Swapping big cars for small!

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by rainyday

...Americans will justify buying SUV's. If there's money, they will be bought.

Not necessarily. After all, Americans lived quite happily without SUVs for most of the 20th century. (Except for a few special-purpose things like the International Travelall.) It took a massive advertising campaign to get the fad started. Apply the same sort of advertising to something else, and the majority will happily jump on to the new fad.

[bluetwo]

I think there's a perception now that an SUV or full size truck is a mans ride and anything else is for chicks, at least to some people there is. Don't get me wrong; I think that's ignorant as hell but that doesn't stop it from happening.

Plus there's still the fact that when a small unibody car hits a big truck with a frame the truck always wins. So people justify it as being a safety issue in addition to whatever stereotype or gender role they want to fit into.

[evolutionmovement]

Funny, I see it the opposite way—any time I see an SUV, I think "woman's car", since that's who's normally driving them.

[bluetwo]

Originally Posted by evolutionmovement

Funny, I see it the opposite way—any time I see an SUV, I think "woman's car", since that's who's normally driving them.

Then I am SO glad I'm not the only one. With the exception of a few SUV's that are actually kind of hard core (and most people who have them don't really use them) most SUV's are just glorified commuter cars with big wheels. People could just as easily drive a Crown Vic or a Dodge Caravan and have as much cargo space and "utility" as those others have.

I hate to put gender roles or stereotypes on people but as a guy in the Army I see way too many people driving a "mans ride" which is usually just a full size truck with some useless modifications like louder exhausts or whatever. And it's just such a waste in my opinion. Whatever though, to each his own. America is great because we have the freedom to choose whether to drive an ecofriendly car or a planet-killing gargantuan of a vehicle; depending on your point of view I suppose.

As for me I'll keep my small truck for the things I need it for and drive my Honda Civic - day in, day out for it's fuel economy and practicality.

[MadisonMPG]

Originally Posted by evolutionmovement

Funny, I see it the opposite way—any time I see an SUV, I think "woman's car", since that's who's normally driving them.

When I see an SUV I also think woman, followed closely by horrible driver. I have not yet met a woman that was a "alright" driver, Mediocre at best.

[bluetwo]

Originally Posted by MadisonMPG

When I see an SUV I also think woman, followed closely by horrible driver. I have not yet met a woman that was a "alright" driver, Mediocre at best.

Ha ha, woah now. Some people could say that was chauvinist. I doubt it really matters much though, we're all adults here. And that might be due largely to the fact that most women just never really put too much thought into their driving, nothing like the way we do anyway. Go to any go-cart racing place and you'll see just how little consideration most people put into operating a machine. I like to go cart racing on a Tuesday afternoon when there are no kiddies or silly people trying to "race" and see just how good a lap time I can get. That's the rebel in me escaping and/or venting in a way that I can't normally drive in my road car but that's a totally different thread.

I see what you mean too. Not trying to dis anybody here. Lousy drivers on the other hand, are what I like to refer to as a bad connection between the steering wheel and the seat.

[gone-ot]

todays SUV = the "new" Station Wagon.

[rainyday]

SUV's are cars for a variety of people. Funny mix actually.

1) Upper middle class women with kids
2) Upper class young men and women
3) Upper class and upper-middle class families that buy SUV's for their kids to drive.

[alohaspirit]

Originally Posted by MadisonMPG

I doubt they will make a SUV ever that gets over 32 on the highway.

ill ammend that

I doubt they will make a large SUV ever that gets over 32 on the highway.


my 13 year old Geo Tracker gets 28 mpg

it has horrible CD and I never EOC


bring back the small suv and 30 is attainable