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All should regret buying them. SUVs are unsafe trucks being passed off as cars, but don't have the same safety requirements as car. Stupid public buys anything provided there is enough advertising. SUVs are also unsafe to other drivers since they block views.
I bought mine because it tows 12,000 lbs.
If you can't see around it it's because you're tailgating; back off and you can see easily. Simple concept, maybe too hard for you, though. I have no problems seeing around SUVs, vans, pickup trucks, cube vans, RVs, buses or semis when I'm driving my little BMW convertible, but then again, I'm not tailgating.
Supply and demand is why our gasoline is some of the cheapest in the world. And the rest of the world IS jumping on the SUV/crossover bandwagon, with much of Europe getting more and more of them every year. And then you should see the largest car market, China, and what they are buying more and more of now...
Seems like the perfect setup...switch the world over to SUVs then jack up gas prices and get people thinking they need some other vehicle. Keep people consuming. I’ve noticed that large SUVs/full sized trucks/Jeeps are also selling well...times are good and most people just like the look/presence they have. Right now it seems like people are consiming (larger homes/larger cars/more toys) without any longer term thinking (4-5+ years out). Granted, that may just be how the average human brain operates...like the other poster working with stroke victims mentioned.
Last edited by eddiehaskell; 07-02-2018 at 10:36 AM..
Even when I was filling up every day or every other day I would still not drive something small. Filling up that often meant I was in a car up to eight hours many days and I need the comfort of something bigger. I figured the extra gas cost was 11-15 gallons per fill up and I could easily shift that cost to staying in cheaper motels and economizing on my food choices.
Since I spent more time in my car than I did eating and sleeping it was a no brainer.
A small car doesn’t nessecarily feel small to ride in. I can’t imagine something like a Prius or Fit feeling cramped to drive unless you’re 250+ pounds (basically obese for all but maybe 1% of the population).
I hate seeing around SUVs in parking lots, however (larger ones). I purposely parked in an area of a large lot where no other vehicles were. Of course, as soon as I got outside of the store there were three or four larger vehicles parked to the right of me. It is very hard to see around three or four large vehicles parked in a row even if you slowly back out of a parking slot. It is aggravating at best.
You don't really think people traded it in their SUVs and trucks for hybrid small cars do you? I can tell you, most I knew did not. They may have went out and bought the sardine can of a car as a supplement so they didn't have to drive the SUV on daily basis, but most I knew did not trade one for the other.
If gas prices shot up again, I'm sure people would do the same again. They'd go out and grab a small car that got about 40 miles to a gallon or more and drive it most days of the week, but they would still keep their trucks and SUVs, because those vehicles are comfortable to ride in, they're roomy, luxurious, and you can haul stuff with them. I've never seen a Honda Fit pull a camper before.
I remember a lot of people trading in large cars/SUVs during the cash for clunkers program. I’d say the majority of large vehicles are for show and never tow anything.
Yes
I don't foresee any regret coming. Short sighted is a good way to put it. You see mental myopia all around us in this country & it's no surprise because the adults in this country are becoming less intelligent. Being able to think long term is a frontal lobe higher level brain activity. I go over this with families of recovering stroke patients all the time. In general population, some have it, some don't.
Also, Americans are getting larger & SUV/Trucks are easier or supposedly easier to haul large people around.
I agree. It feels like there’s a general sense that the Great Recession never happened...or it was just too far out to still linger in people’s brains.
I hope so. Most people who drive these guzzling SUVs and pickups do not need them. They are just making our enemies in the middle east rich to stroke their egos. The rest of the world hasn't fallen for the fad. They already have high gas prices. The streets in the US are overloaded with vehicles and traffic just about everywhere is getting worse every day. If people drove vehicles in sizes they need, gasoline would be less expensive because it would be more plentiful. supply and demand is why our gasoline is so expensive.
Hey now. We got friends in the Middle East as well as Canada and ourselves. Gas isn’t really that expensive in the world of flammable, high quality liquids.
Seems like the perfect setup...switch the world over to SUVs then jack up gas prices and get people thinking they need some other vehicle. Keep people consuming. I’ve noticed that large SUVs/full sized trucks/Jeeps are also selling well...times are good and most people just like the look/presence they have. Right now it seems like people are consiming (larger homes/larger cars/more toys) without any longer term thinking (4-5+ years out). Granted, that may just be how the average human brain operates...like the other poster working with stroke victims mentioned.
By that rationale, if people dumped SUV’s when another recession hits, then they would buy another one when it’s over. Long term thinking would be to just hang onto it. Next housing crises, I’ll be sure to snatch up something close to the beach and ride the market back up again, knowing what I know now.
Here in Southern California, there are zillions of people driving SUVs who don't 1) have to deal with snow and ice; 2) ever tow anything; 3) drive many miles on open highways or sleep in their vehicles; 4) lug anything larger than groceries.
One "reason" I have heard is, "it's too hard for old people to get in/out of sedans." Old apparently means "over 25."
The other "reason" is "they have better visibility." Yes, because when everybody else is also driving a big, high-profile car, you need to be just a little bit higher to see over them.
I think most often, people around here get SUVs because they are trendy. To keep up with the Joneses.
By that rationale, if people dumped SUV’s when another recession hits, then they would buy another one when it’s over. Long term thinking would be to just hang onto it. Next housing crises, I’ll be sure to snatch up something close to the beach and ride the market back up again, knowing what I know now.
But looking at discretionary income and savings - when a recession hits a lot of people are hit hard by an extra $200/month plus the extra $150 car payment. If people really did think long term than yeah, they could buy whatever vehicle or home they want with enough money put away to weather even the harshest economic downturn. My parents are like that (frugal even when it’s not chic) so during a recession it’s like “what’s all the fuss about?”.
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