Are SUVs On The Decline?

[MJS]

Obviously the Hummer is on the high level compared to some other SUVs, but I came across this article in my paper today and found it interesting.
http://www.courant.com/business/hc-hummer0604.artjun04,0,7564299.story


Now, with gas prices being totally out of control, I'm sure many would be happy to see something so large as this SUV as well as some others, decline, in favor of more eco friendly vehicles. I'll admit, as much as I'd like to own one, filling that thing up would cost be a pretty penny. My wife and I each own an SUV...a Mazda Tribute and a Nissan Pathfinder. On a recent fillup, we neared the $50 mark, and I'm sure it'll happen soon enough.

Now, if we look at something like the Hummer, it doesnt seem like the everyday driving vehicle, and as one person said in the linked article, he would use it for recreation, towing ATVs, boat, etc. While they are in the same category, my 2 get better mileage.

Some will also say that they are too big for the road, as one person in the article said they take up an entire lane. Hmm...don't all vehicles? Its not like you can fit 2 vehicles side by side in the same lane. And IMO, some drivers of smaller vehicles are more crazy on the road than someone who drives a big truck. To attest to that, while on my way to a workout this past Saturday, I was witness to someone in a Town Car, swerve into another lane, and almost take out a minivan.

As nice as it would be to drive something more easy on the gas, it just may not be that practical for everyone. I dont have kids, but my wife and I do go out and many times we use our vehicles so everyone, especially those in the back, are comfortable. Can't see fitting 5 people in a small car and have everyone not feel like they're in a sardine can. I also have a large dog who we usually take with us most of the time, so he needs room as well. Additionally, I live in CT. and we're known for some big storms. My wife and I need to get to work, so 4wd is a plus. So while it may seem crazy with the prices, I can still feel more safe in a large vehicle, not that its always a sure shot that in a crash, you'll come out less any injuries, I can carry twice as much and I can make it through the snow covered roads with ease, while others cant move after coming to a stop at a light.

So, what do you think? Are SUVs on the decline or will they continue to sell?

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Well they just announced yesterday that they were closing four plants and possibly discontinuing the hummer altogether. So that really answers where we are starting to head. In the future I see alot more smart cars and mini coopers and cars that are fuel efficient. With rising gas prices I do not think we have a choice.

 

[terryl965]

Well they just announced yesterday that they were closing four plants and possibly discontinuing the hummer altogether. So that really answers where we are starting to head. In the future I see alot more smart cars and mini coopers and cars that are fuel efficient. With rising gas prices I do not think we have a choice.

I agree Brian

 

[MJS]

Well they just announced yesterday that they were closing four plants and possibly discontinuing the hummer altogether. So that really answers where we are starting to head. In the future I see alot more smart cars and mini coopers and cars that are fuel efficient. With rising gas prices I do not think we have a choice.

Oh, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't take some hits. Like I said, something like that, as an everyday driving vehicle is crazy, esp. now. As for the other SUVs...they may take a hit, but I don't think it'd be anything like the Hummer. People need trucks, so while sales may decline a little, I dont think every SUV will die...at least I hope not.

 

[CoryKS]

Cars are expensive. People generally can afford to keep just one, or even two if in a dual-income household. So you have to envision all the possible uses you are going to have for this one car, and that means getting the larger size for moving furniture or packing the kids off to grandma's house.

Meanwhile, daily use tends to be primarily single-occupant commute to work with very little extra stuff to haul, which means that the Chrysler LeBehemoth is sucking down crazy amounts of fuel for a job it is not best suited for.

I wish someone would design a cheap, lightweight, single-person vehicle that one could buy as a secondary vehicle for commuting purposes. Seems like even with the new electronic or hybrid cars they want to make them just like the older cars, which either makes them unfeasible or greatly reduces the environmental or economic benefits of owning them.

There's nothing wrong with owning an SUV/pickup/Hummer, it's just that in preparing for the times where you need that much vehicle you end up with an uneconomical choice for regular usage.

 

[Tez3]

I and probably most British people would have cried when we read it only cost $50 to fill up! So cheap!
Out prices are £1.21p per litre for petrol, more for diesel.

 

[Grenadier]

There are people who genuinely need such vehicles. For example, those with families can carry a good number of kids in the vehicle safely, and comfortably, while also carrying around a good amount of non-living cargo (groceries, hardware, etc). Or, there are folks such as in MJS' situation, where you have icy roads, and where a small two wheel drive passenger car might not cut the mustard.

These people will continue to purchase such vehicles, since for them to buy a small passenger car would simply make things miserable for them, and not suit their purposes.

Where the SUV purchases will decline, is for the single folks, who don't really haul around a lot of cargo (living or non-living). If I were a betting man, I'd wager that there are a good number of single folks who drive around in full sized SUV's, who have no need for such vehicles. While it is their choice to do so, the high cost of gasoline is going to make many of them reconsider their choice of vehicle.

While it won't quite get as noticeable as it did during the late 70's, where many people abandoned their big V-8 based cars, in favor of subcompact inline-4 shoebox cars with moped tires (an exaggeration, but you get the idea), there will still be a significant shift in vehicle choices. One need only look at the classifieds, where people are selling 10 year old Geo Metro cars (50+ MPG) for over 5000 dollars.

 

[MA-Caver]

The people who can afford the hummer certainly can afford the gas it takes to keep it running. To me the Hummer has always been a "novelty vehicle". The sequels, the horrendous and piss-poor H2 and the slightly better H3 are nothing more than a reason to put numbers on the thing... like they do with Beemers and Mercs. The H2 and H3 however are downsized from the original because they were far too wide, impossible to park except on the outskirts of the store's parking lot and not really designed for casual highway/street use. But they're still on the high-end range and not a lot of people can really afford them unless their annual salary is in the six to seven digit range.

There is a widdle car I've been seeing more and more lately. I mean widdle, not little like the mini-coupe but smaller than that.. by half in length. Two seats only and God knows where you're gonna put your stuff (maybe in that widdle trunk in front I guess). I can't remember the name of it, but driving around you'll know it on sight. I'm guessing that's got great mileage but it's so small that I'd be scared to get into a wreck with it.

But SUV's... well I likewise don't see them going away anytime soon. Probably one of the most useful vehicles to come out of the automobile industry in a very long time, next to the pick-up truck. My '91 Jeep Cherokee gets decent mileage considering the age and number of miles on it already (150K +) . Though if I put smaller than the 15" tires on it the mileage will improve, but I think only slightly. I'm gonna hang on to it for as long as possible or til I drive it into the ground... which for me would be a pretty cool thing :wink1:

But smaller vehicles and all of that isn't the answer to the ensuing gas crisis we're experiencing. Either produce more oil or start making the switch (in a big way) to alternate fuels.

 

[mrhnau]

I wish someone would design a cheap, lightweight, single-person vehicle that one could buy as a secondary vehicle for commuting purposes.

Motorcycle anyone?

Wish I had one!

 

[mrhnau]

Or you could get one of these:
5 people my butt! Unless they are wearing rollerblades behind. I'd hardly fit into that thing by myself!

 

[Tez3]

Quite a few people have bought Smart cars here, ugly little buggers, expensive too but this site is pretty cool!

http://www.truthaboutsmart.co.uk/?atlassource=paid

 

[cdunn]

There are people who genuinely need such vehicles. For example, those with families can carry a good number of kids in the vehicle safely, and comfortably, while also carrying around a good amount of non-living cargo (groceries, hardware, etc). Or, there are folks such as in MJS' situation, where you have icy roads, and where a small two wheel drive passenger car might not cut the mustard.

These people will continue to purchase such vehicles, since for them to buy a small passenger car would simply make things miserable for them, and not suit their purposes.

I think that a lot of these people are going to be back switching towards the lighter, cheaper 'crossover SUVs', and that, within a few years, these will have evolved back into station wagons and minivans. There are very, very few American families with 4+ children anymore. The vast majority of the 2.1 children-per-families will be well served by a solidly build sedan. I remember when we managed a family of four... in a Ford Fiesta... in the winter... in the snow and ice. SUVs are status symbols, and always have been.

Live Caver said, though, downsizing the American vehicle fleet isn't the permanent solution, but I will argue that it is a neccesary stopgap measure, until we can get alternative energy in place and start building a public transportation infrastructure.

 

[HKphooey]

I just bought a Dodge Ram 1500 and love it. Being 6'7", I would rather be comfortable. My gas is still cheaper than my beer. So all is good.

 

[MJS]

The people who can afford the hummer certainly can afford the gas it takes to keep it running. To me the Hummer has always been a "novelty vehicle". The sequels, the horrendous and piss-poor H2 and the slightly better H3 are nothing more than a reason to put numbers on the thing... like they do with Beemers and Mercs. The H2 and H3 however are downsized from the original because they were far too wide, impossible to park except on the outskirts of the store's parking lot and not really designed for casual highway/street use. But they're still on the high-end range and not a lot of people can really afford them unless their annual salary is in the six to seven digit range.

Yeah the H1 is pretty pricey and wide, as you say. Something like that I could not see for anything but recreational use.

There is a widdle car I've been seeing more and more lately. I mean widdle, not little like the mini-coupe but smaller than that.. by half in length. Two seats only and God knows where you're gonna put your stuff (maybe in that widdle trunk in front I guess). I can't remember the name of it, but driving around you'll know it on sight. I'm guessing that's got great mileage but it's so small that I'd be scared to get into a wreck with it.

I think I know what you're talking about. Not sure what make/model it is but when I saw this thing, I was like, what the hell is that??? LOL. And I agree with you on another point...getting into a crash wouldnt be a good thing.

But SUV's... well I likewise don't see them going away anytime soon. Probably one of the most useful vehicles to come out of the automobile industry in a very long time, next to the pick-up truck. My '91 Jeep Cherokee gets decent mileage considering the age and number of miles on it already (150K +) . Though if I put smaller than the 15" tires on it the mileage will improve, but I think only slightly. I'm gonna hang on to it for as long as possible or til I drive it into the ground... which for me would be a pretty cool thing :wink1:

Ditto. I dont see Ford, Chevy, Nissan and Toyota losing too much sleep over SUV sales.

But smaller vehicles and all of that isn't the answer to the ensuing gas crisis we're experiencing. Either produce more oil or start making the switch (in a big way) to alternate fuels.

Agreed.

 

[fireman00]

I think the "widdle" car folks are alluding to is the "fortwo" made by Mercedes.... about a teene little 2 seater that gets 48 MPG and supposedly has a cockpit that uses the same technology as Formula One racing cars... nice to think about but on a major highway during rush hour with SUVs, tractor trailers zooming along at 60 - 70 mph I'd rather have some serious steel between me and them. ZAP is another option if you have a short commute and want to try electric.... gets about 100 miles on a charge.

I'm waiting for the "Volt" to come out... 150 MPH using a single speed gas motor to power an electric propulsion system ... and its about the same size as a mini-cooper.

It really amazes me that the folks in Detroit have waited until we're being choked by the price of gas before they come up with their high mileage vehicles. The system that the "Volt" uses can be implemented on ANY chassis - from pickups to SUVs to sports cars... there will be some shortcomings such as acceleration and pulling power but with some additional tweaking the big 3 should be able to come up with a way to meet the needs of all drivers - the Tesla from Canada can go 0 to 60 in 4.3 seconds - so why are they dragging their feet?

 

[Rich Parsons]

So, what do you think? Are SUVs on the decline or will they continue to sell?

SUV's are on the decline based upon sales figures for whole vehicle market for the year so far. Since, that information is already available to public, I am jsut stating facts and not an opinion.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Oh, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't take some hits. Like I said, something like that, as an everyday driving vehicle is crazy, esp. now. As for the other SUVs...they may take a hit, but I don't think it'd be anything like the Hummer. People need trucks, so while sales may decline a little, I dont think every SUV will die...at least I hope not.

I agree that it should make people in the industry and also as customers think twice. But, while driving on vacation a couple of weeks ago, the number of full size SUV's and trucks and 3/4 ton and one ton and dual axle and diesel in all configurations that would pass me on the express way. Now, I was in my 2000 Convertible Firebird with the 3800 V6 with a 5 speed manual. I got on average 31 mile per gallon traveling at 70 to 75 mph. I got one tank of 32 plus some fraction, and I had one tank in the hills of Tenn and Kent that got me 27 mile per gallon. This could have been also attributed to the higher ethanol in the fill up for that tank. But those trucks/SUV's get no where near that and they were traveling faster than me.

As long as people aka the customer keeps buying them, there will be a manufacturer that makes them.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I and probably most British people would have cried when we read it only cost $50 to fill up! So cheap!
Out prices are £1.21p per litre for petrol, more for diesel.

I am not sure but I thought most of the Gas cost in Europe was based on Taxes used for better roads. I know that for many years they have not taxed Diesel as much to give a brake to the more fuel efficient engine. But, with recent talks for the EOBD emission regulations it looks like the Diesels in Europe will have to meet the requirements for North America and this means more hardware to address the emissions and more cost to customer as well.

But, I agree that in general the US has a cheaper cost for fuel. We also have poor condition roads as well.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I just bought a Dodge Ram 1500 and love it. Being 6'7", I would rather be comfortable. My gas is still cheaper than my beer. So all is good.

I am only 6'3" and I love my extended cab 1500 GMC. It fits me as well. I know that Chrysler is working with GM and using GM's hardware to have hybrids. Look for this to be on the Chrysler Trucks in the coming years ( I cannot confirm the projects ) as it is on the GM Trucks. I know some people whine that it takes it from the mid teens to the low mid twenties for FE but if you look at percentages this is huge and very bits helps.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I think the "widdle" car folks are alluding to is the "fortwo" made by Mercedes.... about a teene little 2 seater that gets 48 MPG and supposedly has a cockpit that uses the same technology as Formula One racing cars... nice to think about but on a major highway during rush hour with SUVs, tractor trailers zooming along at 60 - 70 mph I'd rather have some serious steel between me and them. ZAP is another option if you have a short commute and want to try electric.... gets about 100 miles on a charge.

I'm waiting for the "Volt" to come out... 150 MPH using a single speed gas motor to power an electric propulsion system ... and its about the same size as a mini-cooper.

It really amazes me that the folks in Detroit have waited until we're being choked by the price of gas before they come up with their high mileage vehicles. The system that the "Volt" uses can be implemented on ANY chassis - from pickups to SUVs to sports cars... there will be some shortcomings such as acceleration and pulling power but with some additional tweaking the big 3 should be able to come up with a way to meet the needs of all drivers - the Tesla from Canada can go 0 to 60 in 4.3 seconds - so why are they dragging their feet?

From the following link:

http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/


Check the June 5th entry

At Last: Behind the Wheel of Volt Test Mule
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman

This week we announced that the GM Board has approved the Chevrolet Volt program. Yes, development work has been going on in earnest, but now it’s official. In fact, recently, at GM’s Milford Proving Ground, I drove an official “engineering development vehicle” with the 16-kwh lithium-ion battery pack we’ve been testing for our E-Flex System and I have to say – pun half-intended – it was electrifying.

. . .

Once we get this whole battery thing perfected, our friends at XM Satellite Radio may
have to start an Internal Combustion Channel.

As to your comment about the system can be implemented on any chassis,I know Toyota and Honda backed off of Their Truck Hybrids as their existing system could not operate and function under that mass and or torque. So, while there are lots of theories that should work in general, the industry has to make sure it is safe and works in Kapuskasing Ontario in January and also Death Valley in August as well as at altitude and sea level and all the combinations in between.