A forum for men who drive
and the kids they drive with...
Super Size Me
When you just need a large SUV
By: Jason Droz
The day has arrived, yet another social and economical change in my not-so-young-anymore life. Upgrading from one child to two is a more drastic change than going from childless to the first. I count my blessings everyday that my wife is a wonderful and endearing mother and is able to adapt and roll with the punches. I guess adaptation is a requirement rather than an option at this point. A major part of the “adapting” process is dealing with travel. What once took 10 minutes to get ready and jump in the car, now takes a “to-do” list and 2 Red Bulls. My 3 ½ year old loves to take her time getting into the car and, at the same time, explains to me why she picked out the pink bow in her hair and how it matches her shirt. Most of my replies are of the “Oh Yeah?” and “that’s cool” variety. Meanwhile, Hudson, my 8 week-old son, is crying for no apparent reason but only to raise my blood pressure. Knowing that all of this commotion was going to be accepted commonplace for my wife and I, we knew it was time for an SUV. Thankfully, this decision was made before Hudson arrived. Kacey and I were fortunate enough to sell our Nissan Altima rather quickly and in the interim, my folks let us borrow their Toyota 4Runner. It acted as a great tool to test the SUV waters.
At this particular time, I acquired a rather odd addiction. An addiction to Edmunds.com. I don’t want to know how many hours I spent looking at SUVs online. The reason being is I really had no idea what kind of SUV I wanted. There are more classifications of SUVs than brands of cars: mid-size, full-size, crossover, super-size with french fries and a Coke….you get my drift. I knew my wife’s dream car was a Toyota Sequoia but I wasn’t sure if we needed that kind of firepower. I wanted something a little sturdier than the 4 Runner but not quite as boxy and bulky as the Sequoia. All my research and carpel-tunnel lead me to the Dodge Durango. My budget was $17,000 out the door. When I stumbled across this 2005 Dodge Durango Limited with the 5.7L Hemi, I nearly fell out of my chair. It had all the fix ‘ins: leather, navigation, sunroof, and the whole nine yards. Although the miles were a little high (58,000), I figured at that price, I could purchase an extended warranty and still be well under budget. The car belonged to an executive who never used the back seats. (Keep in mind, 3rd row seating was a must for the Mrs.) It was roomy and had a very solid feeling to it. It felt like the last bowl of pourage. Not too boxy and not too small but juuuust right!
I am the type of consumer who buys on gut instinct. Don’t get me wrong, I do my fair share of research, but when it comes down to the final decision, I know almost instantly. As soon as sat down in the driver’s seat, I knew I was going to buy it. I compare the housing market to the gasoline crisis we have today. Both markets are results of over reaction. People are dumping their SUVs like they’ve cheated on them with another owner! Yes, gas prices have increased dramatically, but we have been so spoiled for so long with LOW gas prices, this was bound to happen. The public is so stunned, they over react and sell their SUVs thinking gas will go to $10 a gallon. Since gas demand has gone down, so has gas at the pump. We have now dropped below $3 a gallon. It’s like a teeter-totter; it’s a large swing initially, but it usually settles down somewhere in the middle once everything and everyone has calmed down.
OK, I think I went off on a tangent. Where was I….ah yes, my gut instinct. When looking to upsize your vehicle because of the additional persons that have been added to your family, take your time. Really do your homework and jot down what is truly important to you. Is getting 3 to 4 miles a gallon more important than keeping your family safe? Everyone is so worried about gas mileage that we tend to forget about safety and reliability. When I sat in my new Durango for the first time, I felt safe and knew my wife and kids would be safe.
All in all, life and our surroundings are like a rollercoaster. We have our highs and lows. The key is to not over-react and keep your priorities in perspective. Stick to what you believe in and everything else will fall into place. That’s the plan, anyway. Till next time…
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