Real big SUVs like Escalades are certainly for "status" and vanity for the most part. I'm no fan of driving pickup trucks personally. I'd rather drive a car.

Real big SUVs like Escalades are certainly for "status" and vanity for the most part. I'm no fan of driving pickup trucks personally. I'd rather drive a car. But that isn't where the market is. The best selling vehicles for personal use in USA and Canada are big. That is still orthogonal to the earlier claim that aerodynamics are irrelevant if you're just going to have any oversized vehicle anyway and style should be promoted. Particularly on the luxury end of the spectrum aerodynamics are even more important as they directly go to road noise and handling. If you have poor airflow, you get turbulence, and turbulence is loud. If there is a bunch of lift generated at speed, the steering can get twitchy, and feel unconfident on the highway. It takes the luxury out of the ride if you sacrifice aerodynamics for style.