W3573Y (Edison) Vehicular Status Symbol

Reports show the growing trend in SUV and pickup truck sales in the United States, as well as, in China.  The only inhibitors to this trend have been the rise in fuel prices, but since fuel prices have dropped, SUV and truck sales are on the rise again.  If you take a look at all of the vehicles on the road, you will surely notice the quantity of these vehicles on the road.  Look again and you will notice that many of these vehicles do not have more than one person in the SUV or anything in the bed of the truck, which would be the practical reason to own and drive such a vehicle.   There are a few factors as to why this situation occurs.  SUV and truck drivers will argue that they drive the vehicles for a purpose such as work, kids, safety, etc.  However, there are many that will argue that SUVs and trucks are bought and driven as a status symbol.  This argument can definitely be considered due to the fact that SUVs and trucks are typically more expensive to buy, drive, and often times not used for their intended purpose.  This can be supported by the fact that many SUVs and trucks have aftermarket parts such as rims, oversize tires, and lift kits installed.  These items are not only detrimental to the fuel consumption but also hamper the handling and safety of the vehicle by increasing the already high, unstable center of gravity.  So why would one choose to drive such an impractical vehicle?  From a sociological perspective of status symbol, people will generally ‘show off’ their role or place in society and thus will buy large, overpriced vehicles in attempt to do so.  This makes sense considering how much time is spent in a vehicle and that it is most likely a person’s prime mode of transportation and thus seen most in the public eye.

This entry was posted on 11. June 2009 at 04:33 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.