[newgeezer]

Kaul used to be a commie opinion columnist for the Des Moines Register. When he became too non-controversial for them, they moved him to D.C. ;-) Apparently, he's retired now, and writes for fun.

To his credit, he did not even hint at removing your right to buy an SUV. And, by golly, it almost sounds like the "researchers" got their data by asking non-owners their opinions about SUV-owners.

[dirtboy]

There are few things more misleadingly named than the Sports Utility Vehicle, which is neither sporty nor particularly utilitarian.

When I lived out in Colorado I had ice on the road leading from my cabin six months out of the year. I'd like to see this weenie get a Prius up that - it required four wheel drive.

[www.corvettewave.com]

God article. He nailed SUV owners for what they are...Pousers!

[Joe Brower]

[x1stcav]

Judging from his writing, this fellow doesn't know much about automobiles.

As a matter of fact, what we have here may be a non-autoowning Commie along the lines of Ralph Nader.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

...A Chevy Tahoe, for example, kills 122 people for every 1 million models on the road...

Bwahahahahaha! When SUV's attack!

I've yet to see one of them start themselves up and go out around town looking for innocent victims.

Maybe these renegades are being driven by runaway assault rifles. Have to be a rifle, a handgun couldn't reach the pedals.

[ClearCase_guy]

I think it would be best if we established a Committee of Public Safety and had nice fellows like this tell us what we can buy, and what we can't buy. I don't feel competent to spend my own money on things like transportation choices. Maybe he can take my money and make the right choice for me.

[RightWhale]

There are some huge SUVs. The more popular ones are not all so big, but they are roomy inside like the station wagons they used to make years ago. Just modern style station wagons.

[killjoy]

"about not letting anything get in your way and at the extreme, about intimidating others to get out of your way."

If this is true, then why do they always drive 10mph UNDER the speed limit while sitting in the fast lane? I WISH suv drivers would drive more offensively. Then I wouldn't have to spend so much energy always passing them.

[EdReform]

BTTT for later...

[biblewonk]

Good article. I just biked past an H2 this morning. What a POS!

[tcostell]

And that's what the extraordinary popularity of the SUV is about---bullying.

I think someone got his feelings hurt when his electric car (powered only by his own sense of self importance) was cut off on the highway by a Hummer.

[NautiNurse]

ping for later read--gotta gas up the SUV before loading it with home renovation materials.

[Liberal Classic]

3.Inclement weather? Don't make me laugh. People with SUVs think inclement weather is when you can't play golf. For the occasional snowy day in most areas there are better ways to get around. SUVs are not the only four-wheel drive vehicles around anymore, after all. There are cars with all- and four-wheel drive that are superior in every way to your average SUV.

Seeing as how my wife has survived three flash floods here in Houston, I had say he's full of it. I'm glad she was high off the ground and could put her truck into 4-wheel drive and plow up them embankment. Heck, our SUV paid for itself the first time it happened.

[newgeezer]

A Chevy Tahoe, for example, kills 122 people for every 1 million models on the road, while a Honda Accord kills only 21.

Even if that statistic is true and unbiased, it may say just as much or more about the people who drive them as it does about the vehicles.

[vin-one]

SUV buyers, the researchers say, tend to be "insecure and vain, often lack confidence in their driving skills [and] are apt to be self-centered and self-absorbed, with little interest in neighbors and communities."

Yep, that's me, all of the above and much much more
Plus I got rid of my mini-van, and got my ford exploder
becuase when you drive up in a mini-van, Not one hot chick will even look your way
now in a SUV, you might get the quick glance,
I guess I am vain, oh, well, call me a Republican......

[mountaineer]

People with SUVs think inclement weather is when you can't play golf.

No, we think it's when we get 20 inches of snow, like we did over a two-day period this past February.

For the occasional snowy day in most areas there are better ways to get around.

Yes, well I don't have a horse and sleigh.

SUVs are not the only four-wheel drive vehicles around anymore, after all. There are cars with all- and four-wheel drive that are superior in every way to your average SUV.

No, they're not superior, they're just different.

Every way except one. You can't bully other vehicles with a car the way you can with an SUV. And that's what the extraordinary popularity of the SUV is about---bullying.

What drug is this guy smoking? Does he get paid by the generalization? Having replaced a four-door sedan with a small SUV (for the 4wd and the cargo capacity), I can honestly say that bullying never came into the decisionmaking process. Who feels bullied by a Ford Escape, anyway? That's like feeling bullied by a cocker spaniel. LOL, what a moron.

[mad puppy]

Caravan owner ( Grand Caravan, '97)
Suburban owner (GMC, '99, with leather btw)

While I can get my kids (5) into the van, the van simply doesn't handle it. I'm having transmission problems, again, right now in fact. If I'm the only one in the van then it only survives in the Colorado mountains and due to the low ground clearance was kept in the garage during the recent snow in Denver.

The suburban, which the wife now gets to drive, can easily handle the rough treatment that kids dish out; it easily handles the mountain highways in Colorado; and was a lot of fun during the recent 40 inch snowstorm in Denver.

The van does get better gas mileage, but when we got rear ended in the Suburban about a year ago, I didn't much care about that. Funny thing is...the van that hit us was banged up bad on the front end (I'd guess $2K min.). There was $0.00 damage to my Suburban, to me, to my wife. The kids thought I hit a bump and wanted to do it again. I'm willing to pay the gas prices for that.

I will be selling that stupid van this spring if anyone is interested, and replace with a regular car. The Suburban is not for sale.

[Capt.YankeeMike]

complete and utter drivel...hes obviously never done any off road stuff.


Only in a Jeep.

The wily ol Captain...

[biblewonk]

This is America, how dare this guy express an opinion!

[Myrddin]

I moved from California to Idaho with a Saturn SL2, a Saturn SW2 and a Porsche 914. The Porsche has been sitting in the garage and will have a new owner shortly. The Saturn cars have been very good. The polymer body panels don't rust in a salty road environment that is typical of winter in Idaho. We have had little snow since we moved in December of 2000. The one day that the snow piled to 18 inches, we were totally screwed. My wife could not get the car beyond the end of the driveway. The city does not plough our street because it is a very tight cul-de-sac. We are going to need a 4 wheel drive with significant ground clearance as a safe means of travel when we get some normal winter weather here in southeast Idaho.