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I believe there are still solid, practical reasons to purchase an SUV. First, let me admit our family's previous vehicle, a 2000 Chevrolet Prizm, got much better gas mileage than our present vehicle, a 1996 Ford Explorer XLT. But, we are satisfied with the average of 15 mpg from our present vehicle. We knew we would be giving up mileage for other features that drew us to purchasing the SUV. First, we were very impressed with the dependability and maintenance history on our SUV. Our SUV had one owner before us who kept regular maintenance, leaving it in excellent shape at the time of our purchase last June. In fact, during routine oil and lube changes, I had lube technicians tell me how impressed they were to find no leaks in the drive seals and joints, especially for a four-wheel drive vehicle over ten years old. Second, we love the comfort level, which is a much more than what our Chevrolet Prizm offered. The third reason is safety.

Now, the issue of how safe SUVs are compared to other vehicles seems to always be up for debate. Like any vehicle, SUVs are designed to provide a certain type of performance and handling. For example, I wouldn't drive our Ford Explorer XLT like a Chevrolet Corvette. I would likely flip our SUV trying to corner it like a Corvette. In the same way, if we owned a Corvette, I wouldn't try to pack the whole family into it, or take it off-road. Vehicle safety doesn't stop at the end of the assembly line, it continues with defensive driving and adhering to the handling characteristics of your vehicle.

As for how much protection an SUV can provide, I make no excuse for the size of our SUV. Being in a recent accident with our Ford Explorer assured us of it's ability to protect us. While pulling out of a parking space at a mall, my wife, daughter, and granddaughter were struck by another driver. The accident was enough to push our vehicle a few feet sideways, leaving only a small dent in rear quarter-panel. The other driver's vehicle sustained a broken headlamp and heavy damage to the front fender. Luckily, no one was hurt in the accident. Was I glad my family was in our SUV and not our previous vehicle? Absolutely. I am convinced SUVs aren't for everyone. If you don't have a large family, travel off-road or long distances, haul luggage on a frequent basis, or are looking for great gas mileage, then the features most SUVs offer aren't going to be of much advantage to you. Still, our Ford Explorer XLT has proven to be an excellent "middle ground" choice between a smaller mid-size car and a larger truck or SUV for comfort, mileage, and, most of all, safety.

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