In praise of SUVs (sort of)

[GraniteStater]

One of the cleanest SUVs in terms of emissions is the Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) rated Subaru Forester. Highway MPG is in the upper 20s. However, they only sell PZEV certified vehicles in a few states.

"PZEV is an acronym for Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle. PZEVs are modern vehicles with advanced engines equipped with cutting-edge emissions controls. PZEVs run on gasoline, yet offer extremely clean emissions with zero evaporative emissions. However some PZEVs don't concurrently offer outstanding fuel mileage, with the majority of them falling in line with current model year averages."

"PZEVs are partial zero-emission vehicles, the closest you can get to zero without being a ZEV. The partial refers to the fact that automakers get partial ZEV credit for making and selling PZEVs. They're cleaner than SULEVs since they also have a design that doesn't allow evaporative emissions from the gas tank. There are PZEV versions of several new gasoline car models on the market today. To see a list of these, visit the California Air Resources Board link in the list below."

"The politics are regulatory. The federal Environmental Protection Agency doesn't have a PZEV category of its own, but won’t recognize the California rating, which can be applied only there and in the five states -- Oregon, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine—that have adopted California emissions standards. No regulatory agency likes to hand any of its power over to another."

[summer22]

Originally Posted by Idunn

Being no fan of SUVs I never thought I'd say this, but now may be the time that if you have 'em smoke 'em. This simply because even with petrol currently at $4 to $5 per gallon, you may never see its likes again. The best of times in this may have been several years ago when, around Albuquerque, NM at least, petrol could be had for 99¢ per gallon.

Future technology may allow for driving anything you like for little cost in fuel, but other parameters may well be different. Which is what brought this to mind. The era of the great American road trip may be coming to a close. Not just because of fuel prices but also due an ever increasing population, more traffic, and fewer and fewer places where true freedom reigns. Then also if conditions become more critical it could become politically incorrect to take the excursions many Americans grew up believing they naturally deserved by no more than being born.

This not to say I'm advocating wasting resources. But kind of, yes. Call it pure hedonism. A last chance. With 3% of the world's population using 25% of its resources, we've become quite adept at this sort of thing. And a certain pleasure we may be forced to reluctantly give up. The future isn't entirely bleak, and it could be after some adjustment we may find that doing more with less, surprisingly, affords an even better and more comfortable lifestyle. But the road there might have lots of pot holes. Something, by the way, many municipalities in the US can no longer afford to repair.

So fire up that big V-8 engine. Waste it like there is no tomorrow, because in this scenario daybreak comes sooner than you might like. And even if adopting some small fuel efficient hybrid out of necessity, you know in your heart of hearts that given the chance you'd be far happier running it over and off the road with your huge pickup.

I miss my old 4.6L V-8 Ford Thunderbird from the '90s. It stayed in one piece until 2005 and 230K miles, and I wish it had lasted another 4-5 years at least. Since then I've driven, what are considered, several high quality cars, good ratings and such, but they're not nearly as fun when you just have a four-banger under the hood.

[oldtrader]

A lot of people are against the SUV vehicle and never consider why a lot of people drive them.

1----The ability to travel in all weather conditions. Our 2012 Ford Explorer gets 20 miles in town, and 28 miles on the highway, and that was not a consideration when it was purchased. It has to travel between South West Montana and Denver Colorado every two month regardless of weather conditions for standing medical appointments. With the high tech 4x4 drive, it handles the road no matter how bad it is. It stays on the road and goes, while one sees the regular autos off to the side in ditches, and in bad wrecks. Three times last winter, it was very much appreciated how well it handled some serious problems, with snow and high cross winds. Never even gave any doubt about it's ability to handle the weather once.

2----Tow capacity. When one wants to hook up to our travel trailer and go, it goes pulling up to 5,000 pounds. Try that with a Prius.

3----It carries 7 people comfortably when a group want to travel together and still have room for their purchases. People living way out of town do this, and it uses a lot less gas than taking 2 or more cars.

4----I am over 6' tall, with a long body proportioned like an average smaller person, not the long legs that many tall people have with the normal size bodies. I actually cannot sit in so many of the cars that people on this thread think are the auto to drive. On so many autos on the road, I have to bend my head down where I cannot see with my head against the roof, and one cannot drive a car that way. And that list, includes the small SUVs. That is why when we are going somewhere with 2 or 3 couples, we have to use our car unless the others drive a large SUV also.

5----We live on a 5 acre property, across the street from the city limits. As we live out of the city limits, we have to take our trash to the dump, etc., so keep a 2006 Ford F150 for this duty. If we want to buy something on a shopping trip, we have to drive 50 miles each way, or 90 miles each way the other direction. We simply do not like paying a $100 or higher delivery charge to get something delivered and many stores do not deliver at any price, so we have to haul it ourselves. About all we can buy here in town are groceries, and hardware items. Again it is something I can sit up in, and does the job we need it to do. As it is not driven in bad snow conditions, it is a 2 wheel drive which is very rare in our part of the country.

6----For a run to town (1 mile) to go to the post office, or get groceries we keep an old 1999 small Blazer bought new. My wife likes it, for short distances as it is easy to park, etc. A small gas friendly rig.

Many people will see my wife a 5'2" tall little old lady driving one of these rigs and think it is terrible to not be driving a small car. We have what we need to drive when we need it, and the expense of buying a small car for her to run to the grocery store, would be stupid as we would never recover our investment through gas savings.

[summer22]

Originally Posted by oldtrader

A lot of people are against the SUV vehicle and never consider why a lot of people drive them.

I wish I could afford one...

[oldtrader]

A lot of smaller so called fuel efficient cars cost as much or even more than a decent SUV.

[ryanek9freak]

My '02 Ram gets about 13MPG, I've never complained about it once, it's just part of owning a truck, which I will always do.