The SUV is dead — long live the SUV

MSNBC ^ | April 10, 2009 | Dan Carney

[Lorianne]

SUVs, crossovers dominate at 2009 New York auto show ___ The smart set here in New York has long declared the SUV dead.

That gas-guzzling, pollutant-spewing darling of suburban and rural America is a passé relic of a bygone era, according to the book editors, fashion photographers, literary critics, Broadway choreographers and other practitioners of the bedrock industries that built this country.

They’d better stay away from the New York auto show this week because there they will see car manufacturers showing off their latest off-road contenders, and the majority of the new models unveiled at the show’s press preview earlier this week were SUVs or crossovers. Why? Because while these vehicles may have been declared dead in Manhattan, the residents of the Fly-Over states have kept buying them (to the extent that anyone is buying anything more than food and water these days).

“While the perception coming from the mainstream media is that there is a hatred of SUVs, the numbers don’t show that,” observed Rebecca Lindland, director of auto industry research for IHS Global Insight. “Consumers want a mixture of utility, fuel economy, safety and practicality.”

[RoadKingSE]

That gas-guzzling, pollutant-spewing darling of suburban and rural America is a passé relic of a bygone era, according to the book editors, fashion photographers, literary critics, Broadway choreographers and other practitioners of the bedrock industries that built this country.

Yeah, like I'm gonna take car-buying advise from one of these "practitioners of bedrock industries." The reality is that these practitioners of exchanging bodily fluids and blood-borne pathogens from pollutant spewing queens (see the ***-guzzling, pollutant spewing example above) don't need SUV's to get from their loft apartments to the bath houses.

[Dallas59]

It has a 6cyl. We took into the dealer and they A-OK’d it. Got from the Auto Auction in OK. Who/whomever had it before took excellent care of it.

[Lion Den Dan]

“As such, the days of the large SUV are coming to an end.” #### Maybe. Maybe not. If so, Americans who desire the benefits of full-size, safe, powerful vehicles, will just have to buy large, full-cab pick-ups. ##############

I am one American who insists on a large, serviceable vehicle capable of getting there. When it rains, our county roads are 6 miles of 4 wheel drive work to get to pavement. Currently we have pickups, one of which is a 4 door Ford 1 Ton diesel 4x4. I am seeing the replacement vehicle on the road now, one that will circumvent the stupid CAFE standards; Fort F450 and F550 4 door outfits. Bigger than my 1 Ton truck. Hooah!!!!!

[wolf78]

I drive 7 miles a day with it.

If I had to drive just 7 miles a day I'd sell my car, keep my bike and save a ton of money -> economic allocation of resources.

As such, the days of the large SUV are coming to an end.

Well I think the theory of evolution will apply here. Those who do not need large SUVs will soon switch to the next fad. The remaining models will evolve. Be it smaller SUVs for rural soccer moms or large SUVs with Diesel engines (because, if you want to tow a boat, it's torque you need). In Europe with their higher fuel prices there are quite a number of SUVs, too (not as many as in the US, but it's not all small FIATs, either), but 98% of them are diesels, because large SUV / diesel engine is a perfect fit.

People like SUVs because they are practical vehicles. Liberal snobs hate 'em. Every one else loves em.
I think you miss the point. The problem for GM wasn't offering SUVs, it was "all SUV, all the time". So you have 6 different models that all can do the same thing, cannibalizing sales. Toyota, the posterchild of all environmentalists, doesn't offer only Priuses, they offer quite a few SUVs, too. But they didn't bank on a fad (-> inflated sales for a certain segment - like minivans or convertibles a few years ago) and put all their eggs in one basket. They offered choice (as in "a market economy is about choice) and remained competitive in all segments (e.g. Corolla, Camry).

[calex59]

People don't want small, no room for the kids or anything else SUVs. People who want SUVs for practical reasons, and that is the majority of SUV owners, want one that is just that: Practical. Having a small, cramped vehicle that doesn't do what SUVs are supposed to do, when you need a large roomy vehicle, is just stupid to say the least. You go ahead and buy your small useless SUVs, I will stick with a large one if I can find it, and if I have to I will buy an older one and keep repairing it.

So, my words to Bozo and the other government pukes, and to people like you also who are obviously libtards at heart, are FO, I don't want your junky, useless pieces of crap!

[B Knotts]

Doubtful. Americans like more room in their cars. And, for instance, one of those would never work for me, because they have insufficient ground clearance to get up my driveway.

I have a Ford pickup and an old Mercedes 300D. The Mercedes has a decent amount of ground clearance for a sedan.

[RayChuang88]

I also think Toyota might be looking at bringing this model to the American market:

Toyota Wish

This fits the European definition of the multi-purpose vehicle almost perfectly. This is what the interior seating space on the Wish looks like:

Note that the Wish could seat five passengers normally and could seat two more smaller passengers in the third row.

Since the Wish is based on a modified Corolla chassis, Toyota could put in the drivetrain from the 2010 Camry sedan--namely the 2.5-liter I-4 2AR engine rated at 175 bhp with the six-speed automatic. That could result in pretty decent performance and good highway fuel economy.

[usconservative]

If I had to drive just 7 miles a day I'd sell my car, keep my bike and save a ton of money

Well you're not me and as such I'll continue to do with my money as I see fit, tyvm.

[wolf78]

Well you're not me..

Obviously. No news here.

I'll continue to do with my money as I see fit.

As you should. As do I. Your point being?

tyvm

You're welcome.

P.S.: If you don't get the sardonicism: Do as you like, that's totally fine with me. You were talking about yourself, as was I. Your priority is style and comfort, mine is frugality and physical fitness.

[VeniVidiVici]

I hate Crossovers. Why don't they just call them what they are? Station Wagons.

Crossovers are compact sedans with a 1" body lift. ;-)

THIS is a station wagon!

If GM would make this again with an available diesel they'd sell a zillion of them.

[okie01]

If GM would make [station wagons] again with an available diesel they'd sell a zillion of them.

The station wagon was executed by the CAFE standards. Too much weight, too little mpg.

GM can't make them anymore.

[VeniVidiVici]

I got 36mpg hwy with my 2005 Passat Wagon diesel. Not as big as a Roadmaster, but much larger than a crossover.

[okie01]

Remember that CAFE standards apply to the weighted average for entire fleet of cars made by a manufacturer -- the whole mix of econo-boxes and hawgs.

The problem with station wagons for the domestic manufacturers was that a.) station wagons usually had the worst mpg of the fleet and b.) they sold a lot of them -- thus, producing a relatively high impact on the fleet mpg.

But the government will never let a market make decisions when they can regulate a decision instead.

[REPANDPROUDOFIT]

My husband is 6’5”. I am waiting for the guys in NYC to figure out how he get into a Smartcar.

[Varda]

America is simply not like Europe. We have kids, carry stuff and drive hundreds of miles at a time. Those cars might be attractive to retirees, though.

[RayChuang88]

I have to disagree.

Think about it--how many times do you really NEED the full capacity of a minivan for the average family? With the MPVs I showed earlier, this works very well most of the time, and fuel economy will be 7-13 mpg higher on average, too.

[Varda]

Quite often. Most people with kids haul their kids and often someone else’s plus their stuff. You have to add the dog in there too.

When I’ve been in Europe, I can’t help but notice the nearly complete lack of kids. It makes a big difference in the need for space in nearly everything (homes, cars, appliances etc.).