Can you help me better understand why women want a SUV over a sedan?

[IndyIan]

No, you are not wrong.
In a 3000 lb vehicle verses a 6000 lb vehicle collision, the 6000 lb vehicle will always win. It's basic physics.

Yeah I know which one I'd rather be in, in a game of chicken.
But with data from the real world, I find the IIHS death rates quite interesting. Why does a newer Golf or Outback have such low rates? Physics is not in their favor but the numbers are the numbers.
I suspect the injury rates are quite a bit lower in large SUV's, but there's still lots of vehicles around that smash them like bugs, and somehow people manage to get into fatal accidents with them.
I think the lesson is to be an attentive driver who takes limited risks, the vehicle can help you a bit, but none of them are idiot proof.

 

[wag123]

It is not only that. Big SUV has abysmal stopping distances, sometimes 40-50ft longer. It is not even avoiding, but simple braking or handling performance.
Also, just bcs. Someone will obliterate a vehicle that is half of its weight, doe not mean they will get out OK.

Frankly, most American drivers are not even able to fully utilize the understandably lower performance capabilities that a Suburban (or any other large SUV) offers. Behind the wheel driver training is sadly lacking in the US.

 

[GON]

Gents, thanks for all the information.

The takeaway is that suvs are viewed as easier to drive because of better visibility and seating position, and can offer more options for moving stuff.

Guess I am still in the past where a sedan or even a coupe is (was) the standard. Times are a changing.

 

[LDB]

A friend of mine's Daughter wants a vehicle for her 16th bithday, and asked for my help. I located a flooded MB AWD sedan, that I can rebuild and probably have to her for $2k out the door (see picture). Her response was she does not want a sedan, and would take a worse shape little SUV, like a Toyota RAV4.

Yesterday, when I arrived home from a week long work trip, first thing I was told walking in the door was my middle Son's wife told my Wife she wants a SUV. I said, I can get her a sedan for free (I will pay for it), response back- has to be a SUV.

What am I missing here? Why is a small SUV so important to a woman in her 20s, and a 16 year old, over a nice sedan, at a deep savings or for free?

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Probably covered several times but I'd say it's better visibility and the perception, correct or not, of it being a safer vehicle. A flood vehicle would make me nervous but that car for only $2-2.5k would ease a lot of nerves and for only a couple grand if it turned into a throwaway it isn't that big a deal.

 

[ATex7239]

My wife loves her minivan but she would rather have a two door coupe. Not an option for us though. She actually does prefer cars which is not the norm.

 

[andrew_j]

Heaven forbid a kid has to get into the back seat of a 2 door. My parents only had 2 door cars when I was a kid. Also safer with no chance of them opening a door and falling out on the road.

2 door cars are awful for egress and a hassle all around. My parents had a 70 something Cutlass Supreme 2 door and 78 Trans am Firebird and it was a hassle with us 3 kids. Then the 3 door Saab turbo.

 

[IndyIan]

2 door cars are awful for egress and a hassle all around. My parents had a 70 something Cutlass Supreme 2 door and 78 Trans am Firebird and it was a hassle with us 3 kids. Then the 3 door Saab turbo.

My buddies Mom did a few winters in a late 70's firebird. I remember it sliding around all over the place but she knew how to drive, and we added ballast to the rear axle! We were 10 or 11 so we just thought it was cool.

 

[fdcg27]

A friend of mine's Daughter wants a vehicle for her 16th bithday, and asked for my help. I located a flooded MB AWD sedan, that I can rebuild and probably have to her for $2k out the door (see picture). Her response was she does not want a sedan, and would take a worse shape little SUV, like a Toyota RAV4.

Yesterday, when I arrived home from a week long work trip, first thing I was told walking in the door was my middle Son's wife told my Wife she wants a SUV. I said, I can get her a sedan for free (I will pay for it), response back- has to be a SUV.

What am I missing here? Why is a small SUV so important to a woman in her 20s, and a 16 year old, over a nice sedan, at a deep savings or for free?

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Wife likes the Forester for its high seating position, expansive greenhouse and long travel soft suspension. The excellent AWD is also very nice. This is our second Forester for her.
Contrast this with the low seating position of my Accord, its high cowl and beltline and truncated windshield and greenhouse and I can understand her preference, although I prefer the Accord myself.
We did have a couple of Civic Wagons back in the day and aside from having plenty of glass they were also fairly tall and offered a decently high driving position. They also had really slick five speeds and were very entertaining to drive. Of course, there are no cars like that these days,

 

[AlphaOmega]

A friend of mine's Daughter wants a vehicle for her 16th bithday, and asked for my help. I located a flooded MB AWD sedan, that I can rebuild and probably have to her for $2k out the door (see picture). Her response was she does not want a sedan, and would take a worse shape little SUV, like a Toyota RAV4.

Yesterday, when I arrived home from a week long work trip, first thing I was told walking in the door was my middle Son's wife told my Wife she wants a SUV. I said, I can get her a sedan for free (I will pay for it), response back- has to be a SUV.

What am I missing here? Why is a small SUV so important to a woman in her 20s, and a 16 year old, over a nice sedan, at a deep savings or for free?

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when was the last time general public wasn’t terribly powerful on a cognitive scale? #1 reason, I think, why most want a crossover is “to fit in”. How does one “see better” from it vs a sedan, I can’t calculate. Are dashboards lower in CUVs than in a sedan?

In any event, all of the people wanting crossovers is a boon for people looking for German sedans, for example. Just look at these two, same year, same mileage. One is a trash box with new MSRP of $29k and the other is a very good, quality and durable family car that was $60k new. Which one has more takers?
#universe is finite, but human stupidly is infinite:

My brother just purchased a 3 year old bmw 5 series with twin turbo v8 that stickered new for $87 for $58k. People pay these money for Hyundai Palisades, for example

 

[eljefino]

You've gotta have kids in a car seat or booster until they're 12 years old now, or a certain weight. You're also supposed to put them in the back seat.

With kids too young to buckle themselves up, a high roof sure makes it easier for the parent to buckle them in. The initial car seat installation is also better/safer if you can get your adult weight on top of the thing while you tighten it down.

It didn't used to be this way. The Olds Cutlass Supreme used to be the biggest selling car, but its two-door-coupe style became obsolete, and with it, the car itself.

Vans with sliding doors are better kid haulers than CUVs, because when the kids rip the doors open in parking lots, they won't ding the cars next to them. Vans are holding on, barely, but people are vain, hence, CUVs.

 

[CKN]

when was the last time general public wasn’t terribly powerful on a cognitive scale? #1 reason, I think, why most want a crossover is “to fit in”. How does one “see better” from it vs a sedan, I can’t calculate. Are dashboards lower in CUVs than in a sedan?

In any event, all of the people wanting crossovers is a boon for people looking for German sedans, for example. Just look at these two, same year, same mileage. One is a trash box with new MSRP of $29k and the other is a very good, quality and durable family car that was $60k new. Which one has more takers?
#universe is finite, but human stupidly is infinite:

View attachment 152457View attachment 152458
My brother just purchased a 3 year old bmw 5 series with twin turbo v8 that stickered new for $87 for $58k. People pay these money for Hyundai Palisades, for example

Most people don't do their own maintenance nor repairs. That is the big issue with most European vehicles-and one of the biggest reason for the depressed prices. My son has a very old BMW that has a following. Therefore there is a pretty vibrant secondary market for used and replica parts-for those that diy. Can't say that for Mercedes. Not to mention most mechanics are not in to "just use my parts-just use these parts". Yea-that will go over real well...parts and maintenance on these car are extremely expensive-that's a fact. Call your Mercedes dealer and ask what a front brake job costs and get back to me.
Some people know the above and are very cognitive-and run the other way from a used European car.

 

[AlphaOmega]

Most people don't do their own maintenance nor repairs. That is the big issue with most European vehicles-and one of the biggest reason for the depressed prices. My son has a very old BMW that has a following. Therefore there is a pretty vibrant secondary market for used and replica parts-for those that diy. Can't say that for Mercedes. Not to mention most mechanics are not in to "just use my parts-just use these parts". Yea-that will go over real well...
Some people know the above and are very cognitive-and run the other way from a used European car.

I, of course, am generalizing. However, I think Americans have an undue fear of euro cars. They are galore all over Europe, driven to the same mileages that Americans drive their “trucks” and “crown vic’s”. Maintenance operations, such as changing plugs, coolant hoses, suspension bits and so on, are identical across countries and brands: nuts and bolts, fasteners, clamps, etc. Any mechanic that has 2 gyri to rub together and can work on 2014 Chevy Equinox, can work on the same vintage pedestrian variants of Mercedes, Audi, BMW - for the same labor rate. Quality aftermarket parts are galore for these vehicles too. In any event, most of the work during an ownership is routine maintenance and an oil change or brake fluid flush is as basic on a European car as it is on American or Japanese one.

I honestly can’t fathom why majority of the people would pick Equinox from the above example vs an E class (or BMW 5 series, Audi A6) for the same money, assuming maintenance records are present and have no omissions. The fear is mostly irrational

 

[Skippy722]

My wife claims she likes the higher seating position… but she learned to drive in a Mercury Mountaineer, then drove my 2011 Durango before I plopped her down into a sedan (Chrysler 300). That lasted about a year before she told me she had to have something bigger so she drives the Grand Caravan now, but she LOVES driving my truck.

She also told me, and I quote, “if we win the lottery I want to casually own a Rolls Royce.” When I asked how she’d “casually” own a Rolls she replied with “I’d use it as a normal every day car. Yknow get groceries, take the kids to soccer, that kinda thing. But never acknowledged that it’s a Rolls if anyone asks about it.”

 

[CKN]

I, of course, am generalizing. However, I think Americans have an undue fear of euro cars. They are galore all over Europe, driven to the same mileages that Americans drive their “trucks” and “crown vic’s”. Maintenance operations, such as changing plugs, coolant hoses, suspension bits and so on, are identical across countries and brands: nuts and bolts, fasteners, clamps, etc. Any mechanic that has 2 gyri to rub together and can work on 2014 Chevy Equinox, can work on the same vintage pedestrian variants of Mercedes, Audi, BMW - for the same labor rate. Quality aftermarket parts are galore for these vehicles too. In any event, most of the work during an ownership is routine maintenance and an oil change or brake fluid flush is as basic on a European car as it is on American or Japanese one.

I honestly can’t fathom why majority of the people would pick Equinox from the above example vs an E class (or BMW 5 series, Audi A6) for the same money, assuming maintenance records are present and have no omissions. The fear is mostly irrational

Most mechanics who work on an Chevy will not work on a late model Mercedes. Routine fluid changes may not be that dramatic-but labor rates are.

 

[dishdude]

when was the last time general public wasn’t terribly powerful on a cognitive scale? #1 reason, I think, why most want a crossover is “to fit in”. How does one “see better” from it vs a sedan, I can’t calculate. Are dashboards lower in CUVs than in a sedan?

In any event, all of the people wanting crossovers is a boon for people looking for German sedans, for example. Just look at these two, same year, same mileage. One is a trash box with new MSRP of $29k and the other is a very good, quality and durable family car that was $60k new. Which one has more takers?
#universe is finite, but human stupidly is infinite:

View attachment 152457View attachment 152458
My brother just purchased a 3 year old bmw 5 series with twin turbo v8 that stickered new for $87 for $58k. People pay these money for Hyundai Palisades, for example

Smart buyers know that Mercedes will bankrupt them trying to keep it on the road. Old luxury cars are for poor suckers.

 

[AlphaOmega]

Most mechanics who work on an Chevy will not work on a late model Mercedes. Routine fluid changes may not be that dramatic-but labor rates are.

Late model cars have warranty and are taken to dealer. One can purchase additional factory warranty to 7 years 100k miles (or something like that). But an oil change, brake fluid flush and brakes can be done on European car by any more or less conscious independent shop. These are no meaningfully different than the same jobs on Toyota or Chevy. Really.

Anyways, on my E class, the only repair it required during 8+ years I have owned it is repairing leaking camshaft magnets (x4). It cost $685 at the dealer. How much would the same job cost on an American 6 cylinder car, at a dealer? Likely not meaningfully less.

 

[dumkid]

i like old European cars, they're cheap because nobody wants to fix them, well built, drive nice and make me money because I fix other people's cars to pay for gas for mine.
most German cars aren't harder than American cars to fix, exept germans use torx and e torx and have excessive amounts of sensors and computers

 

[AlphaOmega]

Smart buyers know that Mercedes will bankrupt them trying to keep it on the road. Old luxury cars are for poor suckers.

Most European cars are not luxury. E class, 5 Series are just german Camrys and accords, that can be equipped with luxury options: air suspension, matrix laser lights, autopilot, 500 hp engines and so on, but one can skip in these options. On the other hand, S class and 7 series are luxury cars. You’ve no idea about the subject matter

 

[dishdude]

Most European cars are not luxury. E class, 5 Series are just german Camrys and accords, that can be equipped with luxury options: air suspension, matrix laser lights, autopilot, 500 hp engines and so on, but one can skip in these options. On the other hand, S class and 7 series are luxury cars. You’ve no idea about the subject matter

No, I just owned a 2012 E350

 

[AlphaOmega]

No, I just owned a 2012 E350

It made you bankrupt?