Big black pickup-style SUV driver.

[skids]

So a couple days ago I was walking back from a grinder shop with comfort food in hand, and when I got to where my Prius was in the parking lot the person two cars down was backing out so I stopped for a bit to give them space. Now this is a suburban commercial-area parking lot with plenty of space. I was expecting to pretty much pause in my stride for a bit at most. The giant black SUV probably could have made it out of the space in one swoop. But the driver couldn't likely see the clearance from way the heck up there and just as I was about to start walking, she puts it back in reverse to ease it around a bit more.

So because this person bought a gargantuan near-monster-truck I'm standing their for another ten seconds, as she taxis around the runway, so to speak, minorly annoyed. I imagine wood panels on the sides of the SUV (a coping technique of mine,) curse under my breath, and head to my Prius.

But then an amazing thing happened. The SUV driver rolled down her window and started asking me about the Prius. She seemed REEEAAALLLY INTERESTED in the fuel economy, and I of course answered all her questions. I get that a lot, but not usually from SUV drivers.

Heheh.

[mcscajun]

1. Maybe it wasn't her idea to buy the monster.

Perhaps it was all Her DH's idea....and she's Just as Fed Up with the Monster as you were.

There's always hope. :)

[amitten]

2. I see more women than men in these huge vehicles.

Hummers included (insert dirty joke here).

I will never never never understand why a relatively small person would want to drive around in such a huge annoyance. Especially when they can hardly maneuver the thing. Who wants their daily driving to be such a pain in the ass, just for a little more leg room???

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. Large SUVs have been a status object with middle class women

Many a second mortgage has been taken out to purchase those things. It has been a very long running fad.

[Kolesar]

6. Some people actually think SUVs are safer

Isuzu used to advertise their suv that way. Drivers don't seem to "get" that the bad handling is...unsafe.

[AllegroRondo]

8. But in an accident an SUV is twice as likely to roll over

and rollovers are 15 times more likely to kill you as any other accident.

[Kolesar]

13. I think rollovers are secondary to the unresponsive steering, lack of road

response and bounce that can cause loss of control. Then you rollover. Happy motoring :hi:

[phantom power]

7. The myth of improved safety is one factor.

The "I want to drive a giant armored vehicle to protect myself and my offspring" phenomenon.

[One_Life_To_Give]

18. Perception of Safety/Security

IIRC the marketing studies found women liked these vehicals for personal safety reasons.

Including not worying as much about getting stuck and having to leave the vehical.

[Bluzmann57]

4. Sigh. Why must people always rip pickups?

I used to own one and am planning on getting another one within a couple of months, for work. I'll pay for gas, so you won't need to worry about that. And I'll pay insurance and it'll be all mine, free and clear so I won't be in debt. Out here in the heartland, a lot of us like pickups. They are good for hauling things as well as hunting, fishing and camping, activities which a lot of us enjoy. I suppose that I'm too conservative for a high and mighty Prius owner so I'll just shut up now. But, btw, I currently drive a Ford Taurus. Yes, a Ford. I try to buy American whenever possible because I prefer to support my Union brothers and sisters who are Americans.

[MrMonk]

9. I used to have a Ford Taurus for business.

It was a fine car. I don't see why pick-ups "in the Heartland" would be offensive to people. It's the huge passenger boats that waste fuel and clog the roads.

On edit: I see that the OP said "pickup-style SUV". I don't know what that means, but I wouldn't necessarily see it as a slam on pick-ups.

[skids]

11. There are a few types of SUVs...

There are the ones that evolved from jeeps, the ones that evolved from pickups, the ones that evolved from the sexed-up station wagons that were prevalent after station wagons became the cultural symbol among males for "pussy whipped" and now we are seeing them finally converge on their true nature: the glorified minivan.

Jeep based:


Pickup based:


Woody wagon based:

[Kolesar]

14. I think the distinction is off road capable and SUV poseur

The former would be Explorers and Jeeps, the latter would be cute little CRVs with the raised lettering on the tires and oversized wheelwells that say "I'm tough". Most of the former are full frame, like the Suburban and the Explorer. Jeep Liberties and Grand Cherokees are actually impressive vehicles for off road performance on a unibody "frame". I don't know why the hell people buy them though.

[BR_Parkway]

16. That Jeep based model, with a diesel engine also comes from

the factory ready for biodiesel and carrys a FULL warranty if you run it.

[skids]

10. This was a pickup-based SUV, not a pickup.

You wouldn't haul anything in this regularly. The tailgate was like 4 feet off the ground and the bed was enclosed and likely the cargo area carpeted.

I have no problem with people who legitimately need a pickup. It would of course be nice if auto insurance allowed people with only an occasional use for a pickup to keep it registered without paying full price -- in that case, though, I would expect that we'd see a lot of older pickups kept in driveways and only used for the trash haul on dump day, etc.

[Kolesar]

15. for unpaved roads and driving in fields you need a pickup ...

...for the high ground clearance. A bed you can put manure in, then hose out, is a good thing too.

It also depends on how much you drive. Mom sent her 12 year old car to the crusher with 70000 miles on it.

[Boomer]

21. In urban areas...

In urban areas, most people don't haul anything in their trucks. (You can tell because there isn't a speck of dust on the gleaming truck bed.) They drive them to the mall, to work, around town.

I have nothing against a truck that is used for its true purpose -- hauling stuff. My partner and I had an ancient Dodge Ram that we used for just that.

But it's hard not to snigger at the rows and rows of polished pickup trucks in urban areas, where the drivers are mostly middle-aged, middle-class men and women who simply want a trendy vehicle.

[Don Claybrook]

5. I bought my SUV when gas was just over $1.00/gallon

I wish I had a Prius. I wish I hadn't bought the SUV new from the car lot in 1999 when I did. I wish I had thought more about the implications, the harm done to the environment, to people, and so on.

But I didn't at the time. And I was liberal then, the same way I am now. If there's one thing I can thank GWB for, it's for forcing me to become more politically aware and active. To put it another way, there were lots of us who coasted through the Clinton administration; life was good. Buying a gas hog vehicle still wasn't a good idea, but I didn't know that at the time. I just never thought about it.

Well, the car is paid for now. It runs just fine, and I cannot afford another. When I do get one, it still won't be a Prius, because I'll be getting a very old, very used, and very small Japanese car, and it will cost in the neighborhood of $2K.

I replied just to illustrate that there are those of us who do realize we made bad buying decisions, wish we hadn't, but feel locked-in at this point.

Thanks.

[amitten]

12. I'm curious though...what motivated you to purchase?

Was there a certain appeal you can pinpoint?

[Don Claybrook]

17. As strange as it may sound now

It was the look of the vehicle. I had the chance to get a brand new vehicle for the first time in many years, and I thought this one looked very nice. Also, the height--I was tired of not being able to see anything in front of me because all the SUV's were taller than my car.

When I bought the SUV (Nissan XTerra, by the way), I really should've bought a minivan, given that I have 3 kids. I couldn't bring myself to do it; thought it was too geeky. That statement looks ridiculous now, but that was my thinking at the time.

Also, I did the same thing many potential SUV buyers have done--rationalized that if I ever needed to exit the road and go through the woods, this would be just the vehicle for such a task. I have of course never needed to do this; it's just a good way of talking yourself into a major purchase.

[amitten]

19. The worst excuse for SUV purchase: "I need it to move..."

Yes, indeed, that is the most common excuse I've found among singles in my age group. They need it to move. In other words, to stuff all their belongings inside and move elsewhere without renting a truck.

1) It's not all gonna fit in your SUV (usually)
2) It's cheap to rent a small truck for moving
3) HOW MANY TIMES EXACTLY DO YOU EXPECT TO MOVE!!??

For what the SUV costs initially, plus high gas costs, you are paying much more over time than you would to RENT a truck on the rare occasion that you move!

Anyway, it seems the SUV craze is becoming a thing of the past. The Hummer drivers look like complete idiots! :eyes:

[kineneb]

20. move into...the SUV..

If the owners wait long enough, they will be moving into their cars. Hummer owners must be nuts...the ones I see here are always shiny and clean, and we live in the country (lots of unpaved roads). I can assure you that my car, the humble Hyundai Elantra wagon, is not shiny and clean. It also gets up to 34 mpg. and I did use it to help us move.

[phantom power]

22. Speaking of shiny clean Hummers...

If you’ve got a 4X4 or off-roader, Sprayonmud will send a message to anyone who disapproves or is just plain envious – you use your off-roader, off the road as well as on it.

http://www.sprayonmud.com/index.html

Ponder the existence of this product for a moment. Let the horror of it sink into your soul.

[NNadir]

25. Ow. Now that IS pathetic.

[midnight armadillo]

23. That's very typical

I don't mean that in a derisive way, but the ride height and aesthetics are two main reasons why SUVs took off in the first place. Of course, once there's a lot of 'em on the road it's a positive feedback loop for more to be purchased since others are getting tired of not seeing around the big trucks, etc.

I recommend you go and read the book "High and MIghty", a fascinating book on the history of the SUV. The aesthetics are intentionally designed to appeal to our baser instincts, in any case. The industry ideas about SUV buyers are not in the least bit flattering. It's worth a read.

Aesthetically, an Xterra beats most minivans hands down, I'll agree with you. I rode in an Xterra once and felt the experience was awful. I barely fit in the backseat (I'm a broad-shoulder 5'11" with size 12 shoes) and my kidneys took a beating from the off-road suspension. But then, my dream car is a 1990 Saab 900.

[Kolesar]

24. People want small windows, too, so that they won't be seen

That rather new Dodge station wagon has that "chopped" look where the windows are low and short. You can "hide" in there and not feel as "vulnerable".