I don't own a SUV, and have no plans to ever buy one, but something about forcing others to not drive SUV's seems wrong to me. If they're dangerous and cost more lives, then that needs to be addressed. But if you force all the asshats out of their SUV's, they'll be driving something else. Then are you going to complain about all the jerks driving RX-8's next?

 

I dont necessarily want to make them stop driving them....well yes I do, they are completely stupid unless you use them for their designed purpose.

Their emmisions standards are a joke, contributing to our wonderful smog here. They eat petrol like I eat skittles (thats a lot). Their weight endangers the lives of other people in more sensible cars. They take up too much damned room in the cities. I cant see past them.

If you have one and you dont A) offroad, really off road or B) tow 1500 kg then you just dont need an suv.

But no, we shouldnt force them to stop driving them. Just do what we are doing to smokers to them.

On a side note, has anyone seen the rear hatch on the H2. What the hell can you fit in that thing, it barely fits the tire upright!!

 

Here's a pic of my SUV. Everyone outta my way!

 

The solution to SUV's is simple. Force the car manufacturers to follow normal passenger car regulations when they design them.

Personally, I don't think pick-ups and SUV should be allowed to get away with the emissions and safety standards that they currently follow. 90% of them are used like cars anyways. Who goes offroad? Who tows a large trailer? Not Jane Soccermom!

My wife and I have two kids. We have an Audi Allroad and it has more than enough room. If I had three kids (not going to happen), I'd get an Acura MDX since it handles much better than a minivan. But I'd never get a biga$$ SUV. If my kids were hurt when the beast rolls over or can't stop in time, or if I killed a kid in the Honda that I plowed into, I'd never forgive myself.

The SUV it a total example of what's wrong with North American socitey. Yah, they have land rovers in Africa and the middle east, but no where else in the world do they flock to these under-engineered, over-priced pieces of junk!

OK, rant is over.

 

Right lane only for trucks. SUV and minivans are classified as trucks. That way, we don't infringe on people's right to drive whatever they want.

 

Sounds like car profiling to me?... I dont know just let them drive what ever they like. But dont drive like an a$$.

 

They can drive as cautious as they want too. It doesnt change the fact that SUV's pollute more, lack the accident avoidance capabilities of smaller vehicles, use more petrol, make it hard for other drivers to see around them and 90+% of people who own them do so for image or out of selfishness.

 

Create more pot-holes also, yet they don't get road-taxed like semis, being in a "transitory" truck classification(Big ones we're talking about, ladder-framed Yukons, Subs, H2's, Expeds, Excurs, etc.). Like mentioned they tailgate because they are comfortable seeing far over us. Yet their brakes, tires and ABS are totally inferior and lack the performance to stop within any 2-second safety cushion we learned in driving school. And the damage they can do? We've seen it. Yet their cutesy cell-talking daughter is safe and survived. Semi trucks have the best visibility of all yet still leave a safety cushion(gobbled up my cars of course).

I'd love nothing more than to see any vehicle over 5000lbs relegated to the 55mph right lane with semi's, RV's and trailer-haulers. Crank up their collision insurance also.

 

I'm amazed that on CNN's webpage of that article you posted, about 65% of people thought those SUV's should be banned in Paris. Thats an awful lot of people!

-Rupes

 

yeah... just had a few SUV tail me... they are just haters..

SUV lovers dn't understand the streamlined and optimized beauty of japanese cars.

SUV lovers definitely have small *****.

 

I'm glad someone started a thread on this. I live in Texas and it is really bad with the big trucks.

One night I am coming home, driving down the two-lane highway I live off of. I know the area well like where the cops set up speed traps, and they often do. So there I am driving at the speed limit and in my rear-view mirror are some headlights. This guy is just blatantly riding my ***. I gave him some time to back off but he never does. So I slow down a bit even more, and all he does is get closer. We were past the point were all the speed traps are typically at, so I am thinking to myself screw this *****. I drop down to 3rd and take off, seeing his headlights shrink. I'm coming up to my turn so I start to slow down, and sure enough this guy is trying to catch up. There is a right hand turn lane for my exit, and as I am slowing to make the turn he comes blasting past me and he is drifting into my turn lane, as if he wants to clip me. Of course it was some big *** pickup. I just rolled my eyes.

 

I have to laugh. In one of the bazillions of auto pubs I receive, probably AutoWeek--It's kinda like the National Enquirer of the auto world. Anyway, they had surveyed Hummer H2 owners. Note: for anyone who has been in a cave or living with the Amish for the last few years, the H2 weighs around 7,000 LBS! Yes, 7K LBS just to drop junior off at school or to go down to 7-11 for a newspaper

Anyway the owners raved about the vehicle i.e. monstrosity, but they did have one major complaint--gas mileage. They weren't too happy about getting 10 MPG or less. That kills me. Maybe Physics should be a graduation requirement at all high schools. Looks like some H2 owners aren't the brightest bulb in the package

PS But they sure can sit on the bumper of an 8 in stopped traffic with nowhere to go...

 

I dont think we should go after the drivers of the SUV/100 ton autos but the companys that make them. They waste all this money and time on something that will kill you if you are driving a Neon!!!. 1/2 the owners dont know jack about there cars but what the sales man told them.

 

In fairness, I've been tailgated by a fair share of cars as well. All makes, all prices, etc...
It really is the driver. On the flipside. Coming into work this morning. I was looking at my own driving habits. I leave about 2 seconds between myself and the car in front. I imagine that some people would think I was tailgating. But beleive it or not, there are drivers that manage to squeeze their way in.

 

I was actually on a two lane highway last night and a p-up truck was behide me. Right up me A$$. I tapped the brakes to let know know that he needs to shy off a bit. HE DIDN"T MOVE

I tapped them a couple more times, and still nothing. Now i'm getting frustrated and I'm thinking to myself that this loser is doing it on purpose.

So I hit the Brakes and the Guy slams his. He jumps to the right lane and I cut him off. He goes back the to left lane and I cut him off again.

He them puts his high beams on ..... SO I HIT THE BRAKES AGIAN.

We get of the two lane highway and I need to make a right ..... i'm slowing down while he's in the left lane , but he won't come next to me. I slow down more , and he contiunes to slow down so he doesn't pull up next to me.

I think he got the hint to not fu*k around with 8 owners .

 

Pete,

Remind me to never pi$$ you off :D

 

Road rage

 

yeah it is considered road rage after i get tagged with 3600 worth of damage to my car in 2 weeks.

I don't care to get hit by anyone else.

i got a hit and run done on me and a hook flew off a car transport truck and went threw the front of my car. I didn't go through insurance becasue it's going to go up. So when people drive stupid around me. I'm going to make sure they don't do it again.

 

That happened to me once, only I avoided it by ending up in a ditch. The cops didnt believe me, they thought I fell asleep at the wheel. Tried to tell me they were going to charge me with dangerous driving and what not. I finally found the chain in the ditch, ahead of the car, obviously, all the stupid cops were looking behind it.

 

For doughnut's LOL! I had to...

 

So you are complaining about the inherent dangers involved with driving an suv (longer braking distance, more weight, etc.) and you are cutting him off and trying to make him swerve? Somehow this doesn't seem like the wisest course of action.

I personally don't see why everybody always gets so up in arms about suvs, they're just vehicles. I often see people commenting on how suvs get terrible gas milage, but christ guys.. you drive RX-8's. I drive a 91 explorer and i get about the same mpg that is regularly reported by you. As far as safety is concerned, yes its true that they take longer to stop, and don't handle as well in emergency situations, but honestly it really just depends on the driver. Any vehicle is dangerous in the hands of an idiot, bet it an excursion or a prius, either can kill you.

As far as aggressive driving goes, I usually see about an even spread of people in all types of cars being aggressive, with the most extreme things (i.e. passing over double yellows, driving on the shoulder) being people with more preformance oriented cars, like audi a4's, bmw's or sports cars. So from my experience i could have about the same justification to say that SPORTS CARS SHOULD BE BANNED BECAUSE PEOPLE DRIVE THEM RECKLESSLY as some of you guys have to criticize suvs.

If you are wondering yes I do in fact use my explorer, in the sense of off roading, and hauling various cargo where i need the space/weight allowance that an suv has. That being said I also have no problem with people who have an suv and just run errands with it, just like i have no problem with anyone who buys an rx-8 and doesnt drive it on a track.

Sorry for being longwinded, it just really annoys me when people get up on their high horses about the evils of the terrorist supporting suvs.
-B

 

As you can see from my previous posts, I don't think SUV's are evil, but I wanted to comment on the above quote.... I think the opposite should be true. A performance vehicle is more likely to be able to handle speed, and can deal with higher speeds than any 6,000 lbs house on wheels. Naturally if you had an idiot in a sports car, they would just as easily get in an accident in a sports car as well as a SUV, but you get my point..

 

Oh I definatly get your point, but I just think that a lot of people unfairly demonize suvs, when there are other things that are equally dangerous to other motorists on the road
-B

 

The rx-8 is the exception not the rule, where as with SUV"s the crappy gas mileage and pollution is the rule.

While either and excursion or a prius can kill, I would pick the prius any day of the week to be in an accident with, clearly and excursion would do more damage.

You dont need to drive an rx-8 on the track to enjoy the benifits of its performance. In an SUV you need to go OFF ROAD or tow 3000 lbs + to enjoy the benifits of a truck. Its stupid to buy an SUV to run errands period.

 

I was exagerating about needing to drive it on a track, but my point still stands, in that not all owners of rx-8's or other sports cars really use its preformance abilities, but rather enjoy other aspects about it, possibly the status or even the appearnce of it. Are you saying that its stupid for those people to buy their respective cars just because they don't use their cars to their full abilities?