lex400sc

The government has every right to ban suvs in the nation, but will they? Not likely. Not when everyone from local police to secret service, city council members to congressmen, and everyone in between owns or operates one. Not to mention suvs have become an integral part of our auto industry and economy. We'll just have to wait until our air and water from coast to coast is as dirty as Houston, the price of gas is over $10/gal, the junkyards are out of space, and the cost of road infrastructure becomes too high to carry. Sigh...

LB Lex

I agree with you here, I never liked SUVs. People tend to think they are safer because it is a strong vehicle, but they don't know that they tend to roll-over easily (Ford Explorer for example), this instability also makes emergency maneuvers more difficult, the brakes are terrible because of their huge weight, waste gas, and most of all they're dangerous to everyone else who doesn't drive an SUV. Furthermore, as Lex400sc pointed out, they don't have to conform to standard safety and emission regulations (which of course increases fuel consumption and hence even greater dependence on foreign oil).

Not only that, they are annoyances because they take up so much room in a parking spot (if it fits at all) increasing the likelihood of dinging neighboring cars, make it difficult for other cars to see the road because they are so huge (ever try turning left when there's an SUV in the opposite direction making a left turn? I can't see around them to determine if it's clear to turn, so I generally wait for SUV to make its turn). Not only that, most SUV owners I see on the road drive as if they had a standard passenger car: weaving in-and-out of traffic, driving fast when their brakes would have an extremely difficult time scrubbing off speed, not paying attention when making lane changes (mostly because the blind-spot is so huge), etc. etc. And lastly, safety of non-SUV owners. Their bumpers are higher than a standard vehicle's bumper, hence, in a collision the safety of a passenge car bumper would be negated by the SUV's higher bumper. I'm glad I drive a big car, but I feel sorry for the others on the road who drive Civics and Accords that would be demolished in a collission with an SUV.

I'm glad Paris is banning SUVs, I hope it sets a precedence so we start doing that over here too.

LB Lex

If they don't ban them, I hope Congress regulates SUVs just like passenger cars, e.g. emissions and safety standards. They should also tax them more because of the added wear-and-tear on all our highways.

LexFather

I think SUVs do come in handy for Home Depot, your boat and things of that nature. But to just driving around and to work and school, it's sad.

Not to mention EVERY re-design makes these things BIGGER AND BIGGER. It's annoying, not being able to see ahead or around you as you are surrounded by these big buses. And I RARELY see SUVs with more than a driver.

If the government here changes anything about SUVs, Ford and GM are screwed badly. They depend on them so much.Try more like 10k to build. GM makes 30 grand, 30 GRAND! off every H2 sold. 20 grand off every Escalade. Ford 25k off every Navigator.

With SUVs more carlike than ever, with cars becoming bigger and taller, SUVs are not going anywhere soon.

Its ALL MARKETING!! SUV= SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE. There is NO SPORT with these buses. NONE. Yet people think they are cooler than driving a van.