In defense of owning an SUV in NYC

A while back I mentioned in passing that once I move to NYC I may eventually buy an SUV. The folks around laughed at me. Of course the laughter had more than a hint of scorn and self-righteousness.

But I think I'm dead on, and I'm a little sick of this conventional wisdom.

First, let me clarify. I love my old Volvo, but will have to pass it along at the end of the summer when I move up to the city. That will be a sad day. I can't afford to pay for parking, so it must go. I'll be without a car for quite a while. However, I like camping, kayaking, and other sorts of adventure sports. (Recognize the guy on the left?) For the first couple of years, when I want to go camping I'll either have to rent a Jeep or find someone to borrow from. But eventually I'll have more free time to do these things, and more disposable income. At that point I'll be able to afford parking. Maybe I'll decide I don't need a car and save the money. But if I do get a car, I'll probably get an SUV. Here's why.

As I understand it, the main objections to SUVs are that they suck gas, they are more dangerous to the driver than other vehicles due to their high center of gravity, they are more dangerous to others because they are big and heavy, and they're just plain ugly/gauche. But a necessary assumption is that they are purchased by people who don't need them. After all, we don't get angry at the existence of dump trucks, which are bigger, more dangerous, and use more fuel than any SUV. They are used for their purpose.

What people don't like about SUVs, I think, is that they are so often purchased and driven by people who don't need them, which makes them wasteful. Mostly, I think, this means people who live in the suburbs and have to drive everywhere, but drive everywhere on nice, paved roads. If you're spending an hour or more in the car commuting every day, it doesn't make sense to burn up a gallon of gas for every 12 miles you travel (or even 20 miles per gallon if you spend the extra cash for one of those "green" hybrid SUVs) when you could do the same in a smaller car that gets 40 miles per gallon (don't get me started on hybrid v. conventional). What people don't like is when you buy and SUV and then never put it in four wheel drive. I pretty much share these views. Of course, if you live in the burbs but need an SUV for some other reason, more power to you.

But the great part is that in New York, I will only have to use my SUV for its intended purpose: hauling around camping gear, kayaks, towing a sailboat, etc., and getting into the back country of upstate NY, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, etc. I'll never have any need to commute, or pick the kids up at soccer practice in a big four wheel drive. It'll it in parking, not using any gas, during the week, and on the weekend it will get taken out to play in the dirt. No waste.

I assert that apart from living in the woods someplace, New York City is actually the most reasonable place to own an SUV.

Am I wrong?

Regardless, I entirely expect that if I ever mention my thoughts on this subject, the reaction will be as if I just claimed that apartheid really isn't such a big deal. I hate conventional wisdom.