A UK consumer organisation has got a reaction after an article in its magazine suggested that SUVs are becoming ‘socially unacceptable’.
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A Which? Car magazine press release entitled ‘Time to ditch the 4×4?’ claimed that “gas-guzzling cars like 4×4’s are becoming socially unacceptable – unless you are a farmer.”
The Association of British Drivers (ABD) has hit back, describing that as an ‘insensitive and unjustified comment’.
The ABD said that cars are often not bought for a single function, but are selected to meet the owner’s particular mix of needs. 4x4s are particularly popular with caravan owners who require strong, heavy, powerful tow cars that can cope with muddy fields, even though they don’t tow a caravan most of the time, it said.
The starting point is often how much money the buyer has available for the purpose and a cheaper car will be purchased only if equally meets the owners various needs, the ABD said.
The ABD also said that in this recession, it is cheaper not to replace the car at all, no matter how much cheaper Which? Car’s recommended alternative model would be to buy and run. It is generally cheaper to shoulder ongoing repair costs, VED and insurance bills than it is to spend a lot of money at once in buying a new smaller car that does not do everything that you want it to.
It continued: “The anti-4×4 lobby is not at all concerned about the use the car is put to – it is down to ‘chip on the shoulder ‘left-wing envy of anyone who has the ability to choose to run a relatively expensive car, and generally they object to any car that saves people from having to use public transport.”
ABD Environment spokesman Paul Biggs said, “It was announced in January that sales of electric cars were down by 58%, resulting in the sad demise of the NICE Car Company, but no one was claiming that electric cars had become ‘socially unacceptable.’ Of course, sales of cars that cost the most to buy and run are the hardest hit in times of economic hardship, but this is a reflection of economic reality rather than social unacceptability.
“4x4s have been subjected to the usual ‘modus operandi’ of so-called ‘green’ groups who use exaggerations, myths and sometimes illegal direct action in order to side-step arguments they can’t win democratically. It’s a sad day when a car magazine appears to give credence to ‘divide and rule’ arguments promoted by a car-hating minority.”
