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Irrelevant. I'm not looking for a commercial truck,
Absolutely relevant if you claim that SUVs are more practical and utility than a pickup and/or Van. The links don't only show trucks (so obviously you didn't look at them) but they have a large selection of minivans and vans. What they also show is that no SUVs are offered... why?.. because for sheer practicality as a priorty (as in for commercial use) they simply don't fit the bill.
Also not relying on personal experience. All of the feedback I've given are based solely on the typical design differences between a minivan and SUVs of similar size. I'm not stating opinons or personal experience... I am stating the factual differences of a Van vs SUV. Do you know of an SUV that has sliding side doors? Don't think so.
SUVs are a specific body designed for a niche market that has been morphed into a status symbol that represents an active lifestyle. That is what is driving their sales. People who place a priority on hauling and utility (like contractors who buy commerical vehicles) aren't going to turn blue trying to convince others that an SUV is more suited; only those that want to self justify their purchases.
Still not a compelling argument. My sienna can tow 3500 lbs. So how exactly could it not move household goods or appliances? I honestly don't understand your argument that an SUV can do things that a minivan can't. Any examples?
Unless you're towing a boat regularly or driving down forest roads there's not much a SUV does better than a minivan.
It's really not that hard to understand and comes down to simple math. I've pulled as much as 5000+ pounds of river jack and 3000+ pounds of mulch in my SUV. That does not count the 1250 pound trailer that carried that stuff. Already just about every minivan on the market is out of the running. As for household goods and appliances, I'm not sure how much that stuff weighed, but even if it was within the 3500 maximum capacity of your Sienna, the trailer hitch is likely too big. I obviously don't know what size your have on your van, but most minivans I see that even have a hitch mounted have the 1/2 inch. That likely corresponds to load sizes for which the vehicle is rated. My trailer is too big for that, though as far as trailers go it isn't really a big one.
The newer Odysseys sits a bit higher than older one but I kind of prefer lowered ones as they are easier to get in for kids.
The last manual trans minivan has to be the VW EuroVan and the Toyota Previa here. There are however new crossovers that look like CUVs and Minivans such as the Pilot and Sedona. I often mistaken them for minivans from the side.
Unless you count the Mazda 5. That offered a manual trans option until they discontinued it.
Absolutely relevant if you claim that SUVs are more practical and utility than a pickup and/or Van.
But I didn't claim that. I said in my experience the SUVs I've owned were more practical and useful than the minivan I owned. Since vehicles are so expensive, this isn't an experiment I'm willing to do twice, so I won't be purchasing another minivan.
It's really not that hard to understand and comes down to simple math. I've pulled as much as 5000+ pounds of river jack and 3000+ pounds of mulch in my SUV. That does not count the 1250 pound trailer that carried that stuff. Already just about every minivan on the market is out of the running. As for household goods and appliances, I'm not sure how much that stuff weighed, but even if it was within the 3500 maximum capacity of your Sienna, the trailer hitch is likely too big. I obviously don't know what size your have on your van, but most minivans I see that even have a hitch mounted have the 1/2 inch. That likely corresponds to load sizes for which the vehicle is rated. My trailer is too big for that, though as far as trailers go it isn't really a big one.
Yeh because we all know that ALL those SUVs you see in the city/highways/grocery stores/playgrounds/soccer fields are people pulling 5000+ pounds of river jack.
Now whose talking about personal experience/opinion and applying it to the general?
This thread is about "Americans" and why SUVs are so popular and not minivans... not about you.
Minivans have a lot of advantages over the SUV body type making it far more practical for the typical American. Nothing you say will change that.
What the Minivans don't have over SUVs is sales... sales driven by the image they project. As it turns out, and it shouldn't be a surprise, Americans are very image conscious and they follow the trends of the day/month/year.
But I didn't claim that. I said in my experience the SUVs I've owned were more practical and useful than the minivan I owned. Since vehicles are so expensive, this isn't an experiment I'm willing to do twice, so I won't be purchasing another minivan.
nice walk back..
and I started out by stating.. that Americans like SUVs because image is important... not by practicality/utility. And you are here talking about 5000+ towing.. lol
A lot of people nowadays think that they need AWD in their family vehicle for safety. The only minivan that currently offers it is the Toyota Sienna. At this point, its design is quite old and isn’t competitive.
A lot of people nowadays think that they need AWD in their family vehicle for safety. The only minivan that currently offers it is the Toyota Sienna. At this point, its design is quite old and isn’t competitive.
AWD only helps you go forward but not necessarily stop nor turn better. A good set of tires and a well maintained vehicle will do wonders on a FWD vehicle. AWD adds additional weight, complexity, cost, and fuel. It certainly has its merits but it has been over marketed to drive profits. I've seen plenty of over confident AWD drivers in the ditches during snow.
Off road, an actual four wheel drive system with lockers will out do AWD.
Heck, I've out maneuvered and passed up plenty of SUVs in my Miata (RWD.. eek!) in the snow. The difference is that those SUVs were equipped with performance tires from factory and my Miata had Blizzaks. I don't expect people to be swapping tires for winter but certainly it demonstrates to me that tires are far more important than people realize.
"One of the reasons many people buy a traditional sport-utility vehicle is for the extra security and traction of four-wheel drive. Many drivers don't realize the limitations of AWD and 4WD, however. Though having power delivered to all four wheels increases straight-line traction, it does nothing to improve cornering or braking.
Drivers are often fooled when driving in slippery conditions with an AWD or 4WD vehicle, not realizing how slippery conditions may be when driving, only to discover they are going way too fast when trying to stop. Because the added traction of 4WD can allow a vehicle to accelerate more quickly in slippery conditions, drivers need to be more vigilant, not less. Slippery conditions demand extra caution, no matter what you drive.
In many cases, having good tires is more important than the drive wheels. Winter tires, for instance, actually do help you turn and stop on a snowy road—things that AWD doesn’t help with."
What I find interesting is that "I need it for snow" is often heard here in NJ. Um... we get maybe two or three weeks of snow per year but people end up fueling that AWD system for 52 weeks of the year.
There’s one crucial difference. Station wagons can be performance-oriented… RWD, possibly with large and powerful engines. Notable examples are Mercedes and BMW. CUVs are designed for smooth ride and ease of driving. I’m not aware of any that are RWD (all are FWD or some method of transmitting torque to all four wheels).
Quote:
Originally Posted by iknowftbll
...Would it be possible for all the SUV haters to just say they don’t like SUVs for no other reason than they just don’t like them? ...
I dislike SUVs because they – and all truck-type vehicles – make it harder for me to see oncoming traffic, especially when turning. Their hoods are above my line of sight. Also, ATMs and other interfaces designed for vehicular consumers have become elevated, to better fit the truck/van/SUV driver. On some occasions I can’t even reach the keypad from my driver’s seat, and have to exit the car to type my PIN.
Quote:
Originally Posted by saibot
A large percentage of the CUV owners I know are older people, say 65+, who say it's "too hard" to get in and out of any car that's not high off the ground.
This sentiment is frequent, but baffling. I find it to be much easier to sit down onto the floor, and again to get up from the floor, then to scamper up a ladder, and especially to descend from it. If the chief criterion of comfort is easy ingress/egress, would it not make more sense, to be driving a go-kart?
Quote:
Originally Posted by iknowftbll
... How many consumers buy what they don’t like, given they have access to what they like? ...
It's really not that hard to understand and comes down to simple math. I've pulled as much as 5000+ pounds of river jack and 3000+ pounds of mulch in my SUV. That does not count the 1250 pound trailer that carried that stuff. Already just about every minivan on the market is out of the running. As for household goods and appliances, I'm not sure how much that stuff weighed, but even if it was within the 3500 maximum capacity of your Sienna, the trailer hitch is likely too big. I obviously don't know what size your have on your van, but most minivans I see that even have a hitch mounted have the 1/2 inch. That likely corresponds to load sizes for which the vehicle is rated. My trailer is too big for that, though as far as trailers go it isn't really a big one.
Still don't understand your original post that claimed you had to borrow an SUV multiple times. Are you a professional landscaper that needs to move 5000 lbs of river jack regularly? If that was the case then why buy a minivan?
I had to move two tons of mulch once when I landscaped my yard. I did two runs. Problem solved. No truck borrowing required.
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