Sure they drive them for status, and that is one of the reasons why I don't like SUV's. And being able to afford and buy that status vehicle is going to be somebody with a higher income, which is going to be more likely a republican.

NYC is not where the vast majority of the SUV's are. I don't think that is the kind of vehicle you want to drive around NYC in. Parking would be a nightmare.

The SUV's are a suburan area type car, and the burbs are more republican than democrat. I would still have to think that even in the blue states of NJ, NY, CT, PA that the majority of SUV owners are going to be republican.

The guys that live in Newark that have the pimped out SUV's like the earlier poster, well they probably don't even vote. They probably aren't republican or democrat. I think in the 2004 election that the % of young voters in the big cities of NJ was way down.

Looking around I'd say that a good 30% of vehicles are SUV's. It seems that sometimes every other person drives a lexus RX300 around here. No one cares about parking since they just hit the car behind them and in front of them to squeeze into a space. Or they let the attendant at the parking lot park the car. A lot of GM SUV's around here with the Envoy and it's variants being very popular.

I don't get the SUV as a "status" thing. A Ford Explorer is not status. If I want status, I'd buy a BMW, Benz, Lexus, Acura, etc.

It's not status, it's a fashion trend. The automakers were successful into tricking you to believe they are the hip things to buy. The fact that since they are rebadged trucks, they are super cheap to make and have huge profit margins for them. Consumers bought it.

Like the minivan?

Exactly. The car makers need to keep the target moving. I suspect the next trend will indeed be the venerable station wagon...again. ;)

The Queen Family Truckster will live again.

I don't think the minivan ever caught on as being a fashionable car. Don't see any young single people showing up to buy them.

I don't either, but I think that some people do think their Explorer is some sort of status symbol. Maybe this depends on where you live. I live in a very blue collar town and are much more likely to see Explorers over the higher end ones. A nice new Explorer is going to be a lot nicer than what a lot of other people in my neighborhood drive, so to some extent maybe it is something of a status symbol.

Every suburban soccer mom in the universe has a minivan. Minivans far outnumber SUVs. A minivan is only useful as a people mover - at least an SUV adds extra utility.

As for status, around here an Explorer is your average-joe vehicle. A Lexus LX is a status SUV. An Escalade is a status SUV.

Almost every one. Not this one, though.

I drive a MINI Cooper.

That way, I never have to take everyone else's kids to the soccer games.

That's true! She takes my Scion xB for THAT! rotfl :flowers:

I'm afraid to drive my wife's car. Afraid of tickets, that is. :)