"Big and Bad" Article Response

One of the main reasons for the lack of popularity of S.U.V.s in countries other than America is the price of gasoline, coupled with less economic prosperity than what is (or at least was) experienced in the United States. The huge S.U.V. was a status symbol, it represented power, success, and affluence. The vehicle made the driver feel invincible in their giant steel cage (although, as the article has shown, the lack of mobility that accompanies such a huge vehicle can make them far more dangerous than smaller cars). When gas was as cheap as a dollar and a half per gallon, people were fine with gas mileages that were under ten miles per gallon, so long as people could see them in their brand new Expedition or Escalade. Take the Hummer as an example, the first edition of this S.U.V. was simply a painted over military vehicle meant to navigate war zones, now driven on civilian roads, and it sold incredibly well. The fact of the matter is, probably ninety-nine percent of the people who drive S.U.V.s don't have any need for a vehicle of that size (and I know this from experience, my mother owns an Explorer and it's just the two of us, plus throw in the fact that she's an engineer, so the heaviest thing she needs to carry in her truck is a set of rolled up building plans). The rest of the developed world has already recognized the lack of a market for such large vehicles, but Ford struck gold when their converted F-150, renamed the Expedition, sold so well for so long. Luckily, with the increase in the price of gas, coupled with the economic downturn, not everybody can afford to keep driving a gas guzzler, clearing the way for new, more fuel efficient cars, such as those that have been driven in Europe and Japan for years.

-Eric