Examine special needs. Do you need to tow a boat or trailer? Do you carry heavy or bulky loads? Have a family with four or more children? Sometimes downsizing isn’t easy if you really do need a workhorse vehicle.
Stick with the base engine unless there’s an overriding reason to do otherwise. While optioning up to a larger V-6 or V-8 may bring more power, they cost more to buy and almost always consume more fuel than the standard engine that comes with any model vehicle.
If you’re sold on a particular model like an SUV, think about downsizing to a smaller class of that vehicle. A compact SUV may be just as functional for you as a larger, less fuel efficient full-size SUV.
If you need greater carrying capacity for skiing, snowboarding, bicycling, or just carrying along an abundance of gear during outings, consider a rack or carrier. Specialty carriers and racks allow hauling along lots of gear outside that you really don’t have to stuff inside a vehicle.
