Do 1/2 of Americans really NEED an SUV?

[Glenda]

Every time I drive, it seems like approx 1/2 of vehicles are big pickups, vans, or SUVs. TOday I was driving along, past the high school, and it was ALL SUVs.

I know some people have several children, and would need a bigger vehicle. And maybe some families all go biking or camping or whatever.

But I can't imagine reasons for half the population to NEED them.

Please help me out here.... What am I missing?

Glenda

[Dangeresque]

1. No, but we like them...

I like mine...it's comfortable and roomy, and on the occasions when I do want to carry something around, it's very handy. The gas mileage isn't that bad either...20/26. Best vehicle purchase I've ever made.

[Beaverhausen]

3. No- they are unsafe and stupid

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/nhtsa_suv030115.html

90% of the time I see SUVs there is ONE person inside- the driver.

they are ridiculous.

and what is this trend with the boxy shaped ones? How ugly are they?

[Dangeresque]

4. Dangerous?

Any vehicle is dangerous if driven improperly.

They're also highly functional - hardly 'stupid'.

[mark414]

5. they're irresponsible

20/26 is not good gas mileage.

we're at war for oil but people don't care. it's all about their own convenience and their own needs.

as far as dangerous, SUV's have a much higher rollover rate than any standard car.

[mrboba1]

6. my older car doesn't get much better than that...

what should I do? Buy a brand new car? Sorry, can't do that.

Get a smaller car? Nope, we wouldn't all fit.

Please berate the companies making the fuel-inefficient vehicles, not the people who have to drive them. We should all be able to drive a vehicle that gets 50 mpg...

and small SUV's arent much bigger than midsized cars

[mark414]

8. it's irresponsible to make them

and irresponsible to buy and drive them

[Dangeresque]

11. Compared to cars...

Indeed.

As a matter of fact, my RX330 (a 'midsize' SUV) is shorter than my Maxima (a 'midsize' car), has better passenger/cargo space, *and* has a better turning circle. All for the same MPG.

[Dangeresque]

9. Convenience and needs

This is exactly it...when I buy a vehicle, it *is* for my own convenience and needs.

And while the mileage isn't as good as the Civic I dumped to buy it, the Civic didn't meet my needs, either. I'll just about always go for the best MPG I can get in a vehicle that does what I need, but I won't sacrifice functionality for that MPG.

[mark414]

10. i stand by my statement

irresponsible

[Glenda]

13. What is good gas mileage...

...and which vehicles have them?

Glenda

[democracyindanger]

7. Tractors are highly functional

It'd still be stupid for me to drive around town in.

[baldguy]

28. Yes - Dangerous

If a Focus crashes into a Focus you get two dented Focuses - and nobody get hurt.

If an Expadition crashes into a Focus you might get the paint on the SUV a little scratched - and a bucket full of Focus confetti with some raspberry jam that used to be a human being.

Fuck yes, they're dangerous!

[ROC]

54. Wow! Wise driver would drive a SUV wouldn't he.

[ROC]

55. Obviously a wise driver would opt for an SUV

[Iris]

59. Yeah if he can live with the fact that he

crushed a human being in a minor fender bender. If the kids are in the SUV, it'd be a great way to teach them about death!

Of course, the alternative is he's driving his kids somewhere, he rolls the SUV over. He's taller than the kids so he is crushed and his kids get to see him die before their very eyes. It happened 3 times in 3 weeks in Atlanta this summer.

Very wise way to teach your kids about death. Yep. Wise.

[Radius]

64. Physics

I have been in an accident in F150 truck where someone pulled out in front of me and I hit he rear quarter of their Honda. It was 30 mph collision. The honda was un drivable, crushed trunk into back seat. Luckily no one was there. The f150 had a dented bumper and I pounded it out with a sledge and kept the insurance money.

Bottom line, unless you drive a SUV like andretti physics are on your side in an accident. I have no kids now but when I do the Accord we have now goes and is replaced with a volvo, crown vic, or tahoe. I have had the misfortune of being hit by other people many times and prefer to have the deck stacked in my favor. I ride a motorcycle and see people try to kill me regularly, I would prefer my wife and kid have the advantage.

You have to be driving like an ass to flip an suv or truck because of the massive understeer built in.

[Iris]

67. Or have the misfortune of having people around you driving like an ass

which is what happened to one of the fathers who was killed.

A volvo sedan or wagon has a steel cage as do many other reasonably sized cars.

But if your comfortable with the idea of you or your wife killing someone while your child is in the car, then go for it.

[Radius]

70. I am comfortable

with my kid not being killed by an idiot. Newtonian physics win every time. The person who caused an accident is at fault. If someone runs a stop sign in front of you and you T bone them driver side going 60, they dead. You hit that person and you are not responsible for their death, they are just as dead if you hit them in a Crown vic or a Tahoe.

If they pull out in fromt of me on my bike I die, they are responsible for my death.

Knowing how to drive and the rules of the road make the difference on safe driving.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

47. Their centers of gravity are too high...hence they are dangerous.

It is like having a brick laying flat or standing a brick on it's side. Which is easier to tip over. Why? The lower the center of gravity, the harder the flip.

[Radius]

66. If you drive it like a porche911, yes(nt)

[Iris]

68. How about driving while talking on a cell phone and

just not giving a shit about the people around you.

[Radius]

72. Driving and yakking should be illegal(nt)

[RetroLounge]

78. Please explain to me how my 93 GMC Suburban

is stupid.

Well?

RL

[UdoKier]

71. Is it because they're ugly, dangerous, or wasteful?

Or maybe it's the way they obscure visibility for those of us who still drive normal cars?

There should be a HUGE extra weight tax on SUV's

Also, 20/26 isn't that great. There are cars that get twice that, many get 35 hwy.

15 years ago, I thought the average mpg would be up to at least 45mpg by now.

Who knew the SUV zombies would overrun the highway with their hideous heaps.

You do know that SUV drivers are MORE likely to die an an accident than drivers of normal cars - one factor being rollovers.

Oh, and then there's the parking lot issue - spaces are smaller than ever and the cars are getting huge- SUV's make it much harder to park.

I HATE THEM. If I had 6 kids I'd buy a minivan. I would never buy a car that is such an emblem for American stupidity and wastefulness.

[mrboba1]

2. well, with the highway infrastructure crumbling, all driving

will become off-road!

So yes! :eyes:


:crazy:

[Lindsey]

12. You've hit one of the hottest buttons I have....

I live in Southern California the the number of SUV's and hummers around here is DISGUSTING. NO, MANY OF THESE PEOPLE don't need them. They are selfish, self-centered individuals who are too ignorant to make the connection that these gas guzzling vehicles are one of the reasons that this country has such a dependence on foreign oil (why we're in Iraq). It blows me away. I can understand people who really need them because they do a lot of mountain driving or have a lot of kids to haul around. However, they have proven to be very dangerous (studies have been done) and in my opinion, eveytime I'm on an L.A. freeway I am in harms way because they are driving like maniacs acting like they own the road. It absolutely sickens me (especially because of the amount of gas they use). Sorry for ranting...but like I said...it's one of the hottest buttons I have....

[barb162]

18. I agree with you. In my neighborhood

my house is the ONLY house with no SUV. I would say probably 80% of the vehicles around here are SUVs. There is usually one person only in every one of them and the jerk is usually gabbing on the cell phone. They WASTE oil like crazy, the owners are beyond irresponsible. It is a super hot button with me too; I drive a small fuel efficient car and I don't make fast starts and stops as I am so conscious of oil being a precious resource.

[medeak]

39. agree

but there's a reason why we have a big ass Excursion. Bush et al had 100% tax depreciation in one year for businesses who bought vehicles weighing over 5,000 lbs.

believe me...would have loved to buy something else....but it was just too cost effective. (doesn't make a bit of sense does it?....but penciled out that way)

[krkaufman]

14. Basically, any car getting less than 60 MPG...

... is supporting Al Qaeda and global terrorism. Simple as that.

Ok, the threshold may not be exactly 60MPG, but the concept is right. There is a threshold MPG above which we would largely be weaned from Middle East oil, and getting a lower MPG funnels money to Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries -- who then fund Wahabism, the fundamentalist madrassas, and terror organizations.

http://www.detroitproject.com/ads/default.htm#script2

Script for 'George':

"This is George. This is the gas that George bought for his SUV. This is the oil company executive that sold the gas that George bought for his SUV. These are the countries where the executive bought the oil, that made the gas that George bought for his SUV. And these are the terrorists who get money from those countries every time George fills up his SUV."

OIL MONEY SUPPORTS SOME TERRIBLE THINGS. WHAT KIND OF MILAGE DOES YOUR SUV GET?

See the ad: http://www.detroitproject.com/ads/george.ram

www.thedetroitproject.com

[demnan]

15. I mostly get irritated when they park around me

And I can't see to back out my car. I guess you can't complain though if people are using them to carpool, like vans. And it is difficult to fit a family of four and band instruments, or sports equipment in a regular vehicle.

[Butterflies]

16. No, I'm sure that most don't

Every morning I see people pull SUVs into our parking garage at work, and those people are driving alone. The bigger SUVs won't even fit into a parking space, so they hang over the line and someone with a normal-size car has to park farther away. It's irresponsible and selfish. When I see those huge SUVs or pick-up trucks I always think the man who owns it must be insecure in his masculinity to need that. They're most often white and short and balding and overweight - average age: 40.

[Lindsey]

17. OMG Butterflies!

I typed the same thing about the men, over 40's and balding thing but deleted it because I just get so angry but IT'S SO true!!!! The rumor is that they are lacking in other areas....you know what I mean...as well...(physically...I'm trying to be diplomatic). Also, I was listening to someone speak and a lot of the white "middle-aged" men are angry about the women's movement and that's another reason so many of them are for Bush. He comes off as a "mans man" even though he's a wartime deserter and a coward.

[Lindsey]

20. OMG Butterflies!

You are so right on about the white, short, balding, overweight, men thing who are totally insecure. (the rumor is that they are also not "well-endowed).".... and it's all I can do to not scream at them in the parking lots as they're taking up three spaces!

[baldguy]

29. Hey, *I'M* white, fat, bald & 40!

We're not all dickheads.

[Butterflies]

30. Do you have an SUV?

[baldguy]

31. No, never will either!

[Butterflies]

32. Then your masculinity ISN'T suspect!

thanks for your sensible transportation choice :thumbsup:

[Iris]

43. at Emory University in Atlanta, people used to park SUVs in

the "compact car" spaces! I'm not kidding!

Now if they do that, they get a ticket.

[NV Whino]

19. No, they don't

And this is one of my pet peeves as well. Every time I see a hummer coming at me I want to whip out my Uzi and whack 'em. (Just joking... honest.)

You need to carry a payload or a lot of kids, try the Dodge Caravan or the Volvo Stationwagon. Not great mileage, but both carry a lot and they are relatively small in size.

I have two vehicles. My Celica (35-40 mpg) for average running around and a Ford Ranger (21-27 mpg) for when I have to tote things... like large paintings, or make a dump run. I hate the truck, but my 25-year-old Toyota truck (30-35 mpg) died recently and this was what I could afford. I drive it only when I have to.

[NV Whino]

21. No, they don't

And this is one of my pet peeves as well. Every time I see a hummer coming at me I want to whip out my Uzi and whack 'em. (Just joking... honest.)

You need to carry a payload or a lot of kids, try the Dodge Caravan or the Volvo Stationwagon. Not great mileage, but both carry a lot and they are relatively small in size.

I have two vehicles. My Celica (35-40 mpg) for average running around and a Ford Ranger (21-27 mpg) for when I have to tote things... like large paintings, or make a dump run. I hate the truck, but my 25-year-old Toyota truck (30-35 mpg) died recently and this was what I could afford. I drive it only when I have to.

[Blayde Starrfyre]

22. Well I'm glad you're the "need" police

Like you've never had to haul anything large or heavy? Never had to move? Never had to drive over a pass? Never had to take a large load of stuff to the dump? Never had to cram a bunch of people in your car?

If you've never had to do any of those, I'm happy for you, but most people have uses for an SUV.

[Iris]

44. you could rent a truck for all of those things.

Didn't people find ways to do those things before SUVs were hugely popular?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

48. No, SOME people have uses for them. MOST don't.

[DavidMS]

52. Apples and Organges

A SUV is essentialy a mini-van with testerone injections. In Alaska, people drive either Subarus or Ford F150s (from what I have read). In Afganstan Toyota pickup trucks were the official light truck of the Taliban. If you need to actualy go off road a Jeep, Unimog (Used by the Bundesweir, Swiss Army, etc) or Pinzagauer (Austrian and Swiss Armies, amoung others), Hummer (real thing, not the H2) does it better. Think about it... For acutaly military use, SVUs can't do it. The other advantage of such vehicles is that someone already abuse tested them and spare parts are cheap. Of cource they don't come with lether seats, but real men (and women) who drive off road don't need heated leather seats.

If you need to haul people or cargo a mini-van is a good option.

SUVs don't do anything well except rollover and make it impossible for the sterotypical trophywife to see over the steering wheel.

In the name of full dislosure, I drive a 2000 Toyota Camry. I don't go off road, can haul all the groceries a single guy needs, can haul 4 friends comfortably (as long as they stay off the big mac diet) and gets decent (23/30 MPG) miliagle.

Edited a few times... mostly to add bold.

[Iris]

60. but they do make it possible for said trophywife to expose her panties to

the world if she's wearing a dress when she tries to get out of her vehicle!

[fortyfeetunder]

63. Mini-van mileage is as bad as SUVs.

Have you seen mileage on mini-vans?

Sienna, Odyssey, Caravan Town and Country.......

[DelawareValleyDem]

23. Need? Probably not

SUV and pickups can't be beat for towing and/or off-roading, but the percentage buying it for that reason is small. I think most people buy them for styling, although that's certainly a selling point for most vehicles. Personally, I find a mini-van to be more practical for people/cargo moving, although the open box design of a pickup has its advantages

[Ron Green]

24. Almost NO Americans need an SUV. And most who have them have

made an irresponsible purchase. The ones built on truck chassis are indeed quite dangerous, to other vehicles which sit lower, and to their own occupants due to the absence of the "crush zones" which sedans have around them. They are almost universally bought for emotional reasons, primarily fear. SUV drivers who tell you how they need the carrying capacity can usually do the same job with a minivan, a much more practical vehicle. I drive a VW Golf TDI that gets 55 mpg on the highway and hauls my string bass, amp, music stand and stool. People ought to get real when it comes to transportation.

[forgethell]

25. My own belief

is that the person who has an SUV is far more qualified to determine his own needs than you or I. If you don't like them, don't buy one, but keeps your hands off my SUV. I need it; but even if I didn't, I like them.

While we're at it, I like fast food and cigars, too.

[curse10]

26. No, but we live in a society were people think want=need

And if we lived in a society that valued smaller families and not 4+ children the "need" for large vehicles would go down even further.

If I need to haul something large, which is rare, then I rent something. Saves me money in the long term.

[Lindsey]

27. Hey forgethell

I'm from the south. Does forgethell mean what I think it means? I'd love to hear how you got your user name and maybe you could share.

[forgethell]

37. I don't know what you think it means.

What I think it means is that I won't forget the 2000 election. I got it by filling in the little blank in the DU registration form.

[Glenda]

36. Yeah, the Consumer Society...

I've been reading books and participating in forums on SImplicity and Frugality.

I find that by not buying everything I think I want/need, I have the freedom & money to take time off from working for a month or 2.

I wouldn't trade this time off for an SUV :)

Glenda

[SmileyBoy]

33. Some large families might need minivans, but not SUV's.

Minivans in general get better gas mileage. When my cousin was living with my family, we neede our Honda Odyssey for transport, especially if we had all five of us in the car.

But the CAFE standards are unfortunately more lenient for SUV's than minivans.

[krkaufman]

34. Sanity encroaches from LBN...

... and the wiser Europeans...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x834914

[Ivan Sputnik]

35. Conspicuous consumption

They've become a status symbol. In the 50s, "everybody" wanted the longest car with the biggest tailfins. As I see it, in most cases, it's the modern-day version of the same phenomenon.

[Beaverhausen]

38. Fortunately I see TONS of Priuses around here

and hopefully my next car will be one, too.

edited cause I can't spell...

[On the Road]

40. Seriously, If You Need the Cargo Space

buy a Toyota Matrix. It has a small motor and relatively good gas mileage, just not a lot of acceleration. And it was $15,500 at Carmax as opposed to $25-30,000 for most SUVs.

I have carried a refrigerator and a 30-foot ladders in the back. I can't imagine too many people need more more room than that regularly.

[One_Life_To_Give]

41. 15%

ABout 15% of my milage is with the truck "Loaded" the other 85% is typically me by myself. The biggest reason I don't have a second vehical is the insurance. It costs an extra thousand each year to insure, what would be a extra vehical sitting in my driveway. (And the wife is concerned about the aestetic look of the place with the extra vehical)

As for roll over, A 57 Chevy Rescue is likely to roll over. These new SUV's are very stable, although not as stable as a car. If people didn't drive them like they were F1 cars there wouldn't be the problem.

[Dukkha]

42. Whatever happened to the Station Wagon?

Now there was a perfect family car. Much safer, all the convenience needs are met and better mileage. Maybe not the 70's models but the ones made today surely would be. plus a driver behind you could actually see around you! :o

We had a Plymouth Volarie when I was a kid. Maroon with Wood paneling. A beast that never quits! I always liked riding in the back facing the rear.

As far as the evil SUVs, there's nothing more evil than the dreaded monstrosity of death that goes by the name HUMMER! There so expensive, I'd like to say to the drivers "you know, Viagra's only $10 a pill. A much cheaper solution to your problem"

[LynzM]

45. I drive a station wagon :)

And drove a mini-van before that. Both provide plenty of cargo room, though the van obviously has room for more people.

I don't really like the SUV thing, but it's not my choice to tell others what to drive. I can certainly share the reasons I think they're not a good choice, particularly gas mileage and safety issues.
My question is, before we had SUVs, what did people haul all their crap and kids around in? :evilgrin:

[Ron Green]

46. The station wagon is, indeed, ideal for many people. Check out

the Passat wagon if you want a seriously nice ride. Of course, what has happened is that, by putting some sheet metal onto a full-sized pickup chassis, the automakers have been able to market a dangerous, overpriced, bulbous appeal to the lizard brain. Keith Bradsher, in his excellent book "High and Mighty: The World's Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way," points out that one of the reasons that SUV's appeal to women is that they can see UNDER the damn things before they approach them to get in, to make sure that someone is not hiding underneath! WTF!!!

[jakefrep]

75. I drive a Passat sedan and I like it a lot...

so I would imagine that the wagon is very nice as well.

I don't need the additional utility of an SUV often enough to justify the additional operating costs of owning one. I don't begrudge those who really do need them for work, family hauling, etc.

The SUV unfortunately has become a vanity item for many people. I suspect that this fad will pass once the novelty has worn off.

[Nikia]

49. We have a Nissan Xterra

It only gets slightly worse gas mileage than a mini van. It also handles ice and snow better, which is a factor in Wisconsin (I got my car, a Dodge Avenger) stuck at a stop sign because it couldn't clear the snow at the intersection). We've had some horrid road construction situations where it came in handy. It is also good for hauling things such as bicycles, camping equipment, and computer equipment (my husband and his ex boss used it with business for a while).
I am still a relatively new driver who isn't talented at that and I don't have trouble driving it or parking it anymore. I don't think that it is much wider than my car. I just have to be careful to slow down more at corners. I am not more aggressive when I drive it or anything.

[Maleficus]

50. 90% of Americans don't need SUV's.

Instead of buying something that's intended for off-road, like SUV's, parent's should buy a van. They get relatively good gas mileage and are roomy.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

51. YOUR SUV screws up OUR environment

Please don't sit there and say "My car I can do what I want" because that's so selfish. If it didn't have any bearing on our natural resources, it wouldn't matter. I don't care what you eat, how many cats you have, what you wear etc., but when you buy something that screws up our air and YOU DON'T NEED IT, that is beyond selfish. Think about the rest of us, or at least think about your kids. If you need it that is one thing, but the fact is, most Americans don't need them. I see people driving all alone in their SUVs, to work, whatever. People got around before SUVs by renting trucks, thus they only used up that extra gas when they needed it. YOUR buying of an SUV negates my biking or walking to save gas. No matter what I do, if everyone has this idea of "my life, I'll do what I want" the environment will still get screwed up and we will still be dependent on foreign oil.

[TexasBushwhacker]

53. Part of the problem is SUV's bought for businesses

I think the first thing every person that owns a small business does is goes out and buys an SUV because they qualify as a "small truck" and are therefore tax deductible. It doesn't matter that 90% of the mileage put on them is for commuting. Business people still buy them and will continue to deduct them 100% until they get audited by the IRS. If the country wanted to get serious about this, they would allow a business to purchase ANY kind of car. Why shouldn't a real estate agent be able to buy a Cadillac to drive their clients around in instead of a loaded Ford Explorer?

For me, I bought a small SUV (Honda CRV) because it just floods too easy in Houston and I needed those few extra inches of height. We also have a horrible pothole problem and I was tired of scraping the bottom of my car.

The bottom line is that SUV's should be classified as passenger vehicles and subject to the CAFE standards. BTW, some of the worst vehicles in terms of pollution, pound for pound, are the high end imports - Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Infiniti, etc. Why don't people start bitching about those?

Also, it's my understanding that there is existing technology available that would increase car's gas mileage by 35% to 70%, at a cost of $1000 to $1500 per vehicle. Personally, that's a price I'd be willing to pay. Why is that technology not even available as an OPTION on a new car? I think a lot of people would go for that. It would certainly pay for itself in the first few years, depending on the miles driven and the cost of gas, and it wouldn't pollute as much. I WANT THAT OPTION!

[Mr_Spock]

56. I like when stupid whores on cell phones cut me off and then flip me off

when I gesture for them to get off the phone.

I secretly wish harm on them - don't tell anybody!

[Mr.Green93]

57. we need a department of needs

[Nightowl_2004]

58. I Live in Rural Oregon

Many families here have them, the vast majority have absolutely no need for them. It's riddiculous! Only a few families that live out on farms where the rains can sock in the whole valley with mud and everyone needs some heavy towing capability really NEED them. I've always wondered why everyone else has them!?

[Misinformed01]

61. My husband and I have an Outback

Originally, I wanted it because I was trying to win my Lesbian Toaster.

It gets about 27 miles to the gallon, and we think that's ridiculous. So, he walks to work, and I drive 5 miles on the highway. Our gas bill is about 40 bucks a month now, I think. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. If we go visit relatives a hundred miles down the road, then it's obviously more-

I wish I had bought a Subaru Legacy station wagon instead...not a cool car in the homosexual sense, but it's smaller, less intimidating, and I still feel secure with that Subie AWD that I like-

[fortyfeetunder]

62. 4WD station wagons...ha ha

Last year I had to find another car to replace my station wagon. I have a child, have hobbies which haul equipment and I ride my bike regularly, along with my family.

I also needed 4WD. I live in a hilly area, when in the winter, not much road conditioning is done. I don't want to chain up a car going to my house.

Well, the pickings for what I wanted are slim. I didn't want to repeat the same car make because of some aging car issue I experienced with the station wagon.

Station wagons with 4WD were slim pickings. And the ones with a reliable record were way above what I wanted to pay for.

So I ended up with a Honda CR-V. Has about the same mileage as my old station wagon. I can live with that decision.

I didn't even consider the larger types because of the gas consumption.

[LWolf]

65. I can think of some reasons.

I drive a toyota truck, 4wd. I use my truck. The 4wd & extra ground clearance handles the infrequent snow and more frequent flooding in my area; I haul feed regularly, and a few times a year haul things like rocks and dirt. I've also hauled quite a bit of water. It does everything but haul my horses; if I want to pull my horse trailer, I have to find someone with a big truck.

My mom drives a little subaru. She would have preferred a Honda, but where she lives, there is a heavy snowload all winter long. People in her area drive subarus or SUVs for 4 wheel drive to manage the snow. If more cars came with awd, probably fewer people would drive suvs.

If you live in areas with dirt roads that can get muddy in the rain, if you live in a snowy area, if you want to carry passengers and pull your boat...those are reasons for suvs.

[bratcatinok]

69. Sometimes there are good reasons for driving a SUV

I owned an SUV in the 90's and had valid reason for owning one.

1. We would vacation in Colorado every year and go off-roading because it's how we liked to spend our vacation time.

2. We lived in Houston and drove up every other weekend to visit my in-laws. Uncle-in-law owned (still does) 3300 acres here in SW Oklahoma and the only way to reach some of the pastures and ponds was with 4 wheel drive. I also had 3 large dogs at the time and they appreciated the room in our SUV.

3. It wasn't unusual for me to haul 6-7 people around at lunch time since I was a manager and we had many offsite working meetings.

4. When I was transferred from Houston to Austin I had a total of one day downtime while I drove my files, the boxed contents of my desk and my desk chair to Austin. The people who waited and let their stuff be moved by the hired moving company were down for 4 days. Customers of mine who were waiting to close on their homes weren't inconvenienced except for the one day when I was in transit.

When I lived in Houston I drove in to work everyday alone because there was no one near me I could carpool with. Once I was transferred from Austin to Dallas and could take public transportation, I traded in my SUV. I now drive a 10 year old car which is paid for because that's what meets my needs now.

[JCMach1]

73. My Peugeot 307 SW is a car that can comfortably carry 7

but gets up to 44mpg

Who needs a stinkin' SUV!!!



...WINNER

Peugeot 307 SW
It may only be the size of a Scenic or Picasso, but Peugeot's 307 SW manages to pack in an extra row of seats to bring its total passenger carrying capability up to seven. Very neat. OK, so with seven people inside, there's not a huge amount of room for luggage, but there is plenty of oddment room for all their smaller items. Individual seats can be removed for extra space, of course. The 307 SW looks sleeker than most midi-MPVs and if anything resembles a rakish estate car rather than a van, this is it. And that's replicated in the way it drives. The ride is superb and the 307's handling is very tidy, too. When it competed in our ten-MPV Olympics in July 2002 the 307 SW was a medal winner, sharing a five-star rating with the Multipla and the Toyota Corolla Verso. 'Sit in the driver's seat, go for a drive even, and you'd still be convinced you were in a traditional estate,' we said. Tested in two-litre HDi engine guise it was the most economical of the bunch and second only to the PT Cruiser CRD for pulling power. Also available are a 1.6-litre and two-litre petrol engine and that diesel can be had with a few less horses for a few less pounds as well. We've been running a 307 SW as a long-term test car and have found little to fault with it, despite it racking up the miles at a high rate. Its blend of people/luggage carrying capacity makes it one of the most popular cars on the fleet. And the full-length glass roof is spectacular. As we said in our long-term round up in the March 2003 issue, 'it's an ideal family car'...
http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/awards_2003/05/

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

74. I'll never own an SUV

I want my next vehicle to be a hybrid or completely alternatively fueled car that gets FANTASTIC mileage and pollutes as little as possible.

[RetroLounge]

76. You're missing the idea of personal choice

Don't like them, don't drive one.

See? That was easy...

RL

[MrSandman]

77. An unintended consequence of mainly two policies...

CAFE standards that exempted SUV's and trucks. SUV's replaced large station wagons and even sedans.

"Luxury tax" and other tax policies which made expensive SUV's more attractive than expensive cars.

on edit...few NEED them...s