December 03, 2004 — By Mark Glover, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.
Dec. 3—It has not been the best of times for sport-utility vehicles.
For most of 2004, those bigger-than-a-mountain SUVs have been under attack from environmentalists and highway safety advocates who consider them fuel-wasting behemoths capable of crushing a midsize sedan in a crash that would leave only a small dent on the SUV.
And $2.35-a-gallon gasoline might be the worst advertisement for full-size SUV sales in the history of the segment. Nationwide surveys taken throughout the year showed prospective SUV buyers feeling negative vibes as regular unleaded gas prices have hovered around $2 a gallon and up.
But here's the thing: Too many motorists tend to lump all SUVs into the same pile. There are plenty of practical-size sport-utes on the market, and when you factor in crossover vehicles — which will be examined next week — it's entirely possible to buy a small-garage-friendly SUV that likewise gets pretty good fuel economy.
Also, it's important to remember that some households truly need a big SUV to haul people and cargo in a trip that would otherwise take three outrageously wasteful journeys.
The bottom line is that, despite the hits they've been taking, SUVs remain popular in California and throughout the nation. When all the 2004 sales numbers are in, there's every indication that SUVs once again will be the most popular segment among light trucks, which have so far outsold passenger cars in 21st century America.
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