What makes many SUV drivers think they are in a performance car?
I’ve seen more near fatal crashes and fatal crashes (mainly on police chases) than any other vehicle. On the road, I’ve seen more SUV’s and minivans speeding and other forms of aggressive driving, when these types of vehicles are the least roadworthy when it comes to handling and most likely to roll over.
Why is there such a misconception among many whom drive these types of vehicles?
Simply due to the fact that these people feel the sheer size provides added safety. Most of these people probably don’t realize that their SUVs have higher center of gravity, which makes for poor handling. Furthermore, because the driver sits higher above, compared to normal people driving standard cars, their field of view is expanded, which also gives them additional confidence.
Granted, there are exceptions where some SUVs actually do handle better than some of the cars on the road today — e.g., BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, and even some domestics and imports.
Of course, I still feel that SUVs are more for image than for function.