Driving In Style, Beyond The Conventional Wisdom Of The SUV

Our Contributing Editor, Designer-in-Chief, and Chief-Car Enthusiast (not SUV enthusiast) has some opinions about SUVs, cars, cars with convertible tops, and fast cars in the Wisconsin snow. The only thing we're not certain of is if Kurt's been driving since the age of 6. Sort of seems like he has.

Confession: I am a car enthusiast, and have been as long as I can remember. I grew up in St. Paul Park, Minnesota and by the age of five, I could identify nearly every car I saw by make, model, and year. That was when they used to restyle them every year to make last year’s model obsolete. I have a bachelor’s degree in industrial design (and an MA in Art History with a concentration in 20th Century Architecture), because I always wanted to be a car designer. Life happens, and I went down a different design path, but I still appreciate great design in vehicles, products, furniture and electronics.

I have always questioned the marketing behind SUVs. They suggest an athletic, adventurous, and rugged image, but to me, they are glorified minivans with a less stable lift to them and they are more likely to tip over in sharp maneuvers.

Now, for the aesthetics: SUVs are boxy. A few have some nice curves, details, and interesting external lighting, but ultimately, they are not visually interesting to me. I prefer the proportions and more sculptural form of a car - particularly a coupe or a convertible, but even the few remaining sedans look better than an SUV to me (e.g.: Honda’s Accord.) My design preference is for long, low and wide and lean - not tall, high and boxy. SUVs, from small and obnoxiously large are ubiquitous and are very difficult to distinguish from each other, but they are practical. Or are they? Here are five questions that get beyond the ingrained image of SUVs:

How often do you schlep around more than a few people?
Do you really need the added weight and lower gas mileage that comes with all wheel drive? I would have to say, in most cases, probably not. I live in Wisconsin and have been driving my rear wheel drive convertibles year-round. The tops are fully lined and well insulated, the seats are heated, there is a winter driving mode that’s very effective with traction control, stability control, and so on.
Do we need all that cargo space to carry a lot of gear and purchases? Not so much in the age of Amazon and Wayfair, when you can have large items delivered inside your home and even set up for you.
What about EVs and Hybrids? Electrics and hybrids are the future. Period. New solid-state battery technology is just a few years away with an 800+ mile range and 10 minute recharging times.
And most importantly to this designer and twisty-road driving enthusiast: Does the SUVs appearance and performance stir your soul?

Image

My parents, who are both 80, have two retirement vehicles. My dad just bought a brand new Mustang coupe, one month after I bought mine, because he loved driving mine so much. He also has a front wheel drive hybrid Ford Maverick, which is on Car and Driver’s 10 Best List because it truly drives like a sporty car and averages 40 MPG.

I cordially invite you to test-drive vehicles out of your comfort zone and have some fun!

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a62988657/10best-cars-2025/

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a62988703/10best-trucks-2025/

https://www.motortrend.com/

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