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If you aren't tailgating someone seeing ahead of them shouldn't be an issue as you can still see down the side.
I try not to. But when I have what I feel is a comfortable distance to the vehicle in front of me, some soccer mom in a Mercedes SUV will invariably change into my lane. Ooooh, that stick figure family is SO CUTE close up!
Pickups have been on the American roadway since before the 1930s and all of a sudden people are complaining about them...
Correct. People way back in the day used pickups to haul things for WORK. They were work trucks, not status symbols that never haul anything like today. I mean, pickups are luxury, not for hauling a bunch of crops, gravel or dirt. Most pickups haul groceries, so your timeline means nothing. People didn't want to drive a pickup way back, but they HAD to because of work. The US is unique in the pickups are always empty here. You ask someone from Germany about it and they will ask, "why are there so many empty pickups riding around?" Simple answers is they are just a status and not for hauling. Odd, but true.
Men:
Height in inches: 69.2
Weight in pounds: 195.7
Waist circumference in inches: 40.0
Women:
Height in inches: 63.7
Weight in pounds: 168.5
Waist circumference in inches: 38.1
This no doubt adds to the popularity of SUVs and pickups as so many people in the US are super fat, what else can they really drive? They can just roll into an SUV or pickup, instead of having to bend at all. This would account for a lot of the sales for sure. We ain't a thin country that is for sure. Geez!!!
It's because most owners (leases ) drive them like they own the road, I see them every day picking up their kids from school with no regard for the traffic regulations in a school zone. Lady put down your phone, that was a 4 corner crosswalk stop sign you just blew thru.
Dont get me started about the 4 door pick up trucks that have never ever had anything in the cargo beds but feel they can menace you because they are bigger than you, If you take up 2 parking spots you should feed 2 meters
1) judgement against excess
2) judgement against waste and pollution
3) implicit bias from previous negative experiences with other SUVs/drivers
4) insecurity about safety
I'm generally not a fan of large luxury SUVs based on the behaviors their drivers exhibit around my area of Newport Beach, Ca but I can't extrapolate that towards all SUVs and their drivers.
Because they can't afford the payments? I love my 12mpg Yukon.
FWIW I HATTTTE PRIUSES, and their drivers even more. Buy a car that takes less than 10.5 seconds to get up to speed, or get out of my way.
I think also people like them, now more than ever, because cars are becoming so much smaller inside due to their basic designs. The classic 3 box sedan is long gone. There's alottttt of just space inside an Escalade or Navigator. Space=luxury.
The new Lexus LS is teeny inside, man what were they thinking. My head hit the ceiling and my knees hit the seatback. On a 205 inch car.
This no doubt adds to the popularity of SUVs and pickups as so many people in the US are super fat, what else can they really drive? They can just roll into an SUV or pickup, instead of having to bend at all. This would account for a lot of the sales for sure. We ain't a thin country that is for sure. Geez!!!
Pickup trucks are high and wide. That makes for easier and more comfortable access for fluffy people.
I'll bet that explains part of their popularity and also explains why they rarely are used to haul anything.
At least, here in the good old USA we have choices. When I used to travel to Germany, the land of $7 per gallon gas, the most popular car was the VW Golf. In all those trips I saw only one Ford F-150.
Another thing to remember is that these new trucks have high tow and cargo ratings. Physically trucks today are gigantic from the factory compared to trucks 30 years ago much less 60/70/80 years ago.
I’m not sure how much more people tow compared to 30 years ago but it’s obviously more. I just saw a guy with a triple axle toy hauler. This thing had to be 40 feet long. It was as big as a small house. My diesel wouldn’t legally be able to tow that cause it’s not rated as high as today’s trucks. I’m sure I could physically do it but I would not want to.
On our next SUV we’re downsizing from a Tahoe sized SUV to a midsize suv. We don’t really need a big SUV anymore. For my daily driver I downsized. I still have my truck for my tow and hauling needs but it’s not a daily driver. I won’t get rid of it as renting a truck would end up costing more overall than keeping my paid off truck.
Imo people can drive whatever they want. I had d-bags follow me too closely. If I’m not going fast enough they swing around me and sharply swing back. I guess it’s supposed to intimidate me. Anyway....... if you want some giant suv fine. Your free to drive one imo.
Why would someone be jealous of some non-driver's vehicle? Real drivers don't want a floating living room, they want something that can handle well and avoid an accident. SUV's are unsafe to operate at speed, so they need to be driven much slower around bends in the road. I hate following them because they are so damn slow. Some of them might be sort of fast in a straight line, but not compared to my high performance European Sports Car that would make them look ridiculous in an obstacle course. Most SUVs are pretty poor at everything but hauling things, but if I just had some kids, I would choose a high performance wagon like a BMW 5 series.
I had a 2005 Mazda 6 wagon with a manual and it was a lot of fun. I'm with you but sadly, neither the BMW or Audi wagons are available stateside. The day Audi brings the S6 Avant here is the day I trade my sedan.
As for SUVs, I had a Suburban as a loaner for about a week last year. I was surprised to see that it got better gas mileage than my sedan. I got used to the size but it wouldn't fit in my garage so it probably wouldn't work for me.
At least, here in the good old USA we have choices. When I used to travel to Germany, the land of $7 per gallon gas, the most popular car was the VW Golf. In all those trips I saw only one Ford F-150.
It isn't the price per gallon so much, it is that in Germany they "drive". Ticketed if not passing in a left lane on a highway and they have no speed limits on some of their roadways. They need real performance cars, not floating living rooms. In the US it is about big so all our fatter people can get in and out of these big things. Germans feel the need to perform (handle). Gotta love the GTIs and Golf R's. Nice cars with comfort.
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