Despite rises in gasoline prices, Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) continue to be a popular choice among families for a variety of reasons. In addition to offering space that can accommodate expanding families and the loads of stuff piled among them, SUV's are beginning to emerge with new feature that are making them somewhat liken to station wagons and mini vans of the past.

As a parent, you may often have a variety of very important considerations on your mind when thinking about purchasing a new or used SUV. While safety is often of the upmost importance, fitting your family comfortably and keeping children entertained while traveling without going bankrupt at the gas pump can also be important aspects of vehicle shopping.

With your most precious cargo sitting within the back seats of your vehicle, finding an SUV that offers the highest safety ratings can ease your mind amongst the craziness of traffic and unreliable drivers sharing the road. While the size of most SUV's make them safer in collision situations, the size and height can also make them a greater liability for rolling over. While the traditional SUV does have a higher risk for rolling over, the newer crossover versions of SUV's offer a safer alternative without sacrificing the size necessary to haul your kids comfortably and easily. Midsized, smaller and crossover SUV's currently offer the best safety ratings for children and families because of the lower risk they have of rolling over in contrast with larger SUV's, seating seven to eight passengers.

In addition to obtaining quality crash test ratings, many newer SUV's are offering accommodations for child safety equipment, like car and booster seats. Anchors and tethers are becoming increasingly standard in new SUV's, making it easier and more secure to install car seats in a safe manner. Child safety locks are another standard feature for newer SUV's giving you the peace of mind you need to focus while driving.

Staying comfortable throughout the next road trip or even when carpooling the kids to and from school can make the need for space and room a vital amenity. While arguments, fighting and bickering may be the norm for children sharing a back seat, giving kids their own space and keeping little bodies from becoming cramped and uncomfortable can do wonders for maintaining peace.

While SUV's provide the necessary space needed to haul children, accompanying equipment, toys, snacks and other necessities, they are also available with many of the extras that can give you the peace and quiet you need to stay focused on the road. DVD players, separate radios, iPod docks and even video games have all become a reality among newer SUV's. While newer SUV's may come with the option to add kid-friendly amenities, adding them to older SUV's is also an option for entertainment craving families.