Parents want to buy sister an SUV

[gasstingy]

Maybe you could present the articles of the lack of safety in an SUV to your sister and let her know you care about her, and her longevity. Show her the fueleconomy(dot)gov website showing how much fuel mileage she'll get. Try to show her she'd be better off in a sedan than a truck. Then, pray for her.

[cfg83]

Lazarus -

Originally Posted by Lazarus

...

Seriously though. Not all SUVs are created equal. My mom has a Subaru Forester. It's a great vehicle and she gets 27 in the city and 32 highway.

I agree that the Forester is "more than equal". I think it has a lower center-of-gravity (COG) than other SUVs.

Too bad Suby won't break down and offer a non-AWD for the US market.

CarloSW2

[Clev]

I was going to suggest a large car like a Crown Vic. Lots of metal, still decent mileage, and a friend recently picked up a seriously pristine one at a police auction (must've been from a detective or supervisor.)

Unfortunately, it's large enough that it's difficult for a new driver to judge maneuvers and parking--problems that an Explorer will have as well.

[dcb]

The best car drivers I know have also survived the motorcycle learning curve. Big cars don't put you in touch with the road or other drivers/obstacles, and they suck gass.

[Clev]

Originally Posted by dcb

The best car drivers I know have also survived the motorcycle learning curve. Big cars don't put you in touch with the road or other drivers/obstacles, and they suck gass.

I've always thought of the idea of making people ride a bicycle for a year, and then a motorcycle for a year before getting an automobile license. It would certainly make them more aware and understanding of other vehicles on the road.

[IsaacCarlson]

I have seen enough suv's roll over that I would never want one. I have a 1996 Olds 88 and a 1991 F-250 and they are both extremely maneuverable and safe. I can back up and parallel park both of them without the slightest problem. They also stop on a dime.

[dcb]

Wow, I know I could not say a f-250 is "extremely maneuverable" with a straight face

45 foot turning radius, 3700 lbs, 73 inches tall and 79 wide is not on the extreme end of maneuverability in the spectrum of consumer road vehicles though, at least not on the end I would want to be on usually

[Christ]

Originally Posted by dcb

Wow, I know I could not say a f-250 is "extremely maneuverable" with a straight face

45 foot turning radius, 3700 lbs, 73 inches tall and 79 wide is not on the extreme end of maneuverability in the spectrum of consumer road vehicles though, at least not on the end I would want to be on usually

Eh, every F-series I've owned actually felt pretty stable on the road when it came down to it, and had enough ground clearance and suspension travel to comfortably get into and out of job sites.

I'm not saying it handles like a sports car, but compared to several SUV's of the same size/weight, it certainly feels like one.

Right now, my F150 suffers from a loose steering box, which I've yet to get around to tightening (Not dangerously loose, just outside of spec).

[Frank Lee]

My F150 has nice ride quality and compared to the newer, bigger F150s it actually seems svelte... but quick (as opposed to fast) it is not.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by Ryland

4 wheel drive tends to get you in more trouble as it makes you feel invincible while driving up to that point that you roll over in to the ditch and die, if the roads are bad enough to need 4 wheel drive then you should stay home! 4 wheel drive is a crutch for bad drivers.

I agree, my experience always was if you could get stuck with a rear 2wd you would also get stuck in 4wd, only difference was one tire in front would spin in addition to your one tire in back. Only reason to have 4 wd is if you also have posi's and plan on going off pavement, never had a situation on snow and ice where 4wd would help (maybe hurt actually because I would end up in the situation faster)

And in fact I would argue my 1982 2wd positive traction diesel suburban was better than the 4wd variety, in fact I did pull my uncles suburban out of the mud in michigan with it.

I think people have lost the concept of being prepared with a small spade, air pump some salt and sand in the back of their car during adverse weather.

Oh and I have never been stuck in over 1 million miles and I have never owned a 4wd. Almost always rear 2wds with the occasional Front WD.

I strongly believe being trained on glare ice w/ rwd (my drivers training) helped me be a lifelong better driver.

Also add to the fact that 4wd tends to fail in horrifying ways that cause accidents. One of my coworkers had a mid 90's blazer that started randomly shifting to 4w low (electronic shift) he brought it in 3 times to be fixed last time it "seemed" to be fixed and he went up on the highway and totalled it when it dropped to 4w low at 75mph. I am afraid I have to say that isn't the only one, anyone who has owned 4wd for any length of time usually has had to make some sort of overpriced repair because of it, especially if they actually use it. My uncle is one of those who always owned 4wd's and he certainly has had to pay for it repeatedly in the form of bills.

Good Reason to leave the overpriced 4wd hobby to off roaders.

Oh and if they MUST have an SUV, get her a 6.2ltr diesel vehicle, preferably a 2wd 1992+ model or an emission controlled model. They are dogs so she can't speed too much, they get 20mpg without trying (only 2wd) and can actually be usefull if you need to move furniture, trailers, etc. They also can be setup to get close to 30mpg with a manual transmission.

Cheers
Ryan