Why do people drive SUVs?

[DirkGently]

302. Outside of heavy towing or rough / snowy roads, it's a weird choice.

I briefly worked a second job at Carmax, where SUVs were, as everywhere, hugely popular. A few things I heard from SUV buyers:

- I'm a fireman, and I've seen what happens when a 5,000-lb vehicle hits a compact. I want my wife in an SUV

- What's the biggest, fanciest thing you have on the lot? That was my first sale ever, a schoolbus-sized Ford Excursion, to a young chemist just out of the Navy, apparently with money to burn. A single guy, in one of the largest passengers vehicles you could buy.

- We have three kids, but wouldn't be caught dead in a minivan!

- I like to be able to see over everyone in traffic

- I want an Escalade, and nothing but an Escalade. Escalades are the best (freely paraphrased, but Jesus, what the hell was ever so great about a $60,000 GMC Yukon?)

By the way, I never actually met anyone looking for a large SUV on the basis they needed to tow a horse trailer, or drive an entire Little League team or around, or climb snowy mountain roads (I'm in Florida).

Near as I could ever tell, it was a style choice. A few people might need a large vehicle like that, but as you say, SUVs are a poor compromise for a commuter vehicle. The big ones are on truck frames, with heavy suspensions and big wheels and tires, which hurts acceleration, handling, gas mileage, and interior room.

I saw a lot of families who could really use a five-door hatchback or small wagon or a minivan, but couldn't see themselves driving anything so uncool. So they ended up with a more expensive, slower, less fuel efficient vehicle with, by the way, less storage and passenger room than a lot of cars in many cases, because they were convinced only weenies drove wagons or minivans.

I think that's changing. There are a few wagons / hatchbacks / crossovers on the market that make a lot more sense for most people. We have a 42-mpg VW diesel wagon that recently carried two adults, two dogs, week's worth of luggage for two, fishing gear, snorkeling equipment, lots of camera gear, and everything that goes with a 17-foot kayak strapped to the roof. Even with all that, it pulled mid-30's on the highway on a 600-mile round trip. It's classified as a "compact" and takes up less width in the garage than the Civic Hybrid did.