How Did SUVs Become So Popular? Here Are 14 Reasons Why

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Sometimes disruption comes not as a single supernova explosion of change but instead as a series of tangentially related smaller disturbances, all succumbing to the same inexorable pull. What seemed to be disparate societal, regulatory, and product trends floating about were, in fact, all being sucked simultaneously toward a single point: the SUV Black Hole. You can't argue with it; it's science!

The Products

Land vehicle, Vehicle, Car, Amc eagle, Sedan, Amc spirit, Classic car, Compact car, Subcompact car, Coupé,

1980 AMC Eagle

The harbinger of the crossover movement.

A Look at AMC Collectors

Audi Quattro

All-wheel-drive systems start to gain cachet.

1987 Land Rover Range Rover

Rover officially brings stateside its luxury ride for the country gentleman.

1987 Range Rover Archived Road Test

Land vehicle, Vehicle, Car, Off-roading, Sport utility vehicle, Landscape, Automotive tire, Wadi, Off-road vehicle,

1991 Ford Explorer

The Explorer defines and dominates the market for the modern family SUV.

Top SUVs of 1991 Compared

1992 GMC Typhoon

SUVs can be performance vehicles? They could after the Typhoon.

Typhoon's Pickup Sibling vs. a Ferrari

Land vehicle, Vehicle, Car, Sport utility vehicle, Crossover suv, Off-roading, Off-road vehicle, Compact car, Compact sport utility vehicle,

Subaru

Legacy Outback popularizes the idea of a 4x4 wagon starting in 1995.

A Visual History of Subaru in America

1996 Toyota RAV4

The blueprint for the mainstream crossover.

1996 Toyota RAV4 Archived Road Test

1998 Mercedes-Benz ML-class

The Germans dip a toe into America's SUV waters.

2000 Mercedes ML500 Archived Road Test

Land vehicle, Vehicle, Car, Lexus, Sport utility vehicle, Automotive tire, Crossover suv, Tire, Automotive wheel system, Rim,

1999 Lexus RX300

The blueprint for the luxury crossover.

See Today's RX

The Regulatory and Societal Trends

Land vehicle, Car, Vehicle, Full-size car, Classic car, Buick estate, Sedan, Coupé, Hardtop,

Station Wagons as Family Transport

Wagons had three rows of seats long before SUVs did.

See the Forgotten Station Wagons

Land vehicle, Vehicle, Car, Motor vehicle, Product, Automotive design, Transport, Automotive exterior, Auto part, Bumper,

High Seating Position

The self-defeating feedback loop of tallness.

How We Measure Seating Position

Unintended Regulatory Consequences

CAFE fuel-economy standards are lower for light-duty trucks than for cars.
2011 standards encourage larger vehicles by setting target fuel economy based on vehicle footprint.
Light trucks are exempt from gas-guzzler taxes.

A Brief Guide to CAFE

The Rise of Patagonia

Persistent active-lifestyle marketing sells the concept of family vehicles free of the languor typically associated with the breed.

How Jeeps Help Online Dating Profiles

Motor vehicle, Vehicle, Blue, Car, Automotive design, Transport, Mode of transport, Model car, Mid-size car, Automotive exterior,

SUV Event Horizon

Non-crossover and non-SUV options dwindle, accelerating the shift to non-cars.

See All of Today's SUV Options

Daniel PundEditor-in-Chief

Daniel Pund was named Road & Track's editor-in-chief in 2024 after helping to re-invent the venerable magazine brand as executive editor. For around 30 years, Pund has toiled away as a feature writer, car reviewer, editor, and columnist for every car magazine that matters (including Car and Driver and Autoweek) and a few that didn’t. He’s also contributed to Esquire and GQ and other general-interest publications.