A serious question. Why so many 4 Runers in general use here in Southern Cal. rather than "car based" SUV's ?

A serious question. I see many 4 Runners on the streets and highways
of Southern California. Those driving them seem to be enjoying
themselves. Lots of wives going shopping and all sorts of folks.

I was forced to be in a 5th floor building room a few weeks ago,
waiting for someone in th next room to come into the room I was in.
While waiting, I viewed the shops below and saw all kinds of
housewives skooting up in their 4 Runners and going and coming out of
the stores.

I have the strong impression that very few of those driving the 4
Runners ever go "offroad". Yet in So Cal, one has to go to
considerable lengths or distances to get to off-road driving
conditions.

Why would they not drive "car based" SUV rather than a truck based
SUV ? and particularly why would they drive the 4Runner when they have
othe alternatives with "car based" SUV's.

My neighbor said that he actually preferred the truck based feeling of
driving. He has a Ford Lightning truck and does not use it for
traditional truck activities like hauling things around.

Could this truck based feel be relevant, or is there another set of
reasons that would apply to the seeming general use of 4 Runners ?

Wilson, 8/23/2006,4:14:52 AM, wrote:
[color=blue]
> Could this truck based feel be relevant, or is there another set of
> reasons that would apply to the seeming general use of 4 Runners ?[/color]

They like sitting higher and being able to see over/inside other cars.

On 23 Aug 2006 10:25:50 GMT, "badgolferman"
<REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Wilson, 8/23/2006,4:14:52 AM, wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Could this truck based feel be relevant, or is there another set of
>> reasons that would apply to the seeming general use of 4 Runners ?[/color]
>
>They like sitting higher and being able to see over/inside other cars.[/color]

Obviously they could do that in a high care based SUV.

Any respones are appreciated.

On Wed, 23 Aug 2006 10:44:14 +0000, Wilson wrote:
[color=blue]
> On 23 Aug 2006 10:25:50 GMT, "badgolferman"
> <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
>>Wilson, 8/23/2006,4:14:52 AM, wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> Could this truck based feel be relevant, or is there another set of
>>> reasons that would apply to the seeming general use of 4 Runners ?[/color]
>>
>>They like sitting higher and being able to see over/inside other cars.[/color]
>
> Obviously they could do that in a high care based SUV.
>
> Any respones are appreciated.[/color]

A 4-Runner is somewhat of an 'expensive' vehicle ($28-37,000) and known
for their reliability, and are seen as a 'status symbol', so I'd be
willing to bet, for about 80% of those you see have never seen even a dirt
road.

This to me is just a waste of fuel. I think they tried to make a 2WD
version but it didn't sell.

What REALLY irks me is when I watch the evening news, and they show
someone at a filling station in an obviously Urban area and they are
interviewing the owner and he or she is complaining of the high cost of
gas...

BUY SOMETHING ELSE more efficient!!!!!!!

In article <xn0eqb2gokkhee000@news.readfreenews.net>
[email]REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com[/email] "badgolferman" writes:
[color=blue]
> Wilson, 8/23/2006,4:14:52 AM, wrote:
>[color=green]
> > Could this truck based feel be relevant, or is there another set of
> > reasons that would apply to the seeming general use of 4 Runners ?[/color]
>
> They like sitting higher and being able to see over/inside other cars.[/color]

Then there are smaller, more eco-friendly yet very mom-practical,
cars they could choose from. There is a small Mercedes that has
a raised seating level ("A Class"?) -- and of course the T/Prius.

Or maybe they could fit a roof opening and buy a periscope.
--
Andrew Stephenson

Hi:
Interesting question! Reminds me of a marketing strategy that I read
several years ago. When I was young, almost all cars were purchased by men.
The common remark made about our cars was "aint she a beauty." The car was
associated with the "S" curve and femine beauty.

However, in the later years, more and more vehicles were being purchased by
women, and the marketing industry decided to design for that market. A
product was sought that would be masculine and would appeal to the female
buyer, invoking the feeling of "aint it a hunk."

The result was the SUV. Considering the utility of the mini van, its
amazing that a SUV, designed for off-road, ever sold to a logical buyer
living in an urban environment.
Graybeard



"Wilson" <trust101@wanadoo.com> wrote in message
news:re3oe21fb8oeld8ohpgrumt62g8lndrpaj@4ax.com...[color=blue]
>A serious question. I see many 4 Runners on the streets and highways
> of Southern California. Those driving them seem to be enjoying
> themselves. Lots of wives going shopping and all sorts of folks.
>
> I was forced to be in a 5th floor building room a few weeks ago,
> waiting for someone in th next room to come into the room I was in.
> While waiting, I viewed the shops below and saw all kinds of
> housewives skooting up in their 4 Runners and going and coming out of
> the stores.
>
> I have the strong impression that very few of those driving the 4
> Runners ever go "offroad". Yet in So Cal, one has to go to
> considerable lengths or distances to get to off-road driving
> conditions.
>
> Why would they not drive "car based" SUV rather than a truck based
> SUV ? and particularly why would they drive the 4Runner when they have
> othe alternatives with "car based" SUV's.
>
> My neighbor said that he actually preferred the truck based feeling of
> driving. He has a Ford Lightning truck and does not use it for
> traditional truck activities like hauling things around.
>
> Could this truck based feel be relevant, or is there another set of
> reasons that would apply to the seeming general use of 4 Runners ?
>[/color]

4 Runner is not popular at OC. Most of them are driving Lexus GX470 or
Cadillac Escalade.

When you consider the number of freeway shooting and police chase every day
in So. Cal, I think it is reasonable that people want to drive a vehicle
like a tank (Hummer H2).


"Wilson" <trust101@wanadoo.com> wrote in message
news:re3oe21fb8oeld8ohpgrumt62g8lndrpaj@4ax.com...[color=blue]
>A serious question. I see many 4 Runners on the streets and highways
> of Southern California. Those driving them seem to be enjoying
> themselves. Lots of wives going shopping and all sorts of folks.
>
> I was forced to be in a 5th floor building room a few weeks ago,
> waiting for someone in th next room to come into the room I was in.
> While waiting, I viewed the shops below and saw all kinds of
> housewives skooting up in their 4 Runners and going and coming out of
> the stores.
>
> I have the strong impression that very few of those driving the 4
> Runners ever go "offroad". Yet in So Cal, one has to go to
> considerable lengths or distances to get to off-road driving
> conditions.
>
> Why would they not drive "car based" SUV rather than a truck based
> SUV ? and particularly why would they drive the 4Runner when they have
> othe alternatives with "car based" SUV's.
>
> My neighbor said that he actually preferred the truck based feeling of
> driving. He has a Ford Lightning truck and does not use it for
> traditional truck activities like hauling things around.
>
> Could this truck based feel be relevant, or is there another set of
> reasons that would apply to the seeming general use of 4 Runners ?
>[/color]

"Dan" <DNA@mailcity.com> wrote in message
news:g50Hg.3324$q63.2233@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com...[color=blue]
>4 Runner is not popular at OC. Most of them are driving Lexus GX470 or
>Cadillac Escalade.
>
> When you consider the number of freeway shooting and police chase every
> day in So. Cal, I think it is reasonable that people want to drive a
> vehicle like a tank (Hummer H2).
>
>
> "Wilson" <trust101@wanadoo.com> wrote in message[/color]
Reasonable? Only if one's impression of a Hummer is that they have
bulletproof doors and windows, but in fact they're as vulnerable as the
pre-armored Humvees in Iraq.
And interestingly, it took our groundpounders to figure out how to achieve a
measure of protection in them, using plywood and sandbags and welded in
armor plate, not Army Ordnance. (Not that their protection is much better
now.)

"Wilson" <trust101@wanadoo.com> wrote in message news:re3oe21fb8oeld8ohpgrumt62g8lndrpaj@4ax.com...[color=blue]
>A serious question. I see many 4 Runners on the streets and highways
> of Southern California. Those driving them seem to be enjoying
> themselves. Lots of wives going shopping and all sorts of folks.
>
> I was forced to be in a 5th floor building room a few weeks ago,
> waiting for someone in th next room to come into the room I was in.
> While waiting, I viewed the shops below and saw all kinds of
> housewives skooting up in their 4 Runners and going and coming out of
> the stores.
>
> I have the strong impression that very few of those driving the 4
> Runners ever go "offroad". Yet in So Cal, one has to go to
> considerable lengths or distances to get to off-road driving
> conditions.
>
> Why would they not drive "car based" SUV rather than a truck based
> SUV ? and particularly why would they drive the 4Runner when they have
> othe alternatives with "car based" SUV's.
>
> My neighbor said that he actually preferred the truck based feeling of
> driving. He has a Ford Lightning truck and does not use it for
> traditional truck activities like hauling things around.
>
> Could this truck based feel be relevant, or is there another set of
> reasons that would apply to the seeming general use of 4 Runners ?
>
>[/color]


I bet the reason you see so many 4 Runners is that you are looking for
them. There are so many cars on the road here your bound to see
a lot of anything that catches your eye.

Considering a typical:
Street is 2 - 4 lanes per direction.
Freeway is over 4 lanes, plus carpool lanes per direction.

If that sounds hard to believe try my zip code (90630) at one
of the online road maps sites. There are five freeways (5,91,22,405,605)
less than four miles from my house.

Dan