Proof of the "trendiness" of trucks/SUVs....
 

So I go to Michigan recently....... The home of harsh winters and the presumed need for 4WD..........And I do a quick calculation of how many pickups or SUVs I see in a few different places............It's only about 1 to 3 (trucks/SUVs to cars)

Then I come back home to Cali, and the ratio increases to 1 to 1.......This, in a yuppie urban/suburban area where it almost never snows, and where almost nobody owns a boat to tow, unlike Michigan.

Proof that most trucks/SUVs are purchased for "trendy" reasons, by people who dont really need them

Flame suit on!

lol...so what? Did anyone really doubt that?

I use my truck.

Yup, I move stuff in my bed at least once a week

used the piss out of my ramcharger when i still had it and am currently plotting a return to 4wd

Really? In 2009? With every other product espousing "green" this and "eco" that??? When I was in LA last week I saw very few SUVs, and very few pickups that weren't marked for business use.

Since the rental car agency gave us a silver Prius, I was taking note of them. We went to a mall in Encino, and in one row of the parking garage I saw three silver Prius's plus two in other colors. Coming up the next lane, there were three metallic-charcoal colored ones plus another color. They were everywhere! :willy: Lots of BMWs, Mercedes, and other Toyotas. Very few trucks and SUVs. No longer cool :nono:

^ A Prius isn't anything to judge by. Several actors/actresses own a Prius but it doesn't mean shit, because they also own an Aston Martin or Range Rover (or both)

I am talking San Diego as well as the San Fran suburbs. Every other office worker I see driving to work in the morning is in an "upscale" SUV.

Then I guess y'all are just behind the curve redflip

I would say that in my neighborhood, cars and pickups/SUVs are about 1:1 because just about household has one of each. Of course, if you go to Tractor Supply, the parking lot is more like 90% pickups... :blah:

I used to be an SUV driver, BUT I actually USED the SUV for shit. I swear every other weekend I had a friend's bike stuffed in it somehow, or I was dragging my pickup home with it, you know, the shit SUVS were intended for.....

Now that I own a truck, I'm sure I'm gonna use it constantly.

I use my truck constantly. Towing bikes, hauling shit, etc.


But its not a 4x4...I live in flat ass florida...no need

I live in Texas. It's mandatory.

But in MI people actually know how to drive in snow....you don't "need" all the bells and whistles. :lmao:

I don't care what people drive as long as I don't have to pay for it.

James

Yup... but to be fair, I had a truck when I lived in MO too. Both were 4WD, and I have used it in both trucks.

When do you need 4WD in Texas, unless of course you go offroad?

When do you need more then 50 cc's unless your on the highway? Its not about needs.

James

Uhh.. offroad :)

We get snow.
Tires are what make the difference unless you want to go out when its getting close to a foot of snow and there isn't a plow in sight.

Then you need ground clearance and good tires.

Shhh... He's in San Francisco. They think that off-road is something that only happens in movies. :lol

Well of course it isn't. But if I buy a liter bike instead of a 50cc, at least I will get the benefit of having better acceleration at every single stoplight or on-ramp. On the other hand, if I live in a snow-free state and never go offroad, how often will I benefit from having 4WD/AWD? What's the point of wanting something unless you get benefits from it?

My guess is, a lot of soccer moms assume they need 4WD or AWD just to make it home on a rainy night (going 35 mph). Especially here in Cali......People freak out when it sprinkles. :lol

Wrong. Husbands put their wives and families in them because they can take a hit...

This tired old shit again?

I miss my suv but I don't miss the MPG it got. Putting 2 large dogs in the back of a Camry is a pain too but considering my long commute I make it work!

I never have.
All I need are all season tires and FWD for the winter.

I have a Jeep Cherokee 4x4 and when I replace it I want another small/midsized SUV 4x4. I've had it in the snow on ski trips and on the beach at the Outerbanks and when we do have inclement weather even though it's not that often it's nice to have the 4x4.

I use it to haul the dog around...to take junk/yard debris to the dump and for the runs to Lowe's and Home Depot...we put it to use and like it. :idk:

What you fail to see is that you were in when there was no snow on the ground. Come here in the winter and you will see more trucks/SUVs on the road. People own more than 1 car you know...

I own a SUV and a 4 door sedan and in the summer, when the family has to go out we take the sedan. Why put the miles on the SUV and drive a car the gets bad gas mileage? In the winter we take the SUV everywhere.

I do however, agree that the majority that drive SUV's do so because they are trendy and not because they need a 4WD vehicle.

Oh yeah...my SUV is a 1999 Jeep Cherokee with 147k on the clock so I sure as feck am not driving it to be 'trendy'. :lol

I put 500 miles on it just this weekend driving over to Knoxville, Tennessee and back for a football game.

147K..everything still works and it's still rolling right along and I drive it to work everyday and that's about 25 miles eachway.

I didn't say all and you obviously fall in the minority of SUV owners. You know how many brand new suburbans there are on the road here. It's god damn ridiculous.

Oh I'm with ya on that. My post wasn't directed at you. The area I live in has alot of soccer moms rolling around talking on the cellphone with kids in the back in Escalades...Navigators...Hummers...Armadas...and so on. You should see them in the parking lots trying to navigate without hitting anything or killing anyone.

That's one thing I don't like about the area.

Why not drive the Vette to work? It's more fun to drive, right?

Trends exist for a reason...they are trendy.

Because there is alot of traffic on the interstate heading into Charlotte, NC from the Lake Norman area...anyone that knows this area will confirm.

The Vette is a six speed with a racing clutch which sux in bumper to bumper traffic. The Jeep is an automatic which is perfect for stop and go.

My exhaust is quite loud on the Vette and the few times I have driven it...I set off alarm after alarm in the parking garage...it's a beast and sounds like a beast.

I also have a job that I have to be there regardless of the weather if at all possible so having the 4x4 has saved me quite a few times with that.

:lol: Hi there!

Some things never change.... didn't you know that?:eightball6:

The longer it goes on, the funnier it is.

Then come up with another topic that hasn't been beat to death and we'll post over there. :lol: :idk:

Yep, and it'll continue, until people admit that a large fraction of these things are purchased just cuz of the hype.

And as for crash protection? Just because something is big & heavy doesn't automatically prove that its occupant safety is better than a smaller/lighter vehicle. In fact several small/midsize cars have superior crash results to some of these SUVs.

My trendy suv...yep styling and profiling. :lol

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b5...D550/ry%3D400/

In the sand...

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b3...D550/ry%3D400/

...and the snow...

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/

Are we talking about SMART cars or hybrids?

Those are over hyped. SUV's may have been "hyped" 5 years ago but I haven't seen any ad's, studies or other "hype" recently.

And how often does it snow that much there? How often do you drive onto the beach? Better yet, how often does a Cali resident do those things? Pretty much never, yet about 50% of what I see on the road here is a well-dressed office worker in a brand-new upscale SUV or pickup.

I see it all the time. TV ads showing women driving home on a rainy night, making their way thru a construction zone (like as if that's difficult).......And if the commerical is really good, a tree limb will fall in front of her.

It's a war zone out there!! You need AWD and a high seat to make it home alive!!

Why drive a 'vette to work? He certainly won't be able to max it on the highways leading to the office, and a smaller car or scooter no doubt gets better fuel economy. Most people just drive "sports cars" for the trendiness of it and rarely drive them fast or take them to the track.

Don't know about Cali. Only snows a couple times a year here usually BUT since that is the case we have almost NO snow clearing equipment for the roads so it will last for days so I'm prepared because I need to be at work even/especialy when others can't make it. A few times a year on the beach.

4x4 high (part-time) also works when it's pouring down rain so that's a plus too. :idk:

I bought this thing in 2002 and also pulled my boat with it until I traded boats in 2006..now I could use a bigger SUV. :lol:

Point is...I use mine.

Since mine isn't brand-new or upscale I guess your statements don't apply to me anyways. :lol

My boss drives a brand new upscale pick-up. He wears a tie to work everyday.

His wife drives a brand new H2 to tote the kids back and forth to school and get to her tennis matches. I'm sure you'd scoff at them.

On the weekends they use their vehicles at their ranch. 4WD is needed.

If they aren't at the ranch they may be at their other house pulling one of their boats out of a muddy bay.

Ever go to a trackday?

Glamis?

The local boat ramp?

It's not necessary to floor a Vette to enjoy its power. Nor is it necessary to go to a track to enjoy its handling. Every time you change lanes or turn the wheel for any reason, you can tell that its handling is different than your average sedan.

So you get benefits from owning a Vette every time you drive it. But do you get benefits from an SUV every time you drive it? If you are just driving to work alone, with no cargo, on a dry road, the only benefit I can see is having a commanding view of the road....... (while blocking the view of the lower vehicle behind you, of course).

You didn't just say that it comes in handy for the rain did you?

Don't need 4X4 for a track day.
dumbest thing I've heard all minute.

We could argue this all day. What percentage of SUV owners have a boat or a ranch?

And there are plenty of trackday riders or dirtbike riders who do just fine towing their bikes with a small trailer on the back of a sedan or hatchback.

Yes I did.

So you're saying...you don't have to fully use a vehicle's abilities all the time to enjoy them?

Hm.

Seems to me a sports car is far less comfortable and far less economical than something smaller. Who wants to be beat to death by stiff suspension and twitchy steering on a basic commute? Who wants to deal with a heavy clutch in traffic when they can have a nice slushbox?

Seems to me if they're not using the performance all the time, they're just poseurs out for the "trendiness" of driving a sporty car. Anyone who drives anything more than a Tata Nano or Yamaha Zuma 50 is a poseur, because they're just not using the vehicle's capabilities.

lulz

Need?


You guys walk everywhere? Because nobody needs a car, or truck, or bike..


Needs shouldn't even be an argument. When the majority of you don't need 95% of the things you own and or use.

3000 square foot house? Not needed. 2 cars? Don't need any!

I'd say good tires (meaning not super-wide, ultra-high performance tires), and a decent amount of weight would help in the rain a lot more than 4WD ever will.

Negative

I don't disagree with this statement and didn't say otherwise did I ?

In every sports car/performance car I've ever owned, I "used" its performance every time I drove it. "Using" its performance doesn't mean going WOT or hitting 1.0 G every single second. It means that I can feel in my own hands that it handles & steers better than the average car.

And as for stiff ride? Vastly preferable, IMO, to a mushy, floaty-feeling car.

With your argument I guess you should never have got into sportbikes......Yet you did. Does that mean you're a poseur?

You really thought that was a serious post? WOW :lol

lulz

Do you do 10 second 1/4 miles from every light and drag knee around every corner?:?:

Is that required in order to enjoy a sportbike?

You're wrong if you don't think it assist in wet conditions.

http://www.jeep.com/en/4x4/how_syste.../command_trac/

When we had trucks we bought them because "we just wanted em"

Izuzu Rodeo - Wife just wanted a truck. Of course we'd use our Ski Trips up to Killington Vermont "We need it to get up the mountain...."

Total bullshit. We got up that same mountain in her old 85 Accord and my old MX-6. In the mountain cottage driveway, there were the usual suspects...a 90's Cavalier, Civic whatever generic fwd shitbox friends had. (Actually, the first year we brought the truck up the tire froze off the rim. We were stuck changing a tire while our friends in the Cavalier went to the lifts.)

As for the Bronco II I had. I picked it up because it was a great little vehicle. Perfect dimensions and layout. A fun little ride with the 2.9 and 5spd.
If only the engine didn't develop clogged arteries (while on loan to my stepfather) I would still have it.

:lol

Stop...please.
I'm at work and laughing out loud is frowned upon.

The thread starter implied if a vehicle is not being used to its full potential, then the owner is a poseur.

FTR, I hate SUVs.

Aah...so you're a poser and just in it for the "trendiness" of it.

Nope, didn't say it that way.

Sounds like your argument, not mine.

Yeah same here when you posted otherwise.

I could see 4WD helping when trying to accelerate up a wet hill.......But when you are just cruising on a wet highway I don't see how it helps. Hydroplaning is the issue there.

I'm still looking for someone to argue that point. There are many SUV/pickup owners that never use them for their intended purposes....they just bought them because they want them. People buy SUVs, pickups, sports cars, sport bikes, H-D's, etc. because it's their money and they can spend it on whatever they damn well please without having to justify their choices to anyone.

Somewhat on topic, I love my 4wd Silverado. It hauls my KTM 450 regularly, handles well enough for a lumbering beast, and is all around pleasant to drive. Mileage still sucks even though it is better than my old 2wd Avalanche....even with the larger engine.

If I want a fun vehicle to drive, I snag the keys to my wife's GTI.

So there we have it.

Two grown men...
Posting from the office....
Typing on a computer...
Saying "HAH!" at the monitor.

People are free to buy what they want, and should be. I just think a lot of people's choices were heavily influenced by peer pressure & advertising.

Of course it is. Advertising exists because it works. People learn of products through advertising or through their peers and if those products appeal to them on some level they are likely to buy them. It's a pretty simple concept that holds true for all kinds of product choices, not just SUVs/pickups.

Basically :rofl:

So it would seem.

Slowing down and antilock brakes help more.

Accelerating on a wet surface is easier with 4wd high...like at a stop light and you need to get in front of another vehicle plus going around a curve in wet conditions it will also assist should you loose traction at all. :idk:

Hydorplaning is hydroplaning regardless of 2wd or 4wd agreed however if you were to hydroplane it is easier to regain control should you loose it if you have it in 4wd high imho as long as you don't lock the brakes up of course.

It helps with changing lanes on a wet surface should the sensors detect ANY spin/slippage at all.

I never said it was a cure all but to say it doesn't help at all or is laughable is flat out wrong.

Yeah, if i had to do it over again, i would have spent the extra money to get 4wd on my Dodge... Boat ramps can be slippery as shit with algea, seaweed, and all the crap that washes up on them. I've also gotten stuck in the sand, which was really aggravating.

I can't believe I just read this thread. How bored am I?

The scooter and the liter bike can do the same thing if you get basic with it. Some love the power of the biker bike. The power brings speed and thrill. There are some people that like to have the little scooter to zip around on. They like being able to fill it up with change found on the ground and being able to put their helmet under the seat.

People buy a vehicle for transportation, what type they buy will depend on what they can afford/want to spend and/or what they enjoy. Some people enjoy driving a truck. They like being in a high up or having the bed to haul. They might enjoy being able to tow heavier trailers and so on.

The reason why someone buys a vehicle only really matters to the guys making the tv ads.

Why by a Corrolla if you only have one friend? A Smart car will do the job.

People buy for their enjoyment, not yours. Thats one thing you forget.

James

I hate all season tires. I swore I would never drive a winter with them again after my first car. I remember working the gas and clutch climbing a snow covered hill in traffic. There was no turning around because of the row of cars behind me. It was hell. I made it but I had to work for it. That was enough of that. I borrowed money from my stepfather and bought a nice set of winters. I was sold at that point.

When I bought my truck it had new all seasons. They told me that the tires would be good for the first winter then I would need winters after they wore down a bit. My truck was rwd and it would kick the ass out for no reason at all. Yes if you jumped on the gas it would come around but I'm talking about maintaining your speed it would be fine then just kick out for no reason. I went in and put on four winters and I never had a problem again.

Last year was my first year with AWD and winter tires. I love it. I was doing some snow removal last year and I wouldn't have made it to work on a few of those days without the AWD and winter tires.

James

That has nothing to do with the suv. I used to work at Costco and last going off I worked in the lot. I seen people with econo boxes that couldn't drive. Some drove like they had 40 ft trailers behind them. Some people just suck at driving.

James

I have had a few days like the tv ads. Construction site with something blocking part of the road. I could get around and over while others had to wait. I was also able to climb curbs to get to an empty lane (which I could also do in my 2wd truck because it didn't sit low like a car) and I have also been able to park at the back of a construction site because of the suv. The muddy lot wasn't much of and issue in the suv but a car would have taken a beating if it made it at all.

James

AWD does help with hydroplaning. At least it did in the downpour I was in coming back from the cottage. My tires were getting bad and it was hydroplaning bad. I feel the AWD had a big part in keeping it out of the ditch.

Of course the most important thing is tires. With proper tires your pretty good in most cars.

James

But why do you make it about SUV's and trucks? There are some people that will buy a Prius that might have needed/wanted a truck just because of peer pressure.

Some people will look at someone in an econo box and think that they are great people for not buying a big gas guzzling truck. But some of this people (because of location and so on) could have took the bus everyday.

Its not just Suv/truck owners that buy more then they really need.

James

Remember, I don't get maritime snowfalls. We only get 12-24" at a time, not like you crazies.

Where I am, and the fact that my family shops in bulk, decide we required a small truck. although 4 cylinders and 2wd is JUST fine for that vehicle. I'm going to get a 4x4, but its just going to be my toy for the sake of fun when I'm in the mood for driving with the top down or mudding.

I was away on training and happened to be in Ontario. On my way from there to Saginaw, Michigan I drove in a snow storm. I did it in my rental on all season tires but if it would have been during the day with more traffic I woudl have been in a accident. In Michigan it went sideways on me. It went back and forth, I was using three lanes. I saved it but if someone would have been beside me it would have been a bitch.

We can get a big stor then have it turn to rain. So other then the ice if you wait you can get by with All seasons here but I don't like to wait and I don't want to put wife, kids or myself at risk just to save $70-100 a year.

Everyone is different but thats how I feel about it.

James

Pretty much every tire these days is "all season" (marked M+S for mud and snow).......Except if you buy super-high performance tires for dry weather only.

You can buy pure snow tires instead, but in my experience they're noisy as hell when the road is dry.

But we're talking degrees here. Sure, an econobox owner could have taken the bus. But so could the truck owner. So in that situation the truck owner bought even more than he needed than the econobox owner did.

The funny thing is that a lot of these SUVs actually have LESS room inside than a good car.

People say what if I have to go to Costco, well there are plenty of 5-door cars with foldable rear seats that have TONS of room to put stuff, and they get better milieage, are lighter weight, and have lower center of gravity for better handling.

And if those same people are short, what happens when they get in a truck? You get a 5'2" person behind the wheel of an F250 or Expedition and it's hilarious watching them trying to park.

The traction in snow is worth the road noise. Sliding into another car, hitting a curb, or driving into a ditch can make some noise as well. I prefer the tire noise. And the tires need to have the snow flake to have the real snow tire. The m+s doesn't mean shit anymore. I'm pretty sure the all seasons that came on my truck had m+s on them. They were garbage in the snow.

James

Yes your right. But not everyone is looking for that. And around here there are some bad pot holes after winter and you can't avoid them all. The larger tires of the truck normally make out better.

James

I'm only 5'6" and I drive F450's, 5 ton dump trucks with and without a trailer, and I have drove tandem dump trucks. I don't have a problem parking as well.

A bad 5'2" driver can have a problem parking anything just the same as a bad driver that is 6'2".

James

BTW as far as road noise goes I had a car that I put a set of Toyo Proxes FZ4's (I loved those tires) back in the day. They were 45's. They were great tires but they were not quite. They didn't hum like winter tires. But with these tires you could hear every crack in the road, you can hear the smallest pebble on the road.

James

one of these is in our future (used)

http://images03.olx.com/ui/1/45/65/f_40634065_1.jpeg

so when the weather gets bad, i don't have to worry about Z gettin to and from work.

Bad weather?

:lol

It gets pretty hot in Texas.

You definitely need AWD in the heat. :lol:

I had an SUV for the crappy winters around here for the longest time - wish I still had it but I just didn't feel like feeding it any more. My winter rat is now a Kia Optima with Winterforce snow tires and that works pretty well

Man, I can't wait to see RACER X rip into this guy.

:lol

houston bad weather

http://www.teriansolutions.com/Porta...on%20Flood.jpg

HAHA!

Post of the day!