As much as I loathe and laugh at SUVs, whether as a driving enthusiast or as someone who has to deal with driving around them on the road, I think it's ridiculous to suggest banning them outright.

However, I will add that I think they should either be subject to the same safety, emission, and fuel economy regulations as passenger vehicles, or we should just dump those types of standards for all cars. The vast majority of SUVs now serve the same function as passenger vehicles, so they should be treated the same way. I mean, if a performance vehicle like a Mercedes AMG is subject to a gas guzzler tax, then why shouldn't an SUV be subject to that same tax if its gas mileage qualifies it as a gas guzzler. By extension, if a Honda Civic is required to have side impact protection in the doors and 5 MPH bumpers, then why shouldn't a Ford Escape be required to have those same features? And if we're going to have a ULEV emission mandate in California, then why would that standard not apply to SUVs? Aside from SUVs being very profitable for domestic auto producers, there's no justification to this double standard whatsoever. Either regulate or don't regulate, but don't tell me that it's logical to subject a Mazda 6 wagon to stricter safety, emission, and fuel economy standards than a Chevy Trailblazer, when both vehicles basically serve the same function.

Personally, I believe that people should make their own choices about the type of car that they want to own. And if that entails overpaying for a bloated gas hog with inferior performance and outmoded technology, then so be it.