The obvious question for you: Which car type is better for a long drive – SUV or sedan? Firstly, we have to consider what kind of journey you’re on. Is it a rural village road, off road trek or are we talking an arrow-straight drive along the highway?
Let’s get down to it at the reasons why you’d choose one over the other.
Long drives in a sedan
Sedans have been the default or people’s choice of transport for decades, especially in Malaysia and it comes with pretty good reason. First, sedan car centre of gravity is lower, meaning it can handle better than the majority of SUV Malaysia.
And on a long drive – which is normally at higher speeds – they’re actually safer than a tall-boy SUV in many cases. By having a car closer to the ground also gives you a far better chance when it comes to safety. SUVs have a higher centre of gravity and are therefore more likely to roll over, either in a crash, or if you lose control.
With the marketing hype, where they mentions it is often more legroom (and sometimes more headroom) in a sedan, meaning they can theoretically be more comfortable. Which brings extra point when it comes to long journey drive.
Sedans also weigh much more less than SUVs because on average they’re smaller vehicles overall. This means they weigh less and as a result, they burn less fuel and require less power. Because cars weigh less, they’re also better on brakes, tyres and generally need less maintenance, making them cheaper to run overall.
Long drives in an SUV
SUVs have a higher centre of gravity, which means it more likely to tip if not treated with care. Also, normally they weigh more than a sedan which also means they will take longer to slow down as well.
SUV suspension is crafted to drive over off road (rocks and obstacles). Meaning that it can make the ride rather bouncy, and not as comfortable. A crossover may be a better option in that case.
Wagon-like body design will provide extra spacious loading space for your gears and your traveling belongings at the back of the car. And with the back seats being able to be folded down, in the event only two of you, you can set the back seats down and fit more your belonging in. And if you’re not carrying a lot of stuffs, one of you could have a snooze in the back as well.
SUV VS Sedan – which is it?
The answer is whatever you feel more comfortable in.
Want to see further along the road? SUV.
Want a better ride? Sedan.
The most important thing is to stay safe, no matter what. Wear your seatbelt. Check your tyre pressures regularly. Get your vehicle serviced at the appropriate intervals. And always be on the lookout for idiots on the road.
Do that and you’ll be better off than worrying which is the better vehicle choice for long drives.
But there are also other considerations than just long drives, which is why we’ve listed the pros and cons for both cars and SUVs.
SUV
Pros
- Easier to see over traffic
- All wheel drive grip
- Can drive through flooded areas
- Can look more tough and/or expensive
- Can carry more people
- Larger loading area
Cons
- Ride generally isn’t as good
- More expensive to refuel
- More expensive to service and maintain
Sedan
Pros
- Easier for older people to get in and out of
- Less likely to rollover
- Cheaper to refuel
- Cheaper to service
- Better ride
Cons
- Can’t see over traffic
- Too low for some people
- Not enough carrying space
- Can’t carry as many people