Now we face the question is it still convenient and helpful?.
In 2001 a neighbor gave birth to her sixth child. With the child came the biggest SUV possible. Not only that but all of her children were under the age of 9. They had a choice of buying a bus or an SUV, and chose the SUV. It was the only way to bring her troops around town, and she really needed it. She would tell people the price to gas her truck, which was usually around $50. As much of a gas hog it was, she did need it. I believe Benjamin Franklin would agree that the SUV was very helpful and a good idea. He probably wouldn't drive one because of the efficiency, but being an inventor of practical ideas would see this is as a modified car with a good use for transportation. He invented things to better people's lives, through practical ideas. If you have a large group the easiest way to move them around is with bigger vehicles. Another use for bigger four-wheel drive vehicles is driving in the snow. Living in central New York I know how helpful it can be. I used to own a Honda Prelude that seats four (two comfortably) and loved it. The gas mileage was great, and it was fun to drive. Things changed and my parents made me buy an SUV for traveling back and forth to school. I absolutely hated it, but after it saved me on more than one occasion I"m a little more sympathetic. There was a time I had to take a flight out of Buffalo at six in the morning. Just my luck it was a blizzard out and I couldn't see anything the entire time. If I had my old Honda I would have been pulled over on the thruway for 3-4 hours. With the truck I drove there slow and steady but made it. I also feared if not for four-wheel drive I would have went off the road and crashed. After that I realized that in a region like the northeast it doesn't hurt to have one. It's also provided for me an ability to move large objects, which helps moving back and forth from school.