Vehicle buying decision matrix

A while ago, the hubby and I were considering buying either an SUV or a minivan. Initially, I shuddered at the word "minivan". I told myself I'd never own a minivan. Ever. But like all "I'll never" statements made before having our son, I had to seriously consider a minivan now because my needs have changed. Now you may say, you only have one kid, why do you need a minivan? Or, even if you had two kids, why do you need a minivan? Read my old post to find out, please.

Welcome back.

Being the geek that I am, I decided to use Excel to help me make the most informed decision based on my priorities. When I first posted about my SUV vs. minivan conundrum, I included an image of each SUV or minivan's specs but not the actual Excel sheet. Well, since I've used it again to compare cars, I thought I'd give the Excel file a few tweaks and then offer it for you to use. Here's a link to the vehicle buying decision matrix published to Google docs. Be sure to {File >> Make a copy…} or {File >> Download as}, otherwise everyone who's clicked on the doc link will be able to see your fill-ins!

Though this decision matrix was originally intended to help you make decisions for vehicle buying, I could see myself using this buying appliances, TVs, etc.

Sheet 1 - You fill this in (click images to enlarge)

1. Fill in your criteria for choosing a vehicle (or other item). I put MSRP, mileage, passenger seating, cargo space, etc.
2. Scale the importance of a criterion, 1 to 4, with 4 being the highest. I arbitrarily choose a scale of 4. Whatever scale you choose, keep it consistent and make sure the largest number is of utmost importance.
3. Fill in whether or not a criterion is "higher is better" (input 1) or "lower is better" (input 0). For instance, if the criterion is MSRP, I'd input 0 because I want a lower price. In contrast, if the criterion is gas mileage, I'd input 1 because I want higher gas mileage
4. These instructions are also noted in the "comments". Just hover above cells C1, C2, C3, and C4.
5. You don't have to fill in all the 10 criteria or 10 vehicle choices. Just leave the cells blank.
   

Sheet 2 - Calculating… 

You can see the sheet, but you can't edit it! Sorry.

Sheet 3 - Your rankings!

You can see the sheet, but you can't edit it! Sorry. The sheet lists your rankings according to your priorities.

I'd be happy to receive feedback on the matrix

and/or answer any questions!
Happy comparing!

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