A few reasons. Note: I say this as a big outdoor recreator, so consider that bias. 1) the US has experienced a massive boom in outdoor recreation over last fiv

A few reasons. Note: I say this as a big outdoor recreator, so consider that bias. 1) the US has experienced a massive boom in outdoor recreation over last five years. All west coast campgrounds booked out months in advance (if they accept reservations), ski destinations never been busier, etc. west coast culture has a large outdoor recreation aspect, even if most people only do one or two outdoorsy things a year, their self perception is they are “outdoorsy”. Multiple neighbors have suvs so they can occasionally go camping. Could easily do it in a car but then you’d have to have a self perception that’s a closer match to lazy city dweller 2) external image. Related to above, I have observed coworkers purchase new cars and the perception of the car was important. One particular example was a coworker who got a minivan for family. Wife was miserable for six months because she was worried about being perceived as a boring mom. Finally took a 5k hit and traded it in on a new Subaru. They drive 4K miles a year, never go camping, but wanted to fit that west coast image of active family. 3) they are just more comfortable and can fit more stuff. You can get by without a truck and still haul bags of soil etc. there are some small hatchbacks that can work for this (loved my old Honda Fit, amazing storage for tiny car), but a hatchback suv makes this much easier 4) actually use it as intended. I consider this the least common reason, but some people load up their AWD suv with four people and snow shoe or cross country ski gear and get out every weekend. You can do this in a car (I’ve done it in all sorts of vehicles) but you are more likely to run into issues with a car. I’ve had tiny cars, compact suvs, full size suvs, a van, and now a truck, and it’s hard to imagine not having an suv because they are so versatile if you recreate. Throw a topper on your roof rack, get a set of snow tires, and you can go almost anywhere in any conditions.