Many small, sporty vehicles have interiors that can be reconfigured easily to create additional cargo space by folding down half or all of the rear seat. This works fine if you don't need to bring the whole family along. (If there's something specific you have to carry around with you, like a special piece of sports or special-needs equipment, consider taking it car-shopping with you to see how various vehicles would accommodate it.)

Now you have an idea of whether, for your everyday driving, you need five seats or more (seven or eight), a decision that sharply divides the vehicle universe. You also know the volume of stuff you need to be able to fit into your vehicle.

Now it's time to think about unusual trips—like twice-a-year ski trips or driving vacations. These are the times you need the maximum of everything—cargo space for luggage, a bike rack for bikes, room for all the kids and dogs, not only to fit inside the vehicle but to spread out a little so everyone's not going bonkers. And maybe you really need 4-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive for snow safety. If this only happens now and then, consider whether you can rent or borrow the vehicle you need from anothr family. Rental companies increasingly are offering large SUVs as part of their regular rental fleets. Even the high cost of renting one of these vehicles is dwarfed by the much higher long-term cost of owning and operating one.

If you'd like, you can take the Car Talk guys' SUV quiz.

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Go to page 3: Narrow your list of vehicle types to consider