SUVs are perfect for large families or those who regularly travel long distances. If considering buying one, choosing from the 10 best SUVs this year, like the Nissan Rogue, Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, Kia Sorento, Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Honda CR-V, and Dodge Journey, seems like the smart thing to do. But, how one goes about making the right choice is also important to ensure they get absolute value for money and comfort.

Fix the budget
The first step is to assess how much you will be spending on the vehicle. Along with the buying price range of the best luxury, midsize, or small SUVs for sale, you need to consider the amount you will have to spend on fuel and maintenance. Be sure that you can shell out this amount regularly. You can look up online for customer ratings on some of the best affordable SUVs.

Don’t forget to add the price of any additional features that you plan to get. Also, ask insurance agents for free quotes so that you can ascertain the coverage costs you will have to bear in total.

Choose the model
Once the budget is fixed, start looking at top-rated or recommended SUVs within that price range. If your family is large, select the SUVs that offer five- to seven-seater capacities. If power and speed are what matter to you, opt for one with a greater horsepower engine. Compare different models to see which offers more value.

For a smaller budget, used vehicles are ideal. If you are looking for affordable or used SUVs, consider popular ones like Lexus, Jeep Patriot, Kia Sorento Base, Dodge Journey, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, Toyota RAV4, and more.

You can also look for luxury SUVs or some of the best luxury crossovers, be it a new or an older model when looking to buy an SUV.

Inspect the vehicle
The last step is vehicle inspection. Relying solely on word-of-mouth or online reviews isn’t wise. Visit a dealership near you and take a good look at the models you have shortlisted from the 10 best SUVs as per your budget.

It’s important to check all the features at the dealership itself. If you are not confident of doing this on your own, get a friend or family member who owns an SUV along. Take the vehicle for a test drive to check the ease of handling and to see how it performs on the roads.

Some things to keep in mind when choosing the right one from a list of 10 best SUVs:

• Three-row SUVs can seat a maximum of eight passengers, but the seating space may be cramped; so be sure to check this.
• Four- and six-cylinder turbocharged engines are quite popular with SUV buyers for the power factor.
• Non-hybrid, large SUVs offer poor gas mileage; so keep this in mind if mileage matters to you.