Comparison of People Carrier versus 7 seat SUV.

The minivan 7-seater, or people carrier, is one of our most versatile vehicles for car hire in the USA.  These cars are usually quite low to the ground, whilst offering an upright driving position and the most space for luggage inside.  There is really no comparison with the 7-seat SUV’s which have much higher ground clearance, and therefore less luggage space in the boot.  All of the seats in the people carriers are full seats, suitable for adults.  In most cases the rear seats of the SUV’s are suitable only for children due to a lack of head clearance and leg room.  These seats are also situated in the luggage area, therefore reducing the available space again.

Note how the luggage area of this 7 seat People Carrier is recessed, creating more space for suitcases – or shopping!

A people carrier is great for multi-generational families (we have a lot of these families holidaying in Florida and California) because of the easy access to the middle row of seats – usually through a wide, sliding door.  A 7-seat SUV has normal door openings and higher seats which can make access to the middle row difficult for the senior members of the family.  The walking space between the middle and rear rows of a 7 seat minivan can also be utilised to place a suitcase when travelling from the airport to your accommodation.  Another important consideration for families with young children is easy access for fixing child seats in place, this is altogether much easier in a people carrier because of the leg room between the rows.

The people carrier is also very popular with villa owners in Florida because the seats can be laid completely flat leaving a capacious space for hauling furniture or large packs of linens back from the shops!  The video below shows just how easy it is to lay all the seats flat.

The 7-seat SUV’s are much better suited to families who would like to try something fun and different and give the children a choice of where to sit!

We do also have some even larger SUV’s with 7/8 seats, and/or a bit more luggage room but these do come at a cost.  Generally speaking the 7 seat minivans are much more economical price-wise to hire than the large SUV’s.