SUVs stink, don't u agree?

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I don't hate SUV's really , but it always amuses me when I see Soccer moms driving SUV's. Holding the steering wheel granny style no less. Or the businessman downtown in a 3 piece suit driving a Range Rover. Not a single scratch on these vehicles.

The only reason I don't particularly like SUV's are because they killed off all the Jap. sports cars.

 

[Balt]

<<no offense, but people who drive SUVs are idiots.>>

no offense, but people who make generalizations like that are idiots

 

[TuffGuy]

funny you should say that, especially after making a generalization yourself.

 

[Balt]

My generalization does not even compare to yours. You classified millions of people into one category. I merely classified you.

 

[Zenmervolt]

OK, trucks (which is what SUV's reallly are) roll more easily than cars. You cannot criticise the engineers for that however, due to the necessity of an increased ride height and taller greenhouse the center of cravity is necessarily higher. Anyone who does not drive a truck with that in mind deserves to have a rollover acident. Explorers, Tahoes, Jimmys, Expecitions and the like are not built for maneuverability (sp?) at 80+ mph, which is the speed at which I see many of them traveling on the turnpikes. You cannot blame the engineers for the stupidity of the end user, that would be like me blaming myself when my little sister screws up the computer, not my fault that she has no idea how to use it properly. My only beef with trucks is when single people buy Suburbans and Excursions, or even Explorers and Jimmys. The things only get around 20 mpg and are perfect examples of conspicuous consumption. When my father bought his first Explorer in 1994 (a used 1991) he did so because he was going to be hauling a lot a demo and cutaway semi parts for a new job (regional sales rep). The rear shocks on that truck had a life expectancy of ~50,000 miles, half of normal, because he was actually using the truck as it was intended, hauling heavy items long distances. The same is holding true for the 1998 Explorer he bought new last year. The first set of tires (the recalled Firestones) lasted him 80,000 miles (yes he put 80,000 miles on a truck in about 1.5 years) and the rear shocks have been changed once already. If you need a truck, buy a truck. Don't treat a truck like a car, they aren't the same and you cannot blame the engineers for end user stupidity.

Zenmervolt

 

[Jonathan59]

Look at how many vehicles the IIHS gives 5-star crash test ratings. They give multiple car the BEst pick rating. The Volvo S80 has the best crash test overall than any other car. If you average all the crash tests in diffrent countries the Volvo S80 comes out on top. Also the BMW X5 is based on the E39 5-series, which is a car.

 

[TuffGuy]

true... unfortunately most of the cars that almost hit me are SUVs, so i'm a little biased . they swerve in an out of lanes like the road is theirs.

 

[ilkhan_v4]

Um, Jonathan59, how exactly do you base a unibody SUV (or SAV to quote BMW) off of a unibody car? It would require a total change of the frame which would mean that it's not &quot;based&quot; on the 5-series. I think you mean the engines are shared between the X5 and the E39. Besides, the X5's are built in Spartanburg (I actually got to see them being built) and the E39's are, to my knowlege, still built in Germany. Also, the X5 is AWD and the E39 isn't. That would mean some pretty major driveline changes.

By the way, I drive a Land Rover Discovery II, but you can count me as part of the small population that actually uses it as intended. So far, it's been used on icy/snowy, unplowed roads, up mountain trails, down mountain trails, across I-75 in Florida countless times, carried my BMW 633 over 1,000 miles on a trailer (that's around 5,000 pounds altogether), carried my girlfriend's worldly possessions across the aforementioned I-75, and been driven mercilessly in Land Rover's get-togethers. Don't make generalizations about SUV's and their owners (although sometimes it is actually true). My Disco does corner very well for an SUV because when off-roading, a low center of gravity can save you just as much as when you're cornering hard. You don't want to roll over on the side of a hill, do you? But, you've also got to know how far not to push it. It's like trying to go 200+ mph in a sports car. Not a good idea unless you're on the salt flats. But, people do it anyway. Hey, at least Darwin's theory is proving to be true. Sorry for the long post, but I just couldn't keep quiet