Unbiased Reviews by Real People
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Unbiased Reviews by Real People
Is your SUV overloaded?Jan 1, 2001 Write an essay on this topic.Did you know that many late-model SUVs are overloaded with five 200 lb.passengers and no extra cargo? Weight load -- or payload -- capacity is perhaps the biggest hidden liability issue in SUV buying today, and helps to explain the Ford Explorer’s rollover susceptibility. Is this only a problem with Ford? Ford is by no means the only offender on this issue. The Infiniti QX4, for example, has a weight load capacity of 795 lb., 185 lb. less than a 1995 Explorer. This means that the QX4 is overloaded with FOUR 200 lb. passengers and NO cargo, according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Compare this capacity with that of a Ford Taurus wagon, which can safely carry up to 1,200 lb. But how could this be?!? My SUV has a huge cargo space! What’s especially misleading is that many of these SUVs have large cargo volume capacities -- such as almost 50 cubic feet in the Explorer -- which practically beg you to load them up with lots of stuff. Add to this a roof rack and a tow-hitch rack, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. So how do you find out your SUV's weight load capacity? I've listed the SUVs with weight load capacities under 1,000 lb. at the end of this article. You can’t easily tell what your SUV’s weight load capacity is. You're not likely to find it in the brochure specifications, with very few exceptions. It’s often not even available in a straightforward way in the owner’s manual. What the manual will tell you is the "gross combined weight" of the vehicle, or what it can maximally weigh if you put it on a truck scale. You know, the one that’s just around the corner. Nissan’s manual suggests that you "go to your local truck stop or grain elevator." You’re left on your own to figure out the "dry" or "curb" (empty) weight, and then subtract this from the gross combined weight to get the vehicle’s maximum weight load capacity. Complicating this situation even further is the effect that added accessories such as towing packages and racks can have on weight load capacity. Can tires also be a factor? Overloading can also over-stress the tires, but this is less of an issue as tire load capacities are generally much higher than vehicle weight load capacities. (tire load capacities are specified on the sidewalls) . On the subject of tires, load capacity and rollovers, Car and Driver magazine recently performed a test wherein it simulated a Ford Explorer blowout of the left rear tire at high speed, which had no noticeable effect on the vehicle's stability. This result was very much unlike the incidents we've read about in the press, where these vehicles were rolling over right after a blowout. However, in these tests C&D used an unloaded Explorer. The editor, Csaba Csere, graciously acknowledged that this was a test oversight in an online response to me (he's wonderful about responding to everyone's online questions). The stability of the unloaded Explorer in C&D's test seems to suggest that weight load may have been a contributing factor in many of the rollover accidents. Why are SUVs more susceptible? The reason that this is a more significant problem for SUVs than other vehicles is their suspensions, which trade off weight bearing for better travel over rough terrain. In addition, SUVs already have a higher center of gravity due to their increased ground clearance. Adding any amount of cargo weight increases the center-of-gravity height, thus also increasing susceptibility to rollovers. Are some SUVS more affected by this problem than others? The most susceptible vehicles in this regard are the small SUVs. Their smaller size combined with higher ground clearance exacerbates the problem. Their manufacturers advertise seating for five, yet omit any reference in literature to overloading – which often occurs with five 200 lb. adults. Is the government aware of this issue? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is aware of the problem and has been trying to establish related measures. It currently estimates rollover susceptibility through a measurement called Static Stability Factor (SSF), which is the track divided by the center-of-gravity height. Unfortunately, this agency hasn’t yet released SSF ratings for all vehicles, but may do so soon. A likely better source (USA Today, 7/17/00) integrates SSF with vehicle weight plus passenger poundage to predict rollover probabilities on most new vehicles. It makes sense to add weight to the equation: imagine trying to tip a Ford Excursion (very good rating) versus a Toyota RAV4 (worst rating). From the above information it becomes apparent that added cargo weight (or payload) -- and especially weight that increases a vehicle's center-of-gravity height -- increases the likelihood of rollover. Where can I get more information about this issue? Consumers Reports and NBC's Dateline jointly researched this issue and presented their findings in a special December 2000 televised report. They not only weighed each vehicle on a truck scale, but also measured their cargo space using a common standard. The latter is also especially helpful, as manufacturers often use different standards in their specifications of cargo volume. I’ve listed the results below for SUVs rated under 1,000 lb. You can get complete information for all SUVs, trucks, minivans and cars in CR's free-access area at the following location: http://www.consumerreports.org/Special/ConsumerInterest/Reports/0012suv0.html SUVS with weight load capacities of under 1,000 lb. Make-----------Model---------type------year-------weight -------cargo (cu.ft) Chevrolet-----Tracker -------— -------1999-------870-----------28.0 Ford------------Explorer-----Limited---1995------980------------47.5 Geo-------------Tracker------LSI--------1996------750 ------------24.5 Honda----------CR-V---------—--------1997--------970-----------31.0 Honda----------CR-V---------EX---------2000------850------------31.0 Honda----------- Passport -EX--------1994--------820-----------37.0 Infiniti-----------QX4-----------— --------1998-------795------------34.5 Isuzu -----------Rodeo-------Sport------1998-------915-----------39.5 Jeep------------Wrangler----Saha------1997-------820------------17.5 Kia---------------Sportage----EX --------1999 ------860 -----------30.0 Lexus-----------RX300--------—---------1999-------880-----------37.5 Nissan---------Xterra---------SE---------2000-------885-----------43.5 Subaru---------Forester------S----------1998--------900-----------35.5 Subaru---------Forester------S ----------2001--------900----------35.5 Suzuki----------Grand Vitara---JL------1999 --------895 ---------28.0 Suzuki-----------Sidekick-----Sport------1996-------770 ----------24.5 Suzuki----------X90--------------— -------1996---------460----------NA Toyota----------RAV4----------— ---------1996--------910-----------27.0 Toyota----------RAV4-----------— --------1997--------895------------28.0  |
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