What is the point of a 2 door SUV?

The SUV originally started out as a pickup truck with bed cover. Trucks were two doors, not four, in those days. Two door SUVs initially didn't have rear seats, either. Later, when they got them, the seats were usually easily removable so that you could use the full capability of the covered bed.

Two door SUVs (with SUV defined as 'a vehicle built off of a truck or truck-like chassis' for the purposes of this discussion) offer almost all of the capability of their truck relatives with the addition of greater security for your cargo and the ability to transport said cargo in a waterproof climate controlled environment. Such SUVs are often available with real 4WD systems (which vans and wagons generally aren't) and have the ground clearance, etc., of their truck siblings so they can get to remote locations or proceed through nasty environments like urban flooding.
 
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I'll be honest the 2 door Discovery never really made sense to me but it was developed before the 4 door, same as the original Range Rover. I don't doubt that it's similar with lots of other manufacturers.
 
I'll be honest the 2 door Discovery never really made sense to me but it was developed before the 4 door, same as the original Range Rover. I don't doubt that it's similar with lots of other manufacturers.

If you don't have back seats, why do you need four doors? :p
 
I'll be honest the 2 door Discovery never really made sense to me but it was developed before the 4 door, same as the original Range Rover. I don't doubt that it's similar with lots of other manufacturers.

The Discovery was initially offered with only two doors so it wouldn't eat into the Range Rover's sales (they both used the same platform at the time).

I like four doors but there are other reasons for having an SUV. For starters I like to hike and snowshoe, a Subaru cannot handle a good chunk of the trails I need to go on. I also do need to pull cars, bulky furniture, and firewood. This is much easier with an SUV. So yes SUVs have their purpose. Two doors or not they achieve these.
 
I'll join the rest of the bunch... Originally SUV were really made for rural conditions with the need to haul cargo in a protected environment (think park rangers or farmers). They also would have a better ability to tow than a station wagon or a van. You don't need seating for 4 people when all you do is towing but you might want ability to have certain things within easy reach.

Also since some of them came with removable rear seats you could add seating capacity on demand, something you could not do with a pick up.

And last but certainly not least, you could put a mattress in the back ;)
 
It gave an excuse for a picture of an old school Suburban though! I kinda like those.

1956-gmc-suburban-1.jpg


Here's another.
 
If you're not getting a wagon because you're "not middle aged", why are you getting an SUV? Most people who have one are 40 year old mothers of two.

to have the utility of a wagon or a van? lets be honest...what has the image of an older driver? A minivan, wagon, or SUV?

I used to hate SUV's but i really see the "utility" of them in some cases now as I previously pointed out.
 
If you don't have back seats, why do you need four doors? :p

It does have back seats, it will seat 3 in the back the same as the 4 door. After Argatoga's post it makes sense though, Land Rover have always done that to try not to cut into their own sales.

Anyway if we're posting pictures of random SUVs now I'll add one to the 'S the size of Wales' group.

Bowler_Nemesis.jpg


I don't class the Nemesis as an SUV but what the heck? :D
 
The Isuzu VehiCROSS looks badass.

http://img832.imageshack.**/img832/679/isuzuvehicross970030.jpg

http://img703.imageshack.**/img703/407/2001isuzuvehicross2drst.jpg
 
It does have back seats, it will seat 3 in the back the same as the 4 door. After Argatoga's post it makes sense though, Land Rover have always done that to try not to cut into their own sales.

The Disco was made in a two-front-seat-no-rear seat configuration as well.
 
The Disco was made in a two-front-seat-no-rear seat configuration as well.

That option was only available as the 'commerical' in this country with blanked out rear windows, was it different in the US?
 
to have the utility of a wagon or a van? lets be honest...what has the image of an older driver? A minivan, wagon, or SUV?

I used to hate SUV's but i really see the "utility" of them in some cases now as I previously pointed out.

Actually SUVs (especially crossover types, like the Audi Q5) and minivans have the oldest image. Since wagons have gone relatively niche they look younger and fresher, while SUVs (again, mostly crossover types) and minivans make you look like someone's mom.

But it's a pants-on-head retarded criterion for buying a vehicle anyway.

Enough of that, here's a GMC Jimmy.

GMC-Jimmy.jpg
 
Actually SUVs (especially crossover types, like the Audi Q5) and minivans have the oldest image. Since wagons have gone relatively niche they look younger and fresher, while SUVs (again, mostly crossover types) and minivans make you look like someone's mom.

But it's a pants-on-head retarded criterion for buying a vehicle anyway.

Enough of that, here's a GMC Jimmy.

GMC-Jimmy.jpg
Actually wagons are generally associated with hipsters/hippies type of people. Check out http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/ it mentions wagons quite a bit :p
 
And, naturally, hipsters are usually young. Because people realize the folly of listening to Animal Collective and other silly hipster things before they hit 40.

(I really, REALLY hate Animal Collective.)
 
That option was only available as the 'commerical' in this country with blanked out rear windows, was it different in the US?

They didn't start selling the Disco here until the '94 refresh. They didn't bring over the van versions.
 
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