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I don't hate SUVs. I hate the drivers of SUVs who don't know how to drive such a vehicle. They're mostly women who can never park between the lines, stay in their own lane, or pull into the left turn lane far enough that I can't see the oncoming traffic to make a right turn. Oh, and just because your vehicle is a 4x4 or all wheel drive doesn't mean you can fly through rain on the road of standing water on the road(usually men).
I'm all for SUV's and trucks. Couple of reasons. First is their size. Lets face it. Big trucks and SUV's are out there and they will be involved in accidents. The only way to stand a chance in a crash with one of these things is to be in something just as large. As I've mentioned in here in the past, I've been in three Major accidents in my life. All three were the other persons fault and all three I was driving a truck or SUV and walked away in relatively good shape which is something I can't say for the other drivers.
Next is an SUV's capabilities. Todays Cute ute POS's are worthless or even less at doing anything other than taking you to the mall in a mild rain or snow storm. Any significant snow, mud or other obstacle will stop one cold. I've proved this time and time again when I have to pull these annoying little things out out of snow banks and parking spots. Full sized SUV's with good tires and some forum of locking diffs will take you just about anywhere if you know how to drive it.
I do own a couple of cars and I do like cars like the current Mustang, Camaro and Challanger but would never own one as a primary car. My daily driver is a 2000 Tacoma 4x4 w/TRD pkg and has with 250K+ miles. I'm currently looking at a new 4-Runner but honestly have no reason to buy as the Taco runs as good today as the day it was new.
The 90% of SUV owners that buy them for status or whatever and never use them for their intended purpose (bad winter driving conditions or backcountry travel) are money-wasting, fuel-wasting fools. Now, I've driven 4WD's for my whole driving life, but I use them for their intended purpose--both for work and for pleasure. But even I can not justify having one as a primary vehicle these days. My daily driver is an economical 4-cylinder sedan. My "beater" 4WD sits unless I need it for what it was designed to do. The whole SUV craze was crafted through some very deft marketing efforts by the advertising folks in the auto industry to get people to buy the most profitable vehicles that the automakers could produce. The stupid American public bought it hook, line, and sinker. So far as I'm concerned, anyone who buys a vehicle for status and not its functionality is an idiot.
after decades of suv's i went back to a car 2-1/2 years ago. got rid of the car 3 weeks ago and went back to a jeep sahara.
for driving around the nyc roads which suck, a car was awful. we also have a house in the pocono mountains of pa and ground clearence even on a bmw 328xi awd was usually a problem in the snow.
tried a crossover too like the bmw x3 but it was just to small for transporting our bikes and photography gear. gave that a go for 4 years .
I sold my M3 cause our roads suck so bad here. You almost have to have an SUV or truck.
My beef with SUVs is often I can't find a damned parking spot...the SUVs bulge out of of their slots. I don't like parking in spaces where if the other car has it's door opened it *will* bump into my car or vice versa.
If they'd widen parking slots with the new SUVs, or restrict SUVs to certain widened slots that'd be better.
Statistically, 97% of drivers have no problems with their vehciles, as only 3% get into accidents and only half of those are injusry accidents (ranging from severe to mere bruising). Considering how many SUVs are on the road, I'd say that most drivers of them are safe. Even if we see one or two that are parked badly or driven erratically, there are still 90-100 that are not at the same time in the same area.
I don't have a problem with them, even in my little cars. Of course, I've also had SUVs, from a classic Suburban ('72) and S-10 Blazer to a string of Range Rovers ('88, '95, '01).
I never understood all of the California soccer moms driving 4x4s. What are you going to use it for? Driving through the car wash?
My wife likes full sized vans in part, because she likes to be up high where she can see better and she likes not having a hood blocking her view. I suspect SUV fans like the same thing, but there is no reason to pay for 4x4.
People can drive whatever they want and can afford. It is not my business. The difference in evolution and gas mileage between them and my car does not amount to anything. They do not effect me and if they are bad drivers they will be just as bad in a station wagon or minivan as in an SUV.
I really do not understand Hummers though. They are just a stupid vehicle. Bad off road, bad on road, bad mileage, bad performance, only hold 4 people and very little cargo. What are they good for? Anyone can drive whatever they want, but if one of my kids pulled up in a Hummer, I would regret having not instilled better judgment in them.
I bet that across the US, most SUVs are 2WD, not 4WD, or even AWD.
And most are driven by women, not men, as primary vehicles. They function like minivans did during their peak of popularity. The choose SUVS or CUVs because they do what a van does without the image of a soccer mom (even if they are).
And no one, even greenies, dislikes Subarus or similar sized AWD vehicles. They aren't monster sized, get >> 20 MPG, etc.
I admit to not liking full size SUVs much at all. The blingy ones the least. But I don't begrudge their owners even if they never go offroad. I drive a car that can go far above the speed limit but of course I never have come close to its top speed. If people don't criticize what I drive I'll try not to criticize them.
I sold my M3 cause our roads suck so bad here. You almost have to have an SUV or truck.
i used to drive on our roads here in new york and cringe with the bmw on every bump. those run flats were so hard that a few bumps actually knocked my glasses off.
now that i went back to a suv again im so much more relaxed driving and not working overtime trying to scan the road ahead for every bump.
People should be able to drive what they want, but SUV's add a lot of risk on the road. Period. Bumper height incompatibility puts cars at a very serious disadvantage.
If I had a dollar for every time I see a woman in my area driving a Range Rover or other monster SUV while multi-tasking, talking on the phone, and/or nearly hitting someone while pulling out into traffic - I'd have at least a few hundred dollars!
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