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The SUV drivers that "Really Get To Me", are those that believe that they are "Safer" in their overpriced gas guzzlers. It is a FALSE sense of security. Not only are they prone to rollovers, most of them have ungainly handling, long stopping distances and poor offset collision ratings. Cars, being more nimble, have a better chance of avoiding an accident in the first place. In addtion a great majority of newer cars (even the compacts) have 5 star crash ratings. A couple of months ago there was an accident at an intersection here in Las Vegas. A Ford EXCURSION (the real BIG one), ran a red light and got T-Boned by a newer Honda Accord. The Excursion was on it's side, the driver and passenger both with serious (though not life threatning) injuries. The lone driver of the Accord walked away-no injury what so ever. The Accord struck the Excursion at approx 40 mpg and the passenger compartment of the Accord was 100% intact!! So much for the "Safer In A SUV" theory. In addition to the negatives already mentioned in regards to SUVs, they also tend to be some of the most Un-reliable vehicles on the road, have the highest depreceation rates and above average repair costs. I've been told that if you buy a Chevy Trailblazer and drive it off the lot, you just lost 40% of it's original cost. SUVs-NOT a wise investment --Period!!
I have to admit to laughing at the giant SUV types driving in the city. They have unused trailer hitches, twirling rims and those ridiculous over-sized Cadillac (or other) emblems on the back. The driver wouldn't even know how to use the 4 wheel drive if the vehicle ever left the city/suburb. You just sit behind one of those Clown Rigs and laugh. They think they're "cool" while almost everyone around them thinks just the opposite.
It's even better at the gas station. Watch the look on those giant SUV owners as they drain half the tanks at the gas station and ring up over $100 dollars for their non-stop errand trips four blocks from their homes. Of course, they don't gripe to us saps in our little Toyotas at the next pump. They're too busy talking on a cell phone or watching the back-of-seat tv screens while pumping explosive gasoline. They certainly don't care about anyone or anything but themselves.
Remember that old Indian commercial in the 1960s and 1970s? The Indian was standing on the side of the road with a tear running down his face as people just threw trash out their windows. Funny thing is, many of the people driving these giant suburban assault vehicles are of the same age group that used to protest for ecology and saving the planet. I don't get it.
I hope this isn't America before the fall. Lots of waste and selfishness. We will find out when gasoline hits $4 or $5 bucks a gallon (it's $3.47 today at my neighborhood gas station).
And my post is not directed at you folks who have a need for these types of vehicles for towing, mountains and bad rural roads etc. It's more at the millions of people in the cities and suburbs who drive these things for some kind of status or nonsense about them being safer. This "arms race" on Americas roadways must end. It will obviously take some real pain with rising gas prices to wake up a portion of our population.
All the rest of us can do is limit/combine our trips. Make sure our tires are inflated properly and tune up our vehicles. Somehow, the rest of the world drives smaller cars and trucks. We will learn. Lessons that have costs are remembered.
I rented a Trail Blazer a few years ago when I moved, and learned I'd never buy an SUV. They don't handle well, they brake badly, it's a PITA to park them in a crowded lot, I needed a ladder to get in and out, and the gas mileage was atricious. And I probably could have fit the same amount of stuff into my Mazda wagon.
I rented a Trail Blazer a few years ago when I moved, and learned I'd never buy an SUV. They don't handle well, they brake badly, it's a PITA to park them in a crowded lot, I needed a ladder to get in and out, and the gas mileage was atricious. And I probably could have fit the same amount of stuff into my Mazda wagon.
RIGHT ON!!! The Trail Blazer is probably the poorest SUV on the road. Really just a piece of junk. Their reliability ratings are horrendous.
While I don't own a sub-15mpg vehicle, I can understand why some people drive them. If you have more than 2 kids in carseats, you can't fit the darn things in the second row of passenger seats. They aren't wide enough. And there is a false sense of security driving around in these vehicles. The speeds at which many people drive these cars around not only decrease the gas milage but are downright dangerous and make the vehicle more prone to flipping. Most are not qualified to drive anything bumper to bumper at 85+ miles an hour, let alone a car with a high center of gravity.
Here in the suburb that I live in, the SUV isn't used to drive on dirt roads to get home or even drive in the snow. It's a status symbol that the moms use to shuttle their 2 kids two blocks to and from school (I'm not kidding.), to soccer practice, baseball practice, dance lessons, etc and is occasionally taken on road trips. But it is their choice and they have the right to choose what they want to drive and the right to pay $3.50/gallon for gasoline. I choose not to. I drive my 3 kids around in my 10 year old Toyota 4-Runner and my 8 year old Honda Oddessy. While the milage isn't the greatest, I'm a believer is use it until you can't stand it anymore or it's useless. And I'm not there yet.
I have to admit to laughing at the giant SUV types driving in the city. They have unused trailer hitches, twirling rims and those ridiculous over-sized Cadillac (or other) emblems on the back. The driver wouldn't even know how to use the 4 wheel drive if the vehicle ever left the city/suburb. You just sit behind one of those Clown Rigs and laugh. They think they're "cool" while almost everyone around them thinks just the opposite.
It's even better at the gas station. Watch the look on those giant SUV owners as they drain half the tanks at the gas station and ring up over $100 dollars for their non-stop errand trips four blocks from their homes. Of course, they don't gripe to us saps in our little Toyotas at the next pump. They're too busy talking on a cell phone or watching the back-of-seat tv screens while pumping explosive gasoline. They certainly don't care about anyone or anything but themselves.
Remember that old Indian commercial in the 1960s and 1970s? The Indian was standing on the side of the road with a tear running down his face as people just threw trash out their windows. Funny thing is, many of the people driving these giant suburban assault vehicles are of the same age group that used to protest for ecology and saving the planet. I don't get it.
I hope this isn't America before the fall. Lots of waste and selfishness. We will find out when gasoline hits $4 or $5 bucks a gallon (it's $3.47 today at my neighborhood gas station).
And my post is not directed at you folks who have a need for these types of vehicles for towing, mountains and bad rural roads etc. It's more at the millions of people in the cities and suburbs who drive these things for some kind of status or nonsense about them being safer. This "arms race" on Americas roadways must end. It will obviously take some real pain with rising gas prices to wake up a portion of our population.
All the rest of us can do is limit/combine our trips. Make sure our tires are inflated properly and tune up our vehicles. Somehow, the rest of the world drives smaller cars and trucks. We will learn. Lessons that have costs are remembered.
The Subaru Legacy/Outback line of cars, with full-time AWD and excellent crash test scores, are among the safest on sale. My parents had a Ford Expedition for some time, and many Ford Explorers. Not anymore. They went back to Subarus.
I marked other...I own an 10 year old F150 and I have a farm, I need it to haul hay, feed, equipment, my horse ect.
I'm also faced with replacing it and went in to the Ford dealer the other day and Ford now has a model that will use ethenol and or regular gas or any mix of it. I'm really looking into this.
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