THE AUTO INDUSTRY SAYS THAT SUV DRIVERS ARE SELFISH AND INSECURE

People who tool around in hulking, big-*** sport utility vehicles have been getting dissed a lot lately, but no one has raked them over the coals like the people who sold them the SUVs in the first place. The multibillion-dollar auto industry does extensive research into its customers, and lately that research has focused quite a bit on the people who buy SUVs.

Investigative reporter Keith Bradsher of the New York Times has looked into the SUV phenomenon for years. He's read marketing reports meant only to be seen within the industry; he's interviewed marketing executives from the car companies and from outside research firms. The industry has come to some unflattering conclusions about the people who buy its SUVs. As summarized by Bradsher: They tend to be people who are insecure and vain. They are frequently nervous about their
marriages and uncomfortable about parenthood. They often lack confidence in their driving skills.

Above all, they are apt to be self-centered and self-absorbed, with little
interest in their neighbors and communities.... They are more restless, more sybaritic, and less social than most Americans are. They tend
to like fine restaurants a lot more than off-road driving, seldom go to church and have limited interest in doing volunteer work to help others.
David Bostwick, the director of market research at Chrysler, told Bradsher: "We have a basic resistance in our society to admitting that we are parents, and no longer able to go out and find another mate. If you have a sport utility, you can have the smoked windows, put the children in
the back and pretend you're still single."

Bostwick says that compared to those who buy similarly large minivans, SUV drivers are selfish:
Sport utility people say, "I already have two kids, I don't need 20." Then we talk to the people
who have minivans and they say, "I don't have two kids, I have 20 — all the kids in the
neighborhood."
One of General Motors' top engineers also spoke of the difference between minivanners and
SUVers: "SUV owners want to be more like, 'I'm in control of the people around me.'" He went
on:
With the sport utility buyers, it's more of an image thing. Sport utility buyers tend to be
more like, "I wonder how people view me," and are more willing to trade off flexibility or
functionality to get that.
The executive VP for North American auto operations at Honda revealed: "The people who buy
SUVs are in many cases buying the outside first and then the inside. They are buying the image
of the SUV first, and then the functionality."
Jim Bulin, a former Ford strategist who started his
own marketing firm, told Bradsher: "It's about not
letting anything get in your way and, in the extreme,
about intimidating others to get out of your way."
Daniel A. Gorell, who also used to market for Ford
and now has his own firm, says simply that SUV
drivers are "less giving, less oriented toward others."
Defenders of SUVs have attacked Bradsher for
reporting these things, but they always forget the crucial point: Bradsher isn't the one slamming
SUV owners — it's the auto industry itself.

(this is a cut and paste as it was downloaded)

 

Interesting. I was out for 3 hours today collecting money at a local strip for kids with cancer. I was thinking about how many people drive SUVs. So many more than I realized. And then I wondered how many of these people need these large, gas guzzling vehicles? Im not trying to put down anyones rights of being an American and having the freedom to choose, but it just seems very irresponsible given the cost and demand of gas today.

I don't think its wrong for a family to have one, but I do know a family that has 3 of em and it just seems so wasteful to me when a Camry or a Passat or something would suffice.

 

I'm the complete opposite of what he said. I'm no expert and don't think I am, but I'm fairly confident in my driving skills (At least if there is no snow or ice since I never drove on those before), I tend to like cheap fast food restaurants instead of fine dining, I go to church, I'm not worried about my marriage or parenting skills (Only worry about the financing part of raising a child). But then again, I'm not really into SUVs all that much. I bought it not because I like them, but because my wife likes them. Then again, she is more like me than the drivers described in the article.

 

Think about it, you could say that about pretty much every single car out there aside from cars like the Civic and Corolla. Who needs a 300+ HP V8 sports car? Who needs to go racing even if at the track? Who needs 20" rims causing poorer gas mileage? Who needs a car that has anything larger than a good fuel efficient 4 cylinder motor? There are a lot of cars out there that get the same or worse gas mileage than typical SUVs.

 

If these people spent as much time designing basic common sense into vehicles as they do with bull- s**t marketing stereotypes, the whole industry would be a LOT better off. Auto marketers are their own worst enemies....my view of them, based on many years of watching what they do, borders on contempt.

 

But do they say which ones are more selfish or more insecure, for instance X3 vs Escalade?

 

oh wow, wait till my therapist hears about this

 

Totally true.

Big SUV's = crap. I can't for the life of me think of why someone buys one.

I often hear: "I want to sit high". That pisses me off.

For the space? Guess what? A minivan has more space and typically carries more people and gets much better gas mileage. Oh, but the stereotype! Boohoo.

Off road capiblity? 99% of people will never go off road.

Safety? Yeah, see me after you flip over.

They handle like boats and are extremely un-fun to drive.


Question: Why are women seemingly much more fascinated with owning SUV's then men? Empowerment?

 

well the article isn't meant to be all encompassing right?

The light went off the moment it said "don't go to church" lol. I'm sure a lotta car owners also don't go to church.

But yeah I agree with some points and disagree with others.

 

it's true.. a lotta SUVs have pretty small boot space behind the last row of seats (2nd or 3rd depending if it's a 5 or 7). Of course the exceptions are those that have a 7 seat option. Then the 5-seat version is cavernous.


Women? Probably because they tend to be shorter so they like to sit up high (don't slap me haha). I know you hate that excuse but it's has to said, it is true. Probably the same reason why they sit so close to the steering wheel. they need to feel like they're in control.

That or they need stronger arms.

 

Because a lot of women do not really know much about mechanics, handling, braking, or other cars properties, so they simply assume that bigger is safer.

I knew a girl that's driving a mid 90ies GMC Jimmy, 2WD, with completely bold tires. She honestly believes that she's safer in that car than in any modern sedan/coupe.

 

Yup. Just like when it's snowing, you see all the idiots in SUV's flying down the highway thinking they have much better control. Then, later down the road, you see them flipped over in a ditch, haha.

 

But whats even worse is when they get behind someone in a RWD or FWD car that's driving slowly according to the weather, and start high beaming or honking.

 

Yeah, but there's a difference between a 300 horspower car and a 300 hp SUV. Or take the LS for that matter. 24 mpg hwy. vs. the LX's 18 mpg hwy. So while people don't need that kind of speed in a car, it is still more practical. I'm not sure why the Camry needs 270 hp either.

 

Guys, this is not going to be a "SUV is da devil" thread...