The Luxury of Practicality....

There are quite a few things in this world that I just don't see the need for. It has often puzzled me that "luxury" car companies feel the need to create SUVs. Now, I am not knocking anyone that has one of these vehicles, I'm sure you have your reasons. I would just really be interested in what those reasons are. When I think of a Lexus, Mercedes or BMW, I think of (overpriced) sedans. To me, these car companies and the term SUV should not even be spoken in the same sentence. It's like saying "hot ice" or an "organized mess". It's an oxymoron and unless the car companies are just trying to introduce a little intentional humor into our lives, it's unnecessary.

Let's break this down into it's components. SUV is an acronym that stands for Sport Utility Vehicle. Now, let's try to relate these three words to the car companies I have named above. After thorough analysis, I have come to the conclusion that only one of these three words truly applies, and that is Vehicle. I can't argue with that one. Lexus, Mercedes and BMW certainly do make vehicles. Some might also argue that the word Sport can apply to these companies. This is true as BMW and Mercedes do manufacture cars designed for the "sport" of racing. But, this just further drives my point home, as these are certainly not SUVs, they are cars.

So what is the history of these Sport Utility Vehicles and what is their intended function? Well I'm glad you asked! Very, very early modules of SUVs were descendants from commercial and military vehicles such as the World War II Jeep. What's that? You don't remember seeing any photographs of the BMW X5 surrounded by soldiers in the middle of the desert? Hmmm, I wonder why?

What is the desire to own an SUV to begin with? Their off-road capabilities! That's right, most SUVs come with four wheel drive and are built with the frame of a small truck. They were designed to be rather tough and to make it through various types of terrain. In fact, beginning in the 70's, SUVs were sold and marketed primarily as "work vehicles".

When I think of companies associated with SUVs, the first three that come to my mind are Ford, Chevy and Jeep. And wouldn't you know it, these three car manufacturers were among the very first to create an SUV. Ford had the Bronco (1966), Chevy had the Blazer (1969) and Jeep had the Wagon (1948). I most certainly do not think of Lexus, Mercedes or BMW! As far as I can tell, people who buy SUVs from these companies are just looking for a status symbol. They buy the vehicle for its luxury and cost. They make their choice based on the lifestyle they are accustomed to, not the practicality. So what's next, a Lexus truck?

To illustrate my point, consider the following scenario. You need to go see a doctor for a medical condition, and you have two choices. The first is a doctor that specializes in the exact condition you have and has been an M.D. for 20 years. The second choice is a doctor that just got out of med school less than a year ago and has very little knowledge of your condition. In fact, this second doctor specializes in a completely different area of medicine. To top things off, the second doctor will cost you twice as much as the first. Now, they are both doctors with a license to practice medicine, but which would you choose? Personally, I'm going with the guy who has 20 years experience, was trained in the area I need and will cost significantly less. To me, that just seems like the obvious choice. So why do so many people choose doctor #2? This is just one of those things that I don't think I will ever have the answer to. It will just linger in my mind each time one of these "luxury" SUVs passes me on the highway.


Stay tuned for future posts on the US handing out driver's licenses in Cracker Jack boxes and the ever popular, driving of Hummers while the price of gas is $4 a gallon!