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Sport Utility Vehicles
I’ve often thought that if a car can’t be made to operate
more economically, it could at least be made to be safer. Japanese
carmakers
have heard thinking. And Mazda heard me thinking, particularly when I
recently drove the CX-9 a few hundred miles during a week's test drive.
or any car shopper waiting around for the unveiling of last year’s Nissan Murano, the wait never ended. Nissan didn’t produce a single 2008 model.
Although a surprising circumstance for such a popular vehicle, Nissan felt it wasn’t necessary since a full redesign was coming in 2009. Who could really blame them since there was nothing objectionable about the 2007 Murano? And let’s face it, many auto manufacturers essentially trot out the same vehicle year after year without any significant changes.
Like an aging athlete whose skills are still strong but diminishing, sports utility vehicles are facing a dilemma. Regardless of size, shape and legacy, as gas prices have sharply
escalated, SUV sales have sharply declined. The result for SUV
manufacturers has been nothing short of a buyers’ mass exodus. Have SUVs passed their prime or is there still live and a better
position for the utilitarian vehicles that changed the automotive
marketplace?
Magic happens when you drive a Land Rover. Ican't say if it's good or bad magic but it definitely happens. The first thing I looked at when I got in the 2008 Land Rover 3 HSE car
was the odometer. There's an indicator that told me among other things
how many miles I had left on the full tank. I drove the car about
six-tenths of a mile to meet friends for breakfast and the odometer
dropped six miles. “What a gas hog,” I thought. “The tree huggers would
have a field day if they knew for sure how much this gas guzzler
consumed.”
The
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara will not be a first choice for many shoppers.
And if money is not an issue, the compact sport utility vehicle may not
even make the finalists' list because many competitors have better
credentials. But if money is an issue, don’t dismiss the Grand Vitara.
It has significantly improved in recent years and not only provides an
impressive value, it has good qualities as a daily driver.
There was no urgent need for changes. Toyota already had success with the Highlander, a trend-setting model introduced seven years ago that quickly became a template for a segment of crossover sport utility vehicles.
Many reasons exist to literally steer away from purchasing a large sport utility vehicle. Lack of gas mileage is one negative. Every time I drive a behemoth SUV, it seems like one eye watching the gas gauge dip as another $70 fill-up looms.
Now ending its first decade in production, the Suzuki Grand Vitara is a strong contender in the compact sport utility vehicle category. Its value pricing, strong warranty, good cabin and cargo space and satisfactory overall driving have prompted more potential buyers to give it appropriate consideration.
Nazi dicta
Volkswagen has obviously enjoyed a longer existence than Hitler. The German
I’m driving past gas stations in a 2008 Acura MDX, and as comfortable and secure as I am in one of the nicest sport utility vehicles around, I can’t help but think: Why should anyone buy this car?
Copyright 2009 The Weekly Driver. All rights reserved.
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