GM and Ford's big SUVs suck, in ways you may not have thought of, if you ever bother to think.

Chrysler, BMW, Toyota, Nissan and Honda all successfully produce SUVs, midsize sedans and wagons in the US, and do it with only slightly less in employee benefits than do Ford and GM. Ford and GM also make these vehicles in Europe, with good pay benefits for employees there. What do employee benefits have to do with top management decisions to make cars that are not viable in today's market anyway? Faced with rising fuel costs, increasing congestion and pollution in the cities, the consumer is expected to continue buying the very vehicles that are the cause of all this grief. And all the while, upper management at GM and Ford who made these stupid decisions, get a pass in the press. Their paid flunkies in the Media act as corporate apologists, rather that shooting straight with the public. Here is a novel idea; How about making an SUV that someone other than fat Texas oil men or some psycho uber-mom might want to drive?

Pictured here is the 2006 Dodge Caliber Ralley, exemplifying the SUV design of the future.

For the average person living in most populated regions, you have to be a sado masochist to drive a 5000 pound sled every day! I realize that this is a popular fetish with people of certain political ideologies, but I don't think the average soccer moms I see doing their makeup and talking on the phone while doing 80 mph fit that bill. Then again, it's always those conservative "Desperate Housewives" types you've got to watch out for. I thought "conservatives" were supposed to "conserve". I guess they're not proficient in reading comprehension. Just as well, they're not to big on facts either.

Women, who were always the voice of reason in a family decision on what car to buy, are actually some of the most fervent SUV defenders. I guess it is the 9/11 effect that has made Women so Macho, or in other words, they're insecure and paranoid! They are afraid, but of what? In an urban setting, many people mistakenly believe that if a carjacker or robber approaches, they will be safer in an oversized SUV. They actually offer no more protection against weapons than regular cars. Images of devastation from Iraq tell the story of what small arms fire can do. No production vehicle will protect you from bullets. I n fact, there is evidence to support a theory that smaller, more nimble cars with better initial acceleration and maneuverability, actually make you a harder target to hit, thus improving your chance of escaping an attack. Ffor the rest of us who are not making all our decisions in life based on fear, just trying to eke out an existence, big SUVs make it much harder to live. We, who don't feel the need to drive a fake tank, must pay the price for dysfunctional SUV-ers.

In a city, big SUVs just plain suck, that we know, but wait, even in suburbs the sucking continues. Accidents in rural areas are up, due to the poor rear visibility and dismal handling performance inherent in many of these vehicles. So far this year, over 200 accidents have occurred where children have been backed over, due to the height of the blind spot, created by the tailgate area of many SUVs and Vans. Great family vehicle?

But wait, that's not all! High center of gravity is another serious issue plaguing many SUV and Van owners. Most are inherently unstable at high speeds. Increasing ground clearance, automatically decreases stability, you can't argue with physics, lower is more stable at speed. You can't have it both ways, if you like to go fast, you need to be as low as possible for optimal handling.

What is wrong with the station wagon? Nothing! It has been the vehicle of choice for families since the beginning of the automobile and has evolved from the Model A wagon with a high center of gravity and clearance, to the lower profile styles of today. The first cars represented the technology of the time. With a top speed of 20mph and few good roads, high speed stability was not an concern. As the power increased, cars naturally got lower. This design decision was fueled by the desire to increase the number of return customers, by making sure the customers would be able to return. Dead people don't buy many cars, although some of these old farts down here could indeed be clinically deceased, and no one has told them yet. Marketing has made the big SUV the popular family vehicle of today, definitely not necessity.

For the sake of all the rest of us, if you have to have one of these things, could you please not bring that monster into my traffic jam, I'm sick of being cut off by you because you didn't see my efficient car that is perfectly suited for the demands of urban life in the 21st century. Attention people, we're not back on the ranch anymore. How about parking that beast at the campground, where these SUVs belong! I'm sick of not being able to see around you when you're in front of me, and nervous when you are behind, hoping you manage not to run me over as you drive while distracted by talking on the phone or watching DVDs.

Now I realize big SUV lovers don't care that they are causing all this mayhem, and probably even enjoy inflicting this pain, but remember payback.... The Insurance actuaries are in the process of making callous SUV-pigs pay for their sins! Some SUV insurance payments will reflect all the losses paid out by the insurance companies and will rise quite dramatically when all is said and done. We who are more intelligent with our transportation choices, will get the last laugh, if we survive long enough.

Thankfully, like the dinosaurs they are, large SUVs will soon be extinct. The imposing behemoth with intimidating names like Expedition and Hummer will soon be gone, replaced by designs like Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Element. Lamentably, there will always be a few fans of pain or the inflicting of pain, and the fetish for SUVs will probably persist to the inevitable, bitter end. GM and Ford are still committed to these platforms, even in the face of losing over 6 billion dollars in 2004. The resulting massive layoffs, plant closings, and falling market share are being blamed on "bloated" employee benefits.

Extinction is a natural part of life. The law of nature has a way of correcting bad behavior in a species. It is no accident that driving a big SUV or Van may be hazardous to your life and those around you. It's a kind of natural selection, insuring the survival of the human race. I recently saw a fatal highway accident involving an Expedition and a Semi. The driver of the Expedition clipped a car that he did not see and was spun into the path of a tractor trailer. No matter how big you think you are, there is always someone bigger. The driver of Expedition was ejected and killed. I couldn't help thinking that maybe the best way to survive an accident like that, is not to be in that position to begin with. Controlling the vehicle is still the best way to insure safe operation. High center of gravity with poor aerodynamics and weight distribution is detrimental to this end. The Professor