Time for a SUT?

With General Motors throwing in the towel on the gas-guzzling SUV’s and large pickup trucks, how long will it be before the other manufacturers follow suit? As the last Sierra drives off into the sunset, the Explorers, Rams, Tundras and Armadas will be giving their last burps on corny Ethanol as they pass the Hummers, Escalades and Aviators that have died of thirst on the roadside. The drivers of smaller vehicles will no doubt breathe a sigh of relief as the roadway ahead of them again becomes visible, no longer hidden behind the smelly tail end of these behemoths.

The ubiquitous Van has already morphed into something called a ‘crossover’, while other normal-sized vehicles sport badges pronouncing that they are Hybrids or able to digest Flex fuels. The brief resurgence of the ‘muscle car’ is still with us and some manufacturers will cling to this niche market for a few years, but fuel economy and emissions awareness will spell their demise before long.

Looking back, one has to wonder what drove us to this madness for the huge SUVs and the penchant for half-ton trucks. Other than construction workers who carry a box of tools in the back of their truck, how many drivers really needed a truck? And if they needed one, how big did it really have to be? Maybe the sportsperson who hauled a boat or a snow machine around on the weekends needed a vehicle to pull that toy around at 120 clicks, but we’ve all seen that little Civic or Golf doing that yeoman service with a trailer bouncing along behind. The four-wheel drive SUV was sold to nervous drivers who thought driving a tank-like vehicle offered not only safety but mobility in snow and mud.

The half-ton craze I blame on farmers. The small trucks were great for famers but as they retired and moved to the city, they took their trucks with them. The city folk thought these vehicles ‘quaint’ and when they discovered that the trucks were actually cheaper to buy than cars, they began to purchase them as status symbols – hard-working farmers! When the auto industry awoke to this trend, they began putting radios in the trucks, comfortable seats, painting them in car-like colours and finally – charging more money for the vehicles.

The four-wheel drive craze drives from the Jeep – that Second World War vehicle that seemed indestructible and could go ‘anywhere’. As forest trails became roads and access roads became passable, the Jeep grew chrome and gadgets until it became the modern SUV. However, this ability to travel almost anywhere must be blamed on the lowly Volkswagen. The traction afforded by putting the engine over the drive wheels was amazing. Snow was no longer the great isolator, as VWs ploughed through snow banks with impunity. Other car manufacturers soon copied the VW with all of them finally getting the engineering of engine over drive axle almost perfected.

For those of us who love the rumble of the V8 engine, that era is slipping away, sustained now only by car buffs and restorers. Soon the only place to see and hear the beloved engine will be at the rally on Tuesday night in the CTC lot. Not that we ever raced those muscle cars, but the current generation is getting those same thrills by running 4 cylinder the Rice-Burners up and down the streets. Those who aspire to emulate the deep-throated sound of the V8 add those annoying and pretentious exhaust extensions. As if.

Where does the disappearance of the big vehicle leave us? Pulling a trailer. Yes, the answer to carrying sets of sports bags, tool boxes and gardening supplies is to buy a Small Utility Trailer. Sorry, the kids still have to sit inside the car. The SUT is light enough to bounce along behind even the smallest of cars. Fully equipped with functioning signal lights, (something many old half-ton trucks seem to lack), the little trailers are easy to park. (Retired farmers will find that backing up a SUT is the same as backing the old hay wagon – you simply turn your wheels the wrong way and everything goes where you want it to!)

The beauty of using the SUT is that you do not have to haul it around when you are out for an evening at the theatre or dining at the all-you-can-eat buffet. Your small fuel-efficient car does not burn extra gas on the commutes to work, unlike the empty 2-ton car/truck you formerly used to drive to the corner store. Presently, the SUT comes in a bare-bones style (kits are available) that you can customize with your own sides and even a roof. The wheels are basic steel but for a nominal fee, you can install a set of chrome-like covers to match your Eco car. You can upgrade the lights to LEDs, add a licence plate holder that says Real Men SUT or I LUV AL GORE, or stick little decals on the fenders supporting your favourite cause.

For those who do not want to join the SUT trend, there are some great deals on the car lots for big trucks and Gas-guzzlers. Not only will the dealers offer you a payment plan, but they will set you up with financing for your gasoline purchases for the term of your lease payments. But beware of the depreciation on that SUV – if gas prices continue to rise, in a few years that dinosaur may be worth the price of a SUT.