Been happy with my KIA Sportage EX 2000 - All wheel/4wheel drive

luv4u said:

NICE!
How's the CD stereo on that KIA Sportage EX 2000?

gyro34 said:

It's pretty good

Everytime I'm on the road I'm always playing Prince or something else.

I don't right now but due for an upgrade in march....this is my next baby...

SUVs represent so much of what is wrong with the US.

You don't need one. Plain and simple.

CarrieMpls said:

Where i live they come in real handy though!

CarrieMpls said:

Straight up.

CarrieMpls said:

Co-sign.

For gawd's sake, if you're going to get one of those things, get a hybrid.

CarrieMpls said:

They sure are handy when you have two large dogs and a baby. I can't fit them all in a car.

I had a Ford Escape but I hated it so I got rid of it. Now I drive a boring Dodge Caravan.

CarrieMpls said:

I know you gave the "lol" sign but I really hope you are kidding.

Who are we to judge what other people need?

You just started a thread talking about boxes and closets and closets full of clothes? Think about about all the oil and natural resources that went into creating those clothes(growing and making the fabrics - running the machinery to make the clothes - transporting the clothes and it goes on and on) to sit in your closet.

Besides people who drive SUV's pay extra taxes in order to drive the car they choose because of gas taxes. If they eliminated SUV's today your gas prices would immediately go WAY up due to the huge loss in tax revenue. SUV owners basically are paying for our roads and pet projects such as light rail.


For the record I drive a Camry.

<-- Self-Righteous Bitch and Willing to Own It

I got a 2005 Escape, and had the same problem with a crappy stereo. I used to have a 1999 Mustang, and the stereo that came with it was incredible. So when I went shopping for an Escape, the few that I test drove had Ford's premium sound system in them. I changed my mind at the last moment and went with a different color, and all the features on the car seemed to be the same - however it had the cheapo sound system and I didn't realize it.

Alpine has some kind of package on Crutchfield, where you can get the speakers, a deck, and an amp for like $1000 total. I wound up replacing all my speakers with Infinity's and put in an Alpine deck. I really need to amp it up too, but I don't want to bother with all the wiring.

lovemachine said:

I was most certainly not joking. Unless you have a need for an offroad vehicle, (or heck, even if you at least do it as a hobby) it's at least irresponsible, at most unethical.
I don't really feel like arguing with you about it though.

CarrieMpls said:

I guess vans, pickups and sports cars are unethical and irresponsible too?

My car is giving me trouble, so I'm considering getting a mid-size SUV to replace it.

I don't want one of those giant SUV's, just something that can fit my wife and 3 kids with room for luggage or bikes.

I really want the new '07 Honda CRV


...but I don't think that I can afford it...

I was also looking at the Dodge Caliber

JustErin said:

No, I think excess (in general) and waste of natural resources in particular is irresponsible and sometimes borders on the unethical. If you have a genuine need for such vehicles, they make perfect sense.

lovemachine said:

you forget the tax breaks the government gave SUV buyers. i do believe that's been reversed, but for several years, SUV owners were actually a drain on the tax base.

a friend of mine actually bought an SUV just for that reason - she is married and has two cocker spaniels - so size was not really a necessity here.

CarrieMpls said:

That's just it...many people think that SUVs are a symbol of greed and excess when in fact most SUVs on the road are cheaper than a lot of sedans.

Many of them aren't even actual 4x4s and are smaller than pickups and have better mileage than many sportscars and vans.

I've always had SUV's and always will. Why not?

I do

JustErin said:

So you're saying that, in general, SUVs are cheaper for the consumer and more fuel efficient than regular cars?

CarrieMpls said:

That's not what I said at all.

I said that smaller/mid sized ones are more fuel efficiant than many vans, pickups and sport cars.

And yes, there are quite a few SUVs that are cheaper than many sedans.

JustErin said:

Well, of course there are exceptions to the rule. I also said they 'represent' what is bad about amercia, not that they're the root of all evil.
I don't get vans either, unless there is a need for your business, or large family or whatever. Heck, I'd much prefer to be carless myself and wish the public transportation system in Mpls were good enough that that would be possible.
Maybe this is like my fashion thing, with folks not understanding spending $1000s on articles of clothing. I wouldn't do it, but I get where it stems from. I also understand why some would call that unethical. So maybe, to each their own.
But when it involves oil it opens up a much bigger can of worms. It's bigger than that.

CarrieMpls said:

Ok.

I just assume that people who buy them (expecially the less expensive ones) are getting them because they need something bigger than a car for their family.

JustErin said:

SUVs aren't built for city/suburban driving. That's why they are called sport utility vehicles. They're made for driving in mountains and off-road terrain. And personally, the majority of SUV owners I see driving them are in their car alone.

Dodge Durango
Screw the atmosphere.
No kids, just love the SUV.

CarrieMpls said:

Like I said, many models are not even actual 4x4s. Mine wasn't, it wasn't even a V6. It wasn't a gas guzzler at all, it wasn't a huge beast on the road, it was the perfect size for me and my needs.

There are many other reasons for buying a SUV other than going off roading. People need more space because of large families or even personal size (my uncle is 6'4 and can't even fit into most sedans without having his knees by his ears), some people like the way they handle in winter weather, some use them to haul boats and trailers (and need more seating than a pickup gives)...it's not all about off-road terrain.

I do agree that the huge-ass, uber expensive luxury ones are ridiculous and are often bought as a status symbol, but I would not say that this is the average SUV driver these days. It's about finding something that meets your needs.

CarrieMpls said:

Our roads are in desperate need of SUVage. I could NEVER drive a car.