Little Women... BIG SUVs

[Miroku]

Sorry if I offend any women here that are 5'-nothing and drive Hummers, but I just gotta post this question to see what happens.

What the hell is up with this trend of women that are barely 5' 5" or less driving the biggest SUV they can find? A person is welcome to drive whatever they want, but I would think you'd put a little consideration into how capable you are of driving it. The problem is you've got women so tiny they have to sit on phonebooks to see over the dashboard driving these things, and being utterly incapable of handling the vehicle.

I know the stereotype is guys buy stupid cars as.... compensation... for other..... shortcomings.... but what drives women to drive these things. It can't be penis size... penis envy, maybe???

It's bad enough people buy SUVs that will never leave a paved road... like buying a Twinkie and never eating it... but the whole "I'm so tiny that driving this thing is like handling a bucking bronco, but I WANT IT!" thing eludes me.

[ChronoSword]

As does I, however, i come to accpet the fact that i may never know the answer, so i just let it be.

[Franksta]

weirds me out too. it just seems so....wrong....

[Eihger]

maybey t6hey are compensating for breast size, women have breast envy

[Smaointe]

I am 5'5".

This is my family's car, the car in which I learned to drive.



I am quite capable of driving it, and I do not require phone books to sit on in order to see over the dash, or platform shoes to reach the pedals.

My sister is 4'11". She drives it quite happily whenever she visits.

I have to say, my hackles go up when I am referred to as "tiny", but that is a side-issue.

I think most of your post was a bit of a generalisation, Miroku. Things are different in cities, obviously, where there may be no practical reason for buying a large vehicle; but I'm concentrating more on your comments regarding the ability to handle the car, not whether someone is justified in buying one.

Where I live, a large percentage of families own larger vehicles because it is a rural (cattle) area and the roads are pretty awful (I nearly lose my little Swift down the cracks and potholes). Women around here MUST be proficient in driving these big cars. One of the girls that I work with is 19, my height, and had problems driving her new little hatchback because she was so used to driving her 4WD utility all the time.

Not everyone buys them "just because", and not all women are "utterly incapable" of handling them.

Come visit me and I'll take you bush-bashin' in the Patrol.

[SothThe69th]

I'm sure if it was in your neighborhood, it wouldn't generate the same rant Smaointe, I'm betting that Miroku lives in a Suburban neighborhood that doesn't at all require gigantic trucks of doom.

[Smaointe]

I know, and I acknowledged that. My problem was not with people (and it's not just women) who buy these cars when they don't really *need* them.. it was with the comments regarding women not being able to handle large vehicles.

[Eihger]

I think an H2 should be scrabed and made into better qualitiy things

[Quan-Time]

harhar. love the cruiser...

[Killer-Rabbit]

Personally I never really saw the purpose of the main stream SUVs (yes I know some people actually use them for what they are made for). I mean wow, you can make a minivan look different. A lot of SUVs wouldnt even make it if you too them off road.
Second, I think many people dont know how to drive one well. They try to drive it like a car and end up doing really stupid stuff.

One of the things that annoys me the most: The road running along campus has four or five speed "humps" (as the signs say). As I drive along in my tiny car, I can go the speed limit over them and there is no problem but most people (including a lot with SUVs) slow down to a crawl, go over them, and then floor it. You are driving a vehicle designed for going off road and you dont thing it can go over a bump that my car handles just fine!?

[Skorpion]

I see no reason for people to drive SUVs, and not use them properly.

If you want a big car, buy an MPV. Only buy an SUV if:
1. You intend to take it off-road.
2. You intent to use the bloody huge engine for pulling things.
If you take it off-road regularly, buy something that's designed for it, like a Land Rover or one of the original hummers.

'Urban SUVs' like the BMW and Lexus ones around now are pointless. Burn them.

Also, I want one of the original spec hummers. The ones with bulletproof windows, and a machinegun mount.

[ChronoSword]

well, what are they supposed to use in Europe and Japan, not American SUV's
(granted Land Rover is British) I would say that most people in Europe probably buy German, so a BMW or Mercedes SUV is more preferable. Mercedes actually has a model that is supposed to be their version of the Hummer. Of course, since gas is more expensive there, there are going to be less people in SUV's there, where the only people using for the most part are people who actually need them.

[Mav]

I'd just like to say I've yelled at numerous friends about this subject... particularily female friends who have said they would like a SUV.

[billf]

most SUVs aren't even designed for offroad anymore. Fark, you'd be hardpressed to find a Jeep that could handle offroad conditions that was made in the past 5 or so years... a JEEP! SUVs are mostly just stylized wastes of space, no one should be driving them.

[Calus]

Smaointe, my mother is 5'6" and most like can handle a car better then anyone on this forum. Manly due to having a Class "A" CDL and can drive a Bus better then most can drive a Mini Cooper.