OT: SUV bashing was --->Re: Carfax Anyone???

[nicadimus@hotmail.com (Elijah R)]

I don't understand why some people feel safer in Suvs that ford has now has 
been forced to admit in court has design flaws since its conception(ie: 
bronco, bronco II, and explorers)that it (Ford) ignored for the sake of 
competition and beating release dates for suv products against chevy. 
Documents from engineering tests, research & design data and recomdations 
from analysts for product re-designs were passed over by the company's big 
wigs for the sole purpose of making a buck and bringing their product to 
market before the other guys. Sure they are trying to fix these issues now, 
but the point is mute, since the product lines have been on the market for 
over ten years and people have already (and still) been ignored or killed by 
fords lack of safety concerns towards there consumers. If you choose to put 
your family in one, that's your persona choice. Personally feel safer in a 
vehicle that has been throughly designed and needs no recalls (Ford has 9 
major recalls in just the past 2 model years for the explorer and the Escape 
twice in the first year of the product line!! opposed to VW 1 
recall(voluntary!!!) for emissions issues), no re-engineering, and no 
lawyers to polish its reputation.
And as for Volkswagens being deathtraps, there is no better engineering than 
the Germans, our VW's have to meet tough TUV standards, which make the U.S. 
standards look like the directions on a bar of soap!. I have totaled my fair 
share of VW's and walked away from them all (unlike my ford!!!), and went as 
far as wrapping a MKI Scirocco around a tree (25"diameter oak) at 80 miles 
an hour sideways with the impact point on the drivers door. I walked away!!! 
my passenger walked away!!! The car still started and ran!!! And would have 
moved under its own power had it not busted a tie rod. show me an ford or 
chevy Suv that can with stand such a collision! or for that matter pass a 
TUV inspection! Now you don't have to wonder way Ford and Chevy have 
different product lines in Europe!!

Call it Suv bashing or whatever you want, the facts can not be ignored the 
only way to be safe is by being an informed consumer and not waste hard 
earned money on poor quality JUNK!



>From: Neal Tovsen <nealtovsen@yahoo.com>
>To: Jeffrey Lowe <scirocco16v_1986@yahoo.com>, scirocco-l@scirocco.org
>Subject: Re: OT: SUV bashing was --->Re: Carfax Anyone???
>Date: Thu, 9 May 2002 06:34:51 -0700 (PDT)
>
> > I feel %100 safer in my SUV then I ever do in my
> > Scirocco, or my wife's Escort.
>
>Compare any truck-based SUV to the average car impact
>ratings of the same vintage. No contest.
>
> > actually
> > feel more comfortable in the Explorer's handling.
>
>Whether or not you like SUV's, you have to admit:
>Something is definitely wrong with your Scirocco! :)
>
> > The SUV manufacturers are also making strides to fix
> > many of the complaints people have traditionally had
> > about SUV's, lower center of gravity, wider
> > wheelbase,
> > lower bumpers, are all standard features found in
> > many
> > newer SUV's. The only thing left to really do is
> > increase fuel economy, and SUV's are not the only
> > targets of that complaint!
>
>As a traditional SUV-hater, I must agree that this is
>true. The majority of non-truck-based SUV's have much
>better characteristics. (Shhhh...don't tell anyone
>they're based on station wagon or minivan platforms!)
>
> >
> > People need to get off their soapbox in the SUV
> > bashing department, SUV's are never going away, they
> > have always been here and always will.
>
>Yes, that's true as well. Personally, my problem is
>NOT against SUV's themselves. If the same people who
>originally bought SUVs prior to the mid 80's (the ones
>who need utility in an off-road-capable vehicle) were
>the same ones buying today, there wouldn't be a
>problem. They know what they're buying, and they drive
>them appropriately.
>
>Fortunately, the trend appears to be going back that
>way.
>
>Part of my problem is that 90% of the SUV market
>consists of people who are trading comfort, safety,
>efficiency, AND UTILITY for "fashion". They're paying
>a premium to do it too, and they're endangering the
>rest of us in the process because they expect car-like
>handling, braking, and crashing
>characteristics...which ultimately kills people in
>"normal" vehicles. The upward spiral in large,
>supposedly safe vehicles won't stop because people
>will always want to feel bigger than everyone else. My
>BIGGEST problem is that the manufacturers knew this
>LONG AGO, and only recently have they actually cared
>to give people what they actually wanted. In the
>meantime, you have stories like the Explorer fiasco.
>It's a classic story of fashion and greed. That's what
>makes me sick about SUVs.
>
>Most people who buy SUVs today should have bought
>something else. A Taurus wagon has far more capacity
>than an Explorer. Just about any minivan blows them
>away. Why don't the mfgrs market them as "cool"
>instead of trying marketing a truck with leather seats
>as "cool"? So few SUV's go off road that they're even
>making most of them in 2WD models now!
>
>If you *actually* need towing capability or hard-core
>off-road capability, go buy an SUV...and drive it like
>it was meant to be driven. They have a place in this
>world, and always will.
>
>If you need a winter snow vehicle, buy an AWD car. If
>you need capacity, buy a minivan or a wagon (or the
>new gen "SUV"...same thing). If you need capacity and
>have a gravel driveway in a snowy state, buy an AWD
>minivan or an AWD wagon. It's simple. You *can* find
>cool wagons, and if people start demanding cool wagons
>(as they have recently) manufacturers will start
>making them (as they have recently).
>
>Off my soapbox...
>
>Neal
>
>=====
>~Neal
>
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