"Market research shows that S.U.V.s tend to be bought by people who are "insecure, vain, self-centered, and self-absorbed, who are frequently nervous about their marriages, and who lack confidence in their driving skills."
To add insult to injury the author also said (in the same article).
driving skills.
Nice to be loved isn't it?
their driving skills.
Yeah, I thought that comment about people who buy sports cars was a low blow. High performance and superior handling are good safety features, as the best driver in the world will be even safer if his vehicle does EXACTLY what the driver tells it to do. If you understand how good handling enhances safety . . . are you going to be more likely to buy an SUV or a sports car? Maybe some people who buy sports cars deserve the excessive confidence comment, though. -Dave
That's a statement that's as supportable as my saying, "You are a person who wants to start a dialog, and not a troublemaker." Neither can be taken as a definitive statement.
As much as I agree that there are a lot of idiot SUV drivers, you have to realize that this is just a media story.
Most buyers of sports cars are not particularly good drivers from what I've seen. Therefore they are in a machine with capacities they cannot handle (acceleration, steering response) and consequently are less safe then if they were driving an econobox or luxoboat.
I would also note that the article did not say they were stupid. Given the fact that many SUVs are damned expensive, I suspect that if you gave IQ tests to everyone you'd find SUV owners had higher average IQs then the owners of an "average car".
Are you serious?!? You know how many expensive vehicle "owners" are in debt up to their eyeballs just to pay for their rides? If anything, I'd expect to see pathetically low IQ scores among that crowd. -Dave
Kinda robs the whole article of credibility, doesn't it?
No, Blossom, I don't know how many are in debt to their eyeballs because of their car and I doubt that you know either..... we'll add ineffectual conjecture to your trolling "bag of tricks". Though I may not be well educated, the only vehicle in my fleet carrying a chattel is a motorcycle. I am sure that those better versed in academia and/or self-control would be in a similar state. Just to set the record straight..... having a high IQ is no assurance of making logical decisions - indeed, most geniuses were/are one step sideways from being insane.
I have no idea who Malcolm Gladwell is, other than he writes on such a vast array of subjects that one can only assume that he has little knowledge of any of them. There are very few cars in our town.... most of them being driven by under-achievers with problem marriages. SUVs are driven by fairly affluent people, most of them (myself included - 30 years on the 19th of Jan.) are in long term, stable relationships. We have no lack of confidence in our driving skills..... that we travel into remote areas in the course of our daily business and travel in weather conditions that most don't have the 'pleasure' of experiencing would belie any issues in that regard. We are self confident in all aspects of our lives (have been or currently are self employed) without being self centered..... most devoting time to community projects with no expectation of reward other than that inexplicable "warm and fuzzy" thing.
Some yuppie bastuhds may purchase SUVs simply because they are de riguer parked in the driveway, but most owners (IMHO) have a utilitarian nature, combining the luxury and seating of an automobile (a better than average automobile) with a better than average load carrying capacity.... I'd just love to see you dragging my holiday trailer or car trailer down the road behind your Camry. Better yet, I can just picture you cramming my 15 year olds Quad into the trunk of your 'sensible pair of shoes'.
Last, but certainly not least.... any replies to this message will not be cross-posted and will remain forever in RAMFE... and that, dear Blossom, shows much more thought than you could ever muster...
Jim Warman snipped-for-privacy@telusplanet.net
Some of us buy them because they are practical for our individual needs, despite what your opinion of SUVs may be.
Damn... and I forgot to trim the header.... my bad...
You own an SUV? I would have expected you to have a white Crown Vic with a spotlight on the pillar... ;)
There is absolutely no reason to believe that. In fact, in the Chicago market, it is exactly the opposite.
Here, the majority of SUVs are owned by -
young drug dealers poor blacks who gave up their Cadillac addiction poor white trash soccer moms (who while they may be married to a doctor, could never be mistaken for intelligent) car salesmen driving a dealer SUV (don't even think about trying to tell me salesmen are intelligent...)
What it comes down to is that most SUV owners have far less intelligence than drivers of regular cars. They spend their money on things that make them feel rich, instead of buying a home in a safe neighborhood, or one where their kids can get an education. There are a lot of SUV drivers who may in fact be intelligent. They simply are not the norm.
People with pathetically low IQs will not be making enough to buy them. As much as you may wish to deny it, higher IQ tends to go along with higher income. Higher income supports higher debt. You may disagree with their choice of vehicles but I doubt they will care.
Here's something from the web showing how it worked out in one study..
ONE SIBLING WITH IQ OF 90?110 = NORMAL OTHER SIBLING WITH IQ > 110 = BRIGHT OR OTHER SIBLING WITH IQ < 90 = DULL
N = 710; BOTH SEXES; AGED 28?36; PARENTS IN TOP 75% OF INCOME;
DULL NORMAL BRIGHT INCOME IN 1993: $23,600 $33,600 $44,800 COLLEGE DEGREE:
2% 21% 56% ILLEGITIMACY RATE (FIRST CHILD) 45% 21% 10% NUMBER OF CHILDREN: 1.9 1.4 1.4BRIGHT SIB 6-1/2 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO MAKE OVER $100,000. BRIGHT SIBS WITHOUT COLLEGE DEGREE EARNED MORE THAN NORMALS WITHOUT COLLEGE DEGREE DULL SIB 5 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE.
16.3% OF DULL SIBS BELOW POVERTY LINE; MENIAL OCCUPATIONS;
YOu are entitled to your opinion but I don't think you can support it with any meaningful data. The fact is that poor white trash will not be able to go out and buy a $60,000 Escalade. Nor will poor blacks. Income levels have been shown in study after study to be related to IQ. IQ may not be the perfect measure but it's the best we've got.
They spend their money on
I disagree. As a general statement I think SUV drivers are going to be at the very least of average intelligence and most likely slightly to moderately higher then average. I would also guess that there is a level of IQ where SUV ownership drops off again because the super smart will most likely have a different view of things then the run of the mill "slightly higher then average" smart will.
I read an article once that stated most of the richest people in the world drive average priced cars. It made perfect sense. If you are smart enough to accumulate wealth, you are also smart enough not to waste it needlessly. I've also seen articles on various (RICH) celebrities and what they drive. I was surprised how many of them drive hybrids like the Prius and the Insight. If you truly have status, I guess you don't need status symbols. :) -Dave
That's why Arnold drives a Hummer. But of course it's true that most "rich" people don't waste their money foolishly, that's one of the reasons they are rich. BUt that's a separate issue from whether the typical SUV driver is "stupid". There is nothing inherently stupid about buying the vehicle that satisfies your needs the best. Only the purchaser can make that evaluation. You may disagree with it but it's not you buying the SUV.
I thought Arnold was shuffled around in a Suburban.
OH, that's funny. It's like contrasting a Corolla with a Prism. -Dave
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