Why slam the SUVs?

[davis911s]

I don't understand why everyone is slamming the SUVs. My wife has one and its really great to have.
-Big enough for 4 adults
-Large area for our 2 large dogs
-gas mileage isn't THAT bad
-4 wheel drive for the winter

I think they are a great vehicle.....but Porsche should NEVER had made one, on that we all agree.

Shawn

[Ted Stringer]

If I have to replace my truck I just might concider the Ford Excursion. Large enough for almost any thing and can pull a trailer with ease.

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Ted Stringer
nuke3@juno.com
'84 911 Targa aka pocketrocket

[JEB]

I think SUV's are great. I drive a 97 Toyota Land Cruiser as my primary vehicle and wouldn't trade it for the world. It is one of the greatest cars made. I can put it in 4lo and lock the front, rear, and center differential and go ANYWHERE (although it does not turn very well). Big, comfy, and safe (It weighs more than a suburban).

I do however take it off-road occasionally and do need to be able to get out if there is a heavy snowstorm.

I think the ***** comes because many of people don't buy them for the purpose they were designed for. They don't even know how to engage 4wd and just ride around talking on their cell phones. Other cars would suit their needs much better.

I personaly have a bigger knock against people who drive around in big shiny 3/4 ton trucks and never haul or tow anything. This to me is utterly ridiculous (MHO). They ride worse that SUV's - not practical at all for hauling people or luggage (unless you want to have it sliding all over the bed or soaking wet from a rain shower) - poor traction and stopping from lack of weight over the rear tires. ETC, ETC. Utterly ridiculous to me. I just don't see the point.

All my personal opinion -

Jeb

AND PORSCHE SHOULD NOT MAKE AN SUV - let BMW be all things to all people - Porsche should make RACE CARS!

[Sportsman]

i agree!!! SUV's are great, i can't imagine being without one.

p.s. take a look who is always slamming the SUV's here on this board:

1). whining liberals who love Al Gore.
2). people from England.

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Daryl Planter 91C2
Targa

[bfranklin]

Jeb I agree, I think people need to buy SUV's if the need them - tow heavy objects or if they live somewhere where they need that much ground clearance (maybe alaska??). But the other thing is marketing, most vehicles (a few excluded, including the Land Cruisder) won't even hold up in an off roading situations. Thats what I hate, they become "in style" and auto manufacturers cater to them, produce cheaper yet bigger SUV's that fall apart when banged around a bit. For me, its not so much a hatred of SUV's, but the SUV mentality alot of people have. I mean c'mon, how many of those prep boys you see driving around in their city Range Rover actually NEED those brush guards over the head and tail lamps?

Brad

[Rick Lee]

SUV's are fine for those who need and know how to drive them. HOWEVER, it has been my experience that a disproportionately large number of SUV drivers are soccer moms, who chat on their cell phones, leave their turn signals on, squat in the left lane and are generally poor drivers.

In the Wash. DC area, for some reason, people freak here when it snows -- as if it did not happen here like clockwork every single year. In the snow the SUV drivers are much worse. The oversized, 4WD tanks make many here think they can drive in the snow as they do in the sunny weather. Just because you can go in snow does not mean you can stop in snow. My beater of a RWD BMW is every bit as good in the snow as a Land Rover because I know how to drive it in snow.

[Early_S_Man]

I have no problem with the concept of the vehicles, but the thousands of cases I have seen of them being driven dangerously ... do bother me! And, the fact that there are dozens/hundreds of cases every month of them involved in fatal, single-vehicle accidents, usually rollovers ... seems to bear out that there is a problem with them in the hands of the 'average' soccer mom!

And, I don't fit in either category above, or consider it 'slamming' to point out the danger they pose on the road, at the mall, or at the grocery store!

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa
1992 Dodge Dakota 5.2 4X4 parts hauler

[JEB]

In the snow the SUV drivers are much worse. The oversized, 4WD tanks make many here think they can drive in the snow as they do in the sunny weather.

I agree 100%. I always cringe when I see someone in an exploachee cruising down snow covered highways at 80 MPH. Just like its summer.

A couple of winters ago I was on Rt 80 after a bad snowstorm. I was doing 40 MPH in the righthand lane. An A** H*le in an older explorer passes me in the very snow covered left lane at atleast 75. It made me physically cringe. I knew he could never stop or turn if he had to. 1/2 hour later I saw him down over the bank. He was out of the car so I did't stop. I was just glad he didn't kill me or someone else.

I see many people drive like this. They think 4wd makes them bullit proof. You have to wonder about some people's mental capacity.

Jeb

[old_skul]

People don't seem to realize that AWD or 4WD doesn't give them any real advantage over a 2WD car in any area except straight-line traction and low-speed turning. They seem to think that 4WD will get them out of situations that a 2WD or FWD car cannot.

I agree with a lot of the above reasons. Driven intelligently, an SUV can be a great asset in the city, country, or bush. But in the hands of an inexperienced driver it's simply a danger and inconvenience to other drivers.

-Big enough for 4 adults
-Large area for our 2 large dogs
-gas mileage isn't THAT bad
-4 wheel drive for the winter

- A Subaru, or an Escort for that matter, can hold 4 adults
- Any station wagon would do well with dogs
- mileage in the teens (or less!) is BAD!
- 4WD isn't as much an asset as you think

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Mark Szabo
1986 911 Targa 3.2
1987 Escort 5-speed 1.9 RIP
The Porsche Owners Gallery

[This message has been edited by old_skul (edited 10-18-2001).]

[Jdub]

Ah, the Ford Arrogant. The NEW Cadillac Explosion! Walked away from the crash without a disconnection on my cell! Sure it spends most of its time in the detail shop getting the latte out of the leather and the tricycle picked out of the undercarriage. Didn't even notice that I'd backed into your Carrera. 7 mpg is just fine with me OPEC! When my SUV alarm goes off at the trailhead I take it as an opportunity to run back and sleep in it. Tailgating is fun! It makes a girl feel like more of a man. I know more about trimming my soul beard than checking my tire pressure. I love my government because it protects me from liberals who just want to ruin my fun with clean air requirements. For $500.00 a month I can leverage a lifestyle through my bank.

It goes on and on. I lived in Vermont and a four-door station wagon did everything any SUV could ever do to get me to Sugarloaf, Killington, and all the rest. They are total overkill for people who have forgotten how to drive, or don't care to learn.

Flame if you want, but the high ground is mine. Have you ever seen a dirty SUV?

Jw

[pryord]

I agree with the gentleman who said an SUV might be appropriate for those who tow. However, I'm a great case for the argument that most of us simply are better off without them. I drive over a mountain pass almost every weekend in fall/winter/spring to climb or ski. I also spend a great deal of time camping and backbacking in the summer. I used to drive a Toyota T100 for these activites. However, two years a go I bought a Subaru Legacy wagon (no, not an Outback). Now I feel much safer with a lower center of gravity, I get 10+ more mpg and my car has a higher safety rating. There is plenty of space for 2+ adults, my dog and plenty of gear. I don't miss the lost clearance at all.

I haven't regretted my decision for one second!

David

[patalive]

I can vouch for Richard's comments regarding the WashDC's poor snow drivers. And Warren hits the nail on the head too. It is absolutely frightening to see these damn SUV's travelling on the Dulles Toll Road, with packed snow, doing 50/60 mph! A good set of four modern snow tires, with both tread and rubber composition designed for snow/ice, will provide most cars with as much if not more control on snow than any SUV. And they stop better too! (I switch over to snows December 1 and back to summers April 1 on the Bimmer) People who claim they need an SUV for driving in snow are simply rationalizing their purchase.
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Chuck
83SC

[lukeh]

To each their own. If you want an SUV, fine. Now here comes the but. I feel it bothers people to see others driving an SUV only because it's trendy. Take my sister. My dad asked her why a teacher who had just built a house and is expecting her first and only child needs a $50K(?) big Lexus SUV. Her answer, to haul things and to have 4x4 on her drive to work in the winter. The family is now just laughing at her because when ever she needs to haul mulch, a piece of furniture or anything dirty, she asks to borrow my truck. Why, she doesn't want to get the inside dirty and it's to small to carry big things. Last year she used the 4x4 a total of 3 times on her 15 minute drive to work, and that's in Wisconsin. You see, the dealer told her it was not good for the 4x4 or gas mileage to constantly drive around in 4x4. So she only uses it only when there is some accumulation of snow on the road. Even in Wisconsin it only snows once a week and the plows take care of it before she hits the road for work. The best one yet was when she asked me if I wanted to trade vehicles this past spring. Gas was close to $2.00 a gallon and she and her husband were driving to upper Michigan for a 4 day weeend. She figured they could save a ton in gas by taking my Honda Civic which gets 43 mpg on the highway. While she would never admit it, we think she realized her mistake. Two weeks ago she traded the Lexus SUV for a slightly used Lexus car. I don't think people have a problem with SUV's, they have a problem with the owners who buy them even though they have no use for them. They just want to be trendy. But who am I to talk. I don't need a 40K 930 cab. But it's sure a lot more fun to drive than her old SUV.

[Paul Franssen]

The majority of above posts reassure me that the world is united, together! Everywhere the driving environment seems to be dominated by soccer moms driving huge SUV's around the vegetable market to pick up their sack of potatoes, drive the kids around, yap away on the mobile, safely hidden behind the bull bars because, heavens forbid, these young folk nowadays drive soooooh dangerously! From newspaper articles I've learned that the majority of SUV owners consider their cars to be much safer than the other, smaller ones, and they say why: because they feel protected by the bulk of the SUV.
I agree, my emotional intelligence tells me Porsche would be well advised to get back into prototype racing and top car design, after all that's what they are good at, but...surely the management considerations are of a different nature! I've read Volkswagen is rumored to get into F1, would that be involving Porsche in any way???

[Britwrench]

HI Sportsman;

Yes, I am English, and yes I am going to slam SUVs...

If you need one, you need one, but this is just a fashion trend, downtown Seattle is like a 4x4 convention. And then there are the pick-up trucks....so you need a F350 superduty long body crew cab for what?
Oh, I forgot, you need to get to Starbucks for a double latte..... Excuse my cynicsm.

[Wrecked944]

Believe it or not, yesterday I was called in to help a neighbor who had been rear-ended by an SUV. I arrived on the accident scene to discover that a stereotypical soccer mom was driving a huge SUV without paying attention and had creamed my friend at a stop light. The SUV was totalled. The soccer mom kept saying, "I hit the brakes but it wouldn't stop." Of course it wouldn't stop, the thing weighed 10 tons. So now I cringe every time I see one behind me.


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Janus Cole
1980 911SC & 1987 944

[bfranklin]

Another interesting point about SUVs. People assume they are safe but it depends on the situation.

A) you're more likely to run over and kill the other person you hit

B) if you hit a stationary object, size won't save you that much

C) crash test results show marginal extra protection in most SUV's, yet those are done at fixed impact speeds. In a real situation where the brakes are hit, a smaller lighter car will be going much slower at the point of impact than the SUV.

D) people always say they offer great visibility, but not rearward or to the sides, and hey...how does visibility help if you're talking on your cell and not paying attention

[rvanderpyl]

I have a 93 Honda Civic, I live in the foothills outside Calgary AB where when the snow starts falling (right about now) I put on the 4 studded snow tires sitting in my garage and keep them on until next April. The ONLY time I have ever not been able to get where I wanted to go was when it snowed so much that I had a problem with ground clearance. I head to the ski hills a couple of times a week and after a snow storm that leaves the roads covered, the great majority of vehicles I see in the ditch are SUV's and 4wd Pickups. I agree that part of that is the "I'm driving a 4wd, I'm invincible mentality", but if you ever look at the tires on someones 2 year old SUV or jacked up, huge wheel 4wd you'll more often that not notice that they have almost no tread left on those huge tires. Seems that people who drive these things often forget that all that weight and 4wd wears those tires out faster than on their previous car.


Robert

[patalive]

Britwrench - - - You forgot to add to the F350 dualie rear wheels and a powerstroke diesel engine. - What a great tow vehicle for the track!!
Chuck

[MMARSH]

Just a thought. Could it be you see more SUV's involved in accidents because there are so many of them on the road. I bet there are a lot of Honda's and Camry's involved in accidents for the same reason.

Also why is it a trend to drive an SUV but not to drive a Porsche. The reality is most Porsche owners dont even take thier cars to the track and the speed that any turbo or newer Porsche can generate is illegal and unsafe to use on public roads. I dont think this board is a typical representation of Porsche owners and drivers and even here how many consistantly take thier cars to the track often. We hear of many more stories here about taking your car on a spirited drive down your favorite highway or racing some foolio in a Mustang.

The other intersting thing is a good number of people on this board have some type of SUV or Truck, however we always say it some soccer mom who's driving them. My wife has never driven my SUV and prefers to drive her Honda(I must admit that we are all better off for it )

I bought an SUV for the versitility, I dont have 4 wheel drive dont need it. I wanted a vehicle that could:

1.Carry at least Seven people comfortably.
(which leaves out any car)

2.Tow a race car,trailer and all my gear easily. (and still do number one)

3.Be a nice looking,comfortable vehicle when doing all of 1 and 2 and anything else.
(Personal opinion but that leaves out
any van and/or minivan

And old skul, A scooby or an escort may do any of the things you listed, but will it do all of the things you listed at the same time and tow a 6000lb trailer. I think not.


Michael


PS, This SUV thing has been going on awful long to be a fashion trend. Bell bottom jeans and tiedye shirts didnt last this long

[This message has been edited by MMARSH (edited 10-18-2001).]