I am not a fan of SUVs.  In a time when everyone should be doing their part to use less fuel and resources, for the sakes of our children and grandchildren, we have an industry (and a culture) that is completely obsessed with the biggest and least fuel efficient vehicles ever made.

I'm not the only one who feels this way.  Over at suvsuck.org they have some very interesting resources on why SUVs suck and just how much they suck and why SUV drivers suck.  Here's a sample:

Switching from an average new car to a 13 mpg SUV for a year would waste more energy than leaving a refrigerator door open for six years, a bathroom light burning for 30 years, or a color TV turned on for 28 years.

SUVs spew out 43 percent more global-warming pollutants - 28 pounds of carbon dioxide per gallon of gas consumed - and 47 percent more air pollution than the average car, using 1 million barrels of oil a day.

Because SUVs are permitted to emit 29% to 47% more carbon monoxide (CO) and 75% to 175% more nitrogen oxides (NOx) (as well as other pollutants) than passenger cars, they contribute far more towards the health and environmental degredation on our planet...

Federal law permits SUVs to waste 33 percent more gasoline than passenger cars. SUVs can spew 30+ percent more carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons and 75+ percent more nitrogen oxides than passenger cars. Since 1990, the inefficiency of light trucks (including SUVs) have led to Americans wasting an extra 70 billion gallons of gasoline.

Light trucks/SUVs crashing into cars accounts for the majority of fatalities in vehicle-to-vehicle collisions, 2,000 people would still be alive if their vehicles had been hit by a heavy car instead of an SUV.

Some interesting factoids, no?  I've heard the argument from some folks that they "need" an SUV just to get around.    There are certainly large families out there who really do need an 8 passenger vehicle just to get around.  The funny thing is, if you've ever been in a grocery store parking lot on a Wednesday evening you'll see an awful lot of SUVs come and go but 99% of them contain a single skinny white woman and possibly a small dog that she'll leave in the truck while she does her shopping.  I know SUVs are big and shiny and make you feel like a big, tough road warrior with a two-foot... (ahem).  They're a great way to show off your credit rating.  But be honest with yourself, you probably could get by with a nice sensible sedan that uses half as much sheet metal and uses half as much fuel.

If you're an SUV driver, unleash your wrath in the comments or hit the jump to get really ticked-off.  Cheers!

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