Do you think people will regret buying SUVs and trucks within the next 5 or so years? (Chrysler, Dodge)
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The big reason a lot of people switched to Pickups and SUVs is that cars have gotten so be so little dinky things that a huge percentage of people have switched to Pickups and SUVs to be able to handle their needs. The people are buying what fits their needs. They used to buy big sedans and station wagons, today they buy the vehicles that still fit their needs.
TODAY SUVS ARE SAFER THAN CARS. The big rollover problems have been gone for years. That is another reason people are buying them.
When in a small car, I don't want to have some one in a large SUV or Pickup, with a deer guard on the front to protect it running into me. Hitting a deer at highway speeds, will really tear it up, even in highly populated states such as New York and California. A big reason a lot of people with SUVs and Pickups protect themselves with deer guards. It is a lot better to just have to wash the blood off of the front end, than it is to have to have it in garage for repairs for a period of time. My daughter in laws boss, drove a large sedan, and recently driving to their corporate headquarters had a deer jump in front of her and totaled her car. She now drives a pickup with an excellent deer guard.
I just don’t get why people worry so much about what other people buy or drive why can’t people just worry about themselves.
It's in some people's nature that they feel the need to impose their beliefs onto other people and if those people don't follow along, then they're ridiculed for having their own opinion. In general, its usually people who are miserable themselves and they want others to share within the misery.
Hot topic, 30 pages long. I'm amazed at the prices some of these types of vehicles are going for. $70,000 - over $90,000. Yes, I realize they don't all cost that much but even the average SUV can be over $40,000 from what I've seen at least. Obviously, people can buy want they desire but it does seem steep to me for the average American considering the disparity in wages in this country.
A couple weeks ago I viewed Youtube videos of some of the new vehicles, including higher end SUVs. Couldn't believe how much technology they are packing into vehicles these days. Overwhelming, and I have to wonder about the safety of it all. Drivers get distracted too easily even without all of that 'stuff'.
Mostly though, I just wish people with huge SUVs would stop parking next to me in parking lots. They have to pick out the one car with a space next to it and park next to it instead of next to an SUV.
Hot topic, 30 pages long. I'm amazed at the prices some of these types of vehicles are going for. $70,000 - over $90,000. Yes, I realize they don't all cost that much but even the average SUV can be over $40,000 from what I've seen at least. Obviously, people can buy want they desire but it does seem steep to me for the average American considering the disparity in wages in this country.
A couple weeks ago I viewed Youtube videos of some of the new vehicles, including higher end SUVs. Couldn't believe how much technology they are packing into vehicles these days. Overwhelming, and I have to wonder about the safety of it all. Drivers get distracted too easily even without all of that 'stuff'.
Mostly though, I just wish people with huge SUVs would stop parking next to me in parking lots. They have to pick out the one car with a space next to it and park next to it instead of next to an SUV.
I’m certain the automakers love it. With SUVs becoming more popular, Honda/Toyota/etc can have their most desired vehicles START at about $22-24k. There’s more room for profit on those opposed to cars that start out at say $16k. And prices on SUVs jump higher quickly as people go bigger.
You pay a premium for capacity. Using the comparison between the Civic and the CR-V...
The Civic may be a nimble little car, but let's be honest: it's not a sports car and people who are looking for sports cars are not looking at Civics. The advantage the Civic has in responsiveness, mileage, and handling over the CR-V is not as pronounced as the advantages the CR-V has over the Civic. In other words, anything the Civic can do the CR-V can do pretty well in its own right while the Civic cannot do everything the CR-V can do.
As for thinking long term, I realize there are a lot of people who trade out cars every couple of years, but there are A LOT of people who buy full size trucks and SUVs and keep them for 10+ years. I have no data to support this, but I'd be willing to guess full size trucks and SUVs rank at the top of vehicles by type for number of years spent with their original owners. Even if you dip into the pre-owned market my guess is people who buy full size trucks and SUVs keep them longer than people who are buying smaller cars, sports cars, etc. I'm making this guess primarily from what I've observed living on both the West Coast, East Coast and Colorado.
For a large segment of buyers a Civic or Civic hatch will likely do everything the CRV does...most importantly - seat 4-5 people.
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But "keeping up" is not limited to vehicle choice, as noted by other members already. This renders your critique specific to trucks and SUVs a complete non-starter. If vehicles were the only possession for which this were true perhaps you'd have a point, though it would still not be all that compelling. After all, why should anyone care if someone else feels the need to keep up?
If “keeping up” is part of what shapes vehicle buying decisions than we might as well recognize the elephant in the room.
This all sounds so self-righteous and narrow-minded. You completely ignore the fact that on the opposite end of the spectrum, the electric cars, these cars are not cheap to purchase, and their battery replacement can cost as much as much as a car. For example, the Chevy Volt. You can spend nearly $40k on purchasing the Volt, and down the line when you need to replace the battery pack, it will set you back over $15,000. That is around a $55k investment in an electric car. Even a hybrid battery replacement could cost between $1,000 - $6,000 to replace.
And, I find it hilarious that you use the CR-V as an example. It gets up to 34 miles to a gallon highway, and almost 30 in the city, and it's EX-L trim (the highest trim) can be had for under $30k. You really need to stop your argument because you're so far off base it ain't even funny.
Electric cars are niche product - a drop in the bucket of total cars sold in America. Even a lower priced volume seller like the Prius is struggling with people flocking to SUVs. Just 7-8 years ago the Prius was selling in record numbers with people actually getting on waiting lists. That just shows how quickly the masses can change their buying habits.
soon as I always said, SUV will have electric vehicles as well.
And with a correspondingly higher price tags to go along with them. Electric SUVs are what - pushing $40k? Granted, I don’t see automakers in any hurry to produce them as people don’t see a real benefit in paying the premium with $2.50 gas. At this time the bigger gas SUV with more features is more appealing at the same price point.
For a large segment of buyers a Civic or Civic hatch will likely do everything the CRV does...most importantly - seat 4-5 people.
And for a large segment of buyers the Civic won’t do everything needed and the CR-V or even something larger is a better choice.
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Originally Posted by eddiehaskell
If “keeping up” is part of what shapes vehicle buying decisions than we might as well recognize the elephant in the room.
You’re talking symptoms though, and looking petty and immature in doing so. Vehicle choice is a symptom, while “keeping up” is the disease. I use that word solely for the purpose of analogy. I don’t necessarily think “keeping up” is a disease. I don’t care what others do with their money.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OhioJB
Hot topic, 30 pages long. I'm amazed at the prices some of these types of vehicles are going for. $70,000 - over $90,000. Yes, I realize they don't all cost that much but even the average SUV can be over $40,000 from what I've seen at least. Obviously, people can buy want they desire but it does seem steep to me for the average American considering the disparity in wages in this country.
A couple weeks ago I viewed Youtube videos of some of the new vehicles, including higher end SUVs. Couldn't believe how much technology they are packing into vehicles these days. Overwhelming, and I have to wonder about the safety of it all. Drivers get distracted too easily even without all of that 'stuff'.
Mostly though, I just wish people with huge SUVs would stop parking next to me in parking lots. They have to pick out the one car with a space next to it and park next to it instead of next to an SUV.
Those of us with a big Pickup or SUV look for an empty spot next to a small car, at least on one side, because it's easier to get in and out with the additional room. It seems like many parking lots were striped for smaller cars and then many people in cars of all sizes will crowd the line or park at an angle. At places where I park frequently, such as the parking garage at work, I get to know where the wider spots are and
I own a big, roadbomb of a van..........those gas-prices are killing me.
I do not regret it, but the idea of $5 a gallon gas, while driving my van around sounds bad, very bad.
Gas prices going back down
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