60 Minutes : The Thrill Of The SUV

CBS News ^ | July 13, 2003 | Morley Safer, Correspondent

[Richard-SIA]

"SUV" in nothing more than Madison Ave. speak for a optioned out 4x4 wagon.

If it had a cruise control and an 8 channel CD player I suppose a '42 Willy's Jeep or Dodge M-37 could be an "SUV".

The whole SUV myth is histerically funny to people like me, who would not have one as gift, as they are utterly useless for real "off-road" work.

I drive several miles of "off-road" EVERY DAY, as part of my commute to work.
The only "SUV" that will survive my use are the Land-Rover products, the other fall apart in mere weeks.
And no, I do not have any interest in the new "Rover" (BMW) products either.

I think everyone should be left alone to drive whatever they like, so long as they pay for it themselves.
Anyone silly enough to drive a Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade is punishing their selves aplenty!

[UNGN]

My Yukon XL 2500 vs. Your non american car (Honda, I'm guessing).

I'll take my chances :

[Physicist]

“Why? Taller. Stronger. I mean, the elephant, the bigger you are, the more chance you have to survive. Now, we know that the higher you are, more chance you have to roll over. And we know that SUVs have a higher rate of accident for rollover than other cars. I mean a Porsche is a lot less chance to roll over than an SUV.

So Porsches are safer, right?

That's at the cortex, which means people know it but they don't refer to it because there's something stronger which is the reptilian- the bigger, the tallest, and more chance to survive.”

Try F=ma. Sometimes people's reptilian brain knows more physics than their cortex. Most people have an understanding--whether they can articulate it or not--that the mass of a freight train protects its driver in a collision. That intuition is correct.

[oceanview]

check out the photos in the post I made above. Thats the reality, you are safer in a small German car then an F150.

[UNGN]

"and you think that Tahoe is safe, right? Check out the photo at the right of the page:"

That's a "Jimmy" moron.

[oceanview]

in a crash, the ability of the frame to dissipate energy and maintain a protection zone around the driver is the key to safety.

[oceanview]

right, GM put all their effort into Yukon safety and let the Jimmy perform that way. Get a clue. US made SUVs and light trucks are not safe, they are getting better, but the photos tell the story. I don't care if people drive them because they need the utility, but the claims that an F150 is safe because its big are incorrect.

[zebra 2]

You're right. About the only real, non-luxury car you can still buy, other that an SUV, is a Ford CV or Mercury GM. I've got two of 'em. And I live miles up in the hills on clay dirt roads; as they say...Slippery when wet. But my wife and I do OK in our full-sized sedans, two (rear) wheel drive and all. I'll moan the day Ford quits making them.

[bigj00]

There are far more cars involved in accidents than there are SUVs.

I saw a car flip on its side friday...not an SUV in site.

I got mine because I need the room,if lefties hate me that's just a BONUS!!!!

[UNGN]

A Jimmy shown in that test is based on an S10 designed in 1981 (rebodied in 1994). The current Yukon is ALL NEW in 1999. I'm afraid you are the one needing to get a clue.

As I said in my earlier post. I'll take my chances 6000lb/300hp detroit Iron vs. superior German technology.

[Physicist]

in a crash, the ability of the frame to dissipate energy and maintain a protection zone around the driver is the key to safety.

It is one key to driver safety. There's nothing intrinsic about an SUV that it can't do those things just as well as a compact car or minivan. That's a question of engineering.

Newton's 2nd Law, by contrast, is not a matter of engineering. The more massive the car, the less the acceleration experienced by the driver in a collision.

As they say in basketball, "you can't coach size".

[P.O.E.]

I drive a Mazda MPV. Great safety rating, comfortable, handles well, approx 20mpg. Can haul all 4 kids to Disney & back to PA with plenty of room for them & their stuff. Can carry plywood, and 12-ft long 2x4's.

[oceanview]

try a VW Passat 4MOTION

[oceanview]

thats true, the Mercedes SUV is very safe, but not just because its big.

[buickmackane]

Without expressing an opinion one way or the other about SUVs, I have to say that the interview with Rapaille really intrigued me, too. Did you see his luxurious home -- he's sure living large off that "reptilian" schtick he's been feeding to the Fortune 500!

[buickmackane]

PS: I hit the Post button too soon. I forgot to mention the line that cracked me up the most. While citing all this "survivalism" stuff as a rationale for buying SUVs, Rapaille quipped that he actually told Detroit that the vehicles would sell a lot better if they were equipped with a machine gun on top. ROFLMAO!

[Paladin2]

Actually Corvettes have one of the highest rollover rates of all vehicles, but it is rarely mentioned. I'm not sure where the actual experience of Porches is for roll over, but it could also be high.

[Ditter]

Thats telling 'em! I have always driven Surburbans & Tahoes. I can haul my grandchildren, my animals & my STUFF! They are safe for me & mine & if they are worried that I will hit them (I haven't hit anyone yet) they can stay out of my way! I don't commute 50 miles per day & I get a lot more than 10 mpg. A girl rearended me while I was sitting at a redlight last week. She wrecked her whole front end, both fenders & the hood. I didn't have a scratch. Should I feel bad about that???

[UNGN]

"Rapaille quipped that he actually told Detroit that the vehicles would sell a lot better if they were equipped with a machine gun on top. ROFLMAO!"

http://www.ibistek.com/cobra.html

[ValerieUSA]

*L* I had to giggle every time he said "reptilian" so seriously. He has quite the scam going. Apparently he makes more with this reptilian line than psychics do with their 900 phone numbers.