Vans are meant for transporting passengers and. An SUV, is built for hauling and all kinds of off-road purposes. An SUV is a sporty vehicle built to withstand much more than a van ever could, as they are built much sturdier to withstand different kinds of jobs.
If you are on the market for a larger vehicle that is more like a van, you have probably checked out SUV options as well. Though similar in certain areas, vans and SUVs are very different types of vehicles meant for different purposes.
If you are interested in learning the ins and outs of a van versus an SUV, this article will show you their differences.
An SUV Is Better on Difficult Terrains and Tasks
When you compare a domestic van to an SUV, you will see just how different the two vehicles are from one another. As they are made for two different intended purposes.
Vans are generally considered to be excellent vehicles for most people as they are diversely useful. A van is a great day-to-day vehicle as well as being useful for other tasks such as light hauling, carrying larger loads, and transporting groups of people.
Whereas an SUV is meant more for active people who need a vehicle that can withstand their lifestyle without wearing out. Many people buy SUVs for their high weight capacity that allows them to tow heavy things in the back as well as carry large loads.
SUVs are great off-road vehicles that you can drive without the fear of blowing a tire or getting stuck in soft ground. They have many of the same abilities that a truck has with the comfort benefits of a van.
What a Van is Vs What an SUV is
If you are looking to buy a new vehicle and want something like a van but don’t know the differences between vans and SUVs. There are a few very bold differences that you will want to know about.
Buying a vehicle is a very big decision, and you want to make that decision wisely. That is why it is important to do your research and understand what makes a van a van and what makes an SUV an SUV.
These two vehicles are not the same and can’t always be used in the same ways, so you will want to base your decision on why you need the vehicle.
Vans Are Better for Transporting Goods
The technical term for a van is a medium-sized vehicle that is boxy in shape with a high roof. There are two different types of vans, domestic vans, and commercial vans.
Commercial vans are often much larger or built to carry more goods and are usually bought by companies to transport wares. While a domestic van is made mainly for transporting passengers and is built to be smaller and more compact.
Vans are more commonly bought than SUVs are since they are more affordable while still providing much more room in the vehicle. Vans are ideal for most people as they can be used in a variety of ways and aren’t as limited as a car is.
Many people buy a van because they are much larger than a car and offer more passenger space as well as room to carry items. Even a small van can also tow things behind it that would otherwise be too heavy for a car.
This makes buying a van an ideal option when you need something a little more useful than a car but cannot invest in an SUV.
SUVs Are More Like Cars That Can Go off Road
SUVs can be a confusing vehicle to look at as there is no set definition for what an SUV actually is. In the U.S., an SUV is usually defined as a sporty utility vehicle that has on-road and off-road features.
In many places, an SUV is often referred to as a van since they are so similar in appearance. This makes the distinction a bit confusing since SUVs and vans are two very different things.
While SUVs are designed for domestic use, they are built to withstand more than the average vehicle. This is where they start to look very similar to how a truck is built as both are designed to be heavy-duty.
An SUV can be used for on-road and off-road purposes without risking safety or your vehicle’s integrity. They are specially designed to withstand just about anything that you could put them through.
They can be driven over most terrains and can tow larger objects without slowing down the vehicle. They are excellent travel vehicles that allow you to fill them up to maximum capacity without issue.
The biggest difference between a van and an SUV is that they are built very differently. Though they may look alike, a van is built much like a car and can only be used for certain purposes.
While an SUV is much sturdier in design and can take on most tasks without wearing down or becoming damaged.
An SUV Is Meant to Be Sporty and Good at Towing
An SUV is made for a very different purpose than a domestic van is, SUV stands for a sport-utility vehicle. Whereas most vans are made to transport people from one place to another.
It is made up of the interior space and comforts of a minivan while having the towing capacity of a pickup truck. It has the body of a truck with the shell of a van, giving drivers the best of both worlds.
SUVs are built to be very useful and hearty vehicles, allowing drivers to use them for a variety of tasks. This could include the usual things like transporting items or passengers or hauling heavier loads.
With an SUV, you have much more backspace to store items as well as a weight capacity that can tow large loads. Vans can be used similarly, except they have a shorter limit to how much weight they can safely carry.
SUVs are great for people looking for a vehicle that can be used in a number of ways without wearing it out. It can safely drive over rougher terrain and haul heavy loads that would easily weigh down a domestic van.
They are the perfect vehicle for anyone looking for a crossover between a van and a truck. With the comfort and roominess of a van but the abilities of a pickup truck.
SUVs Are More Similar to Trucks
Though SUVs are often compared to vans and sometimes even confused with them, they are very different vehicles. In fact, an SUV is much more similar to a truck than it is to a van.
An SUV has a body that is built very much like a truck, except it has the back cover, whereas a truck has an exposed truck bed. This gives an SUV an advantage in many situations that a truck doesn’t have.
Like a truck, an SUV also has a very high weight capacity that it can carry and tow, giving you the option of using it for many different purposes.
Because the back of an SUV is covered like a van, it can fit more stuff to carry, making it ideal for moving or for trips. You can easily fill up an SUV as well as tow something behind it without weighing the vehicle down.
The downside to getting an SUV instead of a truck is that SUVs are slightly higher in price. This is because SUVs can obviously be used for more purposes which makes them more useful and therefore in high demand.
An average SUV will often be priced around $42,505, but this will often go up significantly depending on the brand and model of SUV you are looking at. While the average price of a truck is somewhere around $41,105 but that price is also mainly a baseline.
Depending on why you want an SUV, the price could be well worth it as it gives you a certain level of comfort that most trucks don’t have. That is why it is important to do your research to know just what you want so you can make the right decision.
Vans Are More Similar to Cars
Unlike SUVs, vans are much more similar to cars than they are to SUVs or trucks. In fact, most small vans go under the category of being a car as long as they are built for domestic use.
A domestic van can do everything that a car can do just a little bit better. This is why vans are considered to be such great all-purpose vehicles.
Though they are built to be a bit more sturdy, vans are generally very similar to cars in build, especially minivans. This allows them to be driven the same way you would a car as they are set up similarly.
Vans are the natural step up from an ordinary car as they have more seating options and room to store or pack items. Unlike cars, most vans come with the added benefit of having removable back seats for your convenience.
Most vans can also haul certain things as they have more weight capacity than an average car does. This makes it possible to safely haul things like small horse trailers, cars, u-hauls, and other smaller objects.
A van does not have the weight capacity of an SUV, but they do come with the ability to haul some smaller objects. Giving yet another added benefit that most cars do not have.
Vans Can’t Tow Heavy Loads Like a SUV Can
The biggest deciding factor that will help you choose between a van and an SUV is why you need the vehicle. How you plan on using it will determine which vehicle would be best for your needs.
Though they look like they are built in much the same way, vans and SUVs are made very differently. In many ways, they cannot be used in the same way since a van can not do what an SUV can do.
If you need to haul heavy items behind your vehicle, an SUV is the best option for the job. While most vans can tow smaller objects like a small trailer, car, or boat, they cannot tow heavy loads.
An SUV is designed to have a very high weight capacity, so it can easily tow much larger objects without becoming weighed down and sluggish. Making it the perfect option for towing things around.
An SUV is also capable of driving in areas that would be pushing your luck with a van. This is because an SUV is specially designed to be an on-road and off-road vehicle. While vans are not designed to drive over rough terrains.
Most SUVs are also a bit roomier since their roofs tend to be higher, and they are generally larger than a van. This gives you more room to store things or to carry more passengers.
Vans are great day-to-day vehicles that can come in handy when you need something larger than a car. But if you need a specialty vehicle, an SUV will be much safer and more reliable.
Pros and Cons of An SUV
Now that you know the differences between a van and an SUV, it’s important to know the pros and cons of owning an SUV as well. This is an important step in deciding whether or not you want to actually buy an SUV.
Every vehicle will have upsides and downsides to owning it, no matter what kind of vehicle it is. And SUVs are no different and come with their own pros and cons as well.
These are some of the top pros and cons that you should definitely consider before taking the plunge and buying an SUV. These are important factors to take into account and could be the difference between making the investment or going with an ordinary van instead.
Pros
An SUV:
- Has a very large and can be used to transport large loads such as for family trips, moving, or traveling. With its high weight capacity, it is ideal for driving long distances with very heavy cargo.
- Has a large towing capacity that allows you to haul heavy items being the vehicle. This is great for anyone who owns a trailer, boat, or any other kind of towing item.
- Is built much like a truck and can withstand all kinds of battery and damage. The structure of an SUV is designed to take on rough terrains and can drive through all kinds of bad weather.
- Has a lot of inside room that can be used to carry large amounts of items or a large load of passengers. Many SUVs also have removable back seats that allow you to create even more room to put stuff.
- Is sturdy and built to withstand heavy wear, so it will need less work done and repairs after long or tiring trips. It is also less likely to get damaged as it is built to be sturdier than most vehicles.
- Capable of driving through much deeper areas of water than a van can. It is sturdy enough that you can safely drive through flooded areas without damaging your vehicle.
- Safer when driving on slippery things like ice. They are built to drive safely over any terrain, including icy roads during winter.
Cons
- Can be very pricey, even more so than most trucks are. This makes buying an SUV a very big investment you will have to save up for.
- Big gas guzzlers and will cost you a pretty penny in gas expenses, especially if you use it for long trips.
- If your SUV does get damaged or worn out, the cost of their parts is very high and can even be hard to find. If your SUV gets damaged, you can expect to invest a good bit of money into getting it fixed.
- SUVs can be very bulky vehicles and because of that, can be a bit difficult to drive. This will be especially noticeable in parking lots and narrow areas of the road.
- Can be very difficult to park and maneuver, especially for those who are not used to driving them. Even an expert SUV owner will often struggle to get this monster vehicle into parking spots.
- This vehicle is not an environmentally-friendly option for drivers as it releases a lot of CO2 emissions. This gas-hungry vehicle naturally emits much more CO2 emissions into the atmosphere than vans or cars do.
