To understand the SUV craze, read Keith Bradsher's book "HIgh and Mighty." It's very well written and extensively researched. Anyone with a car interest should read this book!!!

Part of the SUV craze is due to US gov policy and loopholes for manufacturers, originally intended to keep the old Jeep Willy in production. If SUVs and light trucks were treated the same as other passenger vehicles, the massive profit margins on them would be reduced and the carmakers would stop pushing them so hard. Their mileage sucks largely because the carmakers can get away with it...with gas so cheap (thanks to our massive subsidy of the oil industry by protecting shipping lanes and the like - if we were to tax gas sales to reflect its true price it would be in the $4/gal range) there's little to no incentive to alter SUVs.

Just wait 10 years when used SUVs are littering the market and become the car of choice for 16 year olds - accident fatalities will be up,up,up.

The best part of the book describes the marketing of SUVs and what the ad men themselves think of SUV buyers. I don't have it handy but phrases like "selfish, self-centered, arrogant, callous" come to mind. It's not flattering, to say the least, and it's not something that'll show up in the next Tahoe ad :)

posted by 128.197.40...

• Why GM needs SAAB, K-9, Thu, 31 Jul 2003 12:44:08
  • I like my Saab and my F150!, John in Bismarck, Sat, 2 Aug 2003 08:07:19
  • Doesn't anybody here go camping? SUV a must..., BGreen, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 11:30:39
    • aye, Dan W, Tue, 5 Aug 2003 06:34:57
    • Here's the problem., Chuck, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 17:19:58
    • surely you must be mistaken, no one goes off-road, MJM , Fri, 1 Aug 2003 13:22:43
      • Huh ???, Maple Saab, Sat, 2 Aug 2003 11:40:13
  • Look closely at SUV alternatives that escape derision, Ken , Fri, 1 Aug 2003 09:52:20
  • Something that still amazes me about some of you, Texron, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 09:34:12
    • image? this is Fort Wayne, IN, Aero'ed, Sat, 2 Aug 2003 09:16:36
      • Re: image? this is Fort Wayne, IN, Spiros Trianta, Sun, 3 Aug 2003 08:00:15
    • Ha!, Sean H., Fri, 1 Aug 2003 12:12:11
    • Here's why they bug me, phred, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 11:37:29
      • crowded planet?, Yak, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 12:51:47
    • Re: Something that still amazes me about some of you, Chan, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 09:57:02
  • read this book on SUVs, Brian_in_MA, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 07:04:01 <-- Viewing This Message
  • SUV is not a craze..., compaqted, Thu, 31 Jul 2003 14:24:27
    • agreed... was expecting the fad to die... wrong, Scott Paterson , Thu, 31 Jul 2003 18:09:40
    • Re: SUV is not a craze..., Ken , Thu, 31 Jul 2003 15:52:37
      • A 9-5 wagon with good winter tires has no problems, AdamB , Fri, 1 Aug 2003 18:26:25
      • Yeah it's AMAZING how they can live without 4WD, AdamB , Fri, 1 Aug 2003 18:17:28
      • 4WD and skiing, compaqted, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 09:00:18
      • Re: SUV is not a craze..., Brian Lee, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 06:27:59
        • Re: SUV is not a craze..., Ken , Fri, 1 Aug 2003 11:32:13
          • Re: SUV is not a craze..., Sean H, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 12:18:40
            • Re: SUV is not a craze..., Ken , Fri, 1 Aug 2003 12:26:09
              • Try these comparisons..., Sean H., Fri, 1 Aug 2003 12:42:04
                • Re: Try these comparisons..., Ken , Fri, 1 Aug 2003 12:54:05
                  • Re: Try these comparisons..., Spiros Trianta, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 18:50:49
                  • Re: Try these comparisons..., Yak, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 13:01:33
      • Re: SUV is not a craze..., Spiros Trianta, Thu, 31 Jul 2003 18:58:26
        • SUV are good..., Alexandros, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 06:20:40
        • SUV, 4WD, skiing etc.., Noel, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 05:55:20
        • Re: SUV is not a craze..., Ken , Thu, 31 Jul 2003 22:14:30
          • I think he's arguing that you could take 2 cars...., Sieglo, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 06:28:22
      • Re: Building what people want..., Noel, Thu, 31 Jul 2003 17:45:11
      • Re: SUV is not a craze..., kgoetz97, Thu, 31 Jul 2003 17:25:30
    • Re: SUV is not a craze...(longish), Noel, Thu, 31 Jul 2003 15:49:47
  • You'll have to split it with me, phred, Thu, 31 Jul 2003 14:04:41
    • And me..., ootpek, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 05:04:53
  • Agreed!, Sean H., Thu, 31 Jul 2003 13:54:30
  • Well said (-), Mark J, Thu, 31 Jul 2003 13:28:35
  • SUV Craze, MisplacedYankee , Thu, 31 Jul 2003 13:05:19
    • SUV's gaining in Europe....., Mike Lynch , Thu, 31 Jul 2003 13:28:37
  • Why women need men., J, Thu, 31 Jul 2003 13:04:01
    • I'm not a woman, but ..., MJP, Thu, 31 Jul 2003 13:09:49
      • 10 oz bottle of water is $1.50. SUV have been around+, Jon906, Thu, 31 Jul 2003 18:34:43
        • SUVs are more rare than exotic sports cars here, AdamB , Fri, 1 Aug 2003 18:44:33
        • Re: Pepsi/Coke is cheaper than bottled water, Ed NC, Fri, 1 Aug 2003 05:34:22
          • And super-unleaded is cheaper than soft drinks (n/m), IrieTom , Fri, 1 Aug 2003 08:48:17

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