Why now's the time to buy an SUV

[Ban Hammer 13,282]

You don't need an Excursion to haul a 12,000 pound trailer...so I wouldn't have good things to say, no. Nobody NEEDS an SUV. If you must haul a 12,0000 pound trailer, there are vehicles that are much better suited to the job and waste less gas in daily usage than a Ford Excursion.

ok, what then can haul a 12,000 pound trailer?

Plenty of other vehicles. Excusions are the biggest gas-wasting pieces of ####### Ford ever produced.

ok, name one. my truck has a rating of 7,000 pounds max. this excursion i'm speaking of is a diesel and it gets about the same mpg as my truck.

[homesick_american 1]

You don't need an Excursion to haul a 12,000 pound trailer...so I wouldn't have good things to say, no. Nobody NEEDS an SUV. If you must haul a 12,0000 pound trailer, there are vehicles that are much better suited to the job and waste less gas in daily usage than a Ford Excursion.

ok, what then can haul a 12,000 pound trailer?

Plenty of other vehicles. Excusions are the biggest gas-wasting pieces of ####### Ford ever produced.

ok, name one. my truck has a rating of 7,000 pounds max. this excursion i'm speaking of is a diesel and it gets about the same mpg as my truck.

Remind me later; I'm at work and too busy to play this game right now.

[Ban Hammer 13,282]

You don't need an Excursion to haul a 12,000 pound trailer...so I wouldn't have good things to say, no. Nobody NEEDS an SUV. If you must haul a 12,0000 pound trailer, there are vehicles that are much better suited to the job and waste less gas in daily usage than a Ford Excursion.

ok, what then can haul a 12,000 pound trailer?

Plenty of other vehicles. Excusions are the biggest gas-wasting pieces of ####### Ford ever produced.

ok, name one. my truck has a rating of 7,000 pounds max. this excursion i'm speaking of is a diesel and it gets about the same mpg as my truck.

Remind me later; I'm at work and too busy to play this game right now.

as i thought.

[homesick_american 1]

You don't need an Excursion to haul a 12,000 pound trailer...so I wouldn't have good things to say, no. Nobody NEEDS an SUV. If you must haul a 12,0000 pound trailer, there are vehicles that are much better suited to the job and waste less gas in daily usage than a Ford Excursion.

ok, what then can haul a 12,000 pound trailer?

Plenty of other vehicles. Excusions are the biggest gas-wasting pieces of ####### Ford ever produced.

ok, name one. my truck has a rating of 7,000 pounds max. this excursion i'm speaking of is a diesel and it gets about the same mpg as my truck.

Remind me later; I'm at work and too busy to play this game right now.

as i thought.

OK, here's my offer.

1.) I can deal with this LATER and you can stop being rude,

OR

2.) I can ignore this and you can carry on thinking that an Excursion is the only vehicle on the planet capable of hauling a 12,000 pound trailer, which most reasonable people already KNOW isn't true.

Let me know which number you choose.

[Ban Hammer 13,282]

OK, here's my offer.

1.) I can deal with this LATER and you can stop being rude,

OR

2.) I can ignore this and you can carry on thinking that an Excursion is the only vehicle on the planet capable of hauling a 12,000 pound trailer, which most reasonable people already KNOW isn't true.

Let me know which number you choose.

here's some facts:

(from a site steven posted earlier)

Went to TX to visit family (from Michigan) and managed to get 20mpg on the open road! link

that's a 2003 diesel excursion btw

Maximum Loaded Trailer Weights (lbs.) (7.3L V-8 DI Turbo Diesel) (4x4) 11,000 pounds

link

same max towing for 2003 link

same max towing for 2004 link

same max towing for 2005 link

now a ford f-350 can match that yes, but i'm sure the mileage is about the same with or without the trailer. (and that f-350 is diesel too)

some chevy trucks that can handle that, but if you're towing a heavy trailer like that you're wasting your time unless it's diesel. a gas engine sucks down gas faster than an alcoholic at $1 a shot drinks when towing a heavy load like that. when hauling my 16' flatbed trailer empty my truck loses about 2-3 mpg.

i'm still waiting on something that can handle that weight of trailer that has a reasonable difference in gas milage of more than say 18 mpg without the trailer.

Edited September 20, 2006 by charlesandnessa

[pedroh 21]

I would never buy an SUV.. yes they are big and comfy.. but #######.. I don't haul anything, I dont have 10 kids, I don't go off-road (lol @ the stupid people that pimp their trucks to look like offroad ones.. and when u tell them 'alright lets go offroading' they say 'na, it might get dirty')

I'd prefer buying a luxury car.. even more, a hybrid luxury car.. Hybrid Honda Accord *drool

[Cristy 4]

We have a family of 7. I am tired of minivans. We got an SUV, I love it.

[I'm Gone 60]

I dont have 10 kids,

Yet. LOL

[Ban Hammer 13,282]

I would never buy an SUV.. yes they are big and comfy.. but #######.. I don't haul anything, I dont have 10 kids, I don't go off-road (lol @ the stupid people that pimp their trucks to look like offroad ones.. and when u tell them 'alright lets go offroading' they say 'na, it might get dirty')

I'd prefer buying a luxury car.. even more, a hybrid luxury car.. Hybrid Honda Accord *drool

if someone is not hauling say more than a 2,000 pound trailer, or frequently having to haul 1,000 to 2,000 pounds of something (yard material for example) or lives in a place that requires a vehicle to have higher ground clearance, there's no point to having a suv or pickup, i agree.

i have both a car and truck and primarily drive the car. the truck is primarily used to pull the trailer, carry a load of whatever from home depot, or go to work in when it snows (it has 4 wheel drive). and yes, my job requires i be at work come rain, sun, snow, or whatever.

i am irked that having a pickup is fashionable when one does not use it for what it was designed for -carrying heavy/bulky items or towing a heavy trailer. to get one for a commute or to haul a family of 4 around is a waste of money and natural resources. i guess it comes from the "i wanna be cowboy" idea that is popular in the usa.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I don't think there is a person in America today who could reasonably say "I need an SUV" because for every excuse they give, there is a vehicle that is more suitable.

1.) "I need space for my kids." Get a minivan. Many minivans get better gas mileage than their SUV counterparts of similar chassis size. Ditto with sedans, and they have a more luxurious ride than SUVs. My dad's Crown Vic gets 27 mpg highway. Sh!tty mileage, but better than the average SUV.

2.) "I haul lots of stuff for work since I repair motorcycles/mow lawns/pour concrete driveways/etc." Get a pickup truck or a van. They're easier to load/unload.

3.) "I need a safe car for my family." An SUV is no safer, statistically, than the average car due to the rollover risk. The safest car on the road is the itty bitty Honda Civic. That's what you'd buy if you loved your kids more than having a status symbol. Kidding.

4.) "I live somewhere rugged and need 4 wheel drive." There are 4x drive vehicles available that are not SUVs and that get much better gas mileage. Again, not an excuse.

5.) "I haul a trailer." Pickup trucks usually have better torque than SUVs and while many pickup trucks have obscenely poor gas mileage, many are better on average than an SUV. In actuality, you don't really need an SUV to haul a trailer anyway; if you only do it occasionally, you're better off financially renting a powerful truck to do the hauling than you are owning a vehicle capable of hauling something that heavy.

I don't believe there is any such thing as a 'real need' for an SUV. Just made-up needs.

Now I have to buy 3 vehicles..

1. mini-van for the kids

2. pick-up for my trailer

3. a jeep for my rugged mountain adventures

or I could buy a SUV and need only 1 vehicle. Who's the conservationist now? PWNED

[LaL 418]

i am irked that having a pickup is fashionable when one does not use it for what it was designed for -carrying heavy/bulky items or towing a heavy trailer. to get one for a commute or to haul a family of 4 around is a waste of money and natural resources. i guess it comes from the "i wanna be cowboy" idea that is popular in the usa.

welll you are "irked" that trucks are bought as fashionable, however SUV are also bought due to fashion. just because you are the few who are *justified* in your purchase does not make the other (my guess LARGER) percentage that buys it for the fun of owning one.

does not seem all that different of opinion

btw - suv's suck

[mawilson 2,133]

I don't believe there is any such thing as a 'real need' for an SUV. Just made-up needs.

Here's one reason:

SUV's are big and cool

[HuffyTheSlayer 22]

Personally, I'd like to have a little bit newer of a Volvo, or an Audi Quattro. Jetta TDI would do, also. I have to admit that I really do like the tiny cars like the Chevy (Daewoo) Aveo, Suzuki Aerio, and Honda Fit. I'd never own a "Fit" though, just because the name is stupid. I like the Scions, too.

I just saw that the VW Rabbit is back, as well. I'd be very interested in that.

I have a Chevy Aveo and I love it. Looks tiny from the outside, but it's actually surprisingly roomy inside. We surprised all of my husbands relatives by that. We spend about $40 on gas in a month!. It consistantly gets 32-35 plus mpg in the city (and this is with a ridiculous amount of roadworks that have sprung up around our apartment complex) and it gets 42 mpg on highways.

I love, Love, LOVE our little Aveo. Would never dream of wasting so much money on an SUV (or a truck for that matter), I have no need for them. Even if we had kids I'd still go for a smaller, more fuel efficient car. If we can afford it our next car is going to be a hybrid. Those cars are cute.

However if you do go off-roading on a consistant basis, or have a big family, then sure. You can probably justify having one. But I'm betting over 75% (maybe more) American's don't really have a justifiable reason for their SUV. But hey, it's their choice ultimately. I'm more than happy to pay $40 a month on gas, while SUV owners probably spend that every few days.

Edited September 20, 2006 by HuffyTheSlayer

[Ban Hammer 13,282]

i am irked that having a pickup is fashionable when one does not use it for what it was designed for -carrying heavy/bulky items or towing a heavy trailer. to get one for a commute or to haul a family of 4 around is a waste of money and natural resources. i guess it comes from the "i wanna be cowboy" idea that is popular in the usa.

welll you are "irked" that trucks are bought as fashionable, however SUV are also bought due to fashion. just because you are the few who are *justified* in your purchase does not make the other (my guess LARGER) percentage that buys it for the fun of owning one.

does not seem all that different of opinion

btw - suv's suck

when i say truck i also include suv in that category

[MariaEric 0]

From my spanish point of view, (gas is much more expensive):

a) for work: a small not high consume vehicle.

B) for family: a safe not high consume vehicle.

There is not thing such as good or bad, it is all about preferences, i personally can see why people there get those big cars, whether they are the best deal or not mileage wise, they are still affordable to mantain, here in Spain for many people just are not.

For some people the vehicle they drive is more than a car, a suv a truck...it is an extension of their personality and a proof of their status, for me it is just a tool that takes me wherever i have to go.

I own a small renault clio II

~maria