Six reasons to drive an SUV

In an article in our local newspaper, The Fremont Tribune, Nov. 1-2, 2008, Josh Max of CTW Features gave several reasons for buying an SUV. He said, "For drivers who can take the punishment at the gas pump - and withstand the snarky looks from Prius owners - there are still plenty of good reasons to own an SUV." HOWEVER, he left out one important reason which I will get to in a little bit.

His reasons were:

1. "You have a sizeable brood." An SUV can provide plenty of room for a load of kids. Plus they have all those cool options now that would make any kid want to go on a trip, like DVD players with headphones. That keeps both the kids and Mom and Dad happy. Or the extra cargo space comes in handy for hauling all sorts of things. It sure works good for four sets of golf clubs and pull carts as we head to the golf course.
   
2. "Size equals security." I know I feel safer in my Jeep Grand Cherokee than I did in my little Neon I used to drive. Bigger just feels safer. They are adding all kinds of new safety equipment on cars and SUVs, so all are safer. Still, bigger sure feels safer.
3. "Most SUVs can go where ordinary autos fear to tread." I still have to chuckle when I think about watching a snow plow get stuck while clearing a parking lot while I just drove out with my four-wheel drive engaged. You kick that 4-wheel drive into gear, and you can go just about anyplace.
4. "Ownership doesn't automatically make you environmentally uncool". With the high gas prices, and the trend toward smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, a person's driving habits can really offset the lower gas mileage typical for an SUV. I am averaging 18.1 MPG overall since I got my Grand Cherokee. Considering all the benefits I'm talking about, that's not too bad.
5. "Getting rid of your current SUV may not make sense right now." Given the economy, and high gas prices, it is tempting to trade the SUV for a smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicle. But get out your calculator and figure out how long it will take you to make up for the higher price of a new car. I think you will be surprised to see how many years it will take., or if you can even keep the car long enough to make up for it. My Jeep is paid off, so I have no monthly payments. I can't save enough on gas to even come close to offsetting the monthly payments of a new car. The more fuel-efficient cars are selling for high prices, and you probably won't get a good trade-in on your SUV right now. So sticking with the SUV might be the best bet. It sure is for me.

Those are the five reasons given by the author of the article I referred to earlier. But, as I said, he forgot one important reason. I will give him the benefit of the doubt. He may be much younger than I am, so may not have thought of this reason.

So here it is, reason No. 6 for driving an SUV:

6. the ease of getting in and out of the vehicle. When you get to retirement age, like I am, it is much easier to turn and put my feet down to get out of my Jeep, than it was to pull myself up out of my little Neon that seemed to sit almost on the ground. I'm guessing that will be more and more of a concern as the years go by. I see many elderly people really struggling to pull themselves up out of a low-riding car. An SUV makes getting in and out so much easier. Try it. I think you'll like it.

So there you have it, six reasons for driving an SUV. You may have other reasons to add. Share them if you like.

Jeep Compass - a crossover

The 2007 Jeep Compass is referred to as a crossover. In Automotive Blogs, it is described as "street-bred, with a hint of ruggedness." I like the looks of the one pictured here from Automotive Blogs. I think I could drive one if I had to. It comes with a 2.4 liter inline 4-cylinder engine and either a five-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission (CVT2).

I've never driven a continuously variable transmission. It might take a little getting used to. The reviewers said the CVT "felt somewhat odd, because it would rev up nearly to the redline and just stay there for a while if you stomped on the accelerator from a standing stop, easing away from the high RPMs only when you eased off of the accelerator. This may be quite normal coming from a CVT transmission, but it's fairly odd if you're used to an automatic. With more and more cars sporting CVTs these days, we may have to get used to this behavior."

I suppose staying reved up like that will give it more pick-up. With the 2.4 liter engine, that may be necessary. I'm used to the 4.0 litre engine of my Grand Cherokee, which has plenty of get-up-and-go. A 2.4 sounds a little small. However, the CVT may make up for that.

If you've driven a CVT in any vehicle, I would be interested in hearing about your experience.