Moving Violations: The SUV Necessity Myth

[AF News Desk]

Moving Violations:
The SUV Necessity Myth
You're an office professional with no children, living in a part of the
country with average weather and modern roads. Do you really need a Suburban?

Jonathan Swigart - AutomotiveForums.com
Sept. 14, 2011

An interesting topic I've always enjoyed discussing is that of Need v. Want. What do you really need and what do you really want? How often do the two sides overlap? This is something that I see nearly every day when it comes to the things that I – and those around me – plan to and do spend their money on.

To put it into an automotive context: What kind of car do you need versus what kind of car do you want? It's a simple question, but more often than not, I feel like people are missing the most logical answer, which is a nice way of saying “there are too many Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) on the road.”

“Perception is Reality”
When it comes to SUVs, I've always contended that they are really only good for a few specific things: 1. You have a family and it's the best option for moving them and the things you might need to bring with you from place to place. 2. You work in a field that requires you to have a lot of moveable storage (equipment, instruments, etc). 3. You live in the mountains or in an area of the country with beaten roads and harsh winter conditions that an SUV will help with transportation worries.

The aforementioned examples are the best that come to mind but are obviously not the only ones you could cite. My point is, if you don't fit into any of these categories, for the benefit of you and everyone on the road with you, DON'T BUY AN SUV.

Now, I realize most people don't like being told what to do with their money and I am no exception to this. However, I do believe people who are engaging in stupid behavior should be offered a “smack to the back of the head,” whether that be verbally or physically (physically is more fun, but you'll get in more trouble with that one, so I recommend verbally).

I know for a fact I'm not the only person who has seen a couple trying very hard to look like a “power couple” driving down the road in their oversized monstrosity of a car with only their dog in the back seat and his head out the window. Really? You bought a vehicle that seats nine people so you could put your 90-pound dog in the back?

I'm not saying you shouldn't buy SUVs at all. I'm simply saying I'm tired of seeing housewives with no children in Chevy Suburbans in the parking lot doing 12-point turns trying to get into a parking spot. I'm tired of being cut-off in traffic by some nitwit in an Expedition that doesn't realize he has a blind spot on BOTH sides of his vehicle. And, I'm ESPECIALLY tired of seeing the single, professional males who feel the need to weave their Escalades in and out of traffic like it's a compact sports car. These things would be tolerable if the owners knew how to drive the vehicle and for some reason, actually need them. Sadly, in both instances, this is not usually the case.

And let’s be honest – the majority of these people have never and will never take their cars off-road – that wouldn't vibe with the status they're trying to uphold of being one of the elite for driving an SUV (by the way, if you take umbrage to the suggestion that many SUV owners are unqualified to drive their cars, I invite you to come for a drive with me where I live and watch SUV owners tackle the daunting obstacles of speed bumps and train tracks).

Bigger Means Better Means Compensatory
So, if the roads are mostly populated with people unnecessarily driving a gigantic SUV, what could they be driving instead? The answer is simple: Anything else. Take a step back and evaluate what your needs for a vehicle are and determine what you need out of a car – not how big it can be and what you think it will say about you to your friends (because let’s face it, that Ford Excursion you bought while living in Suburbia? It screams “compensation method.”).

I guarantee if more people in my area did this, half the SUVs in town would disappear and instead be replaced with sport-crossovers or sedans. The truth of the matter is, if you need an SUV to navigate the streets of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, your driving skills are questionable at best.

You might be saying “well, what if an SUV fits?” If that's the case, that's fine – but as I alluded to above, if you're not part of the key demographics that actually utilize the capabilities most SUVs have, you're wasting your money and creating headaches for the other drivers that have to share the road with you.

An Offering of Perspective
In just under three weeks, I will have officially been driving for 10 years. All 10 of those years have been spent driving through central and northern Illinois streets/highways/interstates during hot – but bearable – summers, and cold, somewhat perilous winters (snow, ice, etc). All the while, I've been able to survive with nary a ticket or incident while driving front-wheel drive, four-seater cars with at MOST a six-cylinder engine. The cars I drove were cheap, functional (I didn't need a ton of room for a bunch of people, so the four seats worked just fine), economical, and – best of all – suited my NEEDS.

Now that I'm married and have a four-month-old son, I'm re-evaluating my vehicle situation. I need something that offers safety (strong frame and body, airbags, etc – gotta protect that child), allows for additional seating comfortably, provides some storage ability, and – ideally – has all-wheel drive to accompany the other safety aspects. Towing? Maybe. But that depends on when and if we would need it.

Do you see what I did there? I determined what I need out of my car and how it can benefit me and my family. If the benefit of owning your SUV is that it “gives you a feeling of command of the road,” then you're an idiot (several female owners may take issue with that statement).

The only thing that puts you in command of the road and the situation is you. That's it. You're the one behind the wheel, which means YOU are responsible for how you handle a situation. If you're using how high up a car puts you as an excuse to own it (because it lets you see the road better, right ladies?), you're putting yourself at a disadvantage. That SUV isn't going to handle the same as a car and that makes it dangerous if the person at the wheel expects it to handle like a car.

All I can say is, I hope those of you out there looking to purchase a car soon are doing so because the car represents a need in your current circumstances. If you don't realistically need that SUV, do yourself – and your fellow drivers – a favor: Don't buy it.

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Jonathan Swigart is an award-winning journalist and has been around the automotive world his entire life. "Moving Violations" will explore some of the basic aspects of driving that drivers often overlook, among other topics related to driving and the auto industry. He lives in Champaign, Illinois with his wife and son and works for the University of Illinois.

You can reach Jonathan by emailing newsdesk@automotiveforums.com

[blazee]

Wow, I just lost a lot of respect for this Swigart guy. I'm tired of pansies in their little cars whining about us running them off the road. If the SUVs scare you that bad... get an SUV so that we can see you.

[jon@af]

It’s funny that you say I’m “worried about being run off the road,” when the fact of the matter is, someone who owns an SUV and doesn’t need it and doesn’t know how to drive it DOES pose a risk to other drivers on the road.

If you’ve got a use for your SUV – equipment, kids, job, etc – then chances are, you’re probably pretty used to driving it. But people who buy an SUV because they think they’re going to need something that big to brave the suburban landscape when it rains and plan to use it for nothing else? Come on.

Even if you’re pulling a trailer with it, that’s totally understandable. But to buy one just to have one seems incredibly stupid and unnecessary. “Well, I have golf clubs, so I must need an Escalade.” Not really. “I don’t feel like I can see the road very well in a smaller car, so I bought an Expedition.” If you can’t see the road well in a car, you shouldn’t be driving. An SUV is only going to increase the likelihood of you being a danger to the drivers around you, especially if you’re only used to driving a car.

[blazee]

I don't think you saw what I did there.

[jon@af]

Originally Posted by blazee

I don't think you saw what I did there.

Oh, I saw what you did there, but for the sake of discussion, I figured I would ignore it .

[Chris V]

"Now, I realize most people don't like being told what to do with their money and I am no exception to this."

He should have stopped right there, read that line again, and erased the rest of his rant. If I want to buy a 500 hp sports car that gets 6 mpg, I have that right, even if it's being "stupid" with my money. If I want to buy a Range Rover, I can, even if HE doesn't like it. In fact, the more idiots like this whine about what I do or don't "need" the more I'm going to be tempted to buy somthing that pisses them off.

[jon@af]

Originally Posted by Chris V

"Now, I realize most people don't like being told what to do with their money and I am no exception to this."

He should have stopped right there, read that line again, and erased the rest of his rant. If I want to buy a 500 hp sports car that gets 6 mpg, I have that right, even if it's being "stupid" with my money. If I want to buy a Range Rover, I can, even if HE doesn't like it. In fact, the more idiots like this whine about what I do or don't "need" the more I'm going to be tempted to buy somthing that pisses them off.

I have to ask though: Do you agree that some people just shouldn't own an SUV?

I understand where you're coming from - I really do. But I REALLY wish some people who think before buying, especially when it comes to vehicles they have no experience (and in some cases, no business) driving. It's the same idea that new drivers don't need high performance sports cars; some times, timid drivers that are afraid of being in a small car shouldn't be put into a giant SUV that they don't know how to handle.

[Chris V]

Originally Posted by Swigz

I have to ask though: Do you agree that some people just shouldn't own an SUV?

I understand where you're coming from - I really do. But I REALLY wish some people who think before buying, especially when it comes to vehicles they have no experience (and in some cases, no business) driving. It's the same idea that new drivers don't need high performance sports cars; some times, timid drivers that are afraid of being in a small car shouldn't be put into a giant SUV that they don't know how to handle.

Maybe, but I'm not going to be so brazen as to determine that by looking at a person in an otherwise empty SUV on my commute (I have no idea how it's used the 99.9% of the time I don't see it) or in a parking lot, which is what he's doing.

Same goes for sports cars and exotic cars, No one needs them, either, and in fact, unlike SUVs, using a sports car or supercar as intended is LESS responsible as fora s society goes, but he and I'll bet most on here woudl have no problem with a person owning a sports car or exotic, (even though by numbers on the road, they are more likely to get into accidents than any other type fo vehicle and use fuel ONLY for personal pleasure, which is irresponsible, as well).

I've driven a number of SUVS, and have owned many, they aren't THAT bad to drive. Visibility IS better, and most have larger brakes and larger springs/swaybars and a wider track to help handling so that they do indeed drive a lot more like regular cars.

I don't have a problem driving an SUV around small cars, and I've never had a problem driving smal cars around SUVs (Or vans, or work trucks, or delivery trucks, or busses or RVs). In fact, SUVs worry me a LOT less than the avereage metro bus driver....

[jon@af]

Originally Posted by Chris V

Maybe, but I'm not going to be so brazen as to determine that by looking at a person in an otherwise empty SUV on my commute (I have no idea how it's used the 99.9% of the time I don't see it) or in a parking lot, which is what he's doing.

Same goes for sports cars and exotic cars, No one needs them, either, and in fact, unlike SUVs, using a sports car or supercar as intended is LESS responsible as fora s society goes, but he and I'll bet most on here woudl have no problem with a person owning a sports car or exotic, (even though by numbers on the road, they are more likely to get into accidents than any other type fo vehicle and use fuel ONLY for personal pleasure, which is irresponsible, as well).

I've driven a number of SUVS, and have owned many, they aren't THAT bad to drive. Visibility IS better, and most have larger brakes and larger springs/swaybars and a wider track to help handling so that they do indeed drive a lot more like regular cars.

I don't have a problem driving an SUV around small cars, and I've never had a problem driving smal cars around SUVs (Or vans, or work trucks, or delivery trucks, or busses or RVs). In fact, SUVs worry me a LOT less than the avereage metro bus driver....

I get what you're saying and where your opinion comes from.

However, you're likely a much better driver than the average owner. When I say "woman in a parking lot doing a 12-point turn," I MEAN that. I've witnessed it more times than I'd like to count and it bothers me, because it tells me "that's a person who doesn't know how to drive that SUV."

I also think there is the misunderstanding that when I say "SUV" It means "ALL SUVs," which is not what I meant to get across. I recognize that there are SUVs out there that are smaller than most trucks (Ford Escape, Lincoln MKX, etc) - those are not the focus of this conversation; the bigger, more purpose-built rigs that are mentioned in the article are what I'm talking about (Your Excursions, Expeditions, Escalades, Suburbans, etc). When it comes to those, I believe that some people just shouldn't drive them. And if you can't park your vehicle in an otherwise spacious parking lot, maybe you shouldn't be driving that vehicle.

I don't pretend to have an idea about every single person I see in an SUV. Most times, it's the people who stick out in the first place that lead me to conclusions - young couples out in their vehicle with no sign of a child, things like that.

I understand where you're coming from on the sports cars and exotics and agree to a point. People DO buy sports cars unnecessarily, HOWEVER, in many cases, those are reserved for weekends or nice days when you feel like driving it. If I own a Ferrari 458, I'm not going to be driving it on a daily basis or parking it at the parking garage; I'm going to be driving it on the weekends when it's sunny and parking it very rarely. They are cars that are meant for leisure and less than typical driving habits, so comparing them to SUVs in terms of usage is nowhere near an even trade.

I don't have a problem with SUVs around small cars and vice versa either, UNLESS the person driving said SUV is displaying less than stellar ability behind the wheel/cause for concern. While I understand that people with poor skill are dangerous behind the wheel of any vehicle, it doesn't help when the vehicle they are behind the wheel of is twice the size and weight with less stopping ability (even with bigger brakes).

People are going to buy what they're going to buy. But I wish they would buy something suited to their needs and their abilities (sports/exotics aside).

[Chris V]

Originally Posted by Swigz

I get what you're saying and where your opinion comes from.

However, you're likely a much better driver than the average owner. When I say "woman in a parking lot doing a 12-point turn," I MEAN that. I've witnessed it more times than I'd like to count and it bothers me, because it tells me "that's a person who doesn't know how to drive that SUV."

the fact is, less than 3% of people get into accidents each year, the vast majority of them in cars. So SUV drivers aren't really doing all that bad overall.

I also think there is the misunderstanding that when I say "SUV" It means "ALL SUVs," which is not what I meant to get across. I recognize that there are SUVs out there that are smaller than most trucks (Ford Escape, Lincoln MKX, etc) - those are not the focus of this conversation; the bigger, more purpose-built rigs that are mentioned in the article are what I'm talking about (Your Excursions, Expeditions, Escalades, Suburbans, etc).

And those make up les than 10% of the SUV population. You may be scared of them, but they are NOT the majority of SUVs and they are NOT in the majority of SUV accidents. Again, most drivers have no problems with them, either.

When it comes to those, I believe that some people just shouldn't drive them. And if you can't park your vehicle in an otherwise spacious parking lot, maybe you shouldn't be driving that vehicle.

I feel that way about ALL vehicles, but we cant' base our judgemetn of everyone's needs on what we see a small percentage of peopel doing. How many cars in total do you see everyday. How many of them do you see doing something stupid. Even if you see 5-10 people doing something stupid, I'd bet you see 100-300 cars or more per day total. Do the math. If you see one person per day not being able to park theri car, you're still only looking at 1/10th of a percent of all teh cars/trucks/SUVs you see per day.

I don't pretend to have an idea about every single person I see in an SUV. Most times, it's the people who stick out in the first place that lead me to conclusions - young couples out in their vehicle with no sign of a child, things like that.

And again, what percentage of all vehicles you see per day are those ones that stick out? And how do you know they dont' use that SUV other times? You don't. You simply assume.

A great example might be today. I brought my extended cab dually to work with me. I'm the only one in it on the way to work and on the way home. It would be easy enough for someone like you to see me as a single driver and complain about what a waste to drive it empty to work and back, and complain about how big it is next to your small car. But I took it today to fill up the fuel tank so that this weekend I could hook up to the 30 foot travel trailer to go camping in South Carolina (10 hours away) and not have to try to get fuel in it with the trailer connected first thing in the morning. I could just load it up and go.

I understand where you're coming from on the sports cars and exotics and agree to a point. People DO buy sports cars unnecessarily, HOWEVER, in many cases, those are reserved for weekends or nice days when you feel like driving it. If I own a Ferrari 458, I'm not going to be driving it on a daily basis or parking it at the parking garage; I'm going to be driving it on the weekends when it's sunny and parking it very rarely. They are cars that are meant for leisure and less than typical driving habits, so comparing them to SUVs in terms of usage is nowhere near an even trade.

Again, the point is ascribing need to someone else's buying habits.

I

People are going to buy what they're going to buy. But I wish they would buy something suited to their needs and their abilities (sports/exotics aside).

Again, less than 3% of drivers have a problem with ANY vehicle per year. Most people BY FAR choose vehicles that suit their abilities already. And a whole lot of those are SUVs. And as an SUV and truck owner, I'm really REALLY tired of the wide brush they are painted with by people that should know better before setting of on their rants.