Well you know who always survives the crash at the expense of others? Semi drivers. Given our collective Amazon obsession I don't see us getting rid of semis anytime soon!
I admit I have been able to do some impressive maneuvering to get some items into my Civic. One time I got two boxes with new carseats into it while it had two other carseats installed. I was so impressed with myself that I took a picture of it and sent it to DH. On the other hand, even with the back seats folded down, it is impossible to get some items to fit in the trunk into the back seat due to the limited angle.
The van, on the other hand, has also proved to be damn useful with two infants, an IKEA and lots of home improvement stores close by, and all the double strollers and suitcases and other crap that always seems to come and go with us when we travel. Not to mention the multiple times we have had extra passengers. I was damn thrilled the first time we took the twins as infants to my in-laws' and we didn't have to even get out of the thing to change them. But it does bother me that a lot of days it's just DH driving it to work and dropping the kids off at daycare.
So what I am trying to find is a happy medium since the van will likely need to be replaced first, and that will be a hatchback of some kind. It doesn't need to have a third row but if I have to spend 45 minutes trying to figure out how to get my Home Depot purchases into it, well it's just not going to happen.
Look, I don't think a mother of two needs a damned Tahoe solely because she has two kids. That's ridiculous. But I think it's equally ridiculous to behave as if an SUV is just the most unreasonable thing for someone to purchase and that there is no benefit to owning any sort of SUV or crossover or that a sedan will always suffice.
But I'll just go reevaluate myself.
Dramatic poster is dramatic.
I never said there were NO legitimate needs for them. I'm saying that MOST people who drive an SUV absolutely could be just fine in a sedan if they were so inclined to give it a try.
When I go visit my parents in Texas, I sometimes count the cars parked on the streets in their neighborhood. Every time, over 50 percent of them are SUVs. There is no way that over 50 percent of people in their suburban neighborhood with mostly white collar jobs need an SUV. And I put my own mother in this category.
It IS a problem when SUVs are THAT common. The safety risks for drivers of regular cars, pedestrians, and cyclists increase greatly when you have that many SUVs on the road. So yes, I do think people should put more thought into the safety risks their vehicle poses to others on the road.
Look, I don't think a mother of two needs a damned Tahoe solely because she has two kids. That's ridiculous. But I think it's equally ridiculous to behave as if an SUV is just the most unreasonable thing for someone to purchase and that there is no benefit to owning any sort of SUV or crossover or that a sedan will always suffice.
But I'll just go reevaluate myself.
Dramatic poster is dramatic.
I never said there were NO legitimate needs for them. I'm saying that MOST people who drive an SUV absolutely could be just fine in a sedan if they were so inclined to give it a try.
When I go visit my parents in Texas, I sometimes count the cars parked on the streets in their neighborhood. Every time, over 50 percent of them are SUVs. There is no way that over 50 percent of people in their suburban neighborhood with mostly white collar jobs need an SUV. And I put my own mother in this category.
It IS a problem when SUVs are THAT common. The safety risks for drivers of regular cars, pedestrians, and cyclists increase greatly when you have that many SUVs on the road. So yes, I do think people should put more thought into the safety risks their vehicle poses to others on the road.
I know you aren't using Texas' vehicle proclivities to determine what the rest of the country is doing.
Post by sugarglider on Jul 13, 2014 18:45:03 GMT -5
I LOVE my Fusion and was able to fit all my worldly possessions (+ myself, my mom, and two cats) in it for my cross-country move. For me, I love a nice 4-door sedan with back seats that fold down.
But bf...needs something bigger. He was able to do his last tour on a sedan, but was only able to bring his acoustic and a cello, leaving his electric, electric amp, pedal board, and ukelele at home. He used to have a conversion van, which wa great for touring but not very practical for everyday use.
I just think it's important to consider not just whom a person is hauling but what as well. And like tef said, focus on how to make smarter driving choices.
Well okay but we buy cars based on our subjective preferences. It is much easier for me to haul a toddler in a CRV than a corolla (or my parents Altima, which is my only other car with a kid experience).
Eta: an outback is not a sedan. Those would be comparable to a SUV in terms of cargo space and layout.
Depends on the Outback. There are sedan versions and station wagon versions. Definitely same height as a car/sedan.
Which model of outback is a sedan? Certainly not any made within the past 6 years. Also the forester and the outback have the exact same ground clearance. The Forester is TALLER but that doesn't mean it is more likely to drive right over some Accord. It's the ground clearance that matters not height.
I loooove my Rav4 and I have no kids! It makes going to Lowe's and getting all of our 'stuff' (mulch, lumber, plants, etc) as well as traveling (luggage + dog crates) so much easier than taking DH's 4 door sedan.
Depends on the Outback. There are sedan versions and station wagon versions. Definitely same height as a car/sedan.
Which model of outback is a sedan? Certainly not any made within the past 6 years. Also the forester and the outback have the exact same ground clearance. The Forester is TALLER but that doesn't mean it is more likely to drive right over some Accord. It's the ground clearance that matters not height.
By taller, I do mean ground clearance. Outback is 8" (or just over), same as the Forrester and Crosstrek while, say, a Prius is 5 or Fusion at 6. An Explorer? 15.7.
Some people keep their vehicles for more than 6 years.
How do people with dogs use sedans? Not being snarky. We have a RAV4 now, but before that we always had hatchbacks.
We have a mini schnauzer, and I don't mean to brag but she is kind of the best passenger in the entire world. She just would hop in the back, sit down and then lay down for entire car trips. You could also fit a small, soft sided travel crate in the back of the Acura for her. She also rode in a tiny little Saturn coupe just fine.
Our bigger dog though. That dog needs--just more. I love the Forester b/c it has a flat bottom area that they can both sit or stand on, like I said you can put a crate back there--and you aren't always worrying about a dog paw with dog claws ruining your seat! You can easily vacuum out the back. ::Sigh:::
How do people with dogs use sedans? Not being snarky. We have a RAV4 now, but before that we always had hatchbacks.
Well, for purposes of this discussion, most hatchbacks count as sedans. We have a Honda Fit (which fits a crazy amount of stuff). It's a hatchback, but for taking about the car vs. SUV debate, I lump it with sedans.
Which model of outback is a sedan? Certainly not any made within the past 6 years. Also the forester and the outback have the exact same ground clearance. The Forester is TALLER but that doesn't mean it is more likely to drive right over some Accord. It's the ground clearance that matters not height.
By taller, I do mean ground clearance. Outback is 8" (or just over), same as the Forrester and Crosstrek while, say, a Prius is 5 or Fusion at 6. An Explorer? 15.7.
Some people keep their vehicles for more than 6 years.
I'm not even sure what you are trying to say I guess. It seemed like you were trying to say that the Outback was not similar to SUV's. It is and it's absolutely marketed that way.
I guess I don't really think the Outback "sedan," which is basically obsolete is an argument against the fact that an Outback is an SUV.
Outbacks are bulldozers! They seem larger than my CRV actually.
They are very long--they are a full 8 in longer than the Forester. I'm sure they are longer than the CRV. If we got one I'm positive I would have backed that beast into something. Probably a pedestrian--and then just rolled right over the top of an accord.
By taller, I do mean ground clearance. Outback is 8" (or just over), same as the Forrester and Crosstrek while, say, a Prius is 5 or Fusion at 6. An Explorer? 15.7.
Some people keep their vehicles for more than 6 years.
I'm not even sure what you are trying to say I guess. It seemed like you were trying to say that the Outback was not similar to SUV's. It is and it's absolutely marketed that way.
I guess I don't really think the Outback "sedan," which is basically obsolete is an argument against the fact that an Outback is an SUV.
You were all about the clearance and that the sedan (why the dick fingers, they are real cars?). So, just answering your odd post.
Outbacks are bulldozers! They seem larger than my CRV actually.
They are very long--they are a full 8 in longer than the Forester. I'm sure they are longer than the CRV. If we got one I'm positive I would have backed that beast into something. Probably a pedestrian--and then just rolled right over the top of an accord.
They are wagons. The 2014 Subaru Outback ranks 2 out of 10 Wagons. This ranking is based on our analysis of published reviews and test drives of the Subaru Outback, as well as reliability and safety data. (http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Subaru_Outback/)
But, anyway, go on with your gas guzzling' killers because that is what I said for sure (/sarcasm). I don't really give two shits on what anyone drives, but don't act as if the data is not their to show SUVs will more likely kill a driver in a sedan or a pedestrian struck by a sedan:
Look, I don't think a mother of two needs a damned Tahoe solely because she has two kids. That's ridiculous. But I think it's equally ridiculous to behave as if an SUV is just the most unreasonable thing for someone to purchase and that there is no benefit to owning any sort of SUV or crossover or that a sedan will always suffice.
But I'll just go reevaluate myself.
Dramatic poster is dramatic.
I never said there were NO legitimate needs for them. I'm saying that MOST people who drive an SUV absolutely could be just fine in a sedan if they were so inclined to give it a try.
When I go visit my parents in Texas, I sometimes count the cars parked on the streets in their neighborhood. Every time, over 50 percent of them are SUVs. There is no way that over 50 percent of people in their suburban neighborhood with mostly white collar jobs need an SUV. And I put my own mother in this category.
It IS a problem when SUVs are THAT common. The safety risks for drivers of regular cars, pedestrians, and cyclists increase greatly when you have that many SUVs on the road. So yes, I do think people should put more thought into the safety risks their vehicle poses to others on the road.
(I'm only on page 2. So if I'm redundant, then I'm redundant.)
I'm not even sure what you are trying to say I guess. It seemed like you were trying to say that the Outback was not similar to SUV's. It is and it's absolutely marketed that way.
I guess I don't really think the Outback "sedan," which is basically obsolete is an argument against the fact that an Outback is an SUV.
You were all about the clearance and that the sedan (why the dick fingers, they are real cars?). So, just answering your odd post.
I'm kind of dying that you think I'M the odd one in here....go back and really read your weird ass reference to the 2005 Subaru Outback Sedan--that NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT.
They are very long--they are a full 8 in longer than the Forester. I'm sure they are longer than the CRV. If we got one I'm positive I would have backed that beast into something. Probably a pedestrian--and then just rolled right over the top of an accord.
They are wagons. The 2014 Subaru Outback ranks 2 out of 10 Wagons. This ranking is based on our analysis of published reviews and test drives of the Subaru Outback, as well as reliability and safety data. (http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Subaru_Outback/)
But, anyway, go on with your gas guzzling' killers because that is what I said for sure (/sarcasm). I don't really give two shits on what anyone drives, but don't act as if the data is not their to show SUVs will more likely kill a driver in a sedan or a pedestrian struck by a sedan: