It works well as a light vehicle, it just isn’t as good at urban warfare as a badass 70 ton Abrams.
The Stryker does well because while some talk crap, he’s actually quite well protected against an IED, better than a HMMWV, Bradley, M113 or many other vehicles and is well suited for what we do.
The problem is that what you end up doing in a peace-enforcement or many other missions other than war, requires you to drive hundreds of miles, doing convoy security, patrols........ Tracked vehicles don’t really have an advantage in the city other than they can pivot-steer and the tracks are less prone to Molotov-cocktails etc. You don’t really have an advantage with a tracked vehicle until you pass about the 35 ton mark when it comes to capability in terrain (generally speaking when it comes to design). The wheeled vehicles give you better fuel economy, lower maintenance when used a lot, they are quieter, and they go faster as well as having higher ground clearance. What use is an M1 that can’t keep up with a convoy? The most significant factor in over pressure protection from a blast bellow is distance! That’s why all these anti-mine/IED protective vehicle may they be US, South African....whatever, sit so high off the ground. The Stryker actually gives you a very high degree of protection, but the Stryker is also used in those areas where these IED/mines are a major issue.
Hint: The Germans never lost a MBT or Tornado in combat, they also never used them or even really employed them in any hot spot where they could get lost. When you drive a Stryker with convoys day in and out, use them in cities and areas that are known “hot spots” and then loose some, it’s not because the vehicle is defective as some dim-wits think, but because you are exposing them to risk. They’re being used. Even our M1 spends much his time sitting in a FOB somewhere. Tracks don’t last long when driving hundreds of miles on pavement, tanks suck fuel, they are too slow, they can’t carry troops........... they are loud, you can’t move them around quickly within the theater. The weapon systems they carry don’t bring you much. The most effective weapon on an M1 is the commanders 50cal and coax. The Stryker isn’t the end all answer, but he’s definitely needed and a decent answer for what we’re trying to accomplish. -IMHO