Why do people buy SUVs?
04-01-14, 10:34 AM
#31
If you're tall, getting an infant into a car seat is so much more difficult than in an SUV.
SUVs (crossovers) ride a lot softer than cars.
Our JX35 has sliding 2nd row seats that work even with a car seat strapped in, letting adults sit in the back. I've fit my 6'7" brother in the 3rd row, comfortably mind you.
Visibility is much improved SUVs allow you to see around and over trucks, which in Texas, is roughly every other vehicle, allowing you earlier detection of any road hazards or abrupt stops on the highway.
SUVs (crossovers) ride a lot softer than cars.
Our JX35 has sliding 2nd row seats that work even with a car seat strapped in, letting adults sit in the back. I've fit my 6'7" brother in the 3rd row, comfortably mind you.
Visibility is much improved SUVs allow you to see around and over trucks, which in Texas, is roughly every other vehicle, allowing you earlier detection of any road hazards or abrupt stops on the highway.
Thanks.
04-01-14, 03:28 PM
#33
Lexus Test Driver
I will add in
/Roomy cabin
/Roomy Trunk
/More Metal to cover you in
/Not too Over Sized, which makes it hard to control
It just does so well for a Family with 2 kids or so, you can basically do everything with it
04-01-14, 08:29 PM
#34
I am from California (born and raised in Salinas now in the valley), so that was my inspiration for posting those pictures! Stuff like that happens all the time. In fact, we have community clean ups where I live now...and it is hilarious to see the results! Who knew Uhaul had such an influence!
04-02-14, 12:57 PM
#35
Lexus Fanatic
Seeing the extraordinary popularity of SUVs one must ask the question on why they're as popular as they are?
If i personally do a pro & con list i'd say SUVs have more cons than pros. From personal experience the only real advantage of SUVs is their higher driving position which really comes in handy for everyday driving.
Their utility is also overrated i'd say normal mid-size and even some of the newer compact sedans offer far more seating comfort than most SUVs. Take the highlander for example the third row is essentially useless, and just having that third row there has compromised the space for the rest of the passengers. If you want to carry passengers mini-vans are a far superior choice as they're more comfortable, offer better performance, safer and also get better MPG than SUVs.
And with SUVs you always have that extra wind noise, decreased performance, increased fuel consumption, reduced dynamics and most of all the dangerous increase of center of gravity (COT)
So the mystery remains. Other than the high driving position what makes people go crazy over SUVs? Is it still that bigger is better mentality? Because SUVs may give you a false sense of security but that's all it is just 'false'
SUVs are no safer than normal cars and in most circumstances are actually more dangerous.
If i personally do a pro & con list i'd say SUVs have more cons than pros. From personal experience the only real advantage of SUVs is their higher driving position which really comes in handy for everyday driving.
Their utility is also overrated i'd say normal mid-size and even some of the newer compact sedans offer far more seating comfort than most SUVs. Take the highlander for example the third row is essentially useless, and just having that third row there has compromised the space for the rest of the passengers. If you want to carry passengers mini-vans are a far superior choice as they're more comfortable, offer better performance, safer and also get better MPG than SUVs.
And with SUVs you always have that extra wind noise, decreased performance, increased fuel consumption, reduced dynamics and most of all the dangerous increase of center of gravity (COT)
So the mystery remains. Other than the high driving position what makes people go crazy over SUVs? Is it still that bigger is better mentality? Because SUVs may give you a false sense of security but that's all it is just 'false'
SUVs are no safer than normal cars and in most circumstances are actually more dangerous.
First and foremost, I think you need to mention that there is a big difference between a car based (crossover) and a true body on frame SUV. I do not consider vehicles such as RAV4, RX350, Ford Edge etc etc an SUV, I would consider them as a crossover-SUV. If can separate a true SUV from a crossover-SUV then you would probably get a better answer to your question.
Modern crossover-SUVs are just simply very large station wagons. They offer more room, sometimes are quieter, they offer AWD (usually electronic-on demand) and they make more sense for a lot of people. Ground clearance has almost nothing to do with why people buy them. For Toyota and Honda I say this because Toyota and Honda aside from the Venza does not have any AWD sedans to purchase, so there is not argument that one purchases a RAV4 AWD because it has more ground clearance than a Toyota Corolla AWD (which does exist). I can't really comment on Ford or General Motors products because I don't think they really have anything worse purchasing (just look at the ignition controversy with GM).
I will say that there are some modern cross-over SUVs like RR, Jeep and a few others where the above does not apply.
Now, if you are talking about a true body on frame SUV/ or truck that they are based on then there are a whole bunch of reasons as to why people buy them over a car.
1. Needed for hauling
2. Built much tougher than cars or cross-over SUVs, a Toyota 4Runner or a Lexus LX450/470/570 will last much longer than a car or a cross-over. A solid axle 4 link rear suspension of a LX will last longer than the IRS of a RAV4.
3. Higher driving position.
4. Generally built at a higher price point, a limited 4Runner, GX460, or LX will be likely be quieter, smoother, have nicer materials than a cheaper Camry.
5. People love bigger engines, the 5.7 in the LX570 will run much nicer and smoother than the 2.5 in the RAV4. The gas mileage is a payoff for this luxury, but when you are in the price point of a large SUV, gas usually is secondary.
5. Space, you can haul a heck of lot more stuff in a SUV.
6. AWD in a Lexus LX, GX, 4Runner is superior than the on-demand stuff in a RX/CRV or RAV4. There is just no comparison.
7. Ground clearance does play a role.
8. Towing
There are just some of the reasons as to why someone might prefer a real body on frame SUV to that of a car.
We just recently traded in our Lexus CT, to be honest it was a nice vehicle but we did not really like it all that much, it was too small, to light on the road, a little too noisy, and there was just something we did not like about it.
We traded the CT in early November for a 2014 Toyota Tacoma 4X4 with SR5 in pyrite mica with a beige interior, it not exactly an SUV but it has but it has 4 real doors and it would come close, in our opinion it is in head and shoulders a better vehicle than our older CT. We did not want AWD but we wanted real 4WD, we made sure to get 16 inch rims, it has the features we wanted included dealer added heated seats on cloth, a V6, and a sliding rear window.
Why did we get it? We have two large dogs which could could never fit right in the back of the CT, we travel from Rochester to Toronto Canada on bi-weekly basis, it has a somewhat firm but smooth truck like ride, it is build pretty damn tough , it sits up high, has selectable 4WD (major reason why we bought it), cheap to insure, and it gets 21 mpg on the highway. In our opinion, there was nothing in the Toyota family that would serve our needs better.
I should mention that it took us almost 6 months to pull the trigger as it took us a while to find exactly what we wanted.
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