Fallacy of buying an SUV for open space at the mall
A sedan is better suited to almost every family’s needs
A FRIEND of mine called me wanting some advice on buying a sports utility vehicle.
Knowing that he is one of those people who is very afraid to get sand between his toes, I asked why an SUV?
These were some of his responses:
It’s an ideal vehicle. (Ideal for what?)
I need to transport my boys and their cricket kit. (Really? You need a 4x4 for that?)
My wife likes the look. (Okay, that may be the best reason yet.)
It’s safer. (Really? Than what?)
There is no reason you need to buy an SUV when a sedan or station wagon will do just as well or be better suited to your application of it.
SUVs are big vehicles. They have a higher centre of gravity and, in some instances, less luggage room than a sedan. They are heavy on fuel and, contrary to manufacturers’ claims, they seldom provide seating for seven.
I don’t have anything against people who want to be seen in an SUV, but I wonder whether it is the right vehicle for their needs.
Let’s take a station wagon. The luggage room is enormous. There is sufficient space for your kids and their friends.
It has every safety feature imaginable in comparison to an SUV of the same price — and more in some instances, depending on the brand.
Sedans are designed for family use and as such have enough seating and luggage room to accommodate a family of four quite comfortably.
Sedans and station wagons are safer than SUVs, because their centre of gravity is lower and their road holding is not compromised.
A very popular brand’s SUV had a tendency to roll on gravel and tarred surfaces owing to suspension problems. It claims that this has since been resolved, but is the SUV safer than a sedan?
My advice to potential SUV buyers is to make sure their desire to own one stems from a real need for a vehicle of these capabilities and not from the fact that their neighbour has one.
If ground clearance is important to you, there are vehicles out there that provide it at half the cost.
If you go to an area that requires you to have an SUV with 4x4 once a year, don’t buy one. Hire one when you need it. If you factor in the cost of repairs once the vehicle’s maintenance contract has expired, the appeal of owning an SUV dies a quick death.
If the call of wide open spaces means the parking lot at the nearest mall, don’t put your money in an SUV.
The SUV has been an impractical trend for the past decade. With petrol hikes and the surging cost of motoring, you may want to rethink the idea of owning a vehicle you can use to its potential only once a year.