Unless you live way off the grid (and if you are reading this you probably aren’t) you’ve noticed that vehicles here in the US are getting bigger and bigger. This trend has been going on for decades and shows no signs of slowing down even as gas prices climb. And I don’t get it.
I grew up on a farm driving pick ups so you’d think I would be all over this trend. But I’m not. I’ve driven compact cars most of my adult life and I currently drive a 2104 Kia Soul. I started with compact cars because they were what I could afford. I’ve stayed with them for the gas milage. If I only go to work and back- no side trips- I put about 55 miles a day on my car. I am not interested in selling a kidney to pay for my commute.
If you have a family of 7 or need to travel with a significant number of tools for work I understand getting a big ol SUV. But the majority of the people I know who have big SUVs have neither. Many of them drive less than 10 miles as their daily commute. My sister, who I love with all my heart, has a vehicle that I like to say is larger than her first apartment. She has 2 kids, age 15 and 21. Her commute is maybe 2 miles. But she’s had big SUVs since my nephew was a baby and shows no sign of going back to something smaller any time soon.
So why do so many people drive gas guzzling behemoths when they don’t need to? Some people think they need the room (when they really don’t). Some people think they are safer. Some people just like to show off and think a bigger SUV is a status symbol. It IS easier to get in and out of an SUV vs. a standard car. However, my aforementioned Kia Soul- which is classified as a subcompact crossover SUV- i.e. a tiny vehicle- offers dropping $100 every time you fill up. Also- fun fact- a Kia Soul is considered a very safe car because it has a boatload of air bags.
I will never fully understand why so many people feel the need to buy so much more car than they need. It seems like a waste of money and I don’t know anyone who loves throwing money away. So you do you- I’ll be over here in my little Kia laughing all the way to the gas station.