Performance SUVs. What's The point?

The answer is SALES and I WANT SOMETHING YOU DON'T HAVE (never mind that you don't want one!

Why would someone choose a Mercury Cougar over a Ford Mustang? Neener Neener Neener I paid more than you did! For that matter, why is there a Mercury at all? Same with Pontiac and Chevy, Buick and Olds, etc. With some exceptions like the Corvettem they are essentially the same cars from each division. But, somebody in Marketing had a great idea, and the buying public fell for it. Why are there umpteen versions of the same car. Like Mustang. Why not a single version. A

OK... that stuff about conservatives isn't what I believe. It's what soem of my more liberal friends say. I'm mostly conservative, and apparently I am evil incarnate... the devil's spawn because I think liberals are going to destroy the planet by trying to fix things that ain't near as broke as Al Bore wants us all to believe.

Well I'll put it this way, I like the inside of my Titan, but like the drive and feel (power) of my Mustang. Yeah I know the Fox Mustang is far from powerful anymore, but it conveys my point. I also liked tweaking with the Mustang. Enter the FX50. I don't care how many times they plat the ad, it is not practical to stuff to school kid in the back of a 911.

You had to go there... Your initial point was on target - marketing.

My wife chose an Escape, because she likes sitting up high (above the traffic) and she likes the illusion of being protected. I hate that truck, and it's not my thing at all, but if she likes it, she gets to have one.

(As an aside, I was disappointed when we traded the 2007 for the 2010 model. The 2007 had actual off-road capable tires, the 2010 has no-pretense street tires.)

A high-performance SUV probably addresses an image compatible with both men and women (speaking in generalities, here), in that they can drive a get-outta-my-way vehicle that probably has more capability than they'll ever use. Again, not my thing.

Aside from all that, they've also got to be pure-profit sales for the manufacturers, whose margin on the entry-level cars that sell the most isn't all that it could be. $$$ is the motive, marketing is the way they get there.

dwight (who, by the way, was a Republican since I first voted in 1972. But, seeing what's been going on in the party for the last decade or so, has now become a registered Democrat. The last liberal Republican is now a blue-dog Democrat. Go figure.)

((I would have gone Independent, but that would lock me out of the primaries here in PA.))

I just read an article about the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. Top speed of 155 mph, 0-60 4.8 seconds, 6.4 liter Hemi - 470 HP,

Question is: Would anyone use this vehicle to pull a horse trailer, large boat, large travel trailer, run it on the drag strip, or just use it to drive to the grocery store.

What's the point, indeed!

Dick

Surprisingly, people do. My sister and lots of people she knows have gigantic Ford Pickups, fully loaded. They use them in winter snow and yes, to pull horse trailers on a regular basis as well as go to the grocery store. My sister much prefers her truck to her husbands BMW535. I see lots of people where I live who have similar large trucks to pull their $25,000 ski and fishing boats.

If it were mine all of the above, except the horse trailer. But I'd pull any damn thing I wanted to with it and not be so picky as with what gets stuck on the hitch on my Mustang. Yeah, My Fox has a receiver hitch....

SNIP

California is the same way. Still, I could never go Dem even though I have problems with many of the GOP.

I picked up a 2011 Flex Limited with the EcoBoost to replace my wife's GMC Acadia... Wife needed more than just a sedan... All I can say is the Flex is an absolute hoot to drive!! Heck with just a tune (and not the most aggressive tune out there) the darn thing does 0-60 MPH in 5.0 and does the 1/4 mile in 13.7! You should see the people reactions at the track when the Big BRICK goes down the track! All

John, Did your wife give you permission to run her car on the drag strip? :-) We have a 2010 Flex SE with the standard Duratec V6 that gets up to speed quite well, and it's easy to get those front tires to chirp from a standing start. Love that car!

Dick

Wait, I'm doubting that weight. My Titan weighs about 5200 pounds and it's a lot bigger with a V8.

The Limited AWD with EcoBoost tips the scales at 4839 according to:

The FWD, non-EcoBoost Flex is more like 4500 pounds...

LOL! She just rolls her eyes and laughs! The old fart running the wife's grocery getter at the track!!! To tell the truth I'm having a ton of fun at the track with the Flex! Nobody expects to see a Flex running 13.7! Lot of guys come over shaking their heads in disbelief! Had one guy come over to tell me that I cut such a good light and the Flex launched so hard, it actually STUNNED him and he basically forgot to go! He had like a .8 R/T! LOL

Ok... went to the track again on Saturday... Couple guys come over and are checking out the Flex. Start talking and the guy admits, "Last week when you pulled in we were laughing at you. We were saying 'What's that guy thinking! He's going to run what? Maybe in the 20s?' Then you ran that 13.7 and we were like WHAT THE HELL!"

Had better air this weekend and pulled a new personal best of

John, I think you like your wife's car - a lot!

Dick - 2010 Flex, 1984 Capri RS 5.0, 1998 Escort

I am having an absolute blast! This thing is such a sleeper! LOL

Ok.. put the Flex on the scales last night... 5210 with driver! Figure about 4900 without the driver...

Little video I made from Saturday's outing....

Little video I made from Saturday's outing....

D E Willson wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Performance SUV's, what's the point? So idiots can role their blocky vehicles on turns? So Porsche can make some money?