The SUV…. Super Uncool Vehicle
May 11, 2008 by Jozef Winter
In follow up to our recent article on the documentary “A Shocking Truth“, which focused on the current state of CO2 emissions created by North American personal vehicles, specifically highlighting fuel inefficient SUVs and trucks and their impact on the environment, I decided to have a closer look at the consumer who actually buys these vehicles…
So with a little research, our prey seems to be married, between the ages of 29-47, with the average falling in the early 40s. The men and women seem to share the purchasing decision fairly equally, and the median household incomes, depending on the report, falls somewhere between $54-90,000 a year. Interestingly, less than half of them are college graduates. Coincidence?
From these data, and some personal anecdotes thrown in, I’ve come up with the top 5 reasons that people purchase and drive SUVs:
1. They love the feeling of looking over everyone while they drive (i.e. they have a low self worth and need something to make them feel above others).
2. They (falsely) believe they are actually safer in an SUV.
3. They need a vehicle that’s able to carry all their camping gear once a year.
4. Along with their other baubles, they view the SUV as a fashion accessory (again with the low self esteem, requiring attention from strangers).
5. They are oil/auto executives who enjoy contributing to their companies’ bottom lines.
After doing a little more research, I came across a book, titled High and Mighty: SUVs–The World’s Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way
“internal industry market research concluded that S.U.V.s tend to be bought by people who are insecure, vain, self-centered, and self-absorbed, who are frequently nervous about their marriages, and who lack confidence in their driving skills. Ford’s S.U.V. designers took their cues from seeing “fashionably dressed women wearing hiking boots or even work boots while walking through expensive malls.”
Think about that next time you’re on the road.
