Do you drive a SUV?

[Chicago Democrat]

Poll question: Do you drive a SUV?

[thefloyd]

1. I drive an SUV but I tow

So I do have practical uses for it.

[high density]

2. I don't drive an SUV

But to be honest, I'd drive a nice car with a V8 if I could afford it.

I guess I'm evil.

[ohio_liberal]

3. I drive an SUV in the winter, Toyota Celica in the summer

n/t

[Us vs Them]

4. Public Transport!

I love the train. I take it everywhere - including long haul journeys.

[CatholicEdHead]

5. Car based SUV

1st Gen Honda CRV 22-28mpg.

[IndianaGreen]

8. Honda CRV uses the Civic's frame

A great AWD car, like a station wagon on steroids. But it is not an SUV such as the Chevy Trailblazer.

[Billy Ruffian]

25. Almost

It uses the "Global Compact Chassis", and that's the platform for the CRV, Element, Civic and RSX (formerly Integra) B-)

[signmike]

6. '67 Chevy Suburban 6 cylinders. Does it count? 13 mpg

[avenueb]

7. car free

for almost 20 years.. I'm 39

[whistle]

9. Mid-sized import 4 door sedan that gets 18-20 mpg in the city....

...and about 24-27 mpg on the highway, depending how I drive, traffic, etc. I had a Tahoe four door three years ago. Great ride, wonderful for cargo loads, muti-passengers, but the gas tank held almost 35 gallons and I got about 10-12mpg in the city and about 15-18 mpg on the highways.

My sedan costs $100 per month in fuel, that Tahoe would easily run twice that. I don't know how these people with the massive 3 ton SUVs, the Humvee, the Expeditions, the Cadillac versions can drive those things with a clear conscience, but I suppose indifference and being self-centered knows no limits!

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

10. Honda Pilot.

Sort of an SUV. NOT a "Hummer." A V-6. Drove 4-cylinder Honda Accords for years. They decided to "Europeanize" them...slope the roof...and the 2003 Accord felt like the "Claustrophobic Deathmobile." So I bought the Pilot. I went to the Honda dealer fully prepared to buy an Accord. I had a 1991 Accord for ELEVEN F**KING YEARS. They tried to turn it into a Beemer. They FAILED.

Silicon Valley is FILLED with F**KING SOCCER MOMS, little 4'10" women driving Chevy Silverados and other V8 MONSTROSITIES. LITTLE women who drive back and forth to Albertson's or Safeway in these HUGE, LOUD, gas-sucking TROOP CARRIERS.

I offer NO apologies. In Silicon Valley, I am W-A-Y ahead of the game.

[justiceischeap]

11. '91 VW Golf (eom)

[Not_Giving_Up]

12. I drive a Toyota Corolla

I get nearly 40 mpg.

[lakemonster11]

13. I drive an SUV. It's also a Hybrid.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

33. Good for you!

That's the only kind of SUV I approve of. And it looks like a lot of auto manufacturers are coming out with hybrid SUV's. Now, if we could just do something about those headlights in my windows...

[Drifter]

52. Indeed ... I just got a Honda Civic Hybrid ...

and I love it.

Cheers
Drifter

[JerseygirlCT]

48. What do you have, and do you like it?

[greenbriar]

14. 2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade

sweet ride. My family only has ONE vehicle

[Greylyn58]

15. I drive a Saturn SL1...n/t

[Hardrada]

16. A 1993 Lincoln Signature Series Town Car

Big 4 door sedan but it is a work car for me since I make much use of the enormous trunk. (Holds more than your average SUV can).

[paineinthearse]

17. Single dad, teen son, live in the sticks

I need the 4wd and cargo space.

[Dying Eagle]

18. SUV's WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No one better not have a SUV!!!!! Get off of DU you traitors!!!j/k

I had one for a few months, too expensive, got a minivan. Man the minivan looks bad when your a 24 year old guy, But I have two kids and my wife runs a daycare...so....

[onehandle]

20. Minivans make so much more sense.

I cite the 25% (or more) rule.

On average:

Minivans get 25% (or more) better mileage than SUVs.
Minivans hold 25% (or more) more stuff and/or people than SUVs.
Minivans cost 25% (or more) less than SUVs.

And they don't turn over on the highway in a slight breeze.

[onehandle]

19. F*ck no!

I have a bumper sticker on my Honda (32+mpg in the city) that I love to wag at tailgating SUVs.

"Osama (heart symbol) Your SUV!"

I've angered many a Hummer driver.

[borlis]

21. go ahead, flame away.

GMC Yukon. Sorry. I live in Illinois where we get snow. So I do like the 4WD. I have 3 kids to fit in a vehicle and a stroller and sometimes a dog too, plus a husband when we all go someplace together. My kids play sports so sometimes we need to bring their "gear" with. We also like to carpool to practices so I do save gas that way. I also like having the extra room if we go somewhere and my kids want to bring a friend with. I know it's a gas guzzler, but I knew that it would be when I bought it, so I don't complain about it. Lastly and most important for me is that IT MAKES ME FEEL SAFE!!!! When I ride in a car now, especially a small one, it makes me feel like I am riding in a shoebox. And I always swore to myself that I would NEVER EVER have a minivan.

[Runcible Spoon]

22. it may MAKE you feel safe....

but the reality is that a station wagon or minivan is much safer. PLease get rid of your rolling death trap! Your feeling of safety is false security, one of the biggest "successes" of SUV marketing, though based on a lie. Google it!

[Radical Activist]

29. It doesn't make me feel safe when

I'm driving my sports car and someone in an SUV comes up behind me on the highway and blinds me because they are too dumb to realize or don't care how high off the ground their headlights are. SUV's are a menace to the road.

Hi Farce! nice post.

[borlis]

35. I never tailgate!! Hope you're not one of those little sports

car drivers that just weave in and out of traffic cutting people off like a maniac. If you do and you cut off someone in a SUV, guess who is going to lose??? :hi:

[Rockholm]

46. No flames from me!

I have a Land Rover. I live on a hilly "inner" suburban road (not plowed this morning, by the way). I have 2 large dogs and I LOVE MY CAR! OK, sucky mileage, but here is the rub.......

I have one car. My husband and I share this car. We can afford a second car, but with insurance and taxes, we would rather just have one. Our neighbors across the street have FIVE CARS! No SUVS because of the environment, but still FIVE CARS. They use more gas and fuel than I ever would.

Geez, I have these car vs. SUV threads. They go hand in hand with city vs. suburb threads

[tech3149]

23. I'm pretty happy with my 98 Civic

I've been driving Hondas since 79 (mostly SI hatchbacks). I love vehicles that can be driven hard and are agile. I don't need the space of an SUV and can drive off-road with my Honda better than most could in a Unimog. The only advantage to an SUV is the visual point of view. There is an advantage being able to see over most of those around you. If you have brains and situational awareness, you can compensate for the disadvantages of the perspective offered from a more efficient vehicle.
BTW: I have been getting about 40 mpg for the last year or so after adjusting my driving style. That's 3mpg over the EPA highway estimate.
I love performance driving whether it's speed or economy.

[chlamor]

24. '91 Honda Civic

Bought it new, 250,000 miles (way too many road trips to New Mexico), original clutch. It's running so well it seems one day it will implode. The word automobile means to travel under the impetus of one's own power. Something like that.

[buddysmellgood]

26. It's not the SUVs. It's the idiots that drive them with no other people or

cargo in them. Vehicles should be rated on how many miles per gallon per person they get. Four or more people in an SUV is better than most cars driven by one driver.

[all.of.me]

27. i have a ....

1991 toyota 4runner. is that considered an suv?! i hope not.... it sucks gas like one, though.....

[leftyandproud]

28. Isn't this ironic?

DU has a huge enviromentalist crowd yet people here drive SUV's in a FAR GREATER percentage than the population at large.

Hypocritical?

[borlis]

36. So should I go to Freeper Land just because I have a SUV?n/t

[leftyandproud]

40. no...I have no problem with anyone driving an SUV

I'm just surprised thats all. The percentage in the general population is probably around 10%. And with all the "big oil" bashing going on here's you'd think it would be 2% here.

[noamnety]

30. flame away at me as well

The issue is mpg and usage, not whether or not you have an SUV. Like Kerry said, the problem is not SUV's themselves, although people love to demonize them; it's environmentally unsound vehicles of all makes.

My Saturn Vue gets pretty much the same mpg as a typical minivan, better than some - and similar rollover stability rates. And if you've ever tried to carpool with a few cello players you'll understand why I don't have a honda civic. :)

So before you go jumping on the "DU is a bunch of hyprocrits" bandwagon, you'd do well to consider that some of us SUV owners get BETTER mileage than some of you sedan owners.

[bywho4who]

31. GET THAT

FUCKING HOUSE OUTA MY FUCKING WAY YOU KNEE JERK FEAR JUNKIE'S

I HATE YOU ALL !!!!!!!:nuke:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

32. I drive an '89 Toyota Camry.

My husband just bought a 2005 Toyota Prius, a hybrid. I prefer a slightly bigger vehicle, and so I'm waiting for Toyota to come out with their Camry Hybrid in another year or two. The Hybrid my husband drives is getting about 40 mpg combined city/fwy driving. I loathe SUV's: gas guzzlers, impossible to see around, and their headlights shine in my car! And in my neighborhood, you NEVER see a bunch of people in them, just the driver. Everybody complains about gas prices here in CA, but the damn SUV's help drive up the cost of gasoline by their low mileage. Obscene.

[magellan]

34. '97 Jeep Cherokee

Got it up north before moving south and now don't have the $$ to trade it in for something else, even if we wanted to. We both work from home. Fill the tank maybe once every two weeks. So shoot us.

[FM Arouet666]

37. Hypocrisy abounds....... 05' Porsche Boxter S

Not the best gas mileage and I drive like a maniac. My sin is made worse in that I talked my wife out of getting a Prius and buying an Audi A4.

However, I agree with the tenor of the question. Americans are selfish, in general, and are consuming non-renewable resources at an alarming rate. The problem is not the SUV, but the ease with which Americans can buy them and fuel them.

Driving in Europe, I am always amazed with the number of tiny vehicles. The "smart car" is smaller than the American version of the Mini Cooper. The price of gas is also much higher.

Perhaps the battle against the SUV would be better fought by taxing the vehicles and increasing the tax on fuel. If you can afford a Hummer, with a 10 grand vehicle tax and 4 dollar a gallon fuel prices, more power to you. The majority would opt for a more economical solution.

[Sugarcoated]

38. I've joined the cult of Saturn.

Saturn wagon, practical, boring, low end of the 'cars most stolen' list.

[Curtis]

39. 87 Suburban

Diesel that gets 19-20 mpg in city or hiway (better than alot of minivans). Diesel also does LESS damage to the environment than gas engines because diesel exhaust is mostly just soot. We also have a VW Bug and an old Ford pickup.

Now before anyone jumps me, I am a farmer and must have the Suburban for hauling the 200+ tons of olives that are picked within 10 days, and to haul around farm equipment. Try to do that with a Civic or minivan.

[sendero]

41. No but...

.. my wife does. It's a smaller one. And anyone who doesn't like it can kiss my ass.

This is one of those reasons middle Americans don't connect with Dems. Always telling people what to do on the one hand, while proclaiming freedom (civil liberties, abortion) on the other.

Be consistent. Yes, the wasting of fuel by machines like a Hummer is ludicrous, but it is not your place to tell people what to drive.

We ARE going to run out of oil, and whether it happens 5-10 years sooner or later doesn't amount to shit.

[DoYouEverWonder]

42. It's not only what you drive

it's how much you drive that matters too.

Yes, I have a Ford Explorer. I tow a trailer, a boat, fill it with gear and boxes of stuff for my booth when I do trade shows, fill it with toilet paper and towels for my business at least once a month....

However, I live about 3 miles from my business, so I usually can go all week on one tank of gas (granted it's a fairly big tank), but I'm not burning gallons of gas sitting in commuter traffic every day.

I, for one, am sick and tired of SUV bashing, when there are 1000's of other ways we waste energy every day that are just as bad.

BTW: I don't like the sport versions of SUV's because they are not designed for towing, neither are mini vans.

[bunkerbuster1]

43. Mid-sized German wagon

plenty of room for spouse, child, and cargo.

[against all enemies]

44. After two transmissions I bought an Explorer to tow with, The car

industry could and will design a lighter weight and more fuel efficient SUV soon.

[KittyWampus]

45. Stationwagon. Holds Just As Much But Safer For Myself & Other Drivers

[JerseygirlCT]

47. A little Subaru Forester one...

gets better mileage than many sedans.

[hamerfan]

50. Subaru Outback wagon...

Because it works for us. Just me and the wife now, no kids. The all-wheel-drive is very nice. And enough room for all our stuff when the two-week-camping vacation bug hits. I don't look down on SUV's, I'm just glad I don't need one!

[JerseygirlCT]

57. With no judgment involved, I couldn't drive one of those big

ones. Too uncomfortable for me -- like driving a bus. I like maneuverability. The Forester has room in the back for kids' stuff, and enough room for two kids. Three kids can fit in back, but three adults is uncomfortable. A scooch more there would be nice.

And, yes, the AWD is wonderful. With snow, snow and more snow, I know I can get through any of it.

[elderly man]

49. This discussion is much like the gun debate

Mostly emotion, very little logic.
During the last ten years that I worked and lived in an urban area,
I drove a Toyota Corolla that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Drove the Toyota about 25,000 miles per year and consumed about
20 gallons of gasoline per week.

After retirement I moved to a wilderness area in the North.
It soon became apparent that the Toyota was no longer suitable
for my needs and I acquired a Ford Explorer. I now drive about
10,000 miles per year and consume about 10 gallons of gasoline
per week, which is about half of what I used with the Toyota.

Back during World War II, when we had more freedom and common sense,
an individual through rationing was alloted 5 gallons of gasoline
per week. The person receiving this allotment had the free choice
of whether he would consume his 5 gallons of gasoline in a
Mini-Cooper or a Mack truck.

[Bettie]

51. Dodge Durango here

Has a truck frame for towing our trailer, 4 wheel drive for winter on unplowed roads. Plus, room enough for two kids, four adults, a big dog, plus stuff.

We hope to get a hybrid SUV for our next vehicle, but it needs to be able to withstand towing.

In my defense though, I am a SAHM and don't fill up but once every two weeks or so. Most of the time it is parked and we walk when we need to do stuff here in town.

Our other car is a Saturn sedan. I used to have a Saturn station wagon and loved it, unfortunately, we needed a truck at that time, then we had those kids and its hard to carry two kids in a pickup truck!

I know its bad, but we really do use the towing and the cargo space a lot.

[sendero]

53. It's not bad..

... and stop telling yourself that!

I have a little car that gets 30-37 mpg. I drive a lot for my work. I also have a truck that gets 14-15 mpg. Sometimes I need the truck.

I don't feel guilty about it, nor should I.

On the home front, I'm ruthless with the thermostat. I keep the house at 66-68 in the winter and 78-84 in the summer. I use flourescent lighting for 90% of my home lighting. I mercilessly bitch at the kids for leaving lights on that are not needed :)

A lot of the folks who get all indignant about the vehicle other people drive waste tons of energy through ignorance (do you know which appliances use lots of energy and why? Do you set your dishwasher to use heat to dry?) and lack of discipline.

I've looked into getting a smaller truck that would still meet my needs. (Mine is a Ford F150). After poking around www.fueleconomy.gov for a while, I found that the Japanese equivalent of my truck (i.e. would still carry the cargo and passengers I need to carry) would only get 2-3 mpg more. Forgettaboutit.

[Octafish]

54. Jeep

Proud to say I've bought seven pre-owned and new Jeeps in my time. When I was younger, my fuel-efficient compact was rear-ended by tailgating fools twice in one year. Once, they almost broke my neck. If the third times the charm, I can wait.

BTW: I live in Michigan. It's hard to get to work some days in winter. I need to rabbit to put food on my family.

[Roland99]

55. 4 cyl., 5-speed sports sedan

[DelawareValleyDem]

56. Don't need one, don't want one

Don't tow anything, don't go off road, and have never needed anything more than snow tires to handle SE Pa. winters in my Corolla.

I have an in-law that has an SUV, but he needs to tow a big boat. Another in-law, ironically enough, had one when single, then switched after starting a family because a van was more practical for general people/cargo moving.

[Jimbo S]

58. I love my Saturn

A practical car for practical people.

[chlamor]

59. I drive this around town-Get out of my way

22 gallons of oil to manufacture one tire. I scrape small foreign jobbies off my grill at the end of the day. The American way of life is non-negotiable.

:bounce: