I don’t particularly want to buy an SUV.
That doesn’t seem like a big deal, especially since I’m not going to be buying another car unless I encounter disaster again. But I’m not the only person in my house who needs to drive places, and she also doesn’t particularly want to buy an SUV.
My own house is not a statistically significant sample size, of course, and our budget is not enough money to influence the trends of any industry. But still, we don’t want to buy an SUV, and surely there are other houses like ours out there who also don’t want to buy an SUV. What are we going to buy?
Of course, the message at the moment is that people like us aren’t really relevant to manufacturers, they see dollar signs when they build SUVs, and as a result that’s all they want to make. Go to any car lot today and you’re going to find that it’s mostly SUVs. You might find the occasional car, hidden in a corner somewhere, but they’re not exactly prominent. And even then, the sales people are going to be directing you in the direction of an SUV rather than the car you might want.
Are there advantages to the taller car? Sure, the higher ride height means that if you’re old and have a bad hip, you’re going to find it more comfortable. Some people like all wheel drive, but my front wheel drive car with snow tires could get anywhere it needed to be without difficulty – something that could not be said of the Dodge Journey that found itself sideways on my street, requiring me to back up until I found a driveway to turn around in. And if you like it, you like it, buy whatever you like.
I’m personally more comfortable in something lower, and going lower gets better gas mileage and looks better. Since I’ve got a hatchback, I’ve got plenty of space in the back anyway, about all I need. Really, I can’t think of a good reason why I need an SUV at all.
I’m not saying that nobody should be buying SUVs, instead I’m sad that there isn’t the option for people who don’t especially want one.
Of course, making cars is expensive, and getting more expensive all the time. Plus, the SUV form factor is going to have a certain advantages if people go electric – lots of space to put a battery under.
But I miss when there were a wide variety of options out there, something for every person, no matter what their interests. Sporty cars, small cars, big cars, vans, trucks and SUVs, all sharing the lot and finding their buyers. Right now, I look at a lot and it’s just SUVs, which is great if that’s what you want, but it means there’s not really anything for me.
