[iamthepieman]

I agree and I think I'm in the minority of people who are better off in a large SUV.

We have 7 in our family so need a minivan at the least. I don't think they make station wagons with 7 seats anymore. We live in a climate with long winters so we need at least one AWD/4WD vehicle so at least some of us can get out. And we tow a trailer so need the capacity. Having one vehicle that does it all is more cost-effective for us.

At this moment though, we have a 12 passenger commuter van that is horrible in the snow and can barely pull the trailer, and a compact hatchback as our all-weather vehicle. That means we can't all go somewhere in inclement weather so we're in the market for the aformentioned SUV.

[tristor]

Sounds like you are actually an exception that proves the rule. Unfortunately the average buyer of a crossover/SUV has at most 4 passengers in the vehicle, and most vehicle-miles driven are single-occupant. Both uses which are better served by other vehicle types that have less negative externalities.

I don't think SUVs should cease to exist, but we should stop subsidizing them with broken CAFE rules that incentivize manufacturers to make SUVs/trucks/crossovers to the exception of cars, and price them accordingly. Most Americans don't have 7 people in their family, so the most common vehicle on the road shouldn't be designed to accommodate an exceptional circumstance at many other costs to society.