by Steve Lach

Created on: December 09, 2009

SUV's, or Sports Utility vehicles, have gotten a bad rap in years past for a few reasons. The biggest reason being gas mileage. Other reasons include,  size and design, lack of power due to size (in some cases), and also cost of upkeep. Some of the barb associated with SUV's is legitimate and will hold up to fact, but I still believe that we, as a consumer, need to continue buying Sport Utility Vehicles.

A lot of foreign auto-manufacturers have been making smaller 4-cylinder vehicles to stay in line with rising oil prices. Typically 4-cylinder vehicles get better gas mileage than 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder engines. (that is given the GVW isn’t ridiculously high for the given engine) Since SUV’s are larger, and typically weigh more the average car, they need a larger engine to move them. With the introduction of the 2-door Honda Insight (the first hybrid to hit the mass market in the U.S.), hybrid technology started to become relevant in the United States. 

There are many advantages to owning an SUV over a standard car. Ford was the first manufacturer to introduce a hybrid SUV, the Escape in 2004. Since then, SUV’s have been known to rival much smaller vehicles in gas mileage without loss of power or style.  Companies like Honda, Saturn, Chevrolet, Lexus, and Toyota have jumped on board and put hybrid models out as well. Some smaller Sport Utility vehicles are averaging upwards of 34 MPG highway and mid to upper 20's in the city to compete with mid-size cars. SUV’s are usually safer than smaller cars and offer a greater practicality. With higher towing torque and power capabilities you can tow greater amounts much further than you could if you had a car. There is also ample cabin and storage capacity in sport utility vehicles, making the inside feel spacious and comfortable.

With foreign auto makers competing with American auto manufacturers there has been a decrease in truck and SUV sales.  Most auto companies offer some kind of hybrid or low emission SUV to help combat those falling numbers. They have spent a lot of money to research and build these semi-electric engines and I hope their attempts see a return.

Hey, it's a matter of opinion, but I would buy a hybrid SUV long before I ever bought a van of any type. I'm sure that's a pretty consistent feeling amongst consumers. Let's make the SUV relevant once again.

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