Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

I guess when I started the lease the price of gas was not this rediculous. If I would have known, I probably would not have gotten the SUV. But the safety issue is huge for me with my DS.

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

my SUV is paid off as of this month. after 5 years of paying, i'm now free from $500 a month payments.

for me to get a new car would not be an option financially. although i'd save money for gas, i'd be spending so much more for many years on car payments.

so it's not an option at all. if my car was newer, that would be a different story altogether.

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

i have a bigger SUV, pathfiinder, actually and i love it! i haven't had a car other then a truck/suv in a long time. once you drive it, i feel like you never want to go back lol.

gas is def. killin me...i will totally admit that, but's it's hard to give up my truck

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

I am use to driving a SUV now and I hate driving non-suv cars. I am short so I like being high up. With us expecting our second child we like the luxury of having the room and being able to have somebody else in the back seat with the 2 car seats. If you have a regular car you can't do that. My friends have a Saturn and they have 2 kids. They can only drive themselves around. If they need to bring their MIL with them somewhere they have to drive to the place, drop off part of the family, drive back home to pick up the MIL and then go back to the place they need to get to. They then have to do the same trick to get home. If they go away with the MIL they have to rent a van. I could not and will not live like that.

As for our parents not needing SUVs and minivans, the car seat law was not in place back when we were kids. Today's law has kids in car seats until they are 7-9 years old, depending on the size of the kid. Back when I was a kid we would all squeeze in together in the back seat and sit on each others lap if need be. I can remember driving with 7 or 8 of us in a car at once into the city. Are we all ok now, yes. Would I ever even dream of doing that knowing now how unsafe that is? No way.

I also enjoy being able to use my car to car pool with people when need be. We have a 3rd row option and when I have family visiting and we all need to go somewhere we are able to fit into my SUV with everyone being safe. So to me it's worth it.

Message edited 5/14/2008 10:34:02 PM.

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

i'm one of "those" people. i drive an SUV, but don't have any kids yet.
i don't really have any excuses. i'm short ( barely 5 feet tall), so i like being higher up, its easier for me to see. its a small SUV ( toyota RAV 4) so the gas mileage is really the same as a car ( 25 mpg). I also live right across the street from my work, so i only fill up on gas every other week basically.
we also just like the convenience of it. we have a 55 pound dog, and each of our parents lives a couple hours away, so we travel a lot to see them on the weekends, and its just nice having that extra room with the dog, and with all the stuff we need to take with us. also comes in super handy for home depot runs, costco runs, etc.
i still have 2 or 3 years left to pay on it, but i can't see myself ever driving anything else.

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

We decided to get a minivan instead of an SUV because of the better gas mileage a minivan gets. I don't "need' a big car but it will make my life a lot easier esp if another baby comes along. So that is why I will be giving up my Altima. Plus I work a few towns over and that is basically the only driving I do so I don't use that much gas to begin with.

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

We have an SUV because of our lifestyle. My DH loves to go Kayaking, Mountain Biking. We both love too skii and we drive up to Vermont a few times during the winter. We also drive on the beach every summer for the past 4 years. We have a rack for the top of the truck to transport the Kayak, skiis, Mountain Bike.
We can't do these things with a car. Yes, it stinks that the gas is so high. Also, my DH commute is long and it would be great if he could drive a small car, but he would never give up his Lifestyle.

Message edited 5/15/2008 3:14:48 AM.

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

It is not an option because my SUV is truly a life saver. I was the front car in a three car accident on the LIE, a gentleman stopped short and hit the guy behind me who went into me. The other two sedans were toast and my bumper fell off. The NYPD had to help me load my bumper into my SUV so I could go home. Two years earlier I go smacked by a box truck...on the LIE...and samething, this time the FDNY had to use a saw to cut the bumper off. Knock on wood, if the bumper falling off is the only issue than it is SUV all the way.

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

I have only a few payments left on my SUV & then I will be free from a $500 a month payment that I have been paying off for 5 years. I have always drove a SUV & will not change, even if the gas continues to sky-rocket. I only drive 6 miles RT to work 5 days a week. I fill my truck up every week but only when it hits 1/2 tank. I could technically fill it up every 2 weeks if I wanted. To trade my truck in now & get a sedan with better gas mileage is not going to save me much in the long run.

I am a SUV girl & always will be. DH has cars & even though I do drive them on the weekends, I do not enjoy it. I feel unsafe most of the time. The truck does come in handy when going to visit my parents in Maine & also when it comes to transporting things from Home Depot or even the dumps..When we financed my SUV 5 years ago (0 down, 0%), we were not even engaged but we knew that once we did have a family, it would come in handy. DH teases me all time & says it is our "family before our family trusk"

Message edited 5/15/2008 8:45:39 AM.

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

I love my SUV and would not change it for anything else....it is big and expensive (costs me $125 to fill up) but I still love it.....The reason we got it was in mind that we will have kids someday and also to feel safer (I drive it, DH drives a regular car).....

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

I have a big SUV (Suburban). Although I don't complain about how much it costs to fill it up. If that were going to be a problem, I wouldn't have gotten it. I will never get anything smaller. I feel very safe driving it with my 2 kids (3rd on the way and we hope to have a 4th). I also have strollers, sports bags, chairs for games, cooler, my nanny comes with us pretty much everywhere and my DH and I. We also need room to be able to fit a few more bodies if we need to.

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

Well, when I can haul my horses with a prius, I'll buy one.

Seriously, though, my CR-V (not my horse hauling/towing vehicle) gets better gas mileage than most sedans and most minivans and just about any larger SUV. Quite frankly, we use this vehicle for local stuff mostly - or if we are traveling to visit family or go on a small trip. We fill the tank up maybe once per month. (We walk 3/4 mile to and from the train station in the morning for work and don't drive much during the week)

I use my Civic (which gets great gas mileage) for going back and forth to my barn on a regular basis -- since the barn is a good 20-35 minute drive for me. It gets great gas mileage and is paid off.

Another thing to consider, though I honestly don't have the numbers in front of me (perhaps someone who is more knowledgeable can weigh in)... It takes a tremendous amount of energy to make new cars. So, isn't is possible that the consumerism of getting rid of your perfectly fine larger car to buy a smaller one may sometimes outweigh the benefit of a more fuel-efficient vehicle. I know I read something about this somewhere a while back, but honestly am having trouble finding the article. I'm NOT at all knocking people who are buying more fuel-efficient cars AT ALL. I'm just questioning something I read a while back...

For me, personally, I find no need to get rid of my SUV or car right now. Both are functioning just fine and I don't find myself struggling to pay the cost of gas for them b/c I drive very infrequently. I'm also someone who buys my cars and drives them for 7-10 years or however long they are useful...

ETA -- I also drive much, much less than most people in the suburbs and am careful about the use of electricity we use, etc. It's not that I'm indifferent to the environment... I just don't think I need to switch vehicles right now.

Message edited 5/15/2008 9:33:05 AM.

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

I have a compact car and managed just fine with it.

My DH has to have an SUV b/c he has a DJing business on the side and needs a car large enough to hold his equipment.

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

I like my SUV and for me although the gas prices are $$$$$, it is not an option for me to give it up. My last car was an SUV and my next one will be as well! I feel safe in it, I can carry larger items and just plain like it. DH and I both have SUV's and we both plan to have then for a while.

I understand everyone has their own personal opinion on things, but I hate posts like these that try to make others feel bad about their choices in life and make them justify their reasons for things. Different strokes for different folks!!!

Message edited 5/15/2008 9:50:52 AM.

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

My SUV gets decent MPG- 22 on average- even 23 sometimes

I just had a "loaner"seden for the weekend from my dealership while my SUV got an oil change and breaks

and I got a whooping 25 MPG

and could barely go food shopping in it

so for the 2 MPG more- I will keep my SUV for now

our other car is a sports car and gets alot less then the SUV- 14 MPG

so for us- we need one car that is good in the snow and can carry large stuff

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

before we got our current car (2 seater BMW Z-3 coupe) we had an Isuzu Rodeo.

i can tell you that I am just as comfortable in the 2 seater as I was in the rodeo.

we have enough trunk space for the many road trips we take (the coupe has a big booty) and, since neither of us ever sat in the back seat anyway, the front 2 seats are all that ever mattered for our comfort.

our car has rear wheel drive...the absolute WORST for snow. I can tell you it left us "stranded" maybe TWICE this past winter. We just don't get that much snow here. (and living walking distance from a major MTA/NYCTA hub doesn't hurt)

we get better gas mileage, better PARKING since the rodeo was much larger and we have not sacrificed one ONCE of comfort (we have heated leather seats )

while I think that there are SOME people who do NEED a larger size vehicle, MOST people COULD make do with a smaller more fuel efficient car.

but making DO isn't as fun as being MORE THAN comfortable..and it's not the american way

Unless it's a hybrid, I do not anticipate us getting an SUV ever again. We WILL be getting a new car with AWD b/c we will be buying a house soon in an area that gets much more snow, but we are looking for the most fuel efficient car possible.

As long as we get a car that fits the two of us and 2 carseats (for any bundles down the road) I am fine with that. as long as a soccer ball fits in the trunk, my kids will have to "make do" as well.

Message edited 5/15/2008 10:06:31 AM.

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

For me it's not the fact that I have an SUV that's the problem, it's the actual price of gas. Whether it costs me an extra $20 to fill a sedan or an extra $20 to fill an SUV it's still an extra $20.

Luckily I only travel 8 miles to work. I used to travel 47 each eay.

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

Posted by Ophelia

while I think that there are SOME people who do NEED a larger size vehicle, MOST people COULD make do with a smaller more fuel efficient car.

but making DO isn't as fun as being MORE THAN comfortable..and it's not the american way

Re: SUV question - for those of you say it's not an option to get rid of your SUV

I don't use my mid sized truck to commute, and the bottom line is I feel safer, and I NEED to feel safe. Also when I just had a car, I could never fit anything in it without it being ridiculous and having to ask others to do me favors transporting something. Or make multiple trips to the store when with a SUV I can make one trip.

I won't go back to a car. I am extremely uncomfortable in a car these days, both mentally and physically. Plus my truck does a lot better in rain and snow than my car did. I had many an experience skidding b/c the car was too light in the back.

Message edited 5/15/2008 10:25:22 AM.