Wow... I wasn't going to post in this thread, but I have so much to say.
Where is the original poster of the thread from? I can only speak to my locale, but here in Utah there are many reasons one would choose to drive a truck or SUV. They are probably a majority of vehicles. Those commercials you see on TV, with the kayaks and mountain bikes, and off-road vehicles? Yeah, we do that kind of stuff. A lot. Do we NEED to? No. Life isn't always about need. Take a step back and enjoy yourself a bit. Life is worth enjoying.
Several people have said that family size is shrinking. I'm betting those posters aren't from Utah either. Biggest families in the country here. Three-row SUVs and minivans are very popular because there are many (many) families that can not fit in smaller cars (with travel gear or without).
Several people have mentioned that trucks aren't being used as trucks because they come with luxury features. I have a 2003 Dodge Ram 3500 (one ton) diesel. I only drive it when I need to carry items that will not fit in my (ridiculously small) HCHII trunk, when I choose (not need) to tow something somewhere, or when it snows. I tow trailers all over the western states for camping and recreation. Refer back to that life is worth enjoying thing. On these trips we are commonly in the truck for several hours at a time. I tow a 6000ish pound trailer between Salt Lake and Phoenix a few times a year. It's a long day. On these long trips I want to be as comfortable as possible. I want my family to be as comfortable as possible. I want all the "luxury" features that are in my daily driver car. The reason I bought a diesel? It gets great fuel economy! Much better fuel economy per pound than my HCHII! Over 20 MPG without towing. It gets 15 miles per gallon (plus or minus depending on conditions) with a total weight (including towed vehicle) of 14000 pounds! Do the math, that's significantly less fuel per mile per pound than a 50MPG hybrid.
Speaking of snow... Ever driven in it? Ever driven a true 4-wheel-drive, with a part-time transfer case in it? It's a world of difference. There are several days each year that it snows hard here. Driving front-wheel-drive cars on snow/ice covered roads brings the suck. On those days I will drive my truck. People say 4-wheel-drive doesn't help you stop faster. They're wrong. It does. It locks all the wheels together, and keeps them rotating at the same rate. So as you slow down, you will not have the front locking up, and the rear still turning (leaving you with no steering control), for example. Someone with a family in a cold winter climate who can only afford one car (or only who needs one car, or only has room to store one car) should buy a car that is not safe to drive on several days per year (could be weeks at a time)? No they are going to buy a vehicle that they can use every day, even if it uses more fuel on the sunny days.
My wife drives a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee every day. She is an interior designer and frequently carries large items to clients. Window coverings, art, furniture items, tile and stone flooring, etc. Ever put a few boxes of tile in your hybrid trunk? You can't put too many in, you'll scrape the road. You would probably see her driving her "wasteful SUV" to work and judge her as a low self-esteem earth waster (LSEEW). You can't see what she carries every day. You can't see that she bought the 6 cylinder (in 2001 when gas was cheap) because it has higher fuel economy and pollutes less. You just instantly judge her as an LSEEW.
Do I own an SUV and a truck? Yes. Do I have low self-esteem? Certainly not. I use all my vehicles for their intended purpose and enjoy driving all of them. BTW, the only debt I have is my home, and my HCHII. The HCHII I am paying for with mileage reimbursement from work, so that debt does not really come out of my income. While I may or may not feel entitled to my lifestyle (and the vehicles that come with it), I have earned it and certainly have not irresponsibly used my financial system.
I need to stop soon... My point is there are many reasons for people choosing the vehicles they choose. You can not judge someone's intentions or situation as they drive by on the freeway. You have no idea what drives them. Psychological problems could be a reason someone buys a particular car, but I really think that is a very small minority, and not limited to SUVs. Just because someone is driving an SUV or truck doesn't mean they didn't consider fuel economy when they purchased it.
Hybrid owners are getting a reputation for having a holier-than-thou attitude. This thread is a great example of where that reputation is coming from. You are not better than anyone else because of the car you drive.
Re: Possible way to get majority of SUV and Pick-up truck drivers to drive something
Granted, some of this is probably non-malicious, but near-passes are near-passes - rude and not safe.
