Yea, but $10,000 dollars buys a lot of gas, even at 4 dollars a gallon.

These are the last days of the American Empire.

If only the majority of SUV owners were ACTUALLY carrying 5 people and a load of stuff from Costco.....most of the time I just see ONE person in them, and maybe one kid all the way in the back....what a waste of space! :D

@iMike: No doubt.

I can carry 4 people and load up the back of my shitty little Escort Wagon with beer and it gets 30 mpg.

Or maybee its just the family's extra vehicle. We have a Chevy Uplander, its a minivan they call an SUV, Sport utility Van. It eats gas at 24mpg highway.

But I commute with 2 other people to work each day in my economy car. A dodge Neon, it gest 33 Mpg on the highway, and my Wifes Daily driver, a Kid Spectra gets 35Mpg highway.

When we buy again in a few years, we will probably get an SUV again, and 2 economy cars. (probably electric ones if we can)

Parking in 2 spots like that -- that person's begging to get keyed.

What you also have to take into account is cost of ownership. While one car might start out cheaper, it may cost you in the long run when it comes to repairs, upkeep, etc. Also, the cost of gas continues to rise, thus your savings starts to dwindle.

I can *almost* understand having this as the 'extra' vehicle, but isn't it a huge waste of money paying monthly payments on a vehicle that sits idle until the weekend?

@quagmire0:

Don't forget insurance

(which will come in handy after someone keys the icon of conspicuous consumption for taking up 2 spots)

@quagmire0: If you're buying extra cars, you'd better not need to make payments.

It's just such a North American thing. People like safety and the utility of all that space even if they never, ever use it. Every time I see a family with 2 kids and a minivan I shake my head. Personally I'm fine if they quadruple the price of gas, besides the fact that I carpool my little hatchback diesel has enough room for a family of 5 (not teenagers, fine) and gets 45mpg you just have to actually pack things correctly or think about what you're doing. There was a point these cars didn't exist and people got along fine.

This is the kinda thing where we should take a lead from Europe and tax the gas and tax the size of the engine and people would realize they can get by without these behemoths built for families of 9.

@Charles Duffy: Yep, that makes sense to you and me, but I'm sure there's people that still do that. :)

@sonichghog: Doesn't hold true considering most of them are tooling around with just one person in them.

@crycry: SUVs are not safer. An accident involving one is far likelier to involve serious injury or death. Spouting the party line doesn't make it true.

@acambras: Or someone boxing in the driver's door with their little compact that gets twice the mileage of that behemoth.

@B: There's also a lot more pollution being created and wear and tear on the roads. Guess who pays for THOSE?

I drive a '02 Chevy Impala, I get 30 MPG and can haul myself and 4 others relatively comfortably, and it has a huge trunk... I can fit more into that damn trunk than I could in the cargo hold of my Durang w/ the 3rd installed and occupied... Of course 98% of the time it was just me driving the beast, with no passengers. The Durango got 18MPG Highway, but only if you were driving with the wind. I sold it the moment it cost more than $70 to fill up the tank. Being able to drive less than 400 miles for $70+ in gas was insane.

@Buran:

The saftey is perceived... And when you're driving a huge SUV you're not really thinking about other drivers on the road, since you're now the "King of the Road." If you've ever seen a small car get T-Boned by a SUV it's worse than a scene from a horror movie. The SUV is fine, but because of the higher bumper and center of gravity, the car has absolutely no chance.

@ganzhimself:

Another thing I've noticed up here in sunny Connecticut -- SUV drivers tend to get awfully confident driving in bad weather. When there's a blizzard and all the people with common sense are hunkering down at home with fireplaces and remotes, these asshats are out driving around. I guess they figure since they have 4WD and ginormous vehicles, nothing will happen to them (alas, I don't think they think about the "little people" in little cars).

Oddly enough, I see 4WD vehicles spinning out a lot more often than non-4WD vehicles -- probably because their overconfidence makes them drive faster than they should in winter conditions.

I will surely be in the minority here, but I own an Explorer and thoroughly enjoy it. I bought it about four years ago when gas prices were still 'normal,' but still drive it today. Granted, I'm driving my wife's Civic to work now as she only has a 25-mile roundtrip commute and mine is 40+ miles each way.

The point is that I just enjoy driving a truck. We don't have any kids (yet), but we do have two large dogs. I own a home as well. There are time when the big cargo area comes in handy (ie, I'm not throwing two full size dogs in the trunk). Other than that, I just enjoy driving a truck over driving a car.

Has it ever occurred to those of you that loathe SUV's that the reason some of us purchase them is simply personal preference - the same reason you choose sedan A over sedan B?

@Buran:

And spouting the contra line doesn't either. What does far more likely even mean? And for whom? Your statement seems to imply safety of the SUV driver is diminished while, even if "far more likely" holds, it is more probable the injury is increased on the other vehicles involved, which really only bolsters the safety claims of the SUV community.

Has it ever occurred to those of you that loathe SUV's that the reason some of us purchase them is simply personal preference - the same reason you choose sedan A over sedan B?

LBSurfer +1

@ganzhimself:

You nailed it. SUV drivers tend to over drive their abilities and their vehicle's handling capabilities in bad weather. Sure, that 4 wheel drive is nice, but you can still easily lose control of your vehicle if you exceed safe speeds for your vehicle on the highway. Most of those morons also don't realize the damage they're doing to the 4WD system when they drive like that. When I had the Durango I always paid attention to the road conditions and drove appropriately, 4WD or not, that thing handled like crap in the snow, even with new snow tires.

@acambras: See my last post. I guess I messed that one up pretty bad with the reply.

acambras --

I like in sunny Connecticut, too. And I drive my (hybrid) SUV (carefully) in CT's so-called "blizzards," but that's because I lived in Buffalo for 26 years and know how to drive in snow.

I find the most difficult thing about driving in snow in CT is that CT natives have no idea how to drive in snow (and yes, I agree, a lot of them drive SUVs).

I guess my point is not to lump all SUV drivers together. Some of us know they are not accident- or injury-proof and drive accordingly.

@BillyMumphry

Umm, no it doesn't. Because the majority of collisions are single-vehicle collisions. And those SUVs roll over like a puppy threatened with a newspaper.

Despite the bill of goods the American public has purchased, big honkin' trucks are more dangerous to drive.

If you'd like, I can bring in the research guns or the empirical evidence guns. The research is easy to find. As for the empirical, well... I'm a professional firefighter and the rollover collisions I personally make are almost all SUV and pickup trucks.

Does rollover=death? Not always. But it sure doesn't help.

Oh, and I forgot to add...

I have no problem with SUV or pickup truck drivers. Honestly. Drive whatever you want. I'm pretty laissez-fare when it comes to your safety and economic well-being. If you want to spend your days filling your tank over and over before you roll down an embankment, who am I to stop you?

Sort of the way I feel about motorcycle riders. It's what we in the industry call "job security."

I have read the article and I am still confused by the lack of sales numbers.

They say 72% for the Yukon XL, but never stated how many were sold.

For all we know the Yukon XL could have sold 100 last year and 172 this year.

Also they seem to be comparing one specific model and not the Yukon fleet.

Oh well

I don't drink beer.

Let's discuss how much energy is wasted brewing, transporting, and cooling beer. And lets not forget the energy wasted in manufacturing cans, bottles, and paper goods. Glass manufacturing consumes huge amounts of energy.

Then we can discuss why you wear wasteful clothing instead of potato sacks.

Please, get off your high horse and let people drive what they want to drive.

@Kaz:

Sorry, I didn't mean to say (or imply) that all CT SUV drivers are reckless. What I'm trying to say is that most of the drivers that I've seen get themselves in trouble by being overconfident are 4WD drivers.

As for the "blizzards," I'm a southern girl, so CT's "blizzards" are plenty for me. I didn't learn to drive in snow/ice until the tender age of 32. When I moved here, I even considered getting an SUV to compensate for my lack of snow driving experience. But I realized that no type of vehicle can substitute for caution and common sense.

Fortunately, I learned how to drive in snow/sleet/ice in my little car. With gas prices as high as they are in CT, I can't afford to drive an SUV.

Great picture!

Shows how people who drive SUVs think they are special and can take up 2 parking spaces.
I see that all the time with people who drive Escalades or Land Rovers. A bunch of assholes if you ask me!

Back to the article: It doesn't matter if gas was $7 a gallon. There are still consumers who will buy SUVs no matter what.

@acambras: hehe. i live in nw conn & my commute to/from work is all steep hills & windy roads. 3 times last winter i had to stop for ditched SUVs to offer a ride or use of my phone. i always snicker a bit at the idea that i'm rescuing the driver of a 4WD in my FWD 93 honda accord 5-spd with all-seasonal toyos. there's only 1 hill (in roxbury) that i can't get up in that car.

Pi_Equals_3..Shows how people who drive SUVs think they are special and can take up 2 parking spaces......

Looks like the SUV driver there just overcompensated for the guy that was parked in the spot next to him.

@acambras:

I will agree with you there - a 4 wheel drive is not a substitute for learning how to drive in the snow...

So, being from the south, does that mean you are one of the people I see at Stop & Shop buying a week's worth of groceries for one day's worth of snow? :)

I really don't care if people drive an SUV. Just follow these simple rules..

- Don't whine about rising gas prices.
- Don't drive in the left lane. Ever.
- Don't park in the "compact" parking stalls.
- Don't drive your SUV like it's a sports car, 100 MPH, weaving through traffic.
- Use your mirrors to check for cars, cyclists, and pedestrians around you.

Yesterday the national average for regular gasoline was $3.02 and is trending downward.

Oh, Meghann...

Three years ago my parents got a $30,000 tax break for purchasing an Escalade. Something to do with the weight of the vehicle was such that it qualified as a farm vehicle and they got a huge tax credit.

My Dad is always telling me that when the time comes, I should just go buy the biggest, heaviest car I can afford (I live in NYC and don't have a car) because he believes that is the best way for me to stay safe on the road. I am sure there are a lot of people in this country who feel this way.

And some who might not feel this way while they are single or don't have kids. I am sure there are many folks out there that tow the eco-friendly line until Junior comes along and their primal instinct to defend their little bundle of joy from the world takes over and they start looking into Hummers.

@Kaz:
So, being from the south, does that mean you are one of the people I see at Stop & Shop buying a week's worth of groceries for one day's worth of snow? :)

Yep. :-)
But I no longer don a hat and gloves and complain about how cold it is when the temperature dips below 50 degrees. ;-)

Gladwell addresses many points about SUVs in an article he wrote a few years ago. It's still relevant to today.

[www.gladwell.com]

Is that picture of the douche-bag double-space hog from the Orange, CT Costco?

Statistics like this just prove the Americans just don't care about the enviorment, or their kid's future. Eventually the cheap gasoline will dry up and we all will pay the price and be forced to conserve.

How is the resale value on SUVs these days? Every used car lot I see is overflowing with them. People buying used cars care about gas prices more than those buying new, I think. Anyhow, if the glut of used SUVs continues, I think resale might become part of people's considerations when choosing whether to buy an SUV.

@MMcNasby:

He only parked that way because the Cavalier is over the line.

I don't mind the SUVs. More SUVs = more opportunities to tell them that they, like the SUV pictured above, park like assholes.

:D

#1 - There are a lot of retarded, selfish people who only think about themselves and the immediate future. These are the people who buy huge SUVs without any sort of need for them, because they can save $10,000 at purchase time. They don't think at all about the impact that behemoth will have on everyone else around them throughout its product life time.

#2 - Anyone who parks like that intentionally should have all four tires slashed and should be keyed. Anyone who parks like that accidentally and doesn't immediately correct their mistake upon discovery deserves the same slashing and keying treatment.

That is all.

@kryx:

Yes, I read that Gladwell article a few years ago, and it really stuck with me.

I think of it often, literally, no kidding, as I'm cutting screaming and dying people out of their giant-ass SUVs.

@Mojosan: Thank you for that perfect example of a Straw Man argument.

@adamondi: #1 - There are a lot of retarded, selfish people who only think about themselves and the immediate future.

Sadly you speak the truth.

It often amazes me how many people can insult SUV owners and lump them into a group of 'assholes' without ever asking why they own it.

Perhaps they own a boat or snowmobiles or dirtbikes and need a vehicle to tow them with. Are they supposed to ALSO buy a little 4-banger as a daily driver when not towing their toys? That's just fiscally stupid if you ask me. Perhaps they own a home or do handyman work on the side and need the extra space for tools/supplies when working. Again, an additional daily driver is stupid. There's tons of reasons that an SUV would help out in, but not be required all the time.

And, unlike adamondi, I've actually listed a few and not been vague in my points.

If any of you really believe that SUVs are the root of all evil and are the major catalyst of air pollution in the world, I truly feel bad for you.

Hell, since large SUVs are primarily built by US automakers, isn't the increase in sales of SUVs a good sign for the economy? We're building vehicles here folks! It beats buying tin cans from Asia and having American workers unemployed.

My wife and I have both had tiny fuel-efficient vehicles since we learned to drive. Now that we have a kid and another on the way, I completely understand the need for an SUV. Safety laws these days pretty much require someone with 2+ kids to purchase a larger vehicle. We've still got one of those small cars, and my pregnant wife can't drive it, because she can't fit herself into the back to buckle our kid in, since his car seat is freaking huge. I have trouble buckling him in, and I'm a health nut who runs 40+ miles a week. I'm not saying that safety laws for kids are a bad thing, but there are financial and environmental consequences to them.