Not so much nefarious as stupid. Although those who consider themselves your betters are certainly celebrating the pain your "oversize" SUV is causing you. Thet believe large automobiles should be reserved for them.
It is the same thing that fueled the dot com bubble and is fueling the real estate bubble: People have built up a sizable amount of wealth, they are greedy for more, and they don't want to take the slow and steady approach for more. Right now, they are bidding up the price of oil and real estate, looking for the next get richer quicker scheme.
Anything demonstrating an upward tick attracts their attention, then the glom onto it and speculate it into the stratosphere. Eventually something spooks the herd (see the dotcom bubble) and they stampede off leaving disaster in their wake.