3 Reasons Why You Should Not Buy An SUV

Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) are all the rage.

And they have been for quite some time now, although thankfully, not everyone sees the appeal of one.

That is, including this writer.

Just to be clear, I have nothing against SUVs built for the purpose of well, SUVing.

But the vast majority of SUVs sold never see their intended purpose fulfilled, and some are even built just to be *ahem* stylish.

What???

But let me break it down for you – here’s why you shouldn’t buy one.

Yep.

That’s it.

Carmakers charge a premium for SUV body styles, even if they are built off the same platform, sharing the same parts as, say, a hatchback.

Let’s name and shame some examples.

Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform, shared by all kinds of body styles. Peugeot’s 208 and 2008. Kia’s Rio and Stonic.

The list goes on.

Simply due to demand, carmakers can charge you more for a “lifestyle” vehicle, which appears more rugged and sporty, but is in reality no different to its hatchback or sedan sibling.

So before you fork out your money for the SUV you’re eyeing, think about whether the extra money could be better spent paying for fuel in a sedan that is just as stylish.

It’s almost a given that an SUV would be jacked up higher than the average other body style.

This gives the so called “commanding road presence”, “elevated driving position” and “excellent visibility” that marketers so flavourfully use to fuel your desire.

Truth is, physics will be physics, and an elevated car no matter how well designed by engineers will still have a higher centre of gravity than an equivalently engineered sedan or coupe.

Sure, the Germans are building really compelling performance SUVs – take a quick look at Porsche’s and most recently Lamborghini’s numbers and you’ll see just how much of their sales is driven by SUV sales.

And for sure these cars are hoots to drive – but place yourself back in their sports cars and you’ll be hard pressed to say that the SUV is more engaging.

The SUV will be good, great even, but a sports car will be a sports car, no matter how impractical it is.

An SUV that claims to be a sports car will be, well, an SUV that claims to be a sports car.

An SUV is never going to be classy.

No matter how big a grille you slap onto it.

Sure, they may have more ground clearance to get up the ski mountain in the Swiss Alps, but how many people really do that?

You could get a sporty sedan, coupe, hatchback, heck stationwagon even; you could also have an elegant version of all of the above.

But you can only have a sporty SUV, because the word sport is in its name.

Some cars manage to do both, for example if you had a 7-series with M-Sport kit on.

It’ll look both stately and athletic at the same time.

Its smaller sibling is even marketed as a business athlete, whatever that means.

But SUVs are always going to be loud, sometimes vulgar, and outdoorsy. You’ll never be able to admire one the way classic cars of old have a beauty to them.

Or maybe Aston Martin’s DBX will change that.

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