What is the point of a 2 door SUV?

Actually the Cherokee Sport (XJ) was the vehicle that first carried the title "SUV" - Jeep invented the term "Sport Utility Vehicle" just for that car. Every other luxury wagon is just that, a luxury wagon on tall tires.

What you both need to remember is that the phrase 'SUV' is filled differently on opposite sides of the pond, In North American an SUV is basicly everything from a rugged, lifted 20 year old Blazer to a 2wd soccermom mobile, In Europe 'SUV' realy refers to soccermom stuff , X5-X3, freelanders, Rav4's, Kuga's and whatever that French thing is called....

'proper' off-road capable closed back vehicles are usualy referred to simply as 4x4's , and in Dutch : 'Jeeps' (yes, coming from the brandname)
 
Actually the Cherokee Sport (XJ) was the vehicle that first carried the title "SUV" - Jeep invented the term "Sport Utility Vehicle" just for that car. Every other luxury wagon is just that, a luxury wagon on tall tires.


What you both need to remember is that the phrase 'SUV' is filled differently on opposite sides of the pond, In North American an SUV is basicly everything from a rugged, lifted 20 year old Blazer to a 2wd soccermom mobile, In Europe 'SUV' realy refers to soccermom stuff , X5-X3, freelanders, Rav4's, Kuga's and whatever that French thing is called....

Something else to remember, the term "SUV" didn't even come into existence until Ford coined it to use on the Explorer (not the Jeep). They wanted something to differntiate it from 4x4s and utility vehicles, so added "sport" to it the same way Chevy had used "Light" to create the Chevy LUV pickup. Since the Explorer was an outdoorsy kind of vehicle, "Sport" was used in the same connotation as the "sport" in a "sporting goods store." Thus camping and hiking and kyaking, not motorsports as in the term "sports car."

There were vehicles of this type before the Explorer, but the term didn't exist until then. And with the success of the Explorer, manufacturers worked hard to slap the term on anything they could.
 
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The Explorer? I've always heard that it was the XJ and Wikipedia (for whatever that's worth) agrees. Linky.
 
The Explorer? I've always heard that it was the XJ and Wikipedia (for whatever that's worth) agrees. Linky.

I've heard the same.

But TBH both the Jeep XJ and the First Gen Ford Explorer were proper SUV's. They both had proper low range gearboxes and 4wd. The way I see it is that the term "SUV" is much like the term "4x4". Sure, a Lexus RX350 is an "SUV" but in reality it's not. It's a crossover. Just like the subaru outback is a "4x4" but really it's not. It's got awd.

It's all subjective, but if you take a look at the origins of the word, then it changes some.
 
I've been going through my books on 4X4s and it seems that the term "sport utility vehicle" has been around for some time. The earliest reference I found so far was a test on the 1974 Jeep Cherokee. But there are no references to the acronym "SUV" until at least 1990 - coincidentally when the Explorer was introduced.
But take this to heart, Blind_Io: the XJ Jeep Cherokee has the distinction of being the first modern SUV; just like its big brother the J series Wagoneer has the distinction of being the first SUV. Without the XJ, there would be no Explorer. Let Ford keep their marketing lingo, which is all "SUV" is anyway.
 
The term crossover is even worse than SUV :lol:

Well, they are all just marketing terms.

What ever way you want to put it. It's a car based tall wagon with AWD. That's not an SUV in my books. (Which would be a truck based Tall wagon with 4x4)
 
...which is where I'd point out the next troubled term, "truck" :lol:


Marketing makes up stuff as it goes along.
 
Except over here, truck has some pretty solid definitions. In fact, in many states there's actually legal definitions for the class.
TXtruckGr.jpg
 
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It's the same here, we have passenger vehicle insurance and we have commercial vehicle insurance (ie. Truck insurance) The two even get different types of plates.

I was unable to find what exactly classifies a "truck plate" over here. But my El Camino gets one, and so does just about every other pick-up truck. Anything with a GVW over 5000lbs. Although it seems that the majority of SUV's don't get them.
 
No Subaru is an SUV, they are crossovers or AWD cars.

To be an SUV in my book you must fulfill the following criteria:

  • Low-range gear box
  • Body-on frame construction OR sufficient geometry in a unibody to allow for more than casual off road use.
  • Water fording ability of no less than 20 inches.
  • The capacity to tow at least the vehicle's own weight, if not more. (Bare minimum, 3,000 lb for short-wheelbase or unibody vehicles or 5,000 lb for long-wheelbase)
  • The capacity to haul at least 700 lb of cargo.
  • An interior capable of utility uses - hauling tools, dogs, greasy parts, bags of soil, whatever.
  • Geometry and stock tires to allow for moderate rock-crawling and conquering of obstacles without body or tire damage.
Bonus points for locking diffs.
For every luxury option you lose points, lost points can be regained with off road aftermarket modifications, such as lifts, tires, winches, bumpers, snorkels, dual batteries, and lighting. (But you're still more of a ponce than someone with bare metal floorpans.)

Anything that looks like an SUV but does not tick these boxes is a crossover, 90% of the "SUV" market won't get past item one.

To quote one of the guys on my XTerra forum, "90% of the SUV market can kiss my ass."
 
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For every luxury option you lose points, lost points can be regained with off road aftermarket modifications, such as lifts, tires, winches, bumpers, snorkels, dual batteries, and lighting. (But you're still more of a ponce than someone with bare metal floorpans.)

Range Rover?
 
For every luxury option you lose points, lost points can be regained with off road aftermarket modifications, such as lifts, tires, winches, bumpers, snorkels, dual batteries, and lighting. (But you're still more of a ponce than someone with bare metal floorpans.)

So what points do I get if my floor panels are currently sitting in the back garden?
 
No Subaru is an SUV, they are crossovers or AWD cars.

To be an SUV in my book you must fulfill the following criteria:

  • Low-range gear box
  • Body-on frame construction OR sufficient geometry in a unibody to allow for more than casual off road use.
  • Water fording ability of no less than 20 inches.
  • The capacity to tow at least the vehicle's own weight, if not more. (Bare minimum, 3,000 lb for short-wheelbase or unibody vehicles or 5,000 lb for long-wheelbase)
  • The capacity to haul at least 700 lb of cargo.
  • An interior capable of utility uses - hauling tools, dogs, greasy parts, bags of soil, whatever.
  • Geometry and stock tires to allow for moderate rock-crawling and conquering of obstacles without body or tire damage.
Bonus points for locking diffs.
For every luxury option you lose points, lost points can be regained with off road aftermarket modifications, such as lifts, tires, winches, bumpers, snorkels, dual batteries, and lighting. (But you're still more of a ponce than someone with bare metal floorpans.)

Anything that looks like an SUV but does not tick these boxes is a crossover, 90% of the "SUV" market won't get past item one.

To quote one of the guys on my XTerra forum, "90% of the SUV market can kiss my ass."

What would you classify a old 2WD Suburban as?
 
Range Rover?

Exactly. Loaded down with luxury crap that doesn't do anything for utility or ability. In fact, Range Rovers' complexity has been a problem for years. (See: airbag suspensions in cold weather).

So what points do I get if my floor panels are currently sitting in the back garden?

Some lovely door prizes, including a subscription to Gearhead Monthly and a lifetime supply of Lava hand soap.

What would you classify a old 2WD Suburban as?

An enclosed utility truck. It's far more "utility" and not nearly enough "sport."
 
Exactly. Loaded down with luxury crap that doesn't do anything for utility or ability. In fact, Range Rovers' complexity has been a problem for years. (See: airbag suspensions in cold weather).
Funny story on topic. I was at the shop getting the tire moved from fucked up rim to new rim. This dude comes in asking to fix his air suspension in the Navigator and mentions that first time it broke it was suggested that he swap to shocks and springs and forget about it. He didn't and it cost like $500 to fix. Now he said it will cost him another $300 or so to fix and he coulda gone shocks+springs for something like $600.
 
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