[Adrienne]

by Mike Krumboltz
June 4, 2008 0339 PM
Dearly beloved. We gather here today to mourn the demise of the sport utility vehicle, or "SUV" as its friends liked to call it.
The gas-guzzler lived a full life, driving in the fast lane from the 1990s to the mid-2000s. Alas, it fell ill a few years ago and never recovered. And really, we can't say the death came as a surprise. For years, folks complained about the environmental impact of low-mileage vehicles. Over time, those voices grew louder, but still the SUV fought on, proudly taking up two parking spaces and scaring hybrids from its lane.
But then, gas prices soared and the SUV's vital signs plummeted. As much as people love large cars, the costs to keep fuel in the tank proved too much to take. As the New York Times reported, it now costs $100k to own and keep a similarly inefficient full size pickup running for five years. And so people pulled the plug on their trucks and SUVs, taking the beleaguered vehicles off life support and into the museum of dead car fads.
U.S. News and World Report has written a thoughtful and compelling obit on the yuppie chariot. Read it and remember the SUV's positive qualities as well as its faults. It's what it would have wanted.

Source: Yahoo! Buzz

[Darla_G]

and the US auto industry finds its itself in bad shape once again. You mean you couldn't see this coming?

[Carolyn]

This past week, there was an announcment of 1000 Canadian auto workers being led off. The auto company decided to cancel one of the truck lines.

But ya know, I see all kinds of suvs drivin by - with only the driver in the car.
No car pooling in this community apparently.

Makes me wonder if they stupidly signed on to a several-year lease and now they are stuck. After all, suvs are status symbols - apparently these folks feel they have no status if they ditch the gas guzzlers. Whatever will they do without their identity...

[Darla_G]

I dunno I always failed to see why they were thought to be so much the status symbol. I guess if you had need to tow your toys around (boats, snowmobiles, campers etc) maybe that was one thing, but I knew lots of people that did none of those things and never went off road or anything and for what? I just talked to someone who just ditched his immaculate 3 yr old Chevy Suburban (all luxed out in leather and power everything) and he told me he was lucky to get the bottom end of the blue book price for a trade in for a small crossover vehicle. This was 6 months ago now he says it is even worse. and his was immaculate and beautiful inside full wood grain interior, but it was still a truck and had a crummy ride, handled poorly, was loud and used lots of fuel. .

[Jinx]

Yuppie parents who were embarassed to drive mini vans decided that the SUV was a snazzier option.

Personally I never saw the problem with mini vans and couldn't understand why a work truck was the hotter ticket- because Suburbans were work trucks by design (like alll the way back to the '40's- maybe farther??) until some folks thought they were better kid movers than vans.

I dated a moron years ago who didn't even believe me that SUVs were work/farming vehicles because they had been through some pretty slick redesigning.
Unfortunately they didn't redesign the engine to be efficent and now the manufacturers and sadly the workers are paying the price for the typical "must keep up with the Jones at no matter the cost" mentality.

[Darla_G]

Jinx, you summed it up pretty well. what happened that minivans all of a sudden had no status at all?

[Mac_Junky]

I have noticed the SUV's at the dealerships are on the street side so people can see them while passing by. The SUV's have big sale signs on them. Nobody wants to buy them anymore. The cars have been pushed in the back, especially the hybrids.

[kdmakeuparts]

I also think that car manufacturers are doing a much better job of making the mini-van a bit "cooler" looking. I used to say I never wanted a mini-van but that was quite a few years ago when they all kinda looked lame, I didn't want an SUV either, so we were like well what now? But I have a van now and it is great looking and we love it. The only big car that bugs me are Hummers.....really we need army grade work vehicles on city streets now. Paaalleeezzzz!

[Karen CD FL]

Years ago we owned a 1999 Ford Expedition. I needed my own oil well just to keep it running. RIP!

[AprilRayne]

Oh man, we have two SUV's! A Jeep Cherokee and a Ford Explorer. It's getting so expensive and I'm really worried about the future! I wonder if we should sell one of them at least. Do you think the gas prices are going to come back down??

[S. Lisa Smith]

We will never see the gas prices of 3 years ago. Worldwide demand is now too great. I decided in 2004 that I wanted to get rid of my SUV, a Ford Escape, and go to a deisel. I got a Passat station wagon and haven't looked back. I gave up the 4 wheel drive, but got 35 MPG. Even now, with deisel at $4.50+, I don't regret it.

[Jinx]

Diesel here is $5.00.
FIVE mother- effin dollars. *smdh*
Regular gas is 4.15 -or 4.05 if you go to Costco and trust ME, I do.

[missprissy82]

ah... its about time for me to let go of my lease... i soo want a vw taureg, but gas is 4.25 around here, and its not getting any better... i want that truck soo bad, but its only me, so i have a tough decision ahead. i love suvs, so much
what do u think of the crysler offer for locked in gas price of 2.99 for 3 years? i cant c myself in a crysler, but it sure is tempting

[Adrienne]

Originally Posted by missprissy82

ah... its about time for me to let go of my lease... i soo want a vw taureg, but gas is 4.25 around here, and its not getting any better... i want that truck soo bad, but its only me, so i have a tough decision ahead. i love suvs, so much
what do u think of the crysler offer for locked in gas price of 2.99 for 3 years? i cant c myself in a crysler, but it sure is tempting

I saw that commercial as well and although i can't see myself in a chrysler as well, it sure is getting tempting. We got an Xterra just for the mere fact that we needed a bigger family vehicle and it was cheap last year but we've actually gone back to using our older honda accord just for gas reasons. We're even considering buying a hatchback just so that we don't have to feel the pain so darn much on our pockets.