SUV Madness: Americans still like SUVs, but they're smaller

As big as most SUVs need to be?

Last week, when blogging about a Senate panel's approval of a plan to lift CAFE to 34 mpg by 2020, I wondered whether most SUV owners couldn't move to a hybrid around the size of a Ford Escape Hybrid.

While I think many SUV owners simply want their SUV to be as big as possible, in terms of real world functionality, I still think most could downsize. Ultimately, this issue is so important because it is large SUVs and large pickups that are forcing Congress to baby Detroit when it comes to fuel economy.

Ironically, however, hybrids like the hybrid Escape almost meet 2020's proposed CAFE standards today, yet hybrid technology will advanced greatly in just the next few years - as hybrid cars move from NiMH batteries to lithium-ion batteries. In reality, 34 mpg by 2020 is child's play, at least in terms of technology - especially if Americans are willing to downsize their SUVs and pickups.

Consequently, I was refreshed to read a new JD Power study which demonstrates that higher gas prices have "some owners of large and midsize trucks trading to smaller vehicles."