV can be a major pain to maneuver around in a parking lot. Minivans and SUVs have poor maneuverability and poor visibility. When driving on the open road, their high profile creates wind drag and makes them susceptible to getting blown around by strong wind gusts and their high center of gravity makes them less stable on curves.

Station wagons don't suffer from these limitations. Since station wagons share the same basic platform as a car, they offer all the maneuverability, tighter turning radius, and stability of a car. Also, since you're basically surrounded by windows when driving a station wagon, they also give you excellent visibility. In fact the only car that gives better visibility than a station wagon is a convertible with the top down.

A Station Wagon is the perfect family car for going on vacations or family road trips, especially in mountain states. The car-like drivability of a station wagon make it perfect for enjoyable driving on mountain roads. The main feature of a station wagon that makes it the ideal family car for vacations, though, is the fold down rear seat. When the rear seat of a station wagon is folded down, it converts the back end of the car into a large, flat cargo space that is perfect for your kids to stretch out and take a nap while you're driving.

A Station Wagon is also the perfect car for car camping. The back cargo area can hold a lot of gear, and since it makes for perfect sleeping accommodations, you might not even be a tent.