Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Deltona Couple
So, am I correct in assuming that you feel that SUV's should never be on the road unless it is being used in the way it were designed? If that is the case, what should those of us that use it say once a month do? buy another "econo" car to drive?
|
Personally, yes, something like that.
Again, I'm under the impression that SUV's compromise road safety unnecessarily.
Why should the local bank director's wife bring the kids to school in a SUV? It doesn't help her, it most certainly doesn't help me. The only thing it accomplishes is that she does not have to be seen in a "econo" car.
Of course if you're say, in the construction business, regularly moving heavy loads, I wouldn't expect you to buy another car.
The situation you describe lies somewhere in between, where a SUV is required some of the time, but not all of the time.
I don't know where to draw that line, but there are 3 possible scenario's:
1) Heavy lifting, offroading, etc for most of the time: Buy an SUV and use it always, no sweat
2) not so much SUV-worthy use: Buy an SUV
and a "econo" car.
3) don't ever use an SUV for what it was meant to do: Don't buy an SUV.
Now, I think most would agree with scenario's 1 and 3 (given the assumption, once again that overall road safety is better off without SUV's). Scenario #2 is where the problem lies. Obviously not everyone is financially capable of buying and maintaining an extra "econo" car (or an extra SUV, whichever way you look at it). I don't know the exact economics, but I imagine that an SUV is more expensive in daily use. So at some low-usage point it likely becomes more economic to buy an additional regular "econo" car, or buy a single "econo" car and rent/borrow an SUV when it is necessary.
(And if/when it makes financial sense, and is better for traffic safety: what's keeping people from doing it?)
When a combined SUV / econo car scenario is not a financially feasible option (which I can quite understand), then don't buy a BMW, Mercedes or Hummer. Buy a decent pickup, Jeep or whatever. The expensive SUV's with all the options, make any economic argument very unbelievable.
Once again, if the bank managers, lawyers, rap stars and other hotshots of this world (scenario #3), would stop driving SUV's, the annoyance level would lower very quickly. They're very expensive in purchase, insurance and use (jealousy), they're dangerous to other traffic (danger), and they're a hindrance to other traffic (annoyance). These three combined with the perceived low total usefullness of the vehicles makes people very annoyed at them.
Man, I should stop writing such long posts, it becomes annoying to preview
Oh, btw, mind you: I live in Europe. Cars are a status symbol here, but I imagine the "I got me a truck" thing triggers some raw American frontier type feeling, making the SUV / larger pickups feel more of a basic necessity to americans.
Also, we see a that a rather large percentage of SUV's are the luxury variety, not being used for many occupants or heavy loads.