Jason's SUVs Blog

Last week, my colleague Aaron Gold, About.com's Guide to Cars, posted this blog entry asking his readers "What do you drive?"

Well, I thought that was a really good idea, and I'm stealing his topic.

Which SUV do you drive? Click on "comments" below, and tell us about your ride. If you don't drive an SUV, what do you drive?

Following in Aaron's footsteps, I'll go first. Join me down in the "comments" section, and find out what's in my driveway, and what your fellow SUVs readers are driving right now.

Photo © Jason Fogelson

Well, the good news is relative. It's good news in the context of bad news, actually.

According to a report by Chris Isidore on CNNMoney.com, SUV and light truck sales overtook car sales to represent 50.3% of total industry sales for the first time since March of this year. That's the good news. But sales for SUVs and trucks were down 31% and cars were down 22% versus last year. Overall automotive industry sales declined by 27%. That's the bad news.

Virtually every manufacturer was hit with larger than expected declines. Even Honda, which had been fighting the industry trend with sales increases, dropped by 24%. "It was the worst drop in Honda's sales since 1981, and a sign that good fuel economy is no longer enough to buck broad industry declines," according to Isidore's article.

How low can we go? Only time will tell...

Photo © Getty Images

Another round of driveway hopscotch.

I dropped off the 2008 Lincoln MKX today after a very pleasant week, and picked up a 2009 Nissan Murano. I was scheduled to drive a 2008 Saturn Vue Hybrid, which has been on my calendar forever, but I got a call yesterday that GM has cut its press fleet by 20%, and my Vue was on its way back to Detroit or wherever press vehicles go to die nowadays. After a mad scramble, I landed in the 2009 Murano, which I am very happy about. I reviewed the 2009 Nissan Murano at its launch earlier this year, but I really didn't feel like I got to know it very well. I'll be glad to spend a week behind the wheel and deliver a more thorough assessment.

Impressions of the MKX after seven days of driving -- it really grew on me. At first, I didn't feel that it was much different than the Ford Edge, with which it shares most of its parts. But I liked it much more than I liked the Edge after all -- perhaps it's the luxury, perhaps it's just the overall package. I'll have to give this one more thought before I come up with my final review.

Photo © Jason Fogelson

According to a story by Andrew Taylor of the Associated Press, congress approved $25 billion in loans to domestic automakers as part of a spending bill approved over the weekend. President Bush is expected to sign the bill into law this week. Ken Thomas's AP story a day earlier outlined how the 25-year 5% interest loans will work. According to Thomas, "Manufacturers and their domestic suppliers say they will use the money to offer a broader array of gas-electric vehicles, more fuel-efficient engines and plug-in electric cars that could be on the market within two years... It's unclear how the money will be divided, and the companies have not said which projects they'll seek funding for."

In context of the $700 billion dollar bailout on tap for Wall Street, $25 billion seems like chicken feed. To quote Everett Dirkson, "A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money."

Should the US taxpayers be subsidizing the Big Three -- are they really our best bet when it comes to new automotive technology?

Photo © Getty Images

Another round of driveway shuffleboard: I just sent the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid down the road, and made room for the 2008 Lincoln MKX.

I last reviewed the MKX in 2007. Not much has changed since then, just a bit more refinement and the addition of Microsoft Sync -- I highly approve. For some reason, it's not the same version of Sync that my last few Ford products have featured. There's no Sirius Travel Link, fewer special features -- odd, considering that the Lincoln is the luxury edition. Perhaps I just need to explore some more.

I put a nice amount of miles on the Escape Hybrid while it was here. Drove up the California Coast to Los Osos, a 200-mile journey each way. I averaged just over 26 mpg during my week with the Hybrid, a little less than I had expected or hoped for, but still very respectable considering my penchant for leadfooting it.

Keep watching this space for more info -- I'll be posting a full review soon.

Photo © Jason Fogelson

In a press release that begins "Actions speak louder than words," Chrysler LLC announced that it will produce three electric-drive vehicles for development, with one targeted for consumer production in 2010: A Dodge sports car, a Chrysler minivan, and a Jeep Wrangler EV.

If you think that the idea of an electric Wrangler is crazy, think again. The instant torque of an electric motor would be a perfect match for off-road driving, and the virtual silence and emissions-free operation would be a salve to the environmentalists. The Jeep EV is not a pure electric vehicle. More from the press release:

The Jeep EV Range-extended Electric Vehicle uses an electric motor, an advanced lithium-ion battery system, and a small gasoline engine with an integrated electric generator to produce additional energy to power the electric-drive system when needed. The 200 kW (268 horsepower) electric motor generates 400 N•m (295 lb.-ft.) of torque. With approximately eight gallons of gasoline, the Jeep EV has a range of 400 miles, including 40 miles of zero fuel-consumption, zero-emissions, all-electric operation.

“We are also exploring four-wheel-drive, in-wheel electric motors to demonstrate the full reach of ENVI’s advanced electric-drive technologies,” said (Lou) Rhodes, (Vice President – Advance Vehicle Engineering, and President – ENVI, Chrysler's in-house electric-drive and advanced technologies unit).

The instant high torque of the electric-drive motor and the ability to precisely control each wheel independently results in off-road capability ideally suited for the Jeep brand, without compromising on-road driving capability.

Ken Benisinger of the Los Angeles Times says that "Chrysler's executives spelled out plans for a future in which most, if not all, automobiles would use electric motors for propulsion -- essentially sounding the death knell for the internal-combustion engine."

Is that overstating the case? Or is the internal-combustion engine a thing of the past? Click on "comments" below and share your thoughts.

Photo © Chrysler LLC

I'm the first to admit that I'm more of an indoorsman than an outdoorsman. Still, whenever I get a chance to go off-roading, I take it. I love exploring in a vehicle, seeing new places that I would never have the gumption to get to on my own -- and testing the capabilities of an SUV (and my driving abilities) at the same time.

So, when Jeep invited me to attend the 21st Jeep Jamboree in Ouray, Colorado, I jumped at the opportunity. Actually, I had agitated and harassed my Jeep contact for months until an invitation finally arrived. I have always heard about what great trips the Jamborees were, and I wanted to see for myself.

Jamborees are Jeep-only events, so my old Toyota 4Runner Moose and I were not welcome as a team. Luckily, Jeep provided an assortment of new vehicles for me and my fellow journalists to drive on the trails.

You can read my full account of the trip in this 21st Jeep Jamboree in Ouray, Colorado article, and take a look at a few of my photos in this 21st Jeep Jamboree in Ouray Colorado Photo Gallery.

Events like this almost make me wish I was a Jeep owner so that I could participate -- almost.

Photo © Jason Fogelson

Fall is here, and that got me thinking about driving safety. Most of the kids are back in school by now, but it never hurts to review a few rules of the road.

I found these tips on sharing the road with buses at Moms on the Move:

• DO NOT pass a school bus until the red lights and signals are turned off.
• ALWAYS stop when traveling in the same direction as the bus.
• CHECK the law in your state regarding traveling in the opposite direction across a divided road. (Some states require that you stop then, too.)
• NEVER pass on the right side of the bus. Besides being illegal, this is where children enter and exit. Doing so can have tragic results.

For a really intensive study of the issue, check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Best Practices Guide: Reducing the Illegal Passing of School Buses.

Fascinating stuff. Really.

Photo © Getty Images

The weekend is upon us. Perhaps you've noticed that the nights are getting longer, days are getting shorter. It's nearly Fall -- and it's time for you to detail your SUV.

I actually love detailing my SUV. It's a bonding experience, and it's a chance to explore what time, the weather and the miles have wrought upon my old pal -- and to see how I can help keep him in top shape.

I've collected these Top Ten Tips for Detailing Your SUV for your perusal. I hope that you'll take advantage of this weekend, and give your old friend, your SUV, a little bit of attention.

As Billy Crystal used to say, "To look good is better than to feel good." Why shouldn't your SUV get the chance?

Photo © Jason Fogelson

I don't know how to respond to this piece of news, so I'll just report it.

MINI, the BMW subsidiary that has made such a great splash with its retrofuturist MINI Cooper and Clubman, will display a crossover concept vehicle at this year's Paris Auto Show. A production version is scheduled to debut at next year's Frankfurt Auto Show, and the vehicle will go on sale in 2010.

According to a BMW press release:

The MINI Crossover Concept is the answer to the changing demands made by a modern target group oriented to a modern way of life. It comes with outstanding innovations in technology, features and equipment never seen before even beyond the MINI segment. In particular, however, the MINI Crossover Concept stimulates our fantasy and offers a taste of the MINI driving experience in store for the future.

I'm speechless.

Photo © BMW North America