GTcarz - Automotive forums for cars & trucks.

Brenda wrote:
> Per my Manager friend at the Hyundai dealership we use, every 6 months
> after the Tucson is introduced will be another new car between Kia &
> Hyundai. 2007 has the 8 seater Sante Fe due out, that will be more
> like the Sedona than the Lexus. The Tucson is uncarpeted for a more
> rugged use that you just hose out to clean, no vacumming. So it will
> be a plastic shell?
>
> I am told I will test drive the Tucson next month when he gets his
> touring car in. Late September will be the delivery date for sale,
> tho he has folks putting money down on one already. To me a compact
> SUV doesn't seem too safe.

What makes you think it's less safe than the barely controllable
behemoths that are on the market? SUV "safety" is an illusion. The more
car-like models are safer for most people and uses than the hulking
truck-based models, since they can be driven without as many special
considerations. The bottom line is that large SUVs (in the hands of a
typical driver) make it much harder to avoid accidents in emergency
situations and their tendency to roll over during sharp maneuvers often
turns what should be minor mishaps into huge, possibly fatal accidents.
Even their size is no guarantee of safety, as many of them perform
poorly in crash tests because they don't have to be built to the same
safety standards as cars. One thing their size does ensure is that if
you hit a smaller vehicle, the occupants of it are in serious jeopardy.

As you might have guessed, I'm of the opinion that SUVs are a scourge on
the roads and an environmental nightmare. The sooner they are relegated
to the trash heap of history, the better.