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Automotive News & Views Are you happy you didn't sell your SUV?
122 messages, Last post on Apr 15, 2009 at 5:57 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: gagrice (Jan 14, 2009 7:51 am) Actually, I do. You did not read my whole story as posted as a link in my earlier post. From that story: Are the best performers the biggest and heaviest vehicles on the road? Not at all. Among the safest cars are the midsize imports, like the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord. Or consider the extraordinary performance of some subcompacts, like the Volkswagen Jetta. Drivers of the tiny Jetta die at a rate of just forty-seven per million, which is in the same range as drivers of the five-thousand-pound Chevrolet Suburban and almost half that of popular S.U.V. models like the Ford Explorer or the GMC Jimmy. In a head-on crash, an Explorer or a Suburban would crush a Jetta or a Camry. But, clearly, the drivers of Camrys and Jettas are finding a way to avoid head-on crashes with Explorers and Suburbans. The benefits of being nimble—of being in an automobile that's capable of staying out of trouble—are in many cases greater than the benefits of being big.
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Replying to: fezo (Jan 06, 2009 11:54 am) there is always the snow tires option if it snows a lot where your live. But if you encounter 6+ inches of unplowed streets all the time, then suv's/cuv's will be the only option for you
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Replying to: larsb (Jan 14, 2009 7:59 am)
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Replying to: nwng (Jan 14, 2009 8:45 am) I would argue that point. My wife's grandson has a near new Odyssey and it is not nearly as nice to drive as our Sequoia. It does have more usable space and much better for hauling children. Plus mileage is about 25% better with the Honda. It feels squashy going down the freeway to me.
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Replying to: nwng (Jan 14, 2009 8:45 am) I'm down by the Jersey shore and in almost three decades have never needed as much as snow tires let alone 4WD. Now I guess if I moved back to where I grew up - in the hills in northwest Jersey maybe 4WD would make more sense and back then I did get snow tires. I never really tow so I don't worry about that either. To each his own. |
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Replying to: gagrice (Jan 14, 2009 8:48 am) You are correct. It made MY point.....  Gary says, "There is no substitute for a Large Heavy SUV..." and the rest of that sentence should read: "...in making a driver feel a false sense of security." Jettas and Accords and Camrys are safe because they make their drivers feel unsafe. S.U.V.s are unsafe because they make their drivers feel safe. That feeling of safety isn't the solution; it's the problem.
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jan 14, 2009 5:21 am) LOL I saw that episode . It was posted on YouTube. Very funny.
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Replying to: larsb (Jan 14, 2009 6:10 am) When I was getting my psychology degree I read a study where psychologists conducted "personality assessments" with student volunteers. After the interview the subjects were given "individualized" personality profiles and were asked to rate their accuracy. All the subjects reported that the profiles were "very accurate" or "spot on" as to their personalities. Some were shocked that the psychologists could "see into my soul" and be so accurate. The only trouble was that the profiles which were given to each subject were IDENTICAL. They were made up of general personality traits mixed with concerns that are almost universal in the general population. Yet the subjects felt that these traits were deeply personal to them only. So you see SUV drivers may be insecure but so is the rest of the world. Except for farming professionals who drive red sports cars, they are well adjusted. 
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Replying to: larsb (Jan 14, 2009 7:59 am) Actually, research has shown that drivers of light trucks are less likely to wear safety belts than drivers of other vehicles. That undoubtedly influences fatality rates. So, perhaps instead of worrying about SUVs, you'd be better off convincing everyone to wear safety belts. Also note that SUVs and pickups, with their heavier construction, are more likely to stay on the road longer than cars...so, there will still be older Silverados and Explorers on the road, without the latest-and-greatest safety equipment, long after comparable Camrys, Accords and Jettas went to the boneyard. Come to rural Pennsylvania - it is not uncommon to see 20-year-old Chevy and Ford trucks and SUVs in regular service. Air bags and the latest safety gizmos were only available in the most expensive cars at that time. I'm sure their use is even more common in the South and West, where the use of road salt isn't nearly as widespread. |
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complain about no one towing with a SUV I do. No one goes off road with their SUV and again I say I do. And for those that say a small car performs as well if not better in a head on with a SUV from experience I can say the SUV will win almost every time. My wife managed to pick up a friend to go to the post office and store in the snow about 5 years ago. We had 4wd and they didn't. A woman coming back from town decided she would try and make it home the 1.5 miles without using her chains on her small compact. My wife saw her coming and pulled to the side of the road and stopped but the woman hit her brakes and slid head on, license plate to license plate with our SUV brush guard and all. My wife bumped her head on the side window but no injury and the passenger she picked up managed to spill about half of her coffee. But they took the compact away on a flat bed and the woman driver left with the paramedics. I drove the SUV home and had to have the bumper replaced and one tow hook reprinted. The brush guard simply needed buffing. No one wants to be in an accident. Everyone wants to avoid an accident but the fact that they are called accidents indicates chances are you can't avoid them all the time. Given that a truck or Suv can tow. Given that a SUV or truck has more ground clearance for light off road work and given that most accidents I have seen are car on car I would rather be in a Suv or Truck rather than a small car in a conflict between the two. I have noticed when the weather gets bad in most northern states the rescue people tend to drive SUVs with 4wd. Not many leave their patrol cars and opt for a Prius in those conditions. There must be a reason. When I lived in the mountains the CHP and Sheriff tended to drive Suvs for some reason as well. Until I get too old to tow a trailer, 5th wheel, jet skis, boat or even a utility trailer I will try to keep my Suv thank you very much. I am down to two of those by the way. In fact there were times when I used to commute to LA that if they had sold a Abrums tank that got 12 MPG I would have driven that.
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