Do you own a SUV?

SimS · Sep 16, 2005

Terry;
Maybe I'm a little more than cynical but I love these kinds of polls. Notice that is is organized by the Pew Charitable Trust? Old man Pew made his money with Sun Oil Company. He is probably spinning at 540 RPM in his grave. The Pew Trust "serves the public interest by providing information, advancing policy solutions and supporting civic life". whatever that means. Like others have said, reality and market forces will drive what we drive. Hopefully we will each be able to evaluate our transportation needs and chose the vehicle that most suits us and our wallets. So far, from most of the responses, it seems to be working.
My .02
Sim

mwechtal · Sep 16, 2005

Indeed, what about the waste? I haven't seen a reasonable plan to deal with it yet. Until we get that, we already have far too many reactors. Also, what assurance do we have that the industry won't screw up like Three Mile Island? Answer those 2 questions, and reactors will be viable, and acceptable to me.

We don't have any SUVs, we have 2 Jeep Cherokees. Both get about 21 MPG or so on the highway, or maybe 19 the way we drive them. For the 28 years that we've been married, we've had between 0 and 1 4wd vehicle. We finally decided that it was crazy having a vehicle that MIGHT make it up our hill after a snowstorm. Now I won't have to rescue my wife when she forgets to take the 4wd before the storm hits.

At least we both have jobs now in the same company, and the same department, so we can ride together about 3 days a week. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Mike

Bob_Skurka · Sep 16, 2005

We don't have any SUVs, we have 2 Jeep Cherokees. 

Umm, excuse me, but that is the vehicle that really popularized and defined the SUV category. In fact, you could say that it is responsible for the growth of SUV sales in the USA. The basic Cherokee. Prior to the Cherokee, everything was a large truck type vehicle (think Suburban or Tahoe). Then came along Jeep with the little (midsize) Cherokee and the entire market exploded. If you own a Cherokee, or two, and I do NOT mean the GRAND Cherokee, then the tree huggers probably hold you personally responsible for the downfall of civilized cars as we know them. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Now the fact that you get 21mpg on the highway is further evidence that these things are NOT as bad as they are portrayed. I can tell you that my Volvo XC90 and my VW Touareg get similar gas mileage. My Mountaineer gets something in the upper teens on the highway.

beenthere · Sep 16, 2005

I own one, and wouldn't desire to have anything else. My daughter and family just upgraded to one, and she is real tight with her coin.
Mine, a trailblazer, is very comfortable to drive and to ride, pulls my trailer with CUT just fine, and is better than the pickup that I used to have.
They wont drag my sorry rearend into one of those dinky go-carts no way, no how.

Let people drive what they want to drive. If a person doesn't like SUV's, then I suggest they don't buy one, but leave the other person alone that does want to drive them. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Dargo · Sep 16, 2005

( Let people drive what they want to drive. If a person doesn't like SUV's, then I suggest they don't buy one, but leave the other person alone that does want to drive them. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif )

Yup. At the auto auctions this last week, the larger SUV's have been taking a bit of a hit in value, if it's any consolation. About the only one that has taken a massive hit is the V10 gas version of the Excursion. Ouch! They have taken an $8000 to $10,000 hit in the last month. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

frank_f15 · Sep 16, 2005

Never have owned an SUV, NOR a PICKUP TRUCK! But i also would not say it is wrong to own one. A lot of folks need larger vehicles and if they are will ing to pay for the gas that is their choice. I personally think that a lot of folks that think SUV owners are the cause of high gas prices should chek the way they drive thier more gas friendly vehicles. they are jsut as likey to waste fuel in a different manner. Went to a garage sale the other day, as i go out of my car i noticed a smaller car sitting enpty with the engine running, 10 min later when i left the car was still unoccupied and still running FOR WHAT PURPOSE?. also we have a RR croosing close by, and trains usually are very slow going thu , so when i pull up, i usually shut the engine off, most folks just sit there with engine running . I know these are minor points but they all add up. I guess i will get off my soap box now! one other point! don't be so quick to point fingers at Suv owners, most drive them because of need.

timb · Sep 16, 2005

( then the tree huggers probably hold you personally responsible for the downfall of civilized cars as we know them )

Heck right there is good reason for me to keep my Cherokee around forever (it's only got 140K on it now). /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

(and these days I get 23mpg on the highway, 19 in my daily commute mix.)

hobbyfarm · Sep 16, 2005

( Poll: 8 in 10 Want Drivers to Drop SUVs. )

That's funny,
Here in TEXAS, 8 in 10 drivers drive and SUV or pickup. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I know they didn't get the polling data here. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Dargo · Sep 16, 2005

I'd bet the 8 in 10 people polled don't have a 7 person family and unplowed rural roads like I do either. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

kensfarm · Sep 16, 2005

"Eight out of ten people did not raise seven children "

Seven kids.. was it your wife that gave you the name.. sneaky_pete? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

riptides · Sep 16, 2005

OK,

I understand now. I went and visited that web site.

After the 8 - 10 people got out of the SUV, they took the poll.

They either need a bigger SUV, or they need to get rid of a few other people BEFORE they give them the survey.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

RedRocker · Sep 16, 2005

People that drive economy cars and point fingers at people that drive SUV's are kind of like a member of ELF living in a wood framed house marching against the lumber industry.
We're all just varying degrees of the problem, if you're drawing breath you consume fuel, habitat and all the other "bad" things these folks wring their hands over.
Don't know the answer, but burning H2's in a dealer lot isn't one of them. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Devildog · Sep 16, 2005

Man I would love to trade the wifes expedition in on one of them excursions /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Cityboyfarmer · Sep 16, 2005

( Man I would love to trade the wifes expedition in on one of them excursions /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

Gitter done Devildog! I bet prices are pretty good right now. I have an Excursion, King of SUV's /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Got a 6.0 Powerstroke that gets 18.4 MPG average and 19.8 on the highway. Amazing something that big can get that kind of mileage.

And like Bob Skurka, I don't give the north end of the south bound section of a rats anatomy what anybody thinks about what I own/drive. It is a fantastic vehicle to travel in. You can tow with it, haul my kids and their teammates and friends AND their gear. Its great to pack everything in the back for vacation and not be cramped up.

Wonder if I could get a nuclear reactor for this land yacht? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

sneaky_pete · Sep 16, 2005

( Seven kids.. was it your wife that gave you the name.. sneaky_pete? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

Two of them are foster children; but I did finally figure out what was causing the rest! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Roger2561 · Sep 16, 2005

I own a fullsize Ford F-150 for the towing capability. My other vehicle is a 2002 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 motorcycle...get about 60 to 65 mile per gallon...costs about $7.50 per week for gas. I use this when my truck isn't needed at work or when the weather isn't crappy. When it gets too cold or when the snow falls this winter I am seriously thinking that I'll use the transit system set up in our area. Believe it or not, we are rural in NH but when people put their minds to it, good things can happen, plus, my place of work (If you're from NH, you may recognize Dartmouth College) said that anyone who uses the transit system, the comapny will pay the fees on our behalf.

Jagmandave · Sep 16, 2005

We own an Audi allroad. We looked at pretty much all the SUV's before buying it but we were put off by weight, size, difficulty in parking as well as mileage. Our Audi tows up to 3500 lbs, carries tons o stuff (my wife is a shopoholic), hauls 5 in absolute comfort, and does pretty much everything that the SUV's do - including about the same gas mileage -22 on the hiway, 16 in town (let's hear it for twin turbos!)...........But I think a wagon makes a lot of sense and it sure is a lot more fun to drive. With the all wheel drive, I also don't have to worry about her making it home from work at 2 am (she works 2nd shift) in the winter. It also has height adjustable suspension, so I can raise up and drive the bad roads, but let it back down for comfort and better handling when I get back to pavement. This is not an advertisment for Audi, as much as to point out that all those attributes people love in an SUV can easily be built into a passenger car too.

Sigarms · Sep 16, 2005

RPG? Come on, you're an American. It's LAW/TOW practice /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Dargo · Sep 16, 2005

Well, the prices on the diesel Excursions have not dropped any that I can tell. Uh, em, that's why I didn't pick one up at any of the auctions. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I've never personally cared for the gas version. If by chance you do, you can certainly find a bargain on one of those. I know 3 soccer moms who drive them. Granted, most of their driving is in town, but not a one of them gets into the double digits on mileage. One of them wanted me to buy theirs (explained I would only want diesel) or take it to a big auction for them. When I gave them a copy of the auction sheet showing what the V10's brought, they said "I owe $20,000 more than that on mine!" /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif That ought to make the SUV "haters" happy.

Hmm, makes one wonder what all would be involved in finding a good 6.0 Stroker from a totalled truck and putting it in a gas Excursion? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Bob_Skurka · Sep 16, 2005

What I love are the SUV haters who gloat when someone with an SUV pays $65 at the gas pump to fill up their SUV. What is amazing is how stupid those people are because they must all assume SUVs have tiny little gas tanks or something.

The car I just got rid of would take about 13 gallons when I was "red-lining" the fuel gauge, my newest SUV will take 23 to 24 gallons so of course it costs more to fuel up! Duh!!! Now the fun part is my car got about 23 miles to the gallon, my SUV gets 20-21mpg. So I actually am now filling up LESS often and going farther per tankful. Sure, it costs more when I do, and sure it does cost a bit more to operate, but the tree hugging zealots who are gleeful when the pump rings up $60-to-$70 per fill-up just don't seem to grasp that I'm only getting about 2mpg worse mileage and I'm fueling up less frequently.