Five reasons to buy an SUV

If you want to get high, there’s never been a better time to buy an SUV.

The range of SUVs now available in Australia has never been so large or diverse, and as a result our roads are clogged with them, as increasing numbers of Aussies realise the advantages of high-riding wagons including design, the ability to lord over traffic and, in some cases, open a new world of adventure.

The rise and rise of the ‘Sport Utility Vehicle’ worldwide – after the term was inhaled and then blown into Jeep’s advertising in America during the 1970s – has today come to mean any car from any brand that has a high note, from jacked-up hatchbacks to ladder-frame off-road wildebeests and weird wagon off-shoots they dare to call coupes.

A few big-noters have even tried to pull off a convertible SUV. And failed. Not including the hard-core Jeep Wrangler that counts the Willys Military Jeep as its distant relation, as seen in a million re-runs of M*A*S*H.

Ignore the ugly ones and there are sound reasons to lift yourself up into the world of SUVs.

Here are five…

The U in SUV is all about being useful. Being wagons (in most cases), they’re roomier than regular cars, the back seats will fold down for loading long items or sleeping rough and the boot is almost always accessed using an easy lift-up tailgate – sometimes with a button or even just pretending to kick its butt.

So they’re high and spacey – perfect for people and stuff.

Sitting up like a truckie all high and mighty not only feels good and safe ’n’ all, it gives you a better view of the road ahead and what’s going on all around. Big glass areas help too, and because SUVs are sizeable, they’re always better off than any smaller and lighter cars they might run into.

Can’t argue with the laws of physics. Bigger and carefully sculpted noses will crumple more than small ones. Heavy SUVs will keep on moving when they hit a lighter car. That’s better for the people inside, even if it’s not good news for anyone else.

If you’re an outdoorsy one who loves camping or hiking or cooeeing off clifftops, then an SUV that has proper off-road capability is a very nice thing to have.

Check first that your SUV can really handle driving off the main road on purpose. If it has good ground clearance and other things you really need like four-wheel drive and all-terrain tyres, then SUVs are the duck’s guts. They can go where cars shouldn’t, even though cars often try.

Once upon a time, Australians actually made cars for Australians to drive around Australia towing a van, trailer or boat. Most of these were Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon sedans or station wagons that swallowed families and their belongings. They were great, but that was then and SUV is now.

SUVs have higher towing capacities than most passenger cars so they’re now the best choice for dragging along your holiday house (the van) or the fun things you like doing on holiday, like creating havoc on jet-skis. Utes are towing masters too, but we like SUVs better.

Some SUVs have been beaten with the ugly stick but that’s usually after the clever car company folk have tried to turn it into another type of vehicle like a coupe or convertible.

Some are nice and smooth, but draw a box on wheels and it’s hard to go wrong. The Suzuki Jimny is cool, right? When you are rich you can then own a Mercedes-AMG G 63. Sorry, an electric EQG.

You can also accessorise to your heart’s content with an SUV, especially hard-core off-roaders.

Convinced? Give it another few years and soon you won’t need any reasons to buy an SUV – that may be the only choice you’ll have. If you’re itchy now, check out: