There are plenty of Utah drivers who vow to never own a minivan. Fast forward a few years, add a few kids and those same drivers find their viable transportation options are limited to minivans or sport utility vehicles.

For those who haven't gone the way of the sliding doors and stick figure decals on the rear window, SUVs are a popular choice of transportation here in Utah. Here are some reasons why.

Seating perks

In addition to plenty of comfortable seating, Utah drivers love the higher seating position and greater visibility SUVs offer. Being able to seat up to nine passengers is great for large families (which, according to the United States Census Bureau, Utah certainly has larger than average families) and for carpooling the neighbor kids to school with room to spare for backpacks and science fair projects.

Ground clearance and traction

Living in Utah, drivers are very familiar with winter driving and mountain conditions. This is an area where SUVs have a distinct advantage. Car and Driver recommends SUVs for areas with deep snow and mountainous terrain, especially considering that while winter tires on a van or sedan will help traction significantly, cars low to the ground with no all-wheel or four-wheel drive suffer if the snow get deep enough. In fact, it isn't uncommon to see a vehicle with low ground-clearance get high-centered in the snow. With an additional several inches of ground clearance and the reassurance of all-wheel or four-wheel drive, forging through a foot or more of fresh snow or over rocky roads is not a problem for SUVs.

Safety

SUVs are popular because people feel safer in them than they do in a small car. Consumer Reports states, "In car vs. SUV head-on crashes, the study found that the odds of death were 7.6 times higher for the car driver than the SUV driver. In crashes where the car had a better front crash-test rating than the SUV did, the car's driver fared a bit better but was still four and a half times more likely to die than the SUV driver."

While SUVs may pose a concern in rollover risk, in today's market there are many safety options available to make your vehicle as safe as possible, despite the added height and heft. Features like safety features in the form of lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, automatic pre-collision braking, backup cameras and more only add to the SUV's safety profile. These features, coupled with excellent traction and ground clearance, make SUVs the clear favorite for Utahns wanting to be safe in all seasons of the year.

Style

For many Utahns, the thought of buying a minivan is about as exciting as buying a new dishwasher. They just don't look attractive. If you are someone who cares about how your car looks and is perceived, SUVs offer much more in terms of style and sportiness. Edmunds notes that while the practicality of minivans is indisputable, there are many great alternatives that provide more than enough capability and style, without having to succumb to having an overgrown dustbuster in your driveway.`

Utility

Surprise! People actually buy sport utility vehicles for their utility. Utahns love the outdoors, and if you have any need to tow or go off-road, an SUV is the right choice. US News details this in that most minivans top out at about 3,500 pounds of towing capacity, but many SUVs can tow significantly more.

For example, with a van, that means you can tow a small tent trailer or something similar in size, but anything bigger? Forget about it. If you want to tow a camping trailer, boat or anything else of substantial size, an SUV is the way to go.

If your family is in the market for a new vehicle and an SUV is on your list, be sure to visit Ken Garff Hyundai for all your on- and off-road needs. From the new stylish Kona SUV to the Tucson and Santa Fe, Hyundai has an SUV that works for almost every need.

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