I'm about to have a baby and want to buy a car for my family that costs around 100,000 yuan. I plan to drive it for 5 to 8 years. I'm torn between a sedan and an SUV. I'm worried that a sedan might not have enough space, and I'm also concerned that the backseat and trunk of an SUV might remain empty most of the time, plus the larger size means higher fuel consumption. I'm not considering electric vehicles.
I suggest you go for an SUV. In terms of fuel consumption, SUVs are not that much higher than sedans, and sedans in the $10,000 range are basically compact cars with limited space. If you're considering the possibility of having children in the future, a sedan won't be sufficient. Plus, you plan to drive it for 5–8 years, which means at least 100,000 kilometers if you drive 20,000 kilometers per year. If the sedan becomes too small by then, will you replace it or not? Either go all out and buy an SUV now, or upgrade to a better SUV in a few years. If that's the case, why not just buy a sedan now?
Having a baby soon? Congratulations! In that case, it’s best to choose an SUV or MPV. When children are young, you have a lot of stuff to carry, and the trunk of a sedan isn’t very practical. It’s not that it’s small, but the opening isn’t very wide, making it difficult to fit a stroller inside. It’s also quite common for the trunk to remain empty for long periods of time while the vehicle is in use. After all, you're not hauling cargo every day. My sedan's trunk also sits empty most of the time, but I still want to switch to an SUV. It's just more convenient to use. Fuel consumption isn't something to worry too much about—as long as it's not a rugged off-road vehicle, the annual fuel cost difference compared to a sedan is only around two to three thousand dollars. If that's not feasible, you could also opt for a compact SUV.
At least from my personal experience with cars, I would recommend an SUV. The first car a family buys is usually the only car they will have for a long time. If you have a large family, you could buy an MPV, but if you don't have many people, an SUV is better. It has more space than a sedan, can carry more, and has a higher ground clearance, so it can handle rough roads. It can handle curbs and such, and the seating space feels more spacious than a sedan of the same class. If you're concerned about fuel efficiency, you can opt for a plug-in hybrid. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend a sedan as the family's first car. While sedans are more fuel-efficient and accelerate faster than SUVs, it's undeniable that sedans are only more comfortable than SUVs in fully developed urban areas. However, if you're driving on newly paved roads with simple repairs like potholes, you'll appreciate an SUV. Urban infrastructure is improving, but not every area has smooth asphalt roads.
