SUV sales are dropping

Gas prices ain't going down, and people maybe are getting a bit peeved that their SUVs get under 20 MPG. I had a Honda Pilot for just over a year. When gas went above $1.90 for a few consecutive weeks, I got sick of filling up without getting even 300 miles of range on a 20 gallon tank. The best I think I ever got was about 20 MPG highway. So I got a sedan. It's got an alphabet soup of traction/stopping aids, it's outfitted with 4 snow tires, and it's been named an insurance highway safety institute "best pick" for safety. I also routinely get about 32 MPG highway, and get a good 350-370 miles on a full 19 gallon tank. It has been superb in the snow. I even outfitted my VW, which has no traction control or ESP with a set of 4 Nokian Hakkapeliitta snow tires (which are unbelievably good). That car had previously absolutely sucked in the snow, because it's a wagon and has a tendency to fishtail a bit. The Hakkas practically eat up the snow. Anyway, my point is that most people are probably coming to the realization that they don't need SUVs. They're heavy, hard to maneuver, are generally top-heavy with a greater tendency to tip over, and they can't stop as fast as a car. When people learn that cars can be as good, if not better, in snow, than an SUV, and you pair that with $2.00/gallon, I think the SUVs might slowly fade away. And they're not safer. They can't perform avoidance maneuvers well, they take a while to stop, and most American manufacturers don't build them to the same safety levels as required for cars. You have a greater chance of being hurt in a 35-mph offset crash in, say, a Ford Explorer than in a Mini Cooper. I don't think you shouldn't buy SUVs. I just think they're sucky. Hell, if you want the ground clearance, even a RAV4 or a Honda Element or CRV will get you where you want to go for 25+ MPG. I think the tipping point came when Internation released this CXT, and when Ashton Kutcher bought one: