Unless you are a person who can make decisions on a whim with no worry or shame in the consequences of making a not so favorable choice, finding your next SUV that will fit perfectly into your lifestyle of primarily solo commutes with quiet unaccompanied getaways may end up being a lengthy process with the wide selection of brands, sizes, and models of SUVs on the market. To help you get started, here’s a little secret for you: big things do come in small packages. Take the subcompact crossover 2022 Chevy Trax, for example. As the smallest SUV in Chevy’s lineup, it still provides all of the benefits you can get with an SUV, in a size just right for your driving needs, without the unnecessary bulk and cost, of a larger model. If we’ve sparked interest and you want to know more on why small can be better with an SUV, read on further because we have put the benefits of a small SUV into one place for you.
A Big Package With an Affordable Price Tag
Almost everything you can purchase follows the same pricing scale: the larger the item, the more expensive it becomes. The same goes for when you are buying a vehicle. Of course, there are always exceptions, like the brand. Luxury vehicles will almost always be more expensive than your mainstream models due to their added glamor and premium materials and features. But even if luxury appeals to you, mainstream brands like Chevy offer upscale luxury models without the hefty price tags so you can enjoy a little pampering from your daily driver without breaking the bank.
Just comparing the 2022 Chevy Trax with its largest sibling, the 2022 Chevy Suburban, shows the price jump that comes with size. The difference in these two models’ MSRPs is enough for you to buy an additional Chevy Trax to keep the first one company in the garage. If you don’t need third-row seating or an engine that can tow a large camper or boat, what is the point of spending the extra money? Buy what you need at a price that makes sense for your driving essentials because even with the Chevy’s smallest SUV, you get enough space for you, your trip’s essentials, and even room for a few passengers to tag along if you wanted them to.
Sized to Perfection
Sure there may be benefits to large full-size SUVs versus the smaller models like extra interior room for passengers and cargo, but the question you need to ask yourself is how much room do you truly need? Similar to buying a house, why would you buy a large colonial or contemporary home with four bedrooms if you are going to be the only person living in it? You wouldn’t. So why would you consider buying an SUV larger than what you need? It will just be unnecessary space that will not only cost you more to begin with but will also end up costing you fuel efficiency and will be a lot harder for you to maneuver in small spaces like in the city or in parking lots.
Small SUVs, like the 2022 Chevy Trax, are just the right size for your basic driving needs, with interior space close enough in size to larger models where you won’t feel like you are missing out. They offer comfortable, spacious seating for you and your passengers when you decide you want company on your getaways, and they also offer customizable interior cargo space that you won’t find in a car. Most SUVs, including the Chevy Trax, even offer split-folding rear seats that enable you to utilize the back seat for storage, with or without a rear-seat passenger, adding to the functionality of the interior.
As long as you have enough room to sit up straight with your knees far enough away from the steering wheel with enough room to fit a couple of people safely in the back seat, a small crossover like the 2022 Chevy Trax is all you need. There is no reason to buy a bigger vehicle when you can get everything in a smaller version. You will get the same features that SUVs are known for at a better price. Plus, you may even benefit more from a small SUV depending on what your driving needs are.
Size Does Not Affect Performance
Although most small SUVs, especially crossovers, resemble cars more than any other type of vehicle, they truly are in a segment of their own. Providing drivers perfectly sized models molded with the best performance capabilities of cars, trucks, and large SUVs. This is one scenario where size does not affect performance.
Versatility may be a common denominator with small SUVs; however, they are not all created equally. So when you do your research, you need to know what you need from your SUV. Where some may offer towing capabilities, others may not, but they could offer better fuel economy to help you save on fuel costs.
One aspect you can look for to help you determine what SUV is best for you is whether it is built on a unibody or not. Larger SUVs are typically body-on-frame designs that require more materials for the construction of their two components: the body and frame. This adds weight and lessens fuel efficiency but assists in towing and off-road capabilities. A unibody design, found in cars and in small SUVs, like the crossover Chevy Trax, is constructed with the frame and the body as a single component. This lightens the vehicle making it more efficient but also helps it resist flexing while on the road, which allows for better handling. The unibody design also helps cars and small SUVs with an even more important factor: safety.
Safer Than the Rest
Collisions are inevitable, whether you are out on the road or pulling out of your driveway or a parking spot. You may not be able to avoid accidents forever, but you do have a choice to choose a vehicle that can help prevent the chances of a collision and let you come out with the least amount of damages. Most vehicles now offer advanced driver assistance technologies that help detect and alert you when accidents may occur. Some features may even help manually assist you in avoiding collisions by automatically braking or assisting with steering. Technology and other components play an important role in your safety during a collision in your vehicle; however, the vehicle’s design is also critical to your safety.
When a vehicle collision occurs, there is a transfer of energy. During this energy transfer, the energy from the heaviest vehicle or obstacle in the collision transfers its energy to the lesser of the two. Luckily, even small SUVs are heavier than cars which means they will most likely come out of a collision against a car with less damage to the vehicle and its occupants. Adding to the advantages of a unibody design, like that of the crossover 2022 Chevy Trax, when colliding with something of greater mass, due to the rigidness of being built as a single component, the design offers crumple zones that many body-on-frame vehicles lack to protect its passengers by absorbing the energy from the collision.
Are You Still Questioning Size?
Searching for an SUV takes some research, especially when you don’t know where to start. Choosing the size of your next SUV is a good place to begin, and with a list of benefits that come with buying a small SUV, like the subcompact crossover 2022 Chevy Trax, we hope you will not overlook the compact varieties. Just keep in mind you cannot judge a book by its cover; therefore, you shouldn’t judge an SUV by its size. Although small in stature, even the smallest of SUVs can be more beneficial to you and your needs than the largest models.
