That statement from the canadien was out of line. (Anyone for some tree hugging?)


I do not own an SUV but I am smart enough to not be THAT narrow minded about them. I do agree that there are numerous drivers out there who shouldn't be driving them.....(read stereotype: soccermom). Here in Burlington,VT where there are numerous colleges..you would be amazed at the out-of-state-parents-paying-for-college-while-I-drive-the-new-SUV kids around here. Everyone of them...on the damn phone..

There is no real need for an SUV.

-If you need to tow something or just carry a bunch of stuff, a pickup does it better.
-If you need to carry passengers or haul large amounts of stuff out of the elements, either a van or a wagon will do better. A RWD van can tow as much or more than most SUVs.
-If you need 4WD in winter, an all whell drive car is much more stable and a front wheel drive car with winter tires will out drive both a 4WD or an AWD with all-seasons.
-If you are concerned about safety, SUVs are prone to rollovers and their large mass can cause the roof to fail that way. Most midsize cars are safer in crash tests than SUVs. Older Ford Explorers, Chevy Blazers, and Ford 150s are all cars that are deemed poor. SUVs that are built on frames don't crumple the way a unitized car does and will transmit more of the force of an accident to the occupents.

Thought this was funny and relevant:

Taken from here: http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_01_12_a_suv.html

The 25-30mpg that the Trail Blazer and the Rav4 - nothing Gas guzzling there. And of course mentioning companies that are known for having price ranges that are ridiculous or mentioning products that are not in the country is of course so helpful :-D

Canadians and Easteners? :p
Oh that's more generalizing aint it - whewps
;) Maybe I should go buy a Rav4 or Trail Blazer just knowing that somewhere I ticked off some zealot who thinks that everybody has to have his/her opinion and anybody else who doesnt is a ____ <insert their term > ____.

Could probably be said about 75-95% of the stuff we have today seeing as how we wlived 18 millenia of recorded history without them. I wonder how people lived 18 millenia without Brain fixing medicine, law-suits, inhalers, lights, electricity, clean water, bicycles, or the thousands of other things that people claim to need.

Dude.......that was ment as a joke. I can see, as this is all in writting, that at times interpretation means alot, but there is no need for name calling. You don't even know who I am.
Suv's have been around for a long time. It's just that in the past couple of years they have surpassed the mini van in popularity. So in another 4 years or so it'll be hybrids, perhaps, that are the popular vehicle. And you'll be here b*tching about how some dumba** in a F***ing hybrid cut you off. Either way you'll always have something to b*tch about. I looked at about 15 different vehicles trying to find something with room enough. It's what I found to be the most functional and reliable. I'm not trying to justify anything to you. I don't know you, so I could give a damn what you think of the general population of SUV drivers and the reason they have one. I was simply letting the "suv" bashers know about the other reasons why people purchase them.

Yes, then it will be damn zippy electric acceleration. :p

"And of course mentioning companies that are known for having price ranges that are ridiculous or mentioning products that are not in the country is of course so helpful :-D"

Just letting you know there are other options out there that the N.American market is yet to recognize... Loaded SUV's aren't cheap by any means. Blue book on a 4 year old low mileage Saab 9.5 wagon is about $16,000. New cars are a waste of money when there are nice bikes to buy!

What if you wanted to seat 6 passengers AND tow a boat? :D

So instead of having one vehicle that does all of those things, (I have a boat too) I should buy what? 3 or 4 different vehicles? Buy the way, where the hell did you get those assumptions?

Would never buy a used vehicle that is not either Chevy, Toyota or Honda. Plain and simply used vehicles are problematic and there are few companies known in the real world for their reliability like the aforementioned. For 18K-25K i can get a brand new reliable Rav 4 or chevy Blazer. Realistic, Brand spanking new, Trouble Free, for a few K more. And when you buy a vehicle that can last a decade+ (our toyota is 3+ and still running) spending a few extra K is nothing. Our Rav is I think 4 years now and has never seen the inside of a mechanics shop and still gets 25mpg which is spot on with its specs

*sniffs the air* I don't think you want to know :eek:

A rear wheel drive van with a tow hitch. Like a Ford E150 or whatever the Chevy one's called.

Does a van consume that much less gas?
Is a van not the same width as a SUV? (Only wrote this because some people actually complained about this)
Wouldn't buying a van add to the "soccer mom" image?

The 2005 Ford E150:
fuel economy city / highway
4.6 Liter Engine: V8 5.4 Liter Engine: V8

4 Speed Automatic w/Overdrive 44A Transmission 15 / 19 13 / 17
4 Speed Automatic w/Overdrive 44F Transmission 15 / 19 13 / 17

I own a Compact SUV and a Sports Sedan, both have there merits and use. And I would not be with out either. Just like I own Road bikes and Mountain bikes, they all have their time.


I find threads like these funny, So much generalization with no answer being right. Everyone applies there own rational and justifcation on the world as if it's the truth.

Remember it's not so much the SUV, rather the driver. Bad divers exist regardless of what they drive.

If it is a big van, then yes, they have about the same fuel consumpton. Minivans usually consume less gas, unless your talking about something such as a CRV or a Rav4. Minivans are much safer than SUVs and are more efficient people movers/haulers. There's a reason why I take a minivan to the hardware store, there are very few SUVs that can take 4x8 shets of plywood.

If you buy a SUV to just avoid the "soccer mom" or "married man" image, that's sad.

The Dodge Sprinter, a full-size van, gets decent economy: 5 Speed Automatic w/Overdrive Transmission 22 / 24

No worries Tex, drive and/or ride what works for you.

My post said "ADD to the soccer mom image", meaning a lot of people see SUV drivers as soccer moms. So no, assuming that I meant buying a SUV to avoid the image would be wrong.



I think this thread clearly proves that everyone owns a SUV or DIFFERENT reasons. Saying "ALL SUV DRIVERS _____" is just dumb.

WE ARE PEOPLE WHO BREATHE THE CRAPPY AIR POLLUTED BY IGNORANT A-HOLE SUV OWNERS, AND WE ARE PEOPLE WHO REAR-ENDED IN TRAFFIC, SIDE-SWIPED ON BIKES, BLINDED AT NIGHT, BY THESE POORLY DESIGNED, UNSAFE VEHICLES. THIS IS THE POINT. YOU LIVE IN A SOCIETY OF OTHERS, EVEN IN TEXAS. IF YOU WANT TO LIVE LIKE AN A-HOLE, DON'T EXPECT ANY RESPECT. If you have to define yourself to the world by the car you drive, that's just pathetic.

Calling me a tree hugger is pointless, this is a right-wing redneck term applied to anyone who feels that our impact on the earth needs to be considered. There are people who consider others in the world around them without "hugging trees" . And thank god the rest of the world doesn't think like you, or there would be no oil left by now. To put in in your simplistic terms, SUV drivers affect my freedom. Asthma rates in children are reaching epidemic levels in North America -too many trees?

Where do you get these ratings from? I have side impact airbags, front air bags, child safe power windows, and I get a discount on my insurance for the safety rating.
And here is a real news flash for ya....the Ford E series vans all have a 4 star safety rating. The Toyota Sequioa has a 5 star safety rating. And I can have the ply wood delivered.

...relative to other SUVs, maybe...I'd like to see that. Trust me, you need all the airbags you can get. Its a question of mentality, do you want to improve your survival chances in an accident? Or would you rather not have the accident? It's up to you to roll the dice with your kids.

If you think safety tests are meant to protect you, wake up: check this out on the web. The 2004 Saturn Vue SUV was found to have collapsing suspensions on roll-over tests by the NHTSA, Saturn said they could not recall the vehicles, it was too expensive, and would only fix the broken suspensions, NHTSA said ok, and they kept selling the SUVs!

Simple facts, a top-heavy 3+ ton vehicle is not safe; they have 2-3 X the stopping distance of a passenger car (yet they still love to follow too close). Safety ratings are in one driver tests, other countries safety councils have found the risk of flipping is magnified by just having an additional passenger.

But YOU think you are right. Let's hope your not dead right. F*** the environment, burn all the gas you want, get an inhaler.

This is most disturbing and not typical of cyclists I've met around the US. I won't read this thread any further.

The really good news about high gas prices is that there are alot fewer SUV's being sold these days and the ones on the road sometimes seem to be driven more conservatively as a lead foot gets expensive. The other good news would be more bikes being sold.

Who the F***K are you people?!? You are so holy that you should dictate WTF everyone should drive? I'm sick and tired of you suv hating sob's! You blame a class of vehicle and the people driving them for everything. Gas, economy, accidents etc...etc... That is pure ignorance! Why don't you go watch another NASCAR race. What, they run on peanut oil or something? How about all you frequent fliers? Planes got a new fuel? Must be peanut oil too.
No wonder suv drivers cause so much trouble for cyclists, they read crap like whats in this thread and it pisses them off so they go out and cut off a couple of ****** cyclists! Because anyone that doesn't ride knows that all cyclists are gay. That's why they wear the spandex shorts.

Literally laughing out loud.

:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

Don't forget, mini vans and trucks put out the same amount of polution, but it's "easier" to blame those damn SUV drivers!
http://www.cleanairpartnership.org/c..._emissions.gif