Am I alone?

[allie&mattsmom]

At this point in my life, nothing but a SUV will really work (well, a minivan would but I've been there done that). We need the room for road trips and even around town. We often pick up my mom or my mil to go places plus we have two kids and a 110 lb Labrador! And then when we have to pick up one of the kids friends or car pool. I do love driving DH's sedan when I can though!

 

[ChrisnSteph]

At this point in my life, nothing but a SUV will really work (well, a minivan would but I've been there done that). We need the room for road trips and even around town. We often pick up my mom or my mil to go places plus we have two kids and a 110 lb Labrador! And then when we have to pick up one of the kids friends or car pool. I do love driving DH's sedan when I can though!

That's true for us too. We use our Suburban to haul our three kids AND a 26' travel trailer. Can't do that with a minivan or a Ford Explorer! We drive our Explorer most of the time though. We're getting rid of the Suburban and replacing it with a truck though, so we're going from one guzzler to another, but it will be a diesel so we'll get better gas mileage. The kids will be a little cramped, but not as bad as they are our in Explorer. I just want to say that while many people don't need HUGE SUV's (Suburbans, Excursions) - some people actually do, especially when they pull RV's like we do.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

When the DH and the DS are over 6', mom is 5'10, and you've got two big Labradors, plus frequently a friend along for the DS, a little car just doesn't cut it.

I LOVE my SUV- I've had an Explorer (back seat was toooooo small), a Suburban (land yacht- too hard for me to manuever and park), and now I'm on my second Expedition (just the right size!!!)

Kath--you make it sound like modern day version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Goldilocks drove the Explorer, but it was too small.
Goldilocks drove the Suburban but it was too big.
Goldilocks drove the Expedition and it was JUST right.

 

[Syrreal]

I drive a Subaru Forester. It is a small SUV.. but it gets the same mileage as a car... really a car with a suv-like body. It's a lot shorter that ever most small SUVs (I know it's shorter than the Ford Escape) and it's actually less long than my old Maxima. I wanted to get another sedan and was looking at the Subaru ones (for the AWD) and this car gets the same gas mileage and the same engine.
Dh has a Subaru Outback that is just as great in gas mileage but is longer than my car.
During spring break we rented an Envoy in Canada. HATED IT! The 4wd sucked and gas mileage was unbelievable. We would never get a big monster like that.

 

[JVL1018]

We've had an SUV, but we traded it in for a minivan..and I don;t think I could drive long distances without it(liek to HH from NJ) it's so roomy, I love it!

FTR my Chevy Venture minivan gets MUCH better gas mileage than our car(Chevy Malibu).

 

[liamsaunt]

No, definitely don't want one of those. I can barely see correctly through the windshield of my saab, even with the seat at its highest elevation--if I had an SUV I think I would have to sit on a telephone book to make it work for me. Plus, there is the whole gas issue...

HOWEVER, when I went to Disneyworld with DH, Dsis, and her two kids, we rented a what seemed to us to be HUGE Ford Explorer, and truly, with all of the luggage, the stroller, etc., we used all of that space. So, I can see why people would buy them. It just would not work for me personally in everyday life.

I must also mention that the kids LOVED the Explorer. At home, their Mom drives a ford focus hatchback, so they were in hog heaven with all of the space. My nephew even took photos of "the big blue truck, so I can remember it forever and ever!"