"Ashton Crusher" <demi@moore.net> wrote in message
news:sm4nd5508255058r6g9uqtmqcpuulg2mb2@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:38:26 -0400, "C. E. White"
> <cewhite3@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
>>Earlier this month I asked for advice regarding a new car for my
>>Mother to
>>replace a Ford Freestyle that was totaled in an accident. I mostly
>>was
>>looking for advice regarding the Toyota Venza and Highlander. Well
>>we
>>finally went shopping and my Mother is getting a new Highlander
>
> I'm not disagreeing with your mom's choice but why does she need an
> SUV?? What were her needs from a technical perspective?

First of all, the Highlnader is not an SUV. You might get away with
calling it a "Crossover" but in no way is it an SUV. In my opinion, it
is nothing more than a Camry Station Wagon. Of the vehicles we looked
at, the Edge was the closest thing to an SUV and it wasn't
particularly close, although Ford tries to pitch it as one. The Venza
is called a car, but the only substantial difference between it and
the Highlander is the height of the roof and the level of standard
equipment. The CR-V would like to pretend to be an SUV, but it misses
the mark by hundreds of miles. It is just a Civic Station Wagon with
an AWD option. Even the Pilot, although a nice vehicle, can't be
considered a legitimate SUV. Anything that is primarily front wheel
drive and has very limited towing capacity is just a station wagon (or
I guess a "Crossover" which in my mind is the new name for "Station
Wagon").

My Mother never said she wanted an SUV. She just wanted something that
she could sit up in and see out of. Until she got a Freestyle, my
Mother always drove a full size vehicles (Galaxie, LTD, Grand Marquis,
etc.). The Freestyle was the smallest car she had ever owned, and at
least it gave her a decent view. Most cars that claim to be full size
these days wouldn't have qaulified as an intermediate in the 60's and
they all tend to place you very low and don't provide a very good view
of the road in a world dominated by large trucks and SUVs (my Mom
lives in a rural area and more than half the vehicles are large trucks
or SUVs).

Anyhow, if you think a front wheel drive, four cylinder Highlander is
an SUV, I think you are using a different definition of an SUV than
would be reasonable.

Ed