It's an article that is a bit outdated, but I found it highly interesting. If you think it's too long, KEEP READING...

http://www.lateralg.org/essays/suv.htm

Damn, I knew this

People just want to feel safe, and not actually be safe
Great idea to reduce the size of the PTs windows, so that "outsiders won't look", how idiotic is that

Damn, people are so dumb, instead of thinking how to avoid accidents, they think on how to get into accidents but not to get hurt, killing other people is not a problem, right ??

many, many internets to the guy who wrote that.


Also, why does america still have differing crash standards?

I mean, surely they could make a safe SUV like a Cayene or Q7 or Taureg (lol same thing), heck, they could just copypasta the Ford Territory across America and Ford's money woes would be solved in half a second.

I mean, this doesn't happen in Aus or japan or in Europe, and we've got utes, smart cars and those little japanese pick-up things Daihatsu makes.

We have different crash standards because we go faster than everyone else in the world.

Keyword: Highways, we have them.

Also, Americans are much more likely to sue for an automotive company for making an "unsafe" vehicle.

Nothing really new :) but so true :)

We have different crash standards because we go faster than everyone else in the world.

Keyword: Highways, we have them.

Also, Americans are much more likely to sue for an automotive company for making an "unsafe" vehicle.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_worlds_longest_straight_road _without_any_corners_or_bends_going_from _point_a_to_point_b_directly

Also, no, we go 3km faster than you :smt110

You're probably right about how much you guys sue, but wouldn't the manufacturers try to make a safer car then?

I enjoyed reading that article, even though i'm one of those Americans who love the big SUV's and Trucks.

No they are not nimble cars, but neither were the Lincoln Continentals, Buick Roadmasters, Cadillac Sedan DeVilles of back in the day. Americans have always loved big cars, big V8 engines, the SUV was just a takeoff of the land-yachts of the '50's, 60's, 70's, 80's.

The SUV had even been around long before the Expedition the article highlighted. Chevrolet Suburbans were made throughout the 1970's.

The biggest car i have driven was a Chevrolet Suburban, and i loved that thing. You feel very powerful in it, huge cabin and big V8 engine. IMO it wasn't hard to keep in the road either even with it being so wide.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXeKSDpFjlg&NR=1

^shows that vehicle height matters

I enjoyed reading that article, even though i'm one of those Americans who love the big SUV's and Trucks.

No they are not nimble cars, but neither were the Lincoln Continentals, Buick Roadmasters, Cadillac Sedan DeVilles of back in the day. Americans have always loved big cars, big V8 engines, the SUV was just a takeoff of the land-yachts of the '50's, 60's, 70's, 80's.

The SUV had even been around long before the Expedition the article highlighted. Chevrolet Suburbans were made throughout the 1970's.

The biggest car i have driven was a Chevrolet Suburban, and i loved that thing. You feel very powerful in it, huge cabin and big V8 engine. IMO it wasn't hard to keep in the road either even with it being so wide.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXeKSDpFjlg&NR=1

^shows that vehicle height matters
Actually, the Suburban has been around since the 1930s, I believe.

I believe it was just named suburban and it wasn't an SUV at the time

I believe it was just named suburban and it wasn't an SUV at the time
This is what I was able to dig up.

1937
http://www.crankshafted.com/upload/files/19/1937%20Chevrolet%20Suburban.jpg

1937
http://www.crankshafted.com/upload/files/19/1937%20Chevrolet%20Suburban%202.jpg

1938
http://www.crankshafted.com/upload/files/19/1938%20Chevrolet%20Suburban.jpg

That's not an SUV, that's more like a minivan

How is it not an SUV? I see a large wagon-esque body with three rows of seating. And if I'm not mistaken, this was built on the "delivery" chasis, which was the truck frame back then.

Actually, the Suburban has been around since the 1930s, I believe.

They didn't start producing it as an 'SUV' until the late 60's-70's. Up until then it was a wagon. If you look at other wagons produced in that time they are similar.

That's not an SUV, that's more like a minivan

More like a wagon

Millman, this :
http://www.bilimseverler.com/wp-content/20070909-192549.jpg


Has also three rows of seating, and it's very similar in shape to that suburban, but it isn't an SUV, more like a wagon like n wright said

Leka, that's nearly the definition of a minivan...how do you get anything else out of the VW other than Minivan other than maybe MPV, or some other take on the word Van.

That's a Caddy MPV, it was just a comparison cause it has a similar shape to the 30s Suburban, just to say that neither is an SUV

You know what a MORE similar shape the 1930's Suburban...?

http://www.automedia.com/NewCarBuyersGuide2008/photos/2008/Chevrolet/Suburban/SUV/2008_Chevy_Suburban_ext_1.jpg

Pretty crazy huh?

Yeah, but that is considered an SUV and the 30s Suburban wasn't

The Caddy is similar and isn't considered an SUV

The only reason it wasn't called an SUV is because the term SUV had not been made yet. It will IS an SUV. It's a vehicle based on a truck frame that hauls many people and has a large enclosed trunk and it has a hood.

If it's NOT an SUV, than at what point did it magically become an SUV?

And the VW isn't considered an SUV because it's a minivan!

From the sound of that article, the person who wrote it made people that drive SUV's to be jackasses which I dont think is true in all cases...Granted there are a fair amount of D-bags out there that enjoy the bigger cars but still there are some that do need it...Good article though, makes one think

^^ Thanks Evo. You pulled the words right out of my mouth. :)