Your suggestoin for a SUV

[GoodLuck]

The wife is hell bent on buying an SUV- for all the wrong reasons- like show
off-- be fashionable- be trendy etc..Looks like i have to bite the bullet
and get her a brand new or slightly used SUV.
I looked into the market and every compnay has many SUVs each. I am
confused and am afraid I will make a poor decision. Please share your
thoughts and experiences. I would really appreciate it. For reference - I
have a 96 Infinity G20, 94 SaabAERO, 92 OLDSMOBILE Silhouette.

Purpose of this SUV:
The purpose is not to perform "OFF-THE ROAD"
The purpose is not to "TOW" boats or other massive loads.
The purpose is simply vanity.
SIZE;
We are four people in the house- Me - Wife- and four grown up children- SO a
5 seater is plenty.
MOSTLY USED FOR:
Drivingto work - 15 miles away- on high ways mostly
WHAT I WANT OUT OF THE SUV:
fun to drive- reliable and not too expensive to maintain-
I don't care about gas mileage-
I don't care about US or foreign make-

Please reply to my email address.

P.S:
I heard that the Mercedes Benz ML series SUV is a pain to own.
I heard that the FORD EXPLORER had several problems in the past.
I heard the LAND ROVER is a lousy vehicle to keep and maintain.
I heard that the Toyota line is good - reliable- but boring vehicles to
drive.

 

[Lostin1999]

The wife is hell bent on buying an SUV- for all the wrong reasons- like show
off-- be fashionable- be trendy etc..Looks like i have to bite the bullet
and get her a brand new or slightly used SUV.
I looked into the market and every compnay has many SUVs each. I am
confused and am afraid I will make a poor decision. Please share your
thoughts and experiences. I would really appreciate it. For reference - I
have a 96 Infinity G20, 94 SaabAERO, 92 OLDSMOBILE Silhouette.

Purpose of this SUV:
The purpose is not to perform "OFF-THE ROAD"
The purpose is not to "TOW" boats or other massive loads.
The purpose is simply vanity.
SIZE;
We are four people in the house- Me - Wife- and four grown up children- SO a
5 seater is plenty.
MOSTLY USED FOR:
Drivingto work - 15 miles away- on high ways mostly
WHAT I WANT OUT OF THE SUV:
fun to drive- reliable and not too expensive to maintain-
I don't care about gas mileage-
I don't care about US or foreign make-

Please reply to my email address.

P.S:
I heard that the Mercedes Benz ML series SUV is a pain to own.
I heard that the FORD EXPLORER had several problems in the past.
I heard the LAND ROVER is a lousy vehicle to keep and maintain.
I heard that the Toyota line is good - reliable- but boring vehicles to
drive.

Just to correct you, for what its designed for the landrover is THE
offroader... However for what you want you would be better off getting one
of the Fake 'suv's' as u choose to call them, probably a 2 wheel drive
Honda HRV (I think thats the 2 wheel drive)

typical Jap build Quality and bullitproofness.. looks the part, but less
bits to go wrong..

HTH

Mark

 

[Brian Smith]

The wife is hell bent on buying an SUV- for all the wrong reasons- like show
off-- be fashionable- be trendy etc..Looks like i have to bite the bullet
and get her a brand new or slightly used SUV.

Have you considered standing up to your wife and telling her that she
doesn't need it and she's not going to have one?

 

[Brian Smith]

The wife is hell bent on buying an SUV- for all the wrong reasons- like show
off-- be fashionable- be trendy etc..Looks like i have to bite the bullet
and get her a brand new or slightly used SUV.

If standing up to her isn't a possibility, perhaps, you should buy her a
Hummer. it's big, it's chrome and it will carry the six of you.

 

[Rob Guenther]

Then two must be not living at home... I think he would know how many people
live in his house.

 

[Rob Guenther]

Get a nice Volvo 960/940T/V90 wagon.... if you go used, or a V70 2.4T/T-5/R
AWD if you want to go new

It has SPORT - 180+ hp in case of the 960/940T 210-300hp in case of the V70

It has UTILITY - 74 cubic feet of cargo space, or room for 5 people and
still a lot of cargo... a bit less in the V70s I believe

it is a VEHICLE.... well what else would it be?

and if you wife yells and bitches and moans and screams about the sheer
PROSPECT of owning a wagon..... tell her it is a hell of a lot more
fashionable to be driving around in something that not everyone and the
woman next door is driving. Not to mention Volvo wagons are far more capable
then most SUV's... Ohhh and BTW Volvo also makes a new SUV called the XC90
which has won a few awards, and is quite nice inside... the V70 is nicer
tho.

Oh and don't forget VW... they have the new Touareg SUV coming soon....
seems AWESOME... for and SUV that is.

 

[GRL]

Consider a Subaru WRX wagon. SUV-like, 4WD, goes like hell, high quality
construction, and about as much fun as you can have in a car with your pants
on.




- GRL


" It's good to want things. "

- Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, graphic artist, Visual Basic
programmer)

 

[George Jetson]

The wife is hell bent on buying an SUV-

You can get a Bradley Fighting Vehicle for about $550K. Seats 4
comfortably. Great safety for you and your family (at the expense of your
fellow motorists, but if your set on an SUV, you don't give a shit about
your fellow motorists in an accident anyway).

Fuel mileage might be a concern, but again, if you're going to buy an
SUV you don't give a shit about fuel economy, the environment or your fellow
human beings. Screw 'em all and go for the SUV. Feel like Grizzly Adams
during your commute.

GJ

 

[Eric Dreher]

Then two must be not living at home... I think he would know how many people
live in his house.

One never knows what kind of remedial math someone was taught
in today's public school system.

 

[Joseph Oberlander]

Purpose of this SUV:
The purpose is not to perform "OFF-THE ROAD"
Check.

The purpose is not to "TOW" boats or other massive loads.
The purpose is simply vanity.

Check. She wants a raised minivan. No problem with that - the
entire market of small ot midsize SUVs are this. Worthless off-road,
but nice high up driving position and great in rain and snow.

First off - check out the National Highway Safety site on crash
tests - they recently did a batch of side-impact tests with a
woman and child in the truck.

Most were deathtraps, believe it or not, due to poor side impact
protection. Read the report and buy the ones that tested highest.
In any case - ONLY buy one with side-impact airbags. One of the worst
in the group, the Ford Escape, went to second best with this $350 option.
Almost surely dead to a few days recovering. Most of the ones they
tested WITH this option will be fine other than the ones that intruded
too much into the compartment.

51% of accidents are from side impacts. Most of the drivers
of SUVs (total amount of time driving per day) were women -
significantly higher than men. With SUVs approaching nearly
50% of vehicles on the road in some cities, it's long overdue
to test like this. The tests were done at typical city speeds
as well - a mere 30mph. Considering that most drivers who are
involved in crashes are speeding or go faster than the standard
35mph posted speed on most main roads, even with braking to try to
stop before they hit, 30mph is a very realistic impact speed.

The NHSTA doesn't do this test, which is unfortunate. Guess
what the manufacturers use for their crash data? Yep - the
NHSTA one.

http://www.hwysafety.org/news_releases/2003/pr061703.htm
Truly enlightening reading.

Oh - it's tons worse for cars struck by a SUV. Take a look
at that heap of a Geo that was hit by a pickup truck on
that page. Ow.

Note on the crash pictures pages that the older Detroit
steel(tm) seemed to fare better than most smaller cars.

http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/summary_smsuv_side.htm
The ratings. Ow.

Larger SUVs are to be tested in a few months. As evidenced by the
above tests, size will likely make little difference for many of
the SUVs. Some, but not a lot.

Also, the rear seat on most 3rd-row SUVs is well within the rear
crumple zone, so short of a Expedition or Yukon, you're looking at
3 in the second row and the 3rd row removed.

 

[Joseph Oberlander]

If standing up to her isn't a possibility, perhaps, you should buy her a
Hummer. it's big, it's chrome and it will carry the six of you.

(snipped all but the Volvo group since the others may get jealous)

A Volvo 303 will whomp all over that GM turd.

 

[Bruce L. Bergman]

WARNING: Massively Crossposted. Mind your manners, folks... ;-)

If standing up to her isn't a possibility, perhaps, you should buy her a
Hummer. it's big, it's chrome and it will carry the six of you.

I'd suggest a Toyota 4-Runner myself (or the Lexus version if you
want leather and power everything). You can get them 4-cylinder or
V-6, 2WD or 4WD to meet your needs - but think about the resale value
of whatever vehicle you get. Toyota's are about at the top of the
heap in retaining their value over time, and the V-6 4WD version will
retain more resale value than the 4-Cyl. 2WD if you sell or trade it
in 3 to 5 years.

But if money is not a big concern and the Hummer starts looking good
to her, get the original Hummer H1 that is based on the bulletproof
military design and parts - the independent suspension with geared
hubs and inboard brakes giving tremendous ground clearance, central
tire inflation system (the ultimate in run-flat tires) and everything
else built ultra strong. They are NOT cheap, but they can take
everything you can dish out (up to and including small arms fire) and
say "That's all you got?"

From what I can see, the Hummer H2 (or as I call it, the "Humette")
is just a gussied-up Chevy pickup that is built to carry the Hummer
name and cachet but with a cheaper stamped sheet-metal body and lots
of chrome - and get the sales to soccer moms and wannabee's, but to a
much lower price point than the H1. And when Detroit deliberately
builds vehicles to be inexpensive, I see many reliability problems
ahead...

(Work truck. Been there, done that, paid the repair bills...)

--<< Bruce >>--
--
Bruce L. Bergman, POB 394, Woodland Hills CA 91365, USA
Electrician, Westend Electric (#726700) Agoura, CA

WARNING: UCE Spam E-mail is not welcome here. I report violators.
SpamBlock In Use - Remove the "Python" with a "net" to E-Mail.

 

[James Sweet]

Looks like you should bite the bullet and get a new wife, I mean honestly,
why would you wanna spend your life with someone like that?

 

[C.R. Krieger]

Hey, you havn't met his wife!

I'm guessing he hasn't met his own, either. No married man in his
right mind would choose to argue with a woman who wants him to go out
and *buy another vehicle*! The last time my wife did that, she ended
up in a Jaguar X-Type in spite of her attempts at 'buyer's remorse'.
Now I can't get her *out* of it!

Of course, it *could* be satire ...

 

[C.R. Krieger]

Consider a Subaru WRX wagon.

Would *you* like to be the *sixth* adult to try to climb into a WRX?
Or maybe you and your family wear red fright wigs, big floppy shoes,
and rubber ball noses all the time ...

 

[C.R. Krieger]

The wife is hell bent on buying an SUV- for all the wrong reasons- like show
off-- be fashionable- be trendy etc..Looks like i have to bite the bullet
and get her a brand new or slightly used SUV.

The purpose is simply vanity.
SIZE;
5 seater is plenty.
MOSTLY USED FOR:
Drivingto work - 15 miles away- on high ways mostly
WHAT I WANT OUT OF THE SUV:
fun to drive- reliable and not too expensive to maintain-
I don't care about gas mileage-
I don't care about US or foreign make-

You might check into the Chrysler Pacifica. Huge hulking wagon-SUV
thang that comes in AWD or FWD (if you don't really need the AWD).
About the only one outside a minivan that seats six (in 3 pairs of
buckets). Proven drivetrain in a new trendy body. Kind of a PT
Cruiser for grownups.

Then, across the same showroom floor, there's the standard of the
field: Jeep Grand Cherokee. Not many people know you can get a *RWD*
GC! The Laredo and Limited are both 4WD/AWD, but the base GC is
*not*. It's the ultimate poseur machine to convince the neighbors
that she might actually run the Rubicon Trail someday. Get one of
those "It's a JEEP thing ... you wouldn't understand." stickers for
her windshield and she's all ready to take on Eddie Blodgett ("He's a
software engineer." - from those hilarious Toyota SUV ads) Saturday
mornings down at the home improvement store!

If you get *any* kind of snow where you live, forget trying to find
the RWD (they're rare anywhere in the northern half of the US) because
it's too squirrely on slick surfaces. The same goes for the Laredo in
2WD (Don't ask me how I know.)- but pull that console lever and it's
hard to beat.

I heard that the Mercedes Benz ML series SUV is a pain to own.

Only in the wallet.

I heard that the FORD EXPLORER had several problems in the past.

The EXPLODER? Nah!

I heard the LAND ROVER is a lousy vehicle to keep and maintain.

Probably a great vehicle to keep - lousy to maintain.

I heard that the Toyota line is good - reliable- but boring vehicles to
drive.

Yeah; but almost anything in this field is. As a 'sports sedan'
driver (and a BMW and Audi club driving instructor and autocrosser), I
find the Jeep's OK. Nothing to write home about, but nothing really
objectionable either. It gets *very good* reviews from those who have
compared it to more SUVs (I haven't.).

 

[Brian]

You'll note this message was crossposted and the author also asked for
replies by email. So I doubt he's reading the responses here. Might as well
cut down on the typing now.

 

[Marvin Margoshes]

Many SUVs are hazards on the road, including for the driver. Especially for
a driver who is inexperienced with such a vehicle. Look into the safety
records.

SUVs are great for the car makers. They are modified trucks, and in the
U.S. they don't have to meet the safety and mileage standards that cars
must. The profit per unit sold is much higher for SUVs than for other
passenger vehicles.

Consider a station wagon instead.

 

[Joseph Oberlander]

NHTSA and IIHS both do side impact tests. The NHTSA uses a rammer
that simulates a car, with average size dummies in the target vehicle.
The IIHS uses a rammer that simulates a large pickup or SUV, with small
dummies in the target vehicle. The IIHS test is probably the one more
likely to give worse results.

I don't think they are unrealistic, though, as it represents a
teenager or "soccer mom" and a moderate crash of only 30mph,
slower than the NHSTA tests(35mph). I'd rate impact force to
be roughly the same(smaller occupants vs slower speed), but
that the higher height impact zone of the SUV(mind you - versus
another SUV - don't even think about what a SUV vs a car would do)
puts the SUV on an even-footing.

ie: what happens if the exact same SUV rams into you? They do
this for cars, btw - same height and weight for the NHSTA tests,
but fail to match it up for the SUVs.

The pictures shown on
http://www.hwysafety.org/news_releases/2003/pr061703_c.htm all show
T-bone "target" vehicles with badly smashed in sides. No matter what,
being in the "target" vehicle in a T-bone crash is quite dangerous.
But note that most of the vehicles in the pictures were older designs,
built before side crash protection was much of a priority.

They state that 51% of all accidents involved some sort of side
impact(though usually not at a 90 degree angle). With SUVs soon
to represent a majority of the vehicles on the road in the U.S.,
they had better start testing and designing as if these were going
to hit you.

Note how the Subaru Forester did the best of the small SUVs.
It is also a reliable and inexpensive model as well.

 

[Joseph Oberlander]

Oh - I forgot to mention.

You'll get her a SUV if she will get you a motorcycle.