The 'SUV' Topic

[me™]

Let's all have a nice debate here.

 

First: I am NOT an environmentalist. Environmentalism just doesn't work. It's too extreme. The principle of the degree I'm studying is to accept that human activity will inevitably produce pollution. The aim is to minimise said pollution, by thinking about what you're doing.

 

Second: Yeah, I do like cars, I even have a subscription to Top Gear magazine. But even TG now accept the fact that more efficient cars are better, you see them encouraging the small cars that manage high MPG figures. They also generally enjoy making fun of inefficient American cars.

I used to drive a 1975 Land Rover Series 3, it could do about 20mpg. What's worrying is that a lot of modern American SUVs STILL can't manage this. The Escalade Hybrid was American Green Car of the Year last year, because it could do 20MPG!!! :oook:

The point is, that old LR I had was used properly. It had a tow bar, it was used almost daily to tow trailers through muddy fields, that's what it was designed for.

 

People buy SUVs for security because so many other people have SUVs that it's most likely that they're going to get hit by another one. That's the only justification behind security. No matter how big your car is, it isn't exactly bullet proof, at least without some serious mods.

Status? Plenty of normal cars out there which have status.

High driving position? Plenty of tall cars out there too which don't have stupid amounts of horsepower just so that they can move, due to the sheer weight of the vehicle in the first place.

 

Example: Why buy a BMW X5 when you could buy a 5-series Touring for less money. The 5-series is also faster, more efficient, and better handling, with just as much interior space.

 

Hell, most new SUVs were never even designed to do proper off-roading in the 1st place! They were designed purely to be large and imposing on the road! Take things like the Merc ML Class, BMW X5, Audi Q7 for example. They have 'features' that apparently make them able to go off road, like adaptive suspension and traction control etc. but in reality they struggle on wet grass.

 

From what I've seen on the roads in the UK, they shouldn't be called SUVs, they should be called UAVs. Urban Assault Vehicles. The people who drive them round here are agressive, big-headed idiots who do not heed for anybody else on the road. I have been tail-gated at 80mph several times by large, usually black SUVs. Once, in the space of 4 miles I was nearly shunted 3 times by the same moron in a Mercedes ML class because he was on his phone. I could see him on his phone by looking in my mirror, that's how close he was. Also, that's illegal anyway.

 

Some people buy them because they think an SUV will help in the 3 days of snow we get a year in the UK. In fact, that's the worst thing you can do. The heavier the vehicle, the more momentum it has. That's very bad on slippery surfaces. When I drive in the snow, I see a smashed up luxo-barge SUV nearly every day.

 

Really, Why is humanity so stupid sometimes? If it were possible to go back in time and prevent the whole 'SUV' thing starting, I would. Then we would only have proper 4x4s, used only by farmers, the military, and local authorities.

 

Sports Utility Vehicle. They're not exactly Sporty, they're not very useful or utilitarian. They are a vehicle, of sorts. One out of three then.

[zo6dude]

a number of reasons people buy SUVs:

Big

Safe

Can't really get taken out by anything except a transport truck

some people have lots of kids or family memebers and cars don't have enought seats

in the winter they won't get stuck as easy as cars

there driveable year round

some people need them for their buisnesses and would prefer an SUV over a pickup

some people(like me) just like them

[iBilo]

I like SUVS because they look good and they have cool gadgets inside :D

[Baldy]

I use my Range Rover nearly daily. And i can see the good and bad points.

 

Good Points.

 

Secure

Powerful

Towbar.

 

Bad Points

 

Difficult to park

Has a bad image

Takes up a lot of room on the road.

 

I bought mine as i like the styling and the feel of it. The gadgets also tempted me, as i'll buy anything with buttons too press. I don't think there that much safer as lot's of people drive them as well.

 

It's really down to personal preference, I also use my car when i know i'm not going too need my range rover.

[gingervette]

while you do have a point about the environment, the fact is, people simply do not care about the environment as much as they did before and SUVs will sell and keep selling forever.

 

For example: weather

here in Kentucky, the snow can get pretty deep and nasty.

Where are the cars? stuck in the snow and calling for the SUVs to help.

Where are the SUVs? helping the cars out of the snow and driving easily home, worry free!

 

same goes for the rain when it's over roads...

where are the cars? trying to find another way home

where are the SUVs? driving through the water and going home, worry free.

 

and for the family aspect...

My family consists of 2 parents and 2 children including myself which could all fit in a car, however, if we go on a vacation for a long period of time...where is the luggage going to go? It go in the trunk but probably would not fit.

 

what about wrecks and/or crashes? for example:

car hits car: where are the drivers? on their way to the hospital

car hits SUV: car driver finds ride to hospital. SUV driver finds ride home.

 

Another example is hills:

I live in Eastern Kentucky which consists of many many many hills.

SUVs will actually get better mpg than cars when hills enter the picture.

car goes up hill, rpm's go up and more gas is used.

SUV goes up hill, rpm's don't go up because the engine does not have to try as hard.

 

 

And there are many arguements that can be given again SUVs that I am sure will present themselves however as stated above, SUVs sell well, extremely well, and will forever :)

[ShadowGT]

a number of reasons people buy SUVs:

Big

Safe

Can't really get taken out by anything except a transport truck

some people have lots of kids or family memebers and cars don't have enought seats

in the winter they won't get stuck as easy as cars

there driveable year round

some people need them for their buisnesses and would prefer an SUV over a pickup

some people(like me) just like them

Seconded. :p

[Mb]

I'd have a SUV.

Gemballa GT750 Cayenne. Hmm. ;)

[And3rs]

i hate you if that is true :)

[gingervette]

I would hate him too ;)

[Andreas¹]

I can see your point in this, and I agree a little with you. I too get a bit annoyed when I see huge SUVs everywhere in the city, I mean... Why? But, if that is what people want, then so be it. But I can also see why people want them, as z06 above me said: They are big, gives you a good feeling of safeness and when winter comes, 4WD comes in handy.

My opinion.

 

Safe

car hits SUV: car driver finds ride to hospital. SUV driver finds ride home.

Fifth Gear tested an old Range Rover versus a not so old Renault Espace in one of their "world famous crash-tests", and found that the Espace was safer ;) Dunno the relevance, I just wanted to say that :p

[scaleopdriver]

why dont we just discuss other stuff that ruin the environment aswell? recycling f.example? do you bring your own bag to the shopping mall to save the environment?

[Baltoman]

I was gonna say that this was another pointless thread created by another irritated member but nevermind.

 

I like SUVs because their cool, stylelish and looks great (most of them). I don't really have a poroblem with them because theres not much SUVs here in Brazil.

[me™]

 

what about wrecks and/or crashes? for example:

car hits car: where are the drivers? on their way to the hospital

car hits SUV: car driver finds ride to hospital. SUV driver finds ride home.

 

 

SUV hits car: car full of mincemeat, lol.

 

@ KTF, lots of cars weigh more than they did in 1975, and still return better MPG. Let's not forget, this is the HYBRID Escalade that does 20mpg. :lol:

[gingervette]

SUV hits car: car full of mincemeat, lol.

 

@ KTF, lots of cars weigh more than they did in 1975, and still return better MPG. Let's not forget, this is the HYBRID Escalade that does 20mpg. :lol:

 

But what you must understand is that the Hybrid Escalade was not made for gas mileage purposes at all. It was specificaly made for maerketing purposes, or rather to appeal to the Hybrid byers. And the other reasons are to make Greenpeace happy and to get the government off of their butts and leave them alone. If the government had not been nagging them about their mileage, there would not have been a Hybrid Escalade. Same goes for the Hybrid Tahoe, Hybrid GMC Yukon, Hybid Chevy Silverado, Hybrid GMC Sierra, so on and so forth.

 

 

P.S. the Hybird Escalade gets 22 mpg, not 20, do your research please ;)

[CarboyZR1]

But what you must understand is that the Hybrid Escalade was not made for gas mileage purposes at all. It was specificaly made for maerketing purposes, or rather to appeal to the Hybrid byers. And the other reasons are to make Greenpeace happy and to get the government off of their butts and leave them alone. If the government had not been nagging them about their mileage, there would not have been a Hybrid Escalade. Same goes for the Hybrid Tahoe, Hybrid GMC Yukon, Hybid Chevy Silverado, Hybrid GMC Sierra, so on and so forth.

 

 

P.S. the Hybird Escalade gets 22 mpg, not 20, do your research please ;)

And in real life they do 13.6 MPG mixed driving. I've been in one for a week and got that.

[CarboyZR1]

I can see your point in this, and I agree a little with you. I too get a bit annoyed when I see huge SUVs everywhere in the city, I mean... Why? But, if that is what people want, then so be it. But I can also see why people want them, as z06 above me said: They are big, gives you a good feeling of safeness and when winter comes, 4WD comes in handy.

My opinion.

 

 

Fifth Gear tested an old Range Rover versus a not so old Renault Espace in one of their "world famous crash-tests", and found that the Espace was safer ;) Dunno the relevance, I just wanted to say that :p

OLD RANGE ROVER? Try a new one.

[CarboyZR1]

a number of reasons people buy SUVs:

Big

Safe

Can't really get taken out by anything except a transport truck

some people have lots of kids or family memebers and cars don't have enought seats

in the winter they won't get stuck as easy as cars

there driveable year round

some people need them for their buisnesses and would prefer an SUV over a pickup

some people(like me) just like them

Count me in. I'm not quite enviormentalist to be honest. They seem to just target one thing: cars. I actually read the other day that it's methane that causes a lot more global warming than cars: http://sustainablog.org/2008/09/23/scientists-discover-new-global-warming-threat-methane-time-bomb-under-arctic-seabed/

[HavockJoker]

They are all Rubbish. Should not be allowed for non commercial use.

 

If you have a large family then your good. Other than that scrap em.

 

Especially The Navigator. I hate that car cause it crashed into my uncles M3 and almost totaling it.

[CarboyZR1]

They are all Rubbish. Should not be allowed for non commercial use.

 

If you have a large family then your good. Other than that scrap em.

 

Especially The Navigator. I hate that car cause it crashed into my uncles M3 and almost totaling it.

Oh for.....

[Baldy]

Mine is used for Non commercial mainly. And that's the way i like it :)

[zo6dude]

Oh for.....

carboys gonna start!:p