For the SUV fans

[ready2fly]

Good questions, John. The reason why I got a SUV was because I tried to haul 4-5 kids an their football gear in my Honda Civic and that just didn't cut it.

Plus, for me, there was a safety factor - real or imagined - in driving my SUV as opposed to the Civic.

In the Civic, I was involved in three accidents in a span of three months. Every time, the other drivers (all who were at fault) said "I didn't see you."

That, and the ability to store/carry more people/equipment was the deciding factor for me.

Besides, it woulda gotten mighty uncomfortable with the five of us in Kellwolf's car, right?

 

[TheShortOne]

naw, Vanessa and I are pretty small, and John's thin, so we'd all be able to sit there

Actually I think my car has the most backseat space when trying to fit 3 people in it of any i've ever been in. '94 Dodge Spirit

nice big box...built like a tank. I've been in 2 accidents in it and my car has only had the other car's paint on it, no dents, no scratches!

 

[sbe]

I don't play the 'bad for the environment' crap. An old car with a horrible exhaust system is worse for the environment than a newer SUV. Heck I'd LOVE an SUV. I really like the Chevy Trailblazer. Got a couple of friends with them. I'd love a truck. My sis has a GMC Sierra. But the reality is I drive 43.5 miles each way to work, and I'd go broke paying for gas, which just hit $1.88/gal by my house and $1.95 by my office (for regular unleaded, not the premium stuff). As it is I spend WAY too much money commuting. (Why not move, you ask? Living by my office would cost more than paying the extra gas, I work in a high rent district...and I LIKE living in the country on a 10 acre farm)

That said, I agree with whomever said 4WD is often misunderstood. When the roads do get bad here (doesn't happen real often, but it does from time to time), the vehicles most often found upside down in the median or at the bottom of an embankment are SUVs. People think 4WD means they can run 65-70 on snowcovered roads like it was CAVU and 75 degrees. 4WD DOES help when you are stuck in traffic and inching up a snowcovered incline. It DOES help when you are trying to get up the hilly drive that's not been plowed. In my sister's truck, it merely makes up for the inadequacies of being very light in the back end, as all pickups are.

In any event, perhaps someday my commute will be such that I can own an SUV. I DO like the ability to haul crap around. Of course, by then gas will probably be $5.00 per gallon so I'll still be driving a plain jane 4 cylinder commuter type vehicle...

Sarah

 

[averyrm]

[ QUOTE ]
That said, I agree with whomever said 4WD is often misunderstood. When the roads do get bad here (doesn't happen real often, but it does from time to time), the vehicles most often found upside down in the median or at the bottom of an embankment are SUVs. People think 4WD means they can run 65-70 on snowcovered roads like it was CAVU and 75 degrees. 4WD DOES help when you are stuck in traffic and inching up a snowcovered incline. It DOES help when you are trying to get up the hilly drive that's not been plowed. In my sister's truck, it merely makes up for the inadequacies of being very light in the back end, as all pickups are.


[/ QUOTE ]

In Ohio, where people can't drive very well anyways, I find that I get farther in snowy/ rainy weather in my Toyota Corolla (no ABS, no trac control, etc.) then a lot of other people do in all kinds of cars. It's not always what you drive, but how you drive it.

I still wouldn't mind more space though, waiting for both the Highlander Hybrid to come out and some $$$ to burn.

 

[ready2fly]

Well, here in FL, I laugh at anyone who DOES have 4WD, live in the suburbs and not own ANYTHING that they can tow.

Outside of living/working on a farm or construction site - there is virtually NO reason to have 4WD in FL.

1. It's flat
2. It's only snowed ONCE here in the past 100 years (1976); and
3. It's flat

I can honestly say that I've been driving in Florida for 23 years and have never had the need to used 4WD.

But, that's just me. Others mileage may vary.

R2F

 

[jtrain609]

Personally, I've dealt with Michigan winters for 6 years without 4WD in my mini-van. I've plowed through a foot and a half of unplowed snow and while I SHOULD have gotten stuck a few times, I didn't. It can be done.

You know what I saw off the side of the road on a ski trip we took to Canada more than anything else? VW's!

Cheers


John Herreshoff

 

[Snow]

Bah, station wagons are way cooler, get a Volvo V70 AWD T-5 R (if they still make them) they'll whip the pants off any SUV or mini van, and a lot of passinger cars as well! Not to mention being safer.