I've always had the same feelings as you about SUV's. Everything that article said is right on the money!
Many people who drive them DO drive like assholes, and some actually enjoy trying to intimidate me and my little econobox.
I once got into it with this macho asshole on I-95...he was driving one of those behemoth Chevy Suburbans, with a vanity plate that said *BIG BURB*. I suppose that is to compensate for the lack of a big something else...LOL!!!
Also, Mike's boss drives a Lincoln Navigator. And from what I keep hearing about this guy, he's an asshole, too!
Posted by Christine at January 9, 2003 02:35 PM
It's all true, but then the same applies so much just to drivers in general -- so clueless, so rude, etc. If we add minivan and BMW drivers to the list, I'd be in total agreement! ;)
Posted by Kelly at January 9, 2003 06:13 PM
I'm proud to say I don't fit into this category... of course, my parents bought it for us while we were in college - moving in and out of the dorms every year. I don't know if that's what I would have gotten if I had chosen, but I want my next car to be one, but that's mainly because I'm addicted to the space. Hubby doesn't want another one because of the gas milage/wastage and pollution. Heh, not to mention that we just can't afford one!
But from the drivers I've seen in town of the "big burbs" this report doesn't surprise me. They're pushy, impatient, inconsiderate... but as Kelly said so are most drivers these days! :)
Posted by jana at January 10, 2003 11:09 AM
I had an SUV, and I'm proud to say that I got rid of the thing. My Jeep Grand Cherokee was loaded with gold rims, booming stereo system, sunroof. Sure, it looked pretty...but looking back, it was not worth it at all.
For one, the stupid thing started breaking down like 6 months after I got it. In a 2 year period, I went to the shop a total of 15 times, not counting the normal things you have to do like oil changes. Now, it wasn't like I was driving up the mountain range with it, just to work the store, and back.
I quickly got the feeling that I had a lemon on my hands, so I complained to the dealership where I got it from. They acted like they didn't know me. To make a long story short, I had to sue to get out of the lease.
What did I do with the money I got back? I bought a regular Honda Accord, no bells, no whistles. Just a regular car. My friends were shocked. But I'm way happier now. I never truly realized before how much money I was blowing in maintaining an SUV (gas, insurance, etc.) Now I got cash to do other things.
My mom still has an SUV, and now she's getting burned at the gas pump. She can't make it a week on a tank of gas, but I can go 9 or 10 days.
I wish more people would wake up, that you don't need a gaz guzzling SUV to be happy.
Posted by Amantari at March 2, 2003 06:40 PM
I used to drive a Prizm. Now I drive a Tahoe. I like the view, the power, and the fact that my head doesn't touch the ceiling. SUVs are definitely not the most logical thing to own, but I like them anyway.
PS-I try to be a courteous driver, I know what it's like not seeing anything but a grille in the rearview.
Posted by Aaron at June 16, 2003 03:40 AM
i own a 03 expedition. i did not buy it to impress, intimidate, etc. i bought it to tow my boat with, say it with me now, towing. some would tell me to buy a minivan, well i tried that. my astro puked its tranny up after less than 400 miles. i tried renting an suv to tow with, every place in town said the same thing, no hitches on their suvs. i kept my boat in a slip for two years, yearly cleaning + slip rental cost me about 3000.00. you tell me what car will tow 5500 lbs, + six people and their gear, fit in a standard garage. and that a 4 foot 10 inch person can drive without their chest against the steering wheel. i drive way less than the average driver, so don't bother with your wasting gas, supporting terrorism bs, i am a polite, couteous driver with a class b license, i think i can handle this little truck. for buying a vehicle that fits my needs, i have read online that i am a self centered asshole jerk,insecure, vain,nervous about my marrige, uncomfortable about parenthood,. self absorbed, have little interest in neighbors+community, seldom go to church, never volunteer,aggressive, reptillian,seduced by power,etc,etc,etc. by people who know nothing about me. i think you people are sad. i pity you, i will pray for you. i will also fight you to the death for my freedoms, and it dosent matter which of us dies. patrick henry is my hero, it's an american thing, you wouldn't understand.
Posted by jerry at July 9, 2003 11:49 PM
Hey Jerry- maybe you need to calm down a little Bub, everyone pretty much concedes that some have legitimate reasons for owning their Chevy Gargantua. Regardless of that, your average white collar suburban person who buys one to cart themselves back and forth to work, haul the groceries, and bring the kiddies to Chucky Cheese certainly can't justify owing a vehicle the size of a Mack truck. That having been said..."me thinks thee dost protest too much." I think it's sad that you pity us for having a difference of opinion from you, it's that type of thinking that causes people like me to dislike people like yourself, I'll "pray for you." Oh, and the next time you take the family out to Ruby Tuesdays for dinner maybe take the wifes compact (you, the wife and two kids will fit quite comfortably in it, trust me) you'd be doing all of us a favor.
Posted by Slim at September 15, 2003 10:11 AM
Ok - here's my experience - not opinion - of SUVs, and the people who drive them. I will say at the outset that yes, I really hate them, but this is about my recent accident involving one, and what I learned from it.
My husband and I were at a carwash, one where you drive in, and workers therein clean it for you. In other words, witnesses. As the Lincoln Navigator ahead of us pulled forward, the workers motioned us forward. "Keep Gear in Neutral, Shut off Engine", the signs said. We pulled up, put it in neutral, and shut off. Okay, here comes the asinine bit. The Navigator revs up, goes into reverse, and backs into our car - making a nice, big dent in our hood. Mind you - we then realized that the SUV's bumper wasn't even touching our car - the license plate was doing the damage. God knows what kind of bodily harm could happen if we'd been hit in a different situation, at a higher speed. The workers are screaming at the driver, banging on his windows to stop - but he doesn't. Obviously he doesn't even know how to drive this hulking monster. We get out of the carwash, and the guy immediately starts to blame the workers - taking no responsibility whatsoever. No apology, even when he accepts that it's his fault. His vehicle has sustained no damage whatsoever - just a bent license plate. He's so careless about the whole thing - looking down at our car as if this is a big waste of his time. Only after threats on my part was he willing to be even remotely reasonable about dealing with the situation.
So, there you have it - if nothing else, my story proves just what the article pointed out - the bumpers on these horrific, self-centered vehicles are way, way out of proportion in relation to that of the average automobile. I shudder to think of what could have been.
Posted by Danielle at February 2, 2004 12:57 PM
You know, what does it matter what people drive? I drive an Expedition because I have 6 kids. Do you really think I want to pay $623 a month for fun? NO, it carries my family and that is all that matters to me. generally people drive what they have to, not what they want to. If this was true, I would own a 69 camaro!
Posted by Emily at February 14, 2004 09:01 PM
Emily, say it with me, "Minivan".
Posted by Lydia at May 24, 2004 10:32 PM
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