Welcome to SUV land?
Small cars get ticketed in SUV land
- C.W. Nevius, December 7, 2004
When he came out of a Contra Costa County Mayors' Conference meeting in Walnut
Creek awhile back, Martinez City Councilman Bill Wainwright was surprised to
see a ticket on his windshield.
He was even more surprised when he saw what it was for.
Wainwright had been tagged for having too small a car.
Seriously. The city parking lot where he had found a spot has two rows of
slots reserved for vehicles 6-foot-5 inches or taller, according to a sign
posted in the garage. Wainwright, with his Acura, was too short to park there.
"I'd never heard of that before,'' Wainwright says. "I've heard of cars too
big for parking spots, but not too small.''
And so it is in the land of the land yacht. Out here in suburbs we like our
lawns green, our shopping malls trendy, and our family transportation in two
sizes: big and bigger. Despite dire predictions about drops in sales for
full-size pickups and sport utility vehicles as gas climbed to more than $2
per gallon, automotive industry analysts like Haig Stoddard, of the well-
regarded Wards Automotive Reports, says the oversize vehicles are as popular
as ever.
"Sales are only down 2 percent this year,'' Stoddard says, "that's not much at
all.''
Wainwright's experience may be the perfect metaphor for the cars on steroids.
Huge SUVs and trucks can be a pain to park. They are too wide to fit between
the lines, too long to keep from sticking out in the lane and too tall to see
over. Finding a parking place for a giant like that, especially now, during
the holiday rush, could discourage an owner from driving a hulking vehicle.
Perhaps they'd get themselves on the waiting list for the one of they new
hybrid gas-electric cars that is not only easy to park, but can get up to 60
miles per gallon.
Or, the city could create a special campground for the behemoths where, not
only is everything bigger so they can fit, tickets are also issued to those
little gas sippers who sneak into the land of the giants.
Now, this isn't a knock on Walnut Creek. As assistant city engineer for
traffic, Yun Na Rhee, says the trucks were just too big for the garage.
Between the low ceilings and the need to make sharp turns to maneuver the
ramps to the upper floors, the big fellows needed a lot all their own.
Would it have been better if there was no place for the big cars to park,
leaving the owners to wonder if they should reconsider the size of their ride?
Sure. And it would be nice if restaurants served only healthy, low-calorie
meals so we'd all live longer, more productive lives.
There's just one problem with that. People prefer delicious, rich food when
they go out to eat, and they'd rather drive big, rumbling trucks and SUVs. In
fact, for the last three years Americans have purchased more new "light
trucks'' -- auto industry-speak for pickups and SUVs -- than passenger cars.
And an analyst like Stoddard doesn't see that changing anytime soon.
"I would say in the next 10 years the mainstream vehicle will be something
with a hatchback body style,'' he says. "Something where they can carry more
and can even get all-wheel drive if they want.''
Now, it should be said that not everyone believes bigger is better. There is a
trend toward slightly smaller cars. For example, that rolling pet peeve of
environmentalists, the Hummer H2, has seen its sales tailspin, falling off
some 20 percent this year. In fact, General Motors will be introducing a
smaller, cheaper Hummer, the H3, next year. It will even get as much as 16
miles per gallon, compared with 11 for the H2.
And the hottest style in the market is the CUV (crossover utility vehicle).
That's an SUV on Atkins. Cars like the Toyota Rav4 and Honda CRV are built on
a frame for a car, not a truck. The result is a somewhat smaller body and a
car-like ride that still has the sense of security that comes from wheeling
around in a big, burly vehicle. CUVs also have that high perch for the
driver's seat, which many owners, especially women, like.
That's another industry trend, by the way. Women are now perfectly comfortable
buying a full-size pickup as their primary vehicle. Trucks are no longer just
for guys.
What will happen if gas prices continue to climb? Some experts think $3 a
gallon is not beyond the realm of possibility. Certainly hybrid cars are in
demand. Waiting lists have sprung up at dealerships across the country. But
don't forget that some of the hottest hybrids, like the V6 Toyota Highlander,
are redesigned CUVs.
"I think if you will notice,'' says Stoddard, "even the mid-size cars are
getting longer and taller.''
Give them a little time and they too will be able to park on the first floor
of the city lot in Walnut Creek.
E-mail C.W. Nevius at
cwnevius@sfchronicle.com.
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