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Why on Earth do I have an SUV? (Helping Hands Write Off)Nov 04 '00 Write an essay on this topic.I've had one car and one SUV in my driving lifetime, and each has benefits and drawbacks (just like everything else in life, eh?) I drove a '90 Pontiac Grand Am from the time I turned 16 until I graduated from college at age 21. On the day of graduation, I tottered out to my car to discover that the battery was beyond dead. I had driven it for the last time the night before... I hitched a ride to the ceremony and came back home to the relative behemoth that would be its replacement. Aggravated though I was at the little maroon bugger, I was a little sad when I watched it drive off without me for the first time in five years. It took a while to get used to my '97 Olds Bravada, but I've adapted and come out of mourning for my teenage car that had Dr Pepper permanently spilled in the tape player and contained memories that would make my parents gray if they only knew. In answer to the opening question... I have an SUV because it was a gift. The parentals wanted to give me one last big item before I took a flying leap away from the nest and they insisted on buying a vehicle. I didn't argue. I picked this particular SUV because A)It was big enough to haul my junk around... B)it was green... and... C)It was something different. I think I have a pretty unbiased opinion on the SUV vs. Car issue because I have enjoyed driving both. I'll just give the facts (the way I see them) and let the reader sort out the pros and cons. Everyone is different when it comes to their car. Cold Hard Cash I know this is an important category for many potential vehicle buyers. Is it affordable? Is it worth all of that money? Will it pay for itself in the long run? Everyone has different ideas about what is or is not necessary in a vehicle. However, in general, a small car will be cheaper to buy and to maintain than an SUV. For example, I randomly selected one vehicle of each style from the Ford Vehicles homepage. The small car (a Ford Focus) starts at $12,615. The SUV (a Ford Explorer) begins at $25,715. That is a BIG difference in size and a BIG difference in price. Cars also tend to get better gas mileage than SUVs. Again, this is dependant on the make and age of the vehicle.. my older-model Grand Am was getting the same 15 miles per gallon (mpg) in-town and 20 mpg on the highway that my newer SUV obtains. A Geo Metro, by contrast, can get nearly 50 in-town miles out of one gallon of gas! The auto manufacturer's page will usually tell you the average cost of gas on each model of car so that you can comparison shop online before testing the models in the dealer's lot. As far as I can tell, there's not much difference in the rate of break-downs between SUVs and cars (apart from that whole Ford tire incident). I don't believe that the basic build of vehicle has anything to do with mechanical failure; I think that's an age thing.. I.E. the older your car is, the more it is going to be sick. Just like a human! Nasty Weather... What happens? Let's face it, the weather isn't always sunny and 68 degrees. It rains, the wind blows, and sometimes there is snow or ice. Yes, even in Texas. How does your vehicle perform when the weather turns nasty? My vote in this category goes to the SUV. The wind is a bit of a problem at times since the SUV tends to get tossed around a bit more, but in all other conditions, the SUV is easier to handle than a car. For snowy weather, many SUVs have 4-wheel or all-wheel drive. I'm frankly not sure how this works, but mine has all-wheel drive which (if I understand correctly) means that it makes the decision for you.. when you start to have trouble, it will shift into whichever drive is best for the situation. Regardless of the technicalities of this function, I have noticed that my SUV drives much more smoothly on a slippery road. When I do start to skid, I am able to bring it under control almost immediately with a very light touch of the wheel. In cars, I have noticed that once they start to slide, it is almost impossible to bring them back. The slide or skid in an SUV is also more gentle than it would be in a car; perhaps because you have a bigger vehicle, you tend not to feel it as much. Rain is no problem for the SUV! It happily sloshes through puddles and whisks away raindrops with front and rear window wipers. It sits comparatively high off of the ground and those little dips that fill with water are mere decoration for the weather-loving SUV. Not so for the little car! As its undercarriage is often inches from the ground, a small puddle can lead to a hideous grinding or squealing noise as it protests the soaking of its sensitive underbelly. Occasionally, a large puddle plus an overly optimistic driver can lead to an embarrassing stall-out in the middle of a busy road. The small car's brakes are often a target for the malicious rain puddle's mischief. The SUV may experience a small change in braking power, but rarely to the extent that a car will see. The perks of being high Oh, the joy of being able to actually see around that testosterone-filled dualie that has pulled up next to me and is revving its engine. If you drive a car, I'm sure you know how irritating it is to be at a stop sign waiting to turn right and you would have been able to turn ages ago if it weren't for that huge truck beside you creating a blind spot! In the SUV, I can generally see through their windows to the street and I no longer have to play that game where each of us inches up a bit at a time and no one can see whether it is safe to turn. One caveat should be made, however, and that is the addition of something I never had in my little car... my own blind spot! They discussed the blind spot in Driver's Ed, but I never actually had one until I started driving the SUV. This can be dangerous if you're a big fan of the "Hail Mary Merge" because it's hard to see the car in the far lane attempting the same thing at the same time. However, this is a minor inconvenience and I easily learned the intricate workings of my side mirrors to overcome the blind spot. Corners like it's on rails.. or like it's a Tank? It took me a while to figure out how to park the SUV. I was used to a little car that could just zip into a space on a moment's notice, practically making a 90-degree turn or more with zero problem! The SUV was quite different.. on a good day, it can make a 45-degree turn if I jam the wheel all the way to one side. This takes a little bit of getting used to and sometimes you have to circle the parking lot in an attempt to get a good angle, but it is an acquired talent and I can park most anywhere with little problem. Yes, I do manage to park between the yellow lines! Vroom? Vroom? I frankly thought my big "rugged" SUV would have more get-up-n-go to its engine than a regular car but it turned out to be exactly the same. Neither one is really happy about pulling up to a high speed; however, the SUV seems to cope very well with continuous high speed on the highway. There are, of course, options to get a bigger engine in either style of vehicle, so that might be something to consider. It's really not a big deal to me since getting from 0-60 in town generally means that you'll just hit the next stop light more quickly. Space.. Outer Space? Nooo, Inner Space! My absolute favorite part about having a bigger vehicle! I have a cargo bay AND fold-down seats that allow me to carry either passengers or junk. It doesn't look like much, but I have crammed an entire bed into my car, along with a recliner and a chest of drawers! Could I have done that in the Grand Am? Uh, no. As I have a tendency to purchase long planks of wood (I keep having to build bookshelves to keep up with all of my literature) and other various large projects, this feature comes in handy. It isn't as big as a truck, but it works for me. A car just doesn't compare in this area. Safety Issues We've all heard the horror stories about SUVs and their penchant for rolling over. Although I'm sure that this is a valid problem, I also know that I have never even come close to rolling my SUV and I believe that any safe driver can control an SUV just as well as a car. In fact, I live on a fairly dangerous curve and have seen many cars flip into the roadside ditch, but I have not yet seen an SUV flip. Perhaps the drivers are more aware of the danger and slow their driving style to match the car. I would never give an SUV to a newly-licensed teenager, however. Teenagers frequently do all of the following.... speed, take curves too quickly, drive without paying attention, and swerve from lane to lane just for fun. All of these things are a recipe for a flipped SUV and, in these cases, a car will be a safer bet. It may skid and turn in circles (uhhhhhhh so I've heard) but it can go through quite a bit without flipping over. The crumple zones on cars and SUVs vary wildly.. the best thing to do would be to get a copy of the latest safety tests and compare. I feel that if I were hit from the back in my SUV, it would probably be better than a car simply because it has more room to crumple before it hits the driver. However, the sides of my SUV seem just as flimsy as any other car and if someone were to ram the side, I doubt that I would see any difference. I won't cite numbers or statistics here; those are easily found. My opinion is that SUVs and cars vary in saftey, and neither is inherently more dangerous than the other. Why I liked my car I liked being able to whip around into a parking space or a side street at a moment's notice. I liked the sporty feeling of being in a little car. I liked taking curves at speeds over the posted limit because I knew the car could handle it. I liked my 10" subwoofers that took up half of the trunk space. I honestly miss my sunroof, though it was a pain to take out and put back. Basically, I enjoyed expending my crazy-teenage-driver energy on a fairly stable car. Why I like my SUV I like being able to see over cars and around trucks. I like the cargo space and the fact that I don't have to make a million trips or call a friend with a truck. I like the fold-down seats and the roomy back that makes a good hideout for late-night conversation in the winter. Ok, I'll admit, I like the feeling of power that goes along with driving a large vehicle. I like my ability to take long trips and not have to sit with half of the junk we bring packed around our knees. My driving style has grown up and the SUV has helped me become a more cautious driver. What's Your Type? There are pros and cons for each style.. which should you choose? The CAR Type You're single or don't have a whole passel of kids to cart around. You don't haul things. You're not a packrat and don't live out of your car. You want an economy-priced car that will take you to work and occasionally out of town. Fuel economy is important to you as well. Speed demons, new, or thrill-seeking drivers (be honest here) should probably choose a car. You prefer "sporty" or "sleek" over "big n bad". The SUV Type You have a lot of kids or a lot of stuff that you need to carry with you. You camp out occasionally or take long trips. You need to haul things. You don't mind spending more initially to get more room. Your car is a second home to you. You would rather your vehicle be more "tough" than "smooth". Conclusion I can't pick a car for everyone.. each person has his or her own choice. However, I hope I gave at least some sort of helpful information to get the buyer on the road to making an informed decision. Cars and SUVs are both good choices and the ultimate decision comes down to what you want to do with your car at this point in life. Thanks for reading, and happy driving! This editorial was part of the Helping Hands write off... the writers have submitted a wide variety of topics, but the common factor is that all participants will donate the proceeds from their epinion to help someone in need. I have chosen to use this epinion's earnings to buy toys for the wonderful Toys for Tots program.If you would like to help someone in need this year but were not able to participate in this write-off, you can do so by reading as many of these reviews as possible. I am honored to present you with the list of people who have decided to participate with me in this Helping Hands Write-Off... alwaysstubborn, amykhar, argonut, bgoodday, bluehawg, bluesky2, bmcnichol, bops_mom, broadwaybaby, bunnyjav, caleo, canne, ceeJay62, cntaur5, conradd, cutie_pi, cyndiA, dani257, dannyzmom, darkmistress, diverpam, dreamcatcher39, dunkjam, emeleel, francesca57, frani49, gracef, grumpifrog, gypsyrose75, jcellis, jenni1396, jimdaisy, jo.com, joubert, katetpz, kelly60, kimmiekg, kristennc, kyhiera, lildev, maddi, meanbeast, merlot, mimi369, mmounsey, monicaL2me, mskills, mspooh5, MumMumMum, pantazis5, pianomam, prepoia, rmartin_cpa, roadiem, shanny21, soxfan, sugarbugg23, suzig, taurusmoon, thinkerlady, tipu, viper1963, wavesandshells, wickedgood, and wildbillm.  |
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