Parents want to buy sister an SUV
 

My sister is getting her license soon and long story short.... she is not a good driver. She wants an suv. Parents want to get her an suv. They argue that it's safer (big=safe, winter). My argument is that it's not safer (rolling etc) and that she'll cause much more damage if she wrecks than if she had a car. Obviously I think it's a huge waste of gas as well and their comeback is that she'll just drive to town and back. But even that will be a good gallon of gas a day since she usually goes back and forth twice.


Does anyone have links to any sort of anecdotal evidence or reports? Personal stories? Input?

-Zach

Let her buy it, but remember the phrase "I told you so."

Unfortunately it'll probably come to that. Which means, most likely, that someone will end up hurt.

Another reason it's probably not safer is an SUV is usually classified as a truck and therefore doesn't have to meet the same safety standards that cars do. Bigger AND safer (or at least comparable safety to a car) usually means minivan.

If she really wants an SUV,

Try: Keith Bradsher, HIGH AND MIGHTY: THE DANGEROUS RISE OF SUVS (2002). Excerpts on Google Books here:

High and mighty: the dangerous rise ... - Google Books

Or she can't afford gas.

...why an SUV?

...because they don't make full-size, land-barge, STATION WAGONS like they used to!

...there's "safety" in sheer mass...of course, there's also "inertia."

For many years the Mpls Star Tribune's auto columnist recommended parents buy their new driving age spawn SUVs at every opportunity. Of course I took him to task for that at every opportunity. After the $4 gas spell, I haven't seen him do that anymore. I guess there is hope that even fuelish people *sometimes* snap out of their stupor. :rolleyes:

This might have an effect: gloat that you drive for 9 cents/mile (or whatever it is) then say this pig SUV costs an average of 70 cents/mile (AAA has the real figures) and say gee, when she goes 100 miles I can go 800 miles for the same money!!!

mhmitszach -

What's wrong with a nice trusty family-size sedan, aka a Camry/Malibu/Accord/Altima/Charger/Taurus? If she needs 4WD, then a (non-Forester) Subaru would work. Here are some (old) arguments in your favor :

Safety Gap Grows Wider Between S.U.V.'s and Cars - NYTimes.com
frontline: rollover: before you buy an suv... | PBS
New Study: SUVs Riskier to Children Than Minivans, Large and Mid-Sized Cars
Americans for Fuel Efficient Cars
SUV Rollover Attorney | Lawyer: Leading Website, Free SUV Case Review

CarloSW2

If they refuse to buy a non SUV then what about a smallish one like the Ford Escape.