[Cars] Article in The New Yorker ripping into SUV's

My wife drives a Prius. It gets about 45 mph. Very happy with it.

 

Hybrids are a waste and an unproven technology to boot. If I wanted something parsimonious, I'd go with a diesel. When the ancient motor in my International Harvester pickup gave up the ghost about two years ago, I was heartbroken, since the motors are impossible to find. I'd had the truck since I was in h/s and it killed me to send it off to the scrap heap. Well, I found out through the IH club that this guy in Cali put a Cummins turbo-diesel (like in the Ram trucks) in his IH and it was a smashing success. So I emailed him, got a parts list, found a Cummins motor out of a wrecked Ram and went to work. Three months later, I had a pickup with aerodynamics like a barn door (trust me on that) that got over 26 mpg. I can tow more than I ever could with the 345 gas motor and I will likely get over 300k out of the motor before it is all said and done. VW sells a great diesel these days, MB always has sold diesels and lastly, the Jeep Liberty will have one next year.

My truck looks similar, except mine has Crager wheels.

 

I love my Miata. It is nearly as nimble as a motorcycle and I could get out of nearly anyone's way.

 

That's what the other car is for.

 

The high line of vision is definitely a positive for me. So much less likely to rear end someone else.

 

I like the high line of vision too. If I am stuck in traffic, I'd like to see if there is an accident up ahead and which lane to avoid. In my current car, I just tend to follow the trucks with the higher line of vision.

 

Reptilians!

 

Or you could try not tailgating.

I hate driving behind SUV's. When driving other's SUV's, I can't see around the next SUV any better than my car. With the shaky suspension, I don't feel comfortable perched so high off the ground especially on high-speed freeway interchanges.

I live in the city. I like the ease of parking with my VW Passat. It has a turning radius that kills (My wife's Taurus sucks as do most SUVs). It drives smooth, tight suspension/steering and gets decent mileage. (But I might consider getting the diesel version next time.) Its great in traffic. It even has good pickup for a 4cyl. And it's the same price as a Civic. It looks better and engineered 10x better. I don't know why anybody would buy a Civic. It's a 4-door and I can easily fit 5 people in there. 2 baby seats, no prob.

The fold-down seats allow me to fit a ton of things in the already spacious trunk. I'm a home-improver type and I'm rarely turned away. I can easily fit 20 or so 8ft 2x4s in there. I've carried dozens of plants at a time, etc etc etc.

I love that car. I can look elegant on a night on the town or with a client, it drives nice and I can fit more than enough people/things in there.

 

Who says I am tailgating? Bottom line is if the traffic comes to a screeching halt ahead of you, you have a lot better view and more warning driving an SUV and that is why I like it.

I have no problem with what anyone else drives and I just don't get when people take such issue with what other people like to drive.

Just like John Travolta who complains that SUV drivers use too much gas ... meanwhile he hops on his private 747 and flies it across the country.

 

i understand the inherent problems with huge, gas-guzzling suv's. they are bigger than most people need. for me, an suv should be a family vehicle, not an ego trip.

 

Same price as a Civic? What the? Even a fully optioned out 2004 Civic is cheaper than the fully stripped-down Passat. Also, I don't know about the "engineered 10x better" comment. Depends on what you call "engineering". VW hasn't exactly been held in high regard when it comes to reliability the past few years. If you want to compare apples to apples, compare the Passat to an Accord. They're in the same price range - unless you're nuts and go get the W8 engine in the Passat.

 

I recently bought my first SUV and while I feel safer due to its size, I also realized I drive much slower in it than when I drive other cars. Part of this is probably due to the fact that you can't feel as stable in an SUV versus a sports sedan. Normally I go around 80-85 in a car, but rarely break 70 in an SUV. Not sure if the speed difference is meaningful for safety purposes, but it was an unexpected consequence.