Current crop of SUV'S

((I'm not really sure what the point of this thread is.)) It has to have a point, LOL. I guess it would be the castration of the truck based SUV towards a CUV . Like someone said that's what the people want. To me there just a station wagon with a poor center of gravity. You do sit upright where you don't have to crawl in and out of them. I will check out the new Ford Bronco. GM could of made the Blazer out of the Colorado/Canyon instead of another CUV, like the other 4 or 5 models they produce. I guess the crew cab pickup made the true SUV obsolete for families wanting to tow a large trailer.

I think because the term "SUV" sounded more robust and widened the purchasing audience than the former "mini-van" which marketed to families. "SUV" not only fits "families" but also the single, not married group who want something that sounds more "sporty" than just a "family" vehicle, to the old dude thats now going through their second childhood! (like me). SUV sounds kind of sporty and rugged, appealing to anyone, including the "family" car.

Basically... it's all words anyway. Call it a "toad monster" if you want. It doesn't change what the vehicle actually is. But, how many people would actually buy it, if it were actually called a "toad monster"?

ACZL wrote:
If you parked all the "SUV'S" side by side, then looked at them from the side, they all have the same body shape!! At least I think so.

OMG ROFL, funniest statement of the week!
Same shape? Uhhh you're right, they're SUVs. Should they put the hood in back and the back seats up front to make one look different?
That's like saying line up pickup trucks....dayum, they're all the same shape. Copycats, putting that bed thing behind the cab.....Where's the originality? LOL

ACZL wrote:
If you parked all the "SUV'S" side by side, then looked at them from the side, they all have the same body shape!! At least I think so. I'd like to upgrade the DW into a SUV, but wan t one that is RWD and wheel drive. However, in saying that, we currently have a VW Passat which she loves and I'd like to go into the VW Atlas as we've been very pleased w/ the 2 VW's we've had. Comes in either FWD or AWD. Don't want AWD. She asked me the other day if any SUV's are hybrids to which I have no clue. Are there?

The new Ford Explorer is RWD. I believe most, if not all, Mercedes SUVs are RWD and BMW has some models. Toyota, Lexus, Ford, Acura, BMW and Volvo offer hybrid SUVs.

Iraqvet05 wrote:
I doubt there is any agreement on what defines an SUV. GM still makes truck framed SUV (Tahoe, Blazer, Suburban) and they have their niche. I think many that had one (including me) got away from them because of their lumbering ride, poor fuel mileage and high step in....all traits we over look if we wanted to tow something with those SUVs.

Huh?
I just picked up an old Tahoe, 01 model, for a winter beater car.
Lumbering ride? Nope, rides like a Caddy, too soft for my liking actually, but it is a plush ride, no argument there.
Poor mileage? Yeah, but not compared to anything else that size. With a 4speed and 3.73s it does 14-15mpg compared to my 2017 1500 Silverado work truck that does 15-17mpg same conditions with 15 years more tech advancements to the drivetrain.
High step in? It's (as are most) a low slung mall crawler with full running boards from the factory. Any lower and you're stepping down into it like a sedan.

Save for the old 3/4ton SUVs that went the way of the dinosaurs about 10 years ago, I haven't seen one that isn't a plush car like ride.
Isn't that what the other geezers complain about, suvs are too cushy to tow heavy?

colliehauler wrote:
Why do they call them SUV'S when then vast majority of them are glorified station wagons? To me a SUV is a truck based full frame vehicle. Got to love marketing.

If you think about it, the original SUVs were the ones that were a marketing gimmick. Automakers took unrefined, harsh riding, poor handling pickup trucks, made the truck bed part of the cabin, added some bling and sold them at a hefty profit.

Since then, consumer tastes and the industry have evolved considerably. There must be a good reason why automakers are stopping production of cars and adding more SUVs to their offerings. Most SUV buyers today prefer having a vehicle that handles and feels more like a car than a truck.

I own a current-generation 4X4 Jeep Grand Cherokee and it's like night and day compared to the old SUVs. We are currently looking to replace the wife's smaller SUV with a new one and ride quality and road manners are of paramount importance.

If you parked all the "SUV'S" side by side, then looked at them from the side, they all have the same body shape!! At least I think so. I'd like to upgrade the DW into a SUV, but wan t one that is RWD and wheel drive. However, in saying that, we currently have a VW Passat which she loves and I'd like to go into the VW Atlas as we've been very pleased w/ the 2 VW's we've had. Comes in either FWD or AWD. Don't want AWD. She asked me the other day if any SUV's are hybrids to which I have no clue. Are there?

I'm not really sure what the point of this thread is. I don't think my sister's Expedition is any more of a real SUV than my wife's Pilot. It's body on frame and RWD biased versus unibody and FWD biased, but they drive pretty much the same, both have independent suspensions on both ends as well as limited ground clearance and poor approach/departure angles (I'd guess the Expedition is worse in that regard). Neither is going to get very far off-road with much success but both can handle reasonably poor forest service roads fairly well and snow/ice very well. The Expedition can tow a little more than the Pilot but both are a joke compared to my truck in that regard. Towing aside, they're both well suited as family vehicles in the Northwest where we live. Subarus are extremely popular in this part of the country too, with good reason.

I doubt there is any agreement on what defines an SUV. GM still makes truck framed SUV (Tahoe, Blazer, Suburban) and they have their niche. I think many that had one (including me) got away from them because of their lumbering ride, poor fuel mileage and high step in....all traits we over look if we wanted to tow something with those SUVs. The majority of the SUV buyers doesn't want that. They want a smooth ride with descent fuel economy they can haul the family around in. I don't believe marketing is responsible for the decline of the full-framed SUV, it's consumer demand. Personally, I'd rather have a truck bed than the 3rd row of seating when it comes to a TV.

Huntindog, yes VW, Volvo, BMW, Porche, Buick and Subaru make station wagons thought I use that term loosely.

Stupid Useless Vehicle.

Station wagon for small trailer? A Vista Cruiser could tow most travel trailers available. And remember back then most pickups got crowded with 3 people.