Despite Anti-SUV Sentiments, Sales Are Booming

FOX ^ | 11/6/03 | Catherine Donaldson-Evans

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Opponents call them unsafe and bad for the environment

[Servant of the 9]

The Government fuel economy standards have made it impossible to build a full sized station wagon with enough power to be useful.
We evade the restrictions by buying an SUV that gives even worse fuel economy.

So9

[Made In The USA]

For once I would like a journalist to concede that many of us buy SUV's for practical purposes. As in: 1) Towing a boat, 2) Hauling a family, 3) Hauling our stuff, and most importantly 4) Getting around safely, especially in the Winter.

At least for our family, it's not an image thing. It's not some sort of alter-ego. We bought it for the tool that it is.

And, at the end of the day, this is a free country and if we're willing to write the check - who cares what I drive!

[sgtbono2002]

You are right on , add to that the fact that with child safety seat laws you cant get a family in a small car.

[Grampa Dave]

If you have a small car, a family with two children can barely get the infant car seats in. Then there is no room in the trunk for carriages and other equipment that is needed. They would need two cars just to go the airport or to visit the grandparents.

[backhoe]

FMCDH:

[Grampa Dave]

I have a full size Bronco that tows boats, hauls people and things around, it goes off road to take me fishing.

It is a very safe and reliable vehicle.

Like you I bought and paid for it with no government subsidies. If the left wing Watermelons don't like it, they can kiss my big four wheel drive tires as we roll over them.

[mountaineer]

"The reason people buy sport utility vehicles is because Americans like big cars," said Aaron Robinson, technical editor for "Car and Driver" magazine. "They equate value with size. And a lot of people feel safer in them." There's also a certain lifestyle associated with the SUV that Americans find attractive, according to Robinson. "There's a definite image associated with sport utilities that turns people on — the youthful, I-can-go-anywhere-and-do-anything image," he said.

Oh my gosh, this idiot didn't hit on any one of the reasons I bought an SUV. It wasn't size, safety, lifestyle or image - it was the fact that I live in a rural area with hilly, winding roads - and quite a few dirt roads - and that we get a lot of snow. Practicality, what's that?

[Grampa Dave]

I own and drive the OJ Simpson model of the Bronco. On our last trip to SW Oregon, my wife wanted to see places that I drive in and out of to go fishing. Afterwards, she commented that no sedan, station wagon or puny little SUV could do what the OJer did/does.

[backhoe]

Afterwards, she commented that no sedan, station wagon or puny little SUV could do what the OJer did/does.

Exactly- these vehicles are very versatile, and very useful. I never thought I'd be an SUV owner- my first choice would have been a truck of some sort, and my second a van- but this one was for sale, cheap, when I really needed something better than an unairconditioned, falling-apart sedan. I've been very pleased with it.

The anti-SUV types are facing a really hard sell trying to convince people that they are some sort of Devil Truck-- around here, nearly every family owns at least one. My brother-in-law's family has nothing but SUV's!

[RebelBanker]

Dittos!

Like So9 said, the government CAFE standards killed the full size station wagon, so we need something to haul our families and our stuff.

Most national journalists seem to live in New York City and just do not understand what life is like out in "flyover country." Even Bill O'Reilly is guilty of this bias.

Your Humble Servant...

[The South Texan]

I drive a F-150 Supercrew right now. If I could buy any vehicle of my choice, I would get one of those Hummers just so I could tick the environazis off!

[Grampa Dave]

"The anti-SUV types are facing a really hard sell trying to convince people that they are some sort of Devil Truck-- around here, nearly every family owns at least one. My brother-in-law's family has nothing but SUV's!"

It is amazing the increase in numbers re the SUV's out here in N. California. Mothers and Grandmothers are buying them to haul their children/grandchilren around. As noted in the comments above, if a family has two young children, the mandatory child safety seats until they are about adults means medium to small cars don't work.

Then the reality of their safety impacts these people, who want their children/grandchildren to be safe in case of an accident.

The bad weather we have in the winter and early spring is another determining factor in the choice.

Then if you like to go to the country to ski, hunt or fish, you must have a 4 wheel drive or you will be stuck everywhere. I carry towing straps to pull out those two wheelers stuck or the itty bitty underpowered pseudo SUVs, where I have no problem going or coming.

[backhoe]

Safety and convienience are a big part of the SUV's popularity, and another thing contributing to it was the demise of full-sized station wagons.
I remember an Aunt had one in the mid-1970's that seemed big as a hearse- you could load 6 people, luggage, and a picnic lunch in the bloody thing and still have room for the dogs...

And it had AC, full power, power seats, and a big V-8.

The station wagons nowadays are puny and pale imitations of those from years past.

[oceanview]

I don't know why people keep talking about "safety". American SUVs are not that safe, its easier to roll them, they have longer stopping distances, etc. Bigger is not always safer, you are safer in a small Mercedes then you are in an Explorer for typical accidents.

[Grampa Dave]

You sound like the enviros here with their anti SUV bs.

I just a few minutes ago opened a letter from State Farm with a rebate on the insurance on my suv based on its safety and my driving record.

Now if you had said an Lexus ES300, you might have been a little believable versus a small merc.

My wife's new ES300 has a lower yearly rate than her previous Sable and about $40/year less than our suv with the new rates. My SUV had lower rates than the Sable.

If these new SUVs were so terrible to insure, no one could afford to drive them in this terrible GW recession that we are in.

Now lets go to one of the main thrusts of this thread. Our son and his wife would not be able to get their two children, their safety seats, their carriage and other gear required for traveling babies/toddlers into a small merc.

We have two toddler seats in the back of my Wife's Lexus, and there is no room for anyone else in that seat, and no way to put a carriage and other require infant stuff in the trunk. So they will keep their Explorer and move up to an Expedition next year as their kids get bigger.

[oceanview]

I didn't say people weren't free to drive whatever they want, whatever suits their lifestyle, go right ahead. But the crash tests don't lie, and neither do the rollover statistics or the braking distances. Braking distance is probably the #1 factor in accident avoidance. Also, SUVs tend not to have sophisticated stability control systems.

That said, I would suggest your family look at the Volvo XC90. Its really the first SUV (in my opinion of course) that "fixes" alot of these safety concerns, and also provides the space and versatility needed. Nice full curtain airbags even for the 3rd seat passengers.

[Atlas Sneezed]

They're a great deal, when the IRS lets a small business owner get every penny of the cost of a new one (over 600 lbs GVW) as a business expense in the year of purchase (up to $100,000).

However, Boxer, Feinstein, Schumer, and Clinton have introduced a Senate bill (S. 265) to change the law to "close the loophole." Pickups would still be treated favorable, but SUVs would be treated like cars, with only a small portion of more expensive ones being depreciable.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.265:

[Grampa Dave]

If all of the data was as bad those who hate SUVs, a safe driver wouldn't able to afford the insurance on an suv. My sons and his wife and I and my wife have no problems affording the insurance.

I agree the smaller suvs weren't that safe, and I have no data on the newer ones. The new Volvo XC90 appears to be a safe vehicle, however, it too has the size problem that our son and his wife are facing. I don't think that it is as big as their Explorer inside, and they are outgrowing their Explorer. The other possible good option is the Honda Odessy (sp). They are very safe, low turnover potential, and you can put close to a ball team in them and have room for their gear.

[mewzilla]

Safe is a relative term. Unfortunately people don't seem to realize that. Or know much about the vehicles they drive. But since sales are up again, I don't want to hear any more whinging on the part of SUV drivers about the high price of gas. Sheesh.