Are SUVs really that bad?
Or are some people just biased?

Here is an example of fuel consumption data taken from Honda/Acura.
For Honda/Acura, their SUV's are the CR-V and the MDX.

Honda

Accord --> City: 10.0 L Highway: 6.4 L
S2000 --> C: 12.0 L H: 8.5 L
Odyssey --> C: 12.5 L H: 8.5 L
CR-V --> C: 10.6L H: 8.0 L

Acura

TL --> City: 11.8 L Highway: 7.5 L
RL --> C: 13.1 L H: 9.4 L
MDX --> C: 13.8 L H: 10.2 L

From the Honda data, we can see that the CR-V is NOT the biggest gas guzzler.
In fact, the S2000 and Odyssey minivan uses more fuel.
From the Acura data, we can see that the MDX consumes about the same amount of fuel as the RL.
So why aren't people ranting against sport cars, minivans, and luxury cars?
Do we live in a biased society that assumes all SUV's are bad, when really, many cars and vans are no better?

its just biased

because of of the time SUVs only have one person in it.

There are several points that make your point null.

1) The CR-V uses as much gas as an S2000, but which one is faster?
2) The CR-V uses as much gas as an Oddyssey, but which one is more practical?
3) The MDX uses as much gas as an RL, but which one is more luxurious?

And you've only looked at the most inoffensive SUVs on the road today. How do you defend cars like the Hummer H2, Cadillac Escalade, or Ford Excursion? Not only do they gobble gas, they're too damn big to be on the roads, and (for the first two, at least), they're not very practical considering their size and fuel consumption.

So not all SUVs are bad, just some?

There is a range of how bad SUVs are, yeah, although, IMO, even the "best" SUVs aren't that great when everything's considered.

And as someone mentioned above, it also matters what you do with them..I mean, if you have a Chevy Suburban and you just commute to work in it, that's terrible...but if you use it to haul around big loads and a bunch of people and tow a horse trailer on a regular basis, then it's harder to fault.

I dont like small SUV's. Most people are just as well off in a minivan.

Fullsize SUV's serve a purpose for towing, and are very roomy.

I don't see why people expect you to fill the occupancy everytime your in the vehicle. It's just not pheasable. And you'd have to be a retard to expect it. It's different if you know for a fact a certain person is alone and owns a Escalade for bling factor, but MANY people do use these vehicles as intended. And even if they have a family of three and have an SUV, don't tow with it or anything, I'm not going to look down on them.

Well, cars are guilty of that too.
I know, cause I drive to campus everyday by myself.
I'm guilty as charged!!
But I'll carpool with my bro next year

But with a car, it's less of an issue because cars aren't designed to carry huge loads of people and tons of stuff...by commuting in a car, you're using a greater percentage of its capabilities than you are in an SUV or truck, and therefore being more efficient (unless it's some massive boat of a car)

The problem is too many people own cars. It sounds very wrong to say this but I believe only enthusiasts should have them. The number of cars in the world would be cut 70%+ and they'd be taken care of better, there would be no riceboys etc. But alas, this will never be.

Hmmm. Thanks for making me feel less guilty
Although I'll definitely try to carpool more.
I guess there's always the good old bus ... but ... NAH

That's...ridiculous. Cars are too useful to be kept only to the enthusiasts.

So are aircraft. This happens to technology in general all the time. After a while luxuries become necessities. Need I mention the proliferation of cellphones?

Cellphones are only the tip of the iceberg . If anything has a practical value , it will make it's way to the general public one way or the other .There will always be some company who will discover a way to make it cheap and accesible .

Take my car for example, BMW X5 4.4i, it's nice looking and all but it guzzles gas faster than you can type the word guzzle. In terms of practicality, it's still a practical car that's great for Montreal winters and lugging oversized furniture but it's a space waster, gas guzzler and for the price the cargo space sucks. All in all it's still nice and powerfull and it's still a car i'd want to have around my driveway.

the sports cars reward you for that waster fuel, SUVs don't.

my problem with SUV's is that as they go further and further towards being road-biased, they become more and more pointless. You take an off-road rough vehicle and add leather and a nice stereo and it can still go off road and tow. You make it out of a unit construction car, and now all it does that a car doesn't is... use more gas, weigh more, and annoy those around you.

and generally SUV's have very poor accident avoidance abilities and generally (except for thoughtfully designed ones like the XC90) screw over anyone they run into in an accident.

It really depends what they are used for. SUV's are cool if they are actually used for their original purpose, off-roading, although many of the SUV's today have totally lost touch with that original purpose (Escalade, X3, they are useless off-road). The reason my family has two SUV's is because we go to Vermont every weekend, and they are great in snow, otherwise, we would probably have a minivan and a wagon, or something like that.

Fuel consumption is only one reason why SUVs are lame.

Most people who buy them will never go off road
Most people who buy them think they can drive like its dry roads in snow
They are just another thing that blocks the view of cars

I only occasionally use my truck for it's "intended purpose". Moving, bringing my lawnmower home, TV purchase, etc. I've never towed anything, never taken it offroad (laugh), and it only holds 3 people in the cab. 17MPG

Not to be biased in any way but the X5 is a really safe SUV as well along side hte Volvo.

safe to pedestrians and lower cars? didn't know.

Mostly to the driver and passenger, also a low % roll-over. About pedestrians and lower cars; i was reading a magazine about SUV's a bit of a while back and they had a report on the X5. They said it was designed to avoid inflicting too much damage on other cars, dunno bout the pedestiran part but all i know is that it'S one of the safest SUV's out their, don't care about what other ppl think.

I'm Canadian
SUVs help during the Winter because we get so much more snow here than any of you whiners
up here SUVs are welcome

I'm Canadian. We just got snow. SUVs are still annoying. AWD in general is very good.

There's also the option of sedans with AWD.
Subaru, Audi, Volvo, etc offer them.

I also have a big family
and AWD sedans are highly overrated IMO

what part of Canada do you live in?

SUVs really arent that bad, certainly not as bad as you people make it seem I can drive fine with one infront or me or behind

Ajax, Ontario. It's in the GTA. About 10km's east of downtown Toronto.

The thing i hate is that when a person in a fucking H2 slows their ass down for a speed-bump. And there was a REALLY nice silverado on 42'' Super swampers, and it was for show. I asked him if he had taken it offroad before, and he said a couple times, but he doesnt like to get it dirty!

I don't really like SUV's that much, mainly because I like other cars better.

what's wrong with slowing down for a speed bump again?

What's right with it?

Maybe because they're purpose is to make sure you KNOW to slow down.

Hell, I've seen plenty of cars go over speedbumps full throttle with drivers either not seeing it or believing their car can take it and witnessing the suspension take such a beating. I cried for the tires.

Maybe they should have named it the slow bump.

it's there so people dont speed around parking lots

those damn huge 18 wheelers are making our roads unsafe!