What's with all these fake SUVs?

[Demon-Xanth]

Real SUVs:

Truck SUVs:
Suburban/YukonXL
Envoy/Tahoe
Excursion
Expedition
H2


Off road SUVs:
Land Cruiser
Jeep (anything)
Land Rover/Range Rover (anything)
Hummer

What I consider for the truck SUV subclass is basically a full size truck chassis w/o a bed. They can tow quite well. The off road SUVs better be able to take a trail. There is a bit of overlap on some.

Most anything else is either an overgrown station wagon or high floored minivan that people drive because they don't want a minivan or a station wagon image but really want/need a minivan or a station wagon.

 

[rh71]

OH GOD not another one of these type of threads that invite bashers and anti-bashers...

 

[0roo0roo]

i think the h2 loses the geared hubs from the h1 that raise clearance
and is probably also missing these.


fake... totally fake for inconsiderate self involved people.

 

[Doggiedog]

Originally posted by: Dari
The MDX? The Murano? Navigator? None of these "SUVs" can go off-road. They are just there to please all the wanna-bes. The current "SUVs" are just for soccer moms and dads that are too embarrassed to drive a minivan. Really, are the only real SUVs today the Hummer and Range Rover?

I own an MDX and I will agree with you about being embarrassed to drive a minivan but....name me any minivan besides the Chyrsler T&C that has AWD? The weather in the Northeast this winter was horrible and it really came in handy with all the snowfall.

I personally didn't want an SUV but with 2 giant baby seats and strollers, even my old Lexus GS300 was cramped. Getting a station wagon was no different than the GS. I really wanted to get the Audi All-Road but there was just no shoulder room in the back row.

I am not an outdoorsy person and will probably never go off-roading (especially in a $40K car) so I couldn't care less whether an SUV was a "real" SUV or not as long as it suits the purpose it was made for. I think the MDX fits the niche it was made for quite well.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo


fake... totally fake for inconsiderate self involved people.

It still has quite a bit of off road ability, at half the cost. It's not a completely neutered truck but it's definately not an H1.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: rbloedow
I thought the new Hummer had a solid rear axle?!?!?!? Doesn't that almost nullify any ideas of it being the ultimate Off road SUV?

solid axles are good for offroad use. In fact, solid front and rear axles are prefferred. They are cheap, easy to work with, and you will be able to get more flex, meaning more contact with the ground when off camber. The H1 is not solid axle, but it is a hell of a vehicle. This is because it is waaaaay more advanced than your average SUV. As was mentioned, off centered axles, gear reducing hubs, etc.

Give me SFA and SRA any day. I'll take the degraded on road performance for the added offroad performance. Its nice being able to go to a junkyard and pick up a ford 9" or chevy 12 bolt for $50 to replace the rear end that just grenaded. ALl it takes is alittle welding skill and some sweat to replace a front or rear end.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

mmmm, solid axles...

 

[SpongeBob]

Where does it say that an SUV has to have some great off-roading abilities? They are definitely more capable than a car, if for no other reason than increased ground clearance. I own one of these so-called "fake" SUV's (Ford Escape) and I like it. I have never used it off road and probably never will. Guess what, I didn't buy it for that purpose. That's what is with them, people are liking them more and more and each automaker wants a peice of the market.

 

[Ornery]

What's with all these fake Sports Cars?

The Honda Civic Si? The RSX? MINI Cooper? None of these "Sports Cars" can go on the track. They are just there to please all the wanna-bes. The current "Sports Cars" are just for ricers and boy racers that are too embarrassed to drive an Accord. Really, are the only real Sports Cars today the Corvette and Mustang?

 

[Doggiedog]

Originally posted by: Ornery
What's with all these fake Sports Cars?

The Honda Civic Si? The RSX? MINI Cooper? None of these "Sports Cars" can go on the track. They are just there to please all the wanna-bes. The current "Sports Cars" are just for ricers and boy racers that are too embarrassed to drive an Accord. Really, are the only real Sports Cars today the Corvette and Mustang?

LMAO! Touche!

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: Ornery
What's with all these fake Sports Cars?

The Honda Civic Si? The RSX? MINI Cooper? None of these "Sports Cars" can go on the track. They are just there to please all the wanna-bes. The current "Sports Cars" are just for ricers and boy racers that are too embarrassed to drive an Accord. Really, are the only real Sports Cars today the Corvette and Mustang?

Considering that I agree with most of that (the Mustang isn't a sports car)...


...they're sports coupes. A sports car has two seats

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: Dari
The MDX? The Murano? Navigator? None of these "SUVs" can go off-road. They are just there to please all the wanna-bes. The current "SUVs" are just for soccer moms and dads that are too embarrassed to drive a minivan. Really, are the only real SUVs today the Hummer and Range Rover?

Ummm.. who the hell do you think the real SUVs are for? Do you honestly think they were created for offroading? The Range Rover yes. Not the Hummer, Suburban, Excursion, etc etc etc. They were created for the same people as the MDX and Murano, soccer moms and dads trying to look macho.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth

Originally posted by: Ornery
What's with all these fake Sports Cars?

The Honda Civic Si? The RSX? MINI Cooper? None of these "Sports Cars" can go on the track. They are just there to please all the wanna-bes. The current "Sports Cars" are just for ricers and boy racers that are too embarrassed to drive an Accord. Really, are the only real Sports Cars today the Corvette and Mustang?

Considering that I agree with most of that (the Mustang isn't a sports car)...


...they're sports coupes. A sports car has two seats

Why does a sports car have to have two seats?? Are you saying a Supra isn't a sports car? This is 2003, not 1974, meaning sports cars aren't just underpowered British convertibles.

 

[TurtleMan]

dude.. if they PRODUCED the real SUV then think about.. our gas price gonna go sky high thx for the gas gazzle monster SUV..
they prdouce those ur so called faked SUV is bc ppl get satisified by the fake suv and the same time, not creating much of problem that
was brought by the real SUV..

 

[EvilYoda]

wheeeee, here we go again.......but speaking of SUVs/crossovers, I saw two Chrysler Pacifica's on the road this weekend, gotta love living in the suburbs of Detroit. I like that car, but not as much as the Murano/FX

 

[Ornery]

"Why does a sports car have to have two seats?? Are you saying a Supra isn't a sports car? This is 2003, not 1974, meaning sports cars aren't just underpowered British convertibles."

Yeah, today's Sports Cars are all about performance, no matter what configuration they come packaged in! No pretenders like these soccer moms and their wimpy SUVs.

Get with it Demon-Xanth, you'll notice "tuning" doesn't mean what it used to either!

 

[tkdkid]

Well you see there are these things...called 'roads'. Maybe you've heard of them. You can get just about anywhere you need to go on these things, really. So you don't need to drive off road over rocks and in muddy riverbanks to get to wal-mart. Basically, who cares if they can't go off road? They're good looking, comfortable, and 4 wheel drive is nice for snow, ice, and otherwise hazardous conditions..

A perfectly valid selling point for suv's is that they don't look like minivans. Why the hell would I want an ugly ass van or station wagon when I get a very nice looking suv instead?

I bought an explorer for those reasons...it holds all my crap on trips, gets me to the trails on my frequent mountain biking trips, and looks pretty damn good.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

How can we race the Mustang in the sports car class? Remove the rear seat.

--Paraphrase of a conversation w/ Caroll Shelby regarding getting the GT-350 into a particular class of racing.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: tkdkid
Well you see there are these things...called 'roads'. Maybe you've heard of them. You can get just about anywhere you need to go on these things, really. So you don't need to drive off road over rocks and in muddy riverbanks to get to wal-mart. Basically, who cares if they can't go off road? They're good looking, comfortable, and 4 wheel drive is nice for snow, ice, and otherwise hazardous conditions..

A perfectly valid selling point for suv's is that they don't look like minivans. Why the hell would I want an ugly ass van or station wagon when I get a very nice looking suv instead?

I bought an explorer for those reasons...it holds all my crap on trips, gets me to the trails on my frequent mountain biking trips, and looks pretty damn good.

did you think SUVs looked good in the 80's? Or is it the fact they are popular now that made you like the looks? People have a tendency to like what others like. Look at the Nissan 350z. It has an ugly backend, yet people still crave it because its popular.

 

[polm]

Oi vay...gimme a break.

I have been through MANY SUV's in my life, and until my most recent (Mistsubishi Montero Sport) I spent MANY long days slopping through the muddy banks of the Mississippi River. I usually slapped on my 31 or 33 inch tires, and took SUV's like the Isuzu Trooper , Nissan Pathfinder, and others off-roading ALL THE TIME.

I got stuck...yes....but so did Huge Ford Bronco Trux with 38 inch tires. Its MUD....its DEEP....and a light SUV can really be an advantage.

Look, I guess what I am saying is .... if you have 4WD and decent tires, any vehicle can be a fun and functional Off-Roading machine.

 

[Mookow]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: Dari
The MDX? The Murano? Navigator? None of these "SUVs" can go off-road. They are just there to please all the wanna-bes. The current "SUVs" are just for soccer moms and dads that are too embarrassed to drive a minivan. Really, are the only real SUVs today the Hummer and Range Rover?

Ummm.. who the hell do you think the real SUVs are for? Do you honestly think they were created for offroading? The Range Rover yes. Not the Hummer, Suburban, Excursion, etc etc etc. They were created for the same people as the MDX and Murano, soccer moms and dads trying to look macho.

I think you may have meant to say the H2

 

[tkdkid]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: tkdkid
Well you see there are these things...called 'roads'. Maybe you've heard of them. You can get just about anywhere you need to go on these things, really. So you don't need to drive off road over rocks and in muddy riverbanks to get to wal-mart. Basically, who cares if they can't go off road? They're good looking, comfortable, and 4 wheel drive is nice for snow, ice, and otherwise hazardous conditions..

A perfectly valid selling point for suv's is that they don't look like minivans. Why the hell would I want an ugly ass van or station wagon when I get a very nice looking suv instead?

I bought an explorer for those reasons...it holds all my crap on trips, gets me to the trails on my frequent mountain biking trips, and looks pretty damn good.

did you think SUVs looked good in the 80's? Or is it the fact they are popular now that made you like the looks? People have a tendency to like what others like. Look at the Nissan 350z. It has an ugly backend, yet people still crave it because its popular.

Sure, I thought they looked ok. Lots of people then had them. They were pretty rugged vehicles though, didn't have a very comfortable ride or any plush features like they do now, so they appealed to a smaller market.

Regarding the 350z, I looked up some pics and it looks very nice. Nice smooth lines, aggressive styling, really a work of art. The backend fits the overall design of the car quite well, I think. I'd say people buy it because it's different, looks good, and is reasonably priced. I've only ever seen one among the sea of bmw's and mercedes around here so I wouldn't say it's very popular anyway.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: polm
Oi vay...gimme a break.

I have been through MANY SUV's in my life, and until my most recent (Mistsubishi Montero Sport) I spent MANY long days slopping through the muddy banks of the Mississippi River. I usually slapped on my 31 or 33 inch tires, and took SUV's like the Isuzu Trooper , Nissan Pathfinder, and others off-roading ALL THE TIME.

I got stuck...yes....but so did Huge Ford Bronco Trux with 38 inch tires. Its MUD....its DEEP....and a light SUV can really be an advantage.

Look, I guess what I am saying is .... if you have 4WD and decent tires, any vehicle can be a fun and functional Off-Roading machine.

mud bogging in not the extent of offroading

 

[KokomoGST]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

I have to admit one thing. I can run over curbs and drive in the rain. In the mustang it was damn crapshoot in the rain, and if you ran over a curb it was your ass and about 3k in damage.

The maxima is good in the rain (although you can't drive fast because the thing just spins forever from all that nissan torque! In regards to driving on curbs: Only in Alabama :Q

Since when do SUVs corner better than cars do in the rain? (or snow or whatever crap flies from the heavens) Sure, your Mustang may have been a tractionless wonder in the rain as is Skoorb's Maxima (and my GST for that matter).

But that doesn't mean if you have 4 wheel drive that you suddenly can defy the laws of physics. That's the kind of logic that makes ordinary drivers overconfident and make mistakes like spinning their SUV into the guardrail after jumping that curb or driving to fast in bad weather.

Sure, I can't put power down worth squat in the rain because of too much torque, same deal with other powerful non-TCed non-AWDs. But with a typical SUV/crossover's higher center of gravity and more weight with the same reduced grip... well, a passenger car shouldn't be any worse in the rain during normal driving. Learn how to modulate the throttle better is the simple solution.

 

[polm]

mud bogging in not the extent of offroading

Of cousre it isnt....but you actually think there is ANY vehicle out there equipped (without heavy moodification) for ALL forms of Off-Roading ?