Why/ how did the 'SUV' become the norm in the US?

[Garlick]

Watching a US TV clip on television and there are SUVs everywhere, ranging from old pick-ups to new luxury 4x4s. My own US experiences tell me that the 4x4 is king over there, it's simply what you choose/ consider when looking for a car in America.

So how did this happen? Is it the wide open spaces, the larger roads or some sort of belief that having an SUV makes your leisure time more exciting?

Over here the SUV receives a mixed press, so how did the 4x4 become a staple part of US life?

It's just another thing that sits on my mind....

[Plotloss]

Pick up>pick up with a lid on>pick up with a lid on and back seats

[v8will]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_utility_vehicle

[Hell27]

Bigger people might have something to do with it. Plus the US of A has the pickup truck as the ultimate macho motoring icon - a more practical yet tough alternative for city slickers?

[Dunk76]

Cheap fuel, vast distances between anything, low speed limits, huge arses... sorry, asses.

[EDLT]

They were classified as trucks, so tax was cheaper. Why buy a large saloon when you can have an enormous truck for the same money?

[Truckosaurus]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

This.

The CAFE fuel regs pretty much killed off the large engined saloons and estates in favour of minivans (eg. Chrysler Voyager), SUVs and pickups that were exempt.

[belleair302]

Image, marketing and the need to create a new catagory. Fifteen years ago a few people had Surburbans, Range Rovers and Grand Cherokees, but as the Japanese designers invaded the Americans started selling cheaper SUV's when compared to station wagons....which in the USA have always been somewhat disliked....ever seen American Vacation with Chevy Chase???

Most today are pretty cheaply built and the Toyota Forunner probably launched the SUV way back in the mid 1990's to the American public.

However with quality diesel now more available the German station wagon is making a comeback, especially with the 4x4 BMW's and Audi's.

[Garlick]

Truckosaurus said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

This.

The CAFE fuel regs pretty much killed off the large engined saloons and estates in favour of minivans (eg. Chrysler Voyager), SUVs and pickups that were exempt.

I didn't know this, thanks.

So it's simply become part of mainstream life as a result of these regs?

[GregE240]

Pretty much, yes. Plus they're quite good if you have a crash.

A guy genuinely tried to upgrade me in a car rental place in Miami to a Jeep Grand Cherokee because it "..would be better in an accident"

[Carfolio]

& obviously the manufacturers punted them ahead of the cars that were CAFE restricted.

[Carfolio]

GregE240 said:

Pretty much, yes. Plus they're quite good if you have a crash.

I think that's been comprehensively dispelled in various crash testing. CBA to look for links though :/

[F i F]

belleair302 said:

However with quality diesel now more available the German station wagon is making a comeback, especially with the 4x4 BMW's and Audi's.

Quite some years back 80s iirc some friends did the holiday rent an RV thing, and he insisted on having a diesel engine because of the fuel consumption thing.

They were surprised that it wasn't as easy to find diesel as they expected, though a few other renters with petrols apparently wished they had gone the same route as were heartily sick of single figure mpg, even with the low fuel prices back in the 80s.

[V88Dicky]

Working in Georgia a couple of years ago, and the works transport was one of these;




Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer.


Big (seated 9!), comfy, great aircon, and very relaxed and easy to drive.

I wouldn't dream of having one here, but over the pond they just seem to 'work'.


Having said that, there were plenty of 'normal' cars as well, many of them American built. (Impalas, Malibus, Corvettes, Trans-ams, GTOs and a shed load of Mustangs!)

[braddo]

Carfolio said:

GregE240 said:

Pretty much, yes. Plus they're quite good if you have a crash.

I think that's been comprehensively dispelled in various crash testing. CBA to look for links though :/

Another advantage of the vehicles being classed as trucks - avoided the crash safety requirements of conventional cars (so cheaper to build/sell).

[8400rpm]

It varies where you are in the country also.

Go to the west coast, places like Arizona, you'll see way more trucks and SUVs than somewhere like Maryland, for example.

[CraigyMc]

GregE240 said:

Pretty much, yes. Plus they're quite good if you have a crash.

I disagree. They have a tendency to flip over.

Presumably they'd be "better" in a crash against a smaller car, but if you drove a truck into another truck, what do you think would happen?
Better than car versus car?

C

[HellDiver]

Carfolio said:

GregE240 said:

Pretty much, yes. Plus they're quite good if you have a crash.

I think that's been comprehensively dispelled in various crash testing. CBA to look for links though :/

I'd rather be in a 4-star Grand Cherokee than a 5-star Clio when being hit by someone in a Suburban.

[wilmo]

Cheap fuel, and the mentioned large distances, and moving alot, as in living somewhere else.

[F i F]

V88Dicky said:

Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer.

Sorry to willy wave, but we used to be given the Excursion Eddie Bauer in black, even bigger, but as you say they just work even if they are crude trucks. Today's weapon is either a Chevy Suburban or the ubiquitous Crown Vic.

Pulled into a N Carolina filling station one day to fill up, usually at least 130 litres or more, this grizzled old cowboy wandered across the forecourt, took one look at the Monster (as the Excursion had been christened) and " Boys, that's one f***ing big truck!"