In a message dated 11/9/2001 Henrik Dahl writes:
<< To a poor foreigner, please spell out what SUV stands for. It's
something with cars, right? Vans? I just want to know if it's
something I should hemorrhag (love that word) for. >>
Ummm... Well, it is a US Automaker's achronym for "Sports Utility
Vehicle" coined to sell trucks to consumers who would otherwise normally
buy "cars" because they don't want "trucks." That's my take anyway.
With notable exceptions (and all due respect to AG Schnauz's Cherokee
classic...penned by the same designer as the great Ford GT40 by the way)
they tend to be the scourge of the roadways here in the US. Hence the
car enthusiast's achronym "Senseless Useless Vehicle" was coined and is
common.
They are controversial because some people believe they really should
only be used for a practical purpose and not replace the majority of
passenger cars on the road for no other reason than "but everyone has
one so I have to be a lemming and have one too." There are many good
reasons to own a SUV, problem is...when you look at all the ones you see
on the road these days you draw the conclusion that most of them are not
quite being used as intended. Sparkling and gleeming Range Rovers that
never saw so much as a gravel road come quickly to mind. (Reminds me of
the mud covered Porsche 911 Carrera 4 I saw the other day...now that
person was having fun!). I have no problem with those who need offroad
capabilities, tow big things (race car trailers for example), but the
dang things lumber around, generally in the way, are often driven very
aggressively at the stupidest times, and a significant number of them
things rolling around have cast a bad stigma upon them all (which is
partly why I don't own any trucks anymore...though I have had a few in
the past).
This controversy is why the SUV wars have raged large from time to time
on various mail lists...though the fad is waning and smaller "SUVs" and
station wagons are becoming more popular. There is now a crossover as
well. The BMW X5, for example, is a pretty stunning performer and is
technically a SUV. OTOH, the Audi allroad is also a stunning performer
that could also probably do the Rubicon Trail as well as say, a classic
Cherokee (but probably not as well as a stock CJ) yet it is a station
wagon "car." In other words the picture is getting fuzzier and in
reality they all make great rolling camera bags to haul Zuikos (phew,
some OM content).
Ken--keep the classic Cherokee if there are no underlying issues. Keep
the bolts tight and those babys can run a long long time (and are vastly
better long-term than the Grand versions I am told).
Mike Veglia
Motor Sport Visions Photography
http://www.motorsportvisions.com
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