5 ms·

SUVs are popular because of the death of car culture. Car enthusiasts still like small sedans with handling and looks and etc. But the average person just want

SUVs are popular because of the death of car culture. Car enthusiasts still like small sedans with handling and looks and etc. But the average person just wants the biggest, most comfortable car they can get for the money. I had a millenial co-worker ask me why selling a 2-door car was even legal these days.

smileysteve 3y ago
> But the average person just wants the biggest, most comfortable car They want the biggest, because it makes them feel comfortable, despite objective data and car parts that SUVs are more dangerous and less comfortable. One theory is that millennials have been taught that higher and bigger is better because of age related vision deterioration by their parents and it has now caught on. Anecdotally, I asked this line of questioning recently of family that had the choice of a 20 hour road trip - 2 people in (solid rear axle) Cadillac Escalade versus a similar year Mercedes Mid Size SUV. The reasoning given was comfort. But objectively, the mid size has independent rear suspension, more responsive steering, quicker pickup, lower weight (and better center of gravity), lower miles, fewer maintenance issues, fits in more parking spaces, is not as tall to get into comfortably, better fuel economy, and more comfortable seating. The conclusion that the extra large SUV is more comfortable perplexes me.
- saiya-jin 3y ago
  1) bad drivers like being seated high and this helps when overloaded with information; and bad as beginner, constantly bad or just age-related 2) cargo cult culture in literally everything these days, including what some less-than-bright footballer buys for a car (or some famous dev or company uses for building their products), so these 'suv' are seen as luxury, and not garbage dump of companies making real cars (TM) like BMW. Severe rolling risk, slow reaction times and generally just a bad drive thanx to basic physics, high consumption and overall maintenance... not that great a choice for many
- legitster 3y ago
  Well, the simple truth is that the best, most versatile car on the road is a minivan. But no one wants to admit that so everyone pretends they like SUVs despite being worse in almost every way for daily driving.
  - kelnos 3y ago
    Really? I dislike the feel of driving an SUV, but I find minivans to be lumbering beasts. Granted, I haven't had the displeasure of driving a minivan in many years (whereas I have had the displeasure of driving SUVs recently), so maybe they've gotten better.
    - legitster 3y ago
      They are not particularly fast, but for just ride comfort they are superb. Both the Sienna and the Pacifica have very comfortable seats and very good noise dampening. But because their profile is much more aerodynamic and they are lower to the ground, they just drive very smoothly. Especially when covering long distances on the freeway. It's also amazing to be able to open every door and control every feature with a physical button on the dash and be able to haul full sheets of plywood in the back. My personal cars have all been sporty little manual hatchbacks, but if I just wanted all out comfort it's really hard to beat a well equipped mini-van.
- smackeyacky 3y ago
  It's the long wheelbase and bigger wheels that have more impact on comfort than IRS vs. solid rear axles. A big vehicle just doesn't jiggle around as much which is surprisingly tiring when you are travelling.
  - kelnos 3y ago
    I dunno if I agree with that; I drive back and forth from the bay area to Tahoe area several times a year, mostly in winter months. In the past, I would rent a 4WD SUV for the trip (variety of makes and models). A year and a half ago I bought a Mercedes sedan (with 4WD) and that drive is way more comfortable and stable now. Maybe I just had bad luck with the rentals I chose?
asveikau 3y ago
I guess when I say car culture, I don't mean enthusiasts and tinkerers. I mean that general American culture is car-dependent. People think their car is very important and part of their identity. I see on social media all the time people say that lack of a car is a sign of struggle, that you haven't made it, that you can't be trusted. That sort of thing.
- legitster 3y ago
  I don't necessarily love it as a characterization because Americans also have a love of huge refrigerators and couches and washing machines but no one says we have a refrigerator culture (even though it may be true). When you think about the number of boring base-level Corollas that get sold, it's hard to think of it as an identity thing. I think a fairer description would be that American culture values space, personal property ownership, and independence. Car ownership is a means to an end.
  - kelnos 3y ago
    I think the larger size of appliances and furniture in the US isn't because of any particular love of larger sizes for those things, just that suburbia tends to give people more room. I'm not sure of the direction of causation: do Americans value space and personal property ownership and independence on first principles, and then spread out in large house on large plots of land because of that? Or did those values grow out of the incidental ability to have lots of house space? Our fridge/freezer is on the larger size, but is also usually pretty full, so we definitely get good use out of it. Our washing machine is reasonably large, but, frankly, not large enough, as I can't fit our king-size bed's comforter in it, and have to use a laundry service to get it washed. Our couch is a pretty good size, but my partner and I want to be able to stretch out on it (at opposite ends) simultaneously, which doesn't seem like a wild or unreasonable thing to want to do. And I prefer a smaller car! I refuse to purchase an SUV, despite my need to drive in snowy mountains several months out of the year (I of course found a sedan with a 4WD option). I hate driving SUVs; they feel bulky, unwieldy, and unstable to me. Before I bought my current car, I would rent a 4WD SUV when I needed to drive in the snow, and I hated the experience every time.
  - 3y ago

smileysteve 3y ago

> But the average person just wants the biggest, most comfortable car They want the biggest, because it makes them feel comfortable, despite objective data and car parts that SUVs are more dangerous and less comfortable. One theory is that millennials have been taught that higher and bigger is better because of age related vision deterioration by their parents and it has now caught on. Anecdotally, I asked this line of questioning recently of family that had the choice of a 20 hour road trip - 2 people in (solid rear axle) Cadillac Escalade versus a similar year Mercedes Mid Size SUV. The reasoning given was comfort. But objectively, the mid size has independent rear suspension, more responsive steering, quicker pickup, lower weight (and better center of gravity), lower miles, fewer maintenance issues, fits in more parking spaces, is not as tall to get into comfortably, better fuel economy, and more comfortable seating. The conclusion that the extra large SUV is more comfortable perplexes me.

saiya-jin 3y ago
1) bad drivers like being seated high and this helps when overloaded with information; and bad as beginner, constantly bad or just age-related 2) cargo cult culture in literally everything these days, including what some less-than-bright footballer buys for a car (or some famous dev or company uses for building their products), so these 'suv' are seen as luxury, and not garbage dump of companies making real cars (TM) like BMW. Severe rolling risk, slow reaction times and generally just a bad drive thanx to basic physics, high consumption and overall maintenance... not that great a choice for many
legitster 3y ago
Well, the simple truth is that the best, most versatile car on the road is a minivan. But no one wants to admit that so everyone pretends they like SUVs despite being worse in almost every way for daily driving.
- kelnos 3y ago
  Really? I dislike the feel of driving an SUV, but I find minivans to be lumbering beasts. Granted, I haven't had the displeasure of driving a minivan in many years (whereas I have had the displeasure of driving SUVs recently), so maybe they've gotten better.
  - legitster 3y ago
    They are not particularly fast, but for just ride comfort they are superb. Both the Sienna and the Pacifica have very comfortable seats and very good noise dampening. But because their profile is much more aerodynamic and they are lower to the ground, they just drive very smoothly. Especially when covering long distances on the freeway. It's also amazing to be able to open every door and control every feature with a physical button on the dash and be able to haul full sheets of plywood in the back. My personal cars have all been sporty little manual hatchbacks, but if I just wanted all out comfort it's really hard to beat a well equipped mini-van.
smackeyacky 3y ago
It's the long wheelbase and bigger wheels that have more impact on comfort than IRS vs. solid rear axles. A big vehicle just doesn't jiggle around as much which is surprisingly tiring when you are travelling.
- kelnos 3y ago
  I dunno if I agree with that; I drive back and forth from the bay area to Tahoe area several times a year, mostly in winter months. In the past, I would rent a 4WD SUV for the trip (variety of makes and models). A year and a half ago I bought a Mercedes sedan (with 4WD) and that drive is way more comfortable and stable now. Maybe I just had bad luck with the rentals I chose?

asveikau 3y ago

I guess when I say car culture, I don't mean enthusiasts and tinkerers. I mean that general American culture is car-dependent. People think their car is very important and part of their identity. I see on social media all the time people say that lack of a car is a sign of struggle, that you haven't made it, that you can't be trusted. That sort of thing.

legitster 3y ago
I don't necessarily love it as a characterization because Americans also have a love of huge refrigerators and couches and washing machines but no one says we have a refrigerator culture (even though it may be true). When you think about the number of boring base-level Corollas that get sold, it's hard to think of it as an identity thing. I think a fairer description would be that American culture values space, personal property ownership, and independence. Car ownership is a means to an end.
- kelnos 3y ago
  I think the larger size of appliances and furniture in the US isn't because of any particular love of larger sizes for those things, just that suburbia tends to give people more room. I'm not sure of the direction of causation: do Americans value space and personal property ownership and independence on first principles, and then spread out in large house on large plots of land because of that? Or did those values grow out of the incidental ability to have lots of house space? Our fridge/freezer is on the larger size, but is also usually pretty full, so we definitely get good use out of it. Our washing machine is reasonably large, but, frankly, not large enough, as I can't fit our king-size bed's comforter in it, and have to use a laundry service to get it washed. Our couch is a pretty good size, but my partner and I want to be able to stretch out on it (at opposite ends) simultaneously, which doesn't seem like a wild or unreasonable thing to want to do. And I prefer a smaller car! I refuse to purchase an SUV, despite my need to drive in snowy mountains several months out of the year (I of course found a sedan with a 4WD option). I hate driving SUVs; they feel bulky, unwieldy, and unstable to me. Before I bought my current car, I would rent a 4WD SUV when I needed to drive in the snow, and I hated the experience every time.
- 3y ago