Quote:
Originally Posted by DGthe3
What exactly is so great about a body on frame SUV when you a) never go off road; b) never tow anything; c) never haul anything (besides the family)?
Most people who bought SUV's at their peak of popularity didn't really use them as SUV's. Mainly, they liked the size, they liked the look. They didn't like the gas mileage (even at $2.50/gal they didn't like it ... let alone 4 or 5 bucks) and weren't overly happy with the truck-like ride and handling of them either. So, when there are alternative packages that provide comparable interior volume, with the same truck-like appearance, with only a small penalty in fuel economy and handling compared to a large sedan -people will want them. They actually make more sense for these buyers than SUVs. They are better than SUVs for the vast majority of buyers.
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Negative. You have it ALL WRONG.
People wanted large SUVs with frames because they like having the safety of a large full frame and a big body and engine and sufficient mass to deflect drunk drivers and the like.
They preferred large CARS for this purpose, but in the 1970's some high-rise dwelling pecil pushers decided to FORCE the car companies to meet artificially mandated fuel economy standards, knowing they were firmly entrenched in an artificially created beaurocratic branch of the government that was immune to the voters will. Cars shrank and became more costly, as a result.
Thanks to an oversight by the pencil-pushers (exposing that they are not as smart as they claim), trucks were not as tightly controlled and hence were still large and safe and affordable. People started buying them like hotcakes.
The car companies figured out that if they could add passenger space and car-like features, they could sell even MORE trucks. So, the SUV was created.
But the SUV created a massive following amongst people who needed them for both their car like features, as well as their safety and size, AND their ability to do tasks that only a truck can do.
When the pencil pushers finally realized their mistake, they became VERY angry that the people were not behaving as they were being directed, so they went after the trucks AND the cars with even MORE restrictive regulations.
The car companies were forced to make cars even smaller and SUVs had to be made unappealing or discontinued.
So here we are today, with a HUGE market and the car companies cowering under their collective beds afraid to stand up for their right to sell whatever they want to whomever they want to.