I agree with Rainbows when he says, "who are we to tell them any different?", with the caveat that by "we" I mean via the government and regulations. I have no problem with the cultural backlash against SUV's that is currently underway, if the people of a society want to make something culturally unacceptable, by the gradual alteration of social mores (like what has happened with smoking), that is their right. I just don't feel the government should be involved. Then again I don't believe the government should be involved in most of the things it is currently involved in.
My father drives a 1997 Grand Cherokee, and it's the only SUV I've driven that I can say I liked. It's the first generation Grand Cherokee, which is not as large as the current model. It actually feels more like a high-riding car, it has a car-like driving position and uni-body construction. It also has a relatively efficient and fantastically durable 4.0 liter inline six, which is an updated version of an old AMC engine, and is one of the best engines ever built in the U.S. My parents live in Buffalo, NY, and the Jeep's AWD system and ample ground clearance have gotten my father home during more than one major blizzard when a lot of other people were stranded. So I feel he is justified in owning that vehicle. But a lot of people that I see commuting alone in Ford Expeditions have just bought into the trend, and I can't fathom spending the money to fuel such a behemoth just for the status.
"The good news is, not one of the 50 states has the death penalty for speeding....although I'm not too sure about Ohio."
Sesquipedalian -- a really cool word. It means long-winded, polysyllabic, or verbose. See the word describes itself...isn't that neat?
1988 Nissan 200SX SE V6
UCP's most hardcore S12 fan!