For most people who own SUVs, they become more practical station wagons. Nearly everyone used offer a wagon version of their sedans. Now, they offer an SUV version of their sedans. The difference between SUVs and better cargo hauling station wagons is Semantics. So if you just want a better cargo hauler and upright seating not for towing and off Road, I would avoid most truck and rwd based and just go with those based on a fwd chassis version of a sedan.
@Rodknox
The only trouble is, they are having trouble hitting the mark now when the competition is more economical, more space efficient and safer to drive for those weaned on fwd in snow. If snow is an issue, few will take the time to throw a little extra weight in the back which is essential as most were not made with on road 4wd systems and are rwd with heavy torquey motors and a light rear. People I know who owned them and the Liberty restyle version, had lots of problems driving them in snow…even with snow tires. Poor balance and part time 4 wd makes them single purpose vehicles for those with rwd experience and not so good for the uninitiated. But, a good old one cheap, which they are, makes a good buy if you are single purpose minded. More then a few guys bought these things then put them back on the market when their wives felt unsafe in them.
We bought a 2011 CRV to replace our minivan; the ownership was somewhat brief. The CRV was noisy and also tight inside. I could not find a decent position to rest my arm, my shoulders would stick out of the seats. All this was fine on short drives but got pretty annoying on long trips, to the point that we resorted to driving our older Camry. We replaced it with a larger CUV (Mazda CX-9) which is a bit worse on gas, but overall much more comfortable. We need the size and sometimes use the third row, but otherwise a decent sedan might be a better choice.
If I were to buy a small CUV, this time I will take it on a very long trip/maybe rent one before buying.
@Marnet–If you like the Chevrolet Impala, and have had good experience with the one you presently own, then that may be your best choice.
Buying a car for me is like buying a pair of shoes. It has to fit (I should know–I wear a 14 AA shoe and these are hard to find. I made a 120 mile trip Monday to a shoe store and they had 3 pairs of shoes in my size so I bought all three). When I was in high school, I would buy shoes at Thom Mcans --they would put me in a pair of 12 D for $9.95. The last time I went there was when a new salesman brought out a pair of 12 D, had me walk in them for a couple of steps and then measured my foot. He shook his head and said, “You don’t wear a 12 D, you are a 14 AA and we don’t stock that size”. He then recommended a shoe store 40 miles away that specialized in large sizes. At any rate, I bought 3 pairs of shoes Monday and my wife bought herself a new pair of walking shoes. For buying all these shoes, we were given a 15% discount.
At any rate, if the Chevrolet Impala is comfortable for you to drive and fits your needs, then go for it. However, if it is like the 12 D shoes when you really need a 14 AA, then go for the better fit.
In my view, the most important aspect of driving an SUV is knowing how you’re going to react in a crisis. If you’re the type of person who gets out on a closed track or empty parking lot to practice emergency maneuvers, you can probably handle an SUV in a crisis safely. If, however, you’ve never done an emergency handling drill on slick pavement, or deliberately put yourself in a skid to practice steering out of it, you might be better off with a car. Electronic stability control, traction control, ABS, and other safety features can only do so much for you. They can’t give your tires more traction; they can only exploit the traction they have.
As to the original question, small light SUVs are really a dying breed. The new versions are all crossover vehicles. They’re little more than minivans with a hood and a little more style. The first ones to come out, especially the Suzuki Sidekick, were top-heavy tin can death traps. The early generations of the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4 were a little better, but they were built on car platforms, so they were even more under-powered than than the cars they were built from. You can still find pre-crossover car-based models of the CR-V and the RAV4 on the used car market if that is what you really want. Like the cars they were based on (Civic and Camry, I believe), they seem to last forever in the hands of those who keep up with the maintenance.
@Whitey - none of those concerns apply today. There’s no lack of power in any of them, and no problem with their handling. They aren’t dolled up minivans, they’re basically station wagon versions of the related cars, but safer according to actual statistics. Nothing to fear.
@texases, I was referring to the used vehicle market, and I don’t really care how many safety features a vehicle has, traction and high center of gravity are still issues. Yes, they are mitigated by safety systems, but that does not resolve them completely. SUVs are still not on par with comparably equipped cars.
Then why are they safer?
@Triedaq
14AA. A fellow Sasquatch. And I thought there were just a few of us in existence.
@texases
Agree 100%… With the caveat that we have to be taking about specific SUVs and not many truck based with higher center of gravity. The term SUV is so polluted it is tough to generalize. So we now have a CUV…WTH ? . Samantics again. But generally, some car based SUVs actually handle better then the some cars of old. Couple that with stability control which slows you down before anything can happen (theoretically) and they are indeed safer. By the way, stability control has been in Toyota and other SUVs since 2003 / 2005 and before. So we can find some used vehicles with it. But, new sedans are better still so a Legacy or BMW IMHO, is a far better handler then an Outback or any SUV classified car. It all depends on the models you compare.
If you need space and the higher seating posiition, by all means buy a minivan. IF you live in an area where better ground clearance and AWD IS A MUST, then by all means buy an SUV. A 2WD SUV makes the least sense; low gas mileage and less interior space at a higher cost.
A friend of my wife lives in Boston; when SUVs became popular the husband just HAD TO HAVE a Ford Explorer. The justification becomes an excuse and rationalization. I have friends in Western Europe where gas is nearly $3 per LITER! who drive SUVs to cope with 2-3" of snow per year!
SUV’s are considered safer because:
A) they weigh more.
- their bumpers are higher, protecting driver and passengers from collisions with other SUVs and trucks.
F) drivers have more visibility when they sit in an elevated position
It’s pretty clear, if you expect to get into a collision, an SUV is a better vehicle to do it in. If you expect to avoid collisions, it is easier to do in a car. Better yet, the smaller and more maneuverable the vehicle, the easier it is for the driver to avoid collisions. Motorcycles (which includes mopeds and scooters) have the lowest accident rate of any motorized vehicles. It’s probably due to increased training and awareness.
Since the majority of collisions are avoidable, I opt for the vehicle that gives me the best chance of avoiding a collision.
Motorcycle death rate per mile is many times that for cars.
“Motorcycle death rate per mile is many times that for cars.”
I’m sure it is, especially with all the states that have repealed their helmet laws. It’s good news for everyone who is on a waiting list for an organ transplant.
@Marnet, do you need high seat height to get into your vehicle? If so, you will not get that in a car. Smaller SUVs give you that.
Back in the 1950s, my dad thought about buying a station wagon. However, he liked having a trunk where the contents of the trunk were out of sight. He was worried about being on vacation and when parked, everything being taken on the trip would be in plain sight in a station wagon. Also, everything placed behind the second seat could come flying forward in a panic stop or accident in a wagon. The same is true today in the argument between an SUV and a sedan. I will concede that there is a partition that can be lifted on our 4Runner and luggage placed under it. However, a conventional car trunk still has an advantage.
Well I’ve noticed some Hyundai station wagon looking cars running on the roads(look pretty neat) I’m sure they handle fine and people are really impressing me with the cruise mileage on these cars,as an aside I was really impressed by a neighbors snow traction with a FWD Suzuki with snow tires and studs(wife informed me the Honda Civic shall have studded snow tires next winter(wasnt quite happy with the"Tiger Paws"-I had to drive it up the hill on most snowy evenings.So,Marnet you have a broad selection, test drive and narrow down ,then test the ones you like again(the V6 Rav 4,calls to me )-Kevin
PS,I’ve seen the groundhog referred to as a “:Hoary Marmot”
Hmm, methinks you all have given me a great idea for a writer’s nom-de-plume…Marnet the Marmot! 
There are few “fender benders” in a motorcycle. I dumped mine once and there was hardly a scratch on it. My lower quad muscle at the knee was exposed where the skin was torn away. I was some luck getting away with just a few life long scars. The bike just required a touch up. Just the opposite happens with cars. They hopefully absorb the impact…and the bigger, potentially, the better.
@Marnet - I think the Impala is a good choice. In fact, the trunk space is larger and has a flatter floor than you will find in a small SUV like a Rav4 or CRV. For the uses you describe a sedan is the best way to go. If the back seat has the option to fold down even better. The new Impala looks sharp has many gas saving features, is big and roomy, and likely will get significantly better mpg on regular gas than your current Impala.
Two major things to consider as you ‘‘try on’’ vehicles
fit
and function.
We have three very different vehicles…no ‘cars’ , by choice.
Neither of us likes climbing down into cars and climbing up to get out. Yet the 08 Expedition bothers my wife’s knees when climbing up to get in. But her 06 Escape hybrid awd ( car based suv ) is a perfect fit to get both in and out.
My perfect fit was my 92 Explorer which we sold to get the Expedition as we added three adopted kids, now 14, 10, & 8.
The 92 Explorer was a hard working beast. With the right tires it would go almost anywhere to rescue the people who knew they could count on me…and that truck.
With only her left eye to see with, my wife likes to be sitting UP either with or above the other traffic. A car would be too low and she’d feel boxed in and unable to see enough around her.
Her AWD means she needn’t attempt to calculate if and when she needs 4x4. It’s automatic which is a perfect fit for her.
I, on the other hand , like my selectable 4x4.
UPDATE: Well, finished driving more small SUV/crossovers only to find that despite liking the step in and out height and the higher driving position, I got motion sick in every single one of them when going over rough road and on winding road. So it was back to making a choice on a sedan.
First choice was a 6 cylinder Impala; smooth, quiet ride with a sweet engine and tons of roomy space but with uber price tag, low gas mileage and much higher average maintenance costs.
So, I have opted for second choice. Sitting in the garage tonight is a shiny new white Camry with gray interior. Got an LE trim, one step up from the basic trim level so it has the power driver’s seat, but still 16 inch wheels and simplest radio. (Ye gods and little fishes, if that is the new definition of simple, help us all ! )
A new Impala would have been more comfortable (and fun with that 6 cyl engine). But in the end I had to take the financial long view. The Camry costs thousands less, has better odds of fewer problems long term, gets significantly better gas mileage, and has better driver’s visibility.
Can’t believe I traded in a car only 7.5 years old with only 54,000 miles on it; normally I’d consider that as only fully broken in and with another good 10 or more years in it. Oh well, hope I made a good decision. Either way, I’ll live with the choice and go forward.
I’ll be spending this weekend reading the entire owner’s manual and getting familiar with all the various details of the controls and maintenance requirements.
The salesman couldn’t believe that I didn’t want to “sync my cell phone to the car’s bluetooth” before leaving the dealership lot. Excuse me, I bought the car to drive, not to be a an overpriced telephone! I’d happily have avoided a bluetooth connection and its cost in the price of the car if that were possible. Guess I’m officially a batty old broad dinosaur.
Thank you very, very much for all the responses to my questions both about SUVS versus sedans and about 2014 engines on the other conversation thread. It has all been helpful information I used as part of my overall research and car shopping. Once again you forum regulars have been very kind, generous, helpful and patient. I do thank you.
Marnet
…still reading (in this case the new car’s owner’s manual ! ), still learning