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Sport Utility Vehicles
The 2009 Suzuki
Grand Vitara is one of the stronger values in the compact SUV class.
It has a standard 4-cylinder engine and a more powerful available V6
with slightly revised styling. I drove the 230-hp 3.2L V6 with a
5-speed automatic. This not so small feeling SUV seats five and has a
side-hinged rear cargo door.
As someone whose first two vehicles were Volkswagens, I remain a fan of the German automaker, and I'm not alone in my admiration. Volkswagen rose to prominence in the 1960s and continued to grow for two decades. The line began to falter in the early ‘90s, but Volkswagen has refocused and made a successful turnaround.
The
2008 Hyundai Veracruz falls short, but the South Korean manufacturer has set lofty
goals and made significant progress in its attempt to compete with
Toyota, Honda and even premium Lexus.
I’ve often thought that if a car can’t be made to operate
more economically, it could at least be made to be safer. Japanese
carmakers
have heard thinking. And Mazda heard me thinking, particularly when I
recently drove the CX-9 a few hundred miles during a week's test drive.
or any car shopper waiting around for the unveiling of last year’s Nissan Murano, the wait never ended. Nissan didn’t produce a single 2008 model.
Although a surprising circumstance for such a popular vehicle, Nissan felt it wasn’t necessary since a full redesign was coming in 2009. Who could really blame them since there was nothing objectionable about the 2007 Murano? And let’s face it, many auto manufacturers essentially trot out the same vehicle year after year without any significant changes.
Like an aging athlete whose skills are still strong but diminishing, sports utility vehicles are facing a dilemma. Regardless of size, shape and legacy, as gas prices have sharply
escalated, SUV sales have sharply declined. The result for SUV
manufacturers has been nothing short of a buyers’ mass exodus. Have SUVs passed their prime or is there still live and a better
position for the utilitarian vehicles that changed the automotive
marketplace?
Magic happens when you drive a Land Rover. Ican't say if it's good or bad magic but it definitely happens. The first thing I looked at when I got in the 2008 Land Rover 3 HSE car
was the odometer. There's an indicator that told me among other things
how many miles I had left on the full tank. I drove the car about
six-tenths of a mile to meet friends for breakfast and the odometer
dropped six miles. “What a gas hog,” I thought. “The tree huggers would
have a field day if they knew for sure how much this gas guzzler
consumed.”
The
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara will not be a first choice for many shoppers.
And if money is not an issue, the compact sport utility vehicle may not
even make the finalists' list because many competitors have better
credentials. But if money is an issue, don’t dismiss the Grand Vitara.
It has significantly improved in recent years and not only provides an
impressive value, it has good qualities as a daily driver.
There was no urgent need for changes. Toyota already had success with the Highlander, a trend-setting model introduced seven years ago that quickly became a template for a segment of crossover sport utility vehicles.
Many reasons exist to literally steer away from purchasing a large sport utility vehicle. Lack of gas mileage is one negative. Every time I drive a behemoth SUV, it seems like one eye watching the gas gauge dip as another $70 fill-up looms.
