Gasoline consumption vs. SUV's popularity Research Paper

Gasoline consumption vs. SUV's popularity - Research Paper Example The numerous pros associated with SUVs however are accompanied by certain cons chief of which is their high fuel consumption and related high pollution levels. This paper will discuss the popularity of SUVs vis-a vis their fuel consumption. In some countries including the United States, the Sports Utility Vehicle is considered a light truck and therefore is subject to less strict regulation compared to passenger vehicles. In the US, the Clean Air Act that governs environmental pollution as well as the Energy Policy and Conservation Act that governs fuel economy have soft landings on SUVs (Yacobucci, 2003). The popularity of SUV vehicles started rising in the 90s and early 2000s with vehicle manufactures making a move to avoid what they considered over-regulation. . The vehicles which are commonly known as 4-wheel drive vehicles, 4x4s, 4WDs include vehicles such as the Land Rover, Jeep, Range Rover, Land Cruiser and the Chevrolet Blazer (Keith, 2002). The ports Utility Vehicle has gained a lot of popularity over the years especially in Australia, Canada and the United States of America. This trend has taken root in other parts of the world, Africa and Asia not being left behind. In some places where there is limited road coverage, the vehicles are preferred to conventional vehicles. For the last two and half decades, SUVs have become a common phenomenon in roads across the world, they being associated with luxury, class, and ambience. The vehicles have larger cabins compared to conventional cars and can be used to haul loads such as caravans, boats and trailers. A lot of the SUVs’ popularity has been credited to their funky images; the reason women also prefer them to other vehicles in the United States. The vehicles are also associated with strength, security, high storage capacity, all terrain handling, high range, and many other qualities that are associated with good performance. In spite of their