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Soaring SUV sales keep carmakers on collision course with climate policy

uk.reuters.com

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Re: Soaring SUV sales keep carmakers on collision course with climate policy

#31

Post by mirimir »

gambiting wrote: post #8
lousken wrote: post #2

[flagged]

I don't think there's a very complicated question to answer - SUVs are sooo much more comfortable to get into and drive than regular cars that it's not a surprise they have become the default vehicle type for many people. I'm only 29 and having developed some joint problems I'm now buying an SUV for myself, purely because getting into a regular sedan/estate is a bit of a struggle, but getting into an SUV isn't. The s…

Huh.

I'm over 70, with ~severe arthritis, and I still love my Civic. Getting in and out requires some leverage on the wheel and seat. But driving is as comfortable as relaxing in a recliner.

Re: Soaring SUV sales keep carmakers on collision course with climate policy

#32

Post by semi-extrinsic »

signal11 wrote: post #23
lousken wrote: post #2

[flagged]

I remember reading somewhere that the biggest buyers of SUVs (albeit compact SUVs) are mothers / young parents who think minivans are too ugly. SUVs have lots of space for kids and a large boot to take everything from bicycles to shopping. And of course the better SUVs do have lots of safety features. Car manufacturers know this, which is why 7-seater SUVs are now a thing. Luckily they’re also working on hybrid and e…

There is also a thing where station wagons are less and less practical. If you compare a mid 90s Volvo 940 to the latest Volvo V90, the reduction in interior space, exterior visibility and in practicality is huge. Seems to be mostly caused by the trifecta of safer cars (thicker doors etc), better aerodynamics and more styling/design taking up space and making windows smaller.

Re: Soaring SUV sales keep carmakers on collision course with climate policy

#33

Post by pen2l »

shrubble wrote: post #27

Buying an SUV is sometimes due to network effects. If you are in a sedan, it isn't high enough to allow you to see traffic through the windshields of the SUV ahead of you, it's not much different than being behind an 18-wheeler. So as a defensive maneuver, you also buy an SUV...

I bought a petite Prius due to network effects.

It's nigh on impossible to do parallel parking in most of Boston (especially if you suck at p.parking), but with my Prius it's tolerable.

Re: Soaring SUV sales keep carmakers on collision course with climate policy

#34

Post by timewarrior »

shrubble wrote: post #27

Buying an SUV is sometimes due to network effects. If you are in a sedan, it isn't high enough to allow you to see traffic through the windshields of the SUV ahead of you, it's not much different than being behind an 18-wheeler. So as a defensive maneuver, you also buy an SUV...

This. That’s the sole reason I bought an SUV.

Re: Soaring SUV sales keep carmakers on collision course with climate policy

#35

Post by wool_gather »

wcoenen wrote: post #16
aSockPuppeteer wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve avoided accidents due to sitting higher in a SUV or truck by seeing what is in front of the driver ahead of me.

That only works if the vehicle in front of you is lower than your own, right? So people will have to get into an arms race and buy higher and higher vehicles to keep that advantage.

True, but that's mitigated by other factors, the simplest of which is that above a certain height it will become a royal pain to get in and out of the vehicle (and not just yourself: that includes helping kids in the backseat, and baggage).

Re: Soaring SUV sales keep carmakers on collision course with climate policy

#36

Post by sdenton4 »

ken wrote: post #29
ocdtrekkie wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sometimes there's nothing you can do to avoid an accident with another driver. You can get in a crash standing still at an intersection. In an accident, the biggest car will win. If the average car on the road was a Mini Cooper I wouldn't worry about it. But with the prevalence of SUVs, anyone driving something smaller than a crossover is taking a big personal risk.

From the research I've seen, that's not a significant factor. People aren't dying in their compact cars sitting at intersections. Sure, sometimes it happens -- and sometimes a semi or train hits you and even an SUV won't help. According to the IIHS, for example, the little 2-door Honda Civic has about the same fatality rate as the safest large SUVs. People in small cars aren't "taking a big risk". About as many peopl…

Flu deaths are concentrated on the very young and very old, though.

The fundamental connection: people who drive SUVs and people who skip flu shots don't care about externalities.

Re: Soaring SUV sales keep carmakers on collision course with climate policy

#38

Post by alexhutcheson »

semi-extrinsic wrote: post #32
signal11 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember reading somewhere that the biggest buyers of SUVs (albeit compact SUVs) are mothers / young parents who think minivans are too ugly. SUVs have lots of space for kids and a large boot to take everything from bicycles to shopping. And of course the better SUVs do have lots of safety features. Car manufacturers know this, which is why 7-seater SUVs are now a thing. Luckily they’re also working on hybrid and e…

There is also a thing where station wagons are less and less practical. If you compare a mid 90s Volvo 940 to the latest Volvo V90, the reduction in interior space, exterior visibility and in practicality is huge. Seems to be mostly caused by the trifecta of safer cars (thicker doors etc), better aerodynamics and more styling/design taking up space and making windows smaller.

Station wagons basically morphed into crossover SUVs. It's the same concept - hatchback body on a sedan chassis - but sits a bit higher and has different styling.

Re: Soaring SUV sales keep carmakers on collision course with climate policy

#39

Post by bryanlarsen »

savrajsingh wrote: post #17
lousken wrote: post #2

[flagged]

Ride height and cool factor. Minivans have ~the same ride height and even more utility (space) if you don’t off-road but lack the cool factor.

I think the cool factor is mostly gone with SUV's. When every soccer mom drives an SUV, it's no longer cool. Yes, they're cooler than a minivan, but that says more about the minivan than it does about the SUV.

Re: Soaring SUV sales keep carmakers on collision course with climate policy

#40

Post by alamortsubite »

shrubble wrote: post #27

Buying an SUV is sometimes due to network effects. If you are in a sedan, it isn't high enough to allow you to see traffic through the windshields of the SUV ahead of you, it's not much different than being behind an 18-wheeler. So as a defensive maneuver, you also buy an SUV...

If you're following the SUV ahead of you at a safe distance, why would you need or want to see through its windshield?

One of the reasons SUVs and pickup trucks are popular here in America is that they're easy to get in and out of. About 1/3 of Americans are obese (far more overweight), and from my observations, many have weak legs and cores. SUVs are part of the same phenomenon that has popularized single-story suburban homes, bottom-freezer refrigerators, etc. I see it as less of a network effect and more of a feedback loop.

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