Who the FUCK drives an Escalade?

[Moirai]

@August West

I used to have a Land Rover Discovery. And I bought it because it was a toy. It had a 4" lift and huge knobby tires. It got horrible mileage and was a piece of shit. Whenever the Lucas electrics weren’t failing the Magnetti Marelli stuff was. Cargo space in the Discovery is a joke, you can’t fit jackshit in them.

But it sure was fun driving through mud up to the windows and driving down forgotten, overgrown trails in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, winching fallen trees out of my path. And I used it to pull at least 9 people out of the ditch or median when it was snowing or icy, so I didn’t ONLY do asshole things with it.

Lucas!!! Prince of Darkness!!! Hee hee, those electrics are long gone, thank God. My Disco gets better mileage than my Range, but that doesn’t mean much! Maybe 12 MPG…

[Crotalus]

Sure, FlyingDragonFan, we can get along. How about I defend, or at least explain, my mother-in-law’s reasons for having an Escalade? She hit a deer with her 1996 Chrysler Town and Country, so she sold it to me. I had it repaired and my wife uses it. My mother-in-law simply wanted a replacement for her van. She wanted safety, comfort, luxury, Onstar and an American-made vehicle. She feels that the Escalade meets her needs. She likes it.

[Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley]

Porsche makes an SUV, and you think the the Escalade destroys the Caddy brand? Wow.

[Faruiza]

@FlyingDragonFan

snipThere seems to be some sort of disconnect between the people in the thread complaining about obnoxious SUVs and their owners, and the posters who come in to defend their own SUVs and how much real work they do with them.

snipI’m going to guess that the posters who complain about SUVs are mostly people like me, who live in urban areas where there’s very little need for anything with power or off-road capabilities, but the roads are swamped by wealthy urbanites who drive them for show.

snippityBut then all you Dopers who have real “utility” vehicles come in on the defense, saying how much work you get done with it, and have to haul your boat and your six 150-pound mastiffs or whatever. At least in my book, you guys get a pass, you have a big, strong vehicle because you need it.

snip snipDopers who really use their SUVs, we’re not complaining about you.

How would any of the complainers know which side of the fence an SUV owner was on unless you actually knew the person? This is why we have to defend ourselves. Well, not have to, because most of us don’t give a crap what you think of us, but feel compelled to. I drive through cities all the time, see, because that’s my primary vehicle. It looks nice. Some jackass looks at my car in that setting and deems me a road hogging, gas guzzling, carbon belching asshole because of the setting? But it’s ok if I actually USE it. Well, how the hell would THEY know? I don’t care if I get a mental pass from some judgemental stranger. On the road or on a message board.

Sure we can all get along the moment one side stops whining about how we might spend our money, and the other stops feeling their need to defend their choices to strangers.

[Faruiza]

On the other hand, maybe I’ve been breathing too many fumes. That post couldn’t possibly have been coded or punctuated any worse. :smack:

[enipla]

@lieu

<snip>Go drive a Cayenne sometime and tell me there aren’t a multitude of reasons to own one other than to haul peat<snip>

This was sort of the point I was trying to make in post 37

@enipla

My ’06 Pathfinder is nice. Heated seats, rear heat, electric windows. What can I say? I’m 45yo, I have come to appreciate a few creature comforts. It also has good ground clearance, VDC, and 4 wheel limited slip. Low range 4x4 as well which I must have, and a towing capacity of 6,000lbs.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be Army olive drab with no windows for it to be useful. I may not haul peat in my Pathfinder, but I sure as heck will haul construction trash including broken up dry wall and insulation.

In my last Pathfinder, I hauled a bunch of old firewood my brother no longer wanted on the very day I bought it.

[wonky]

I have a Jeep Liberty. It’s a very rare household in these parts that doesn’t have a truck or an SUV.

[Defective_Detective]

@Martin Hyde

A quick look shows me that of the 2007 model Escalades the base price range runs from $54,000-$60,000, is that really what we consider “overpriced luxury” vehicle range?

That doesn’t seem like very much to me.

Hyde, that’s a whole year’s salary for some people. Two years’ salary for most. Do try and keep a perspective on these things in the future.

[PunditLisa]

@FlyingDragonFan

But like elmwood said, where are all the Escalade owners coming to defend their choice? I never see them in this kind of thread. Are they out there, but unable to defend themselves? Or are there really no Hummer-driving Dopers?

I’m not sure why you’d expect anyone to come in here and justify what automobile they drive. I mean, just how self-absorbed are you?

[FlyingDragonFan]

@PunditLisa

I’m not sure why you’d expect anyone to come in here and justify what automobile they drive. I mean, just how self-absorbed are you?

There are certainly plenty of SUV drivers who actually use the utility portion of their vehicle coming in to defend themselves, you know, “justifying” their choice, but where are the Escalade owners? So far there’s at least a dozen Jeep and sundry Rover drivers (whose points I already said I understand and can agree with). But unless I missed someone, there’s only Crotalus’s mother-in-law on the Cadillac side.

I just asked a question. How is that about me?

[E-Sabbath]

@RaftPeople

I’ve never owned one so I don’t have personal experience, but I did just read a recent survey of cars and problems after X months (don’t remember), Land Rover was dead last at somewhere around 400 or 500 problems, and either Lexus or Infinity was near the top around 200 problems.

Probably something descended from my dad’s work at JD Power.

[elmwood]

@PunditLisa

I’m not sure why you’d expect anyone to come in here and justify what automobile they drive. I mean, just how self-absorbed are you?

Because the Pit is often filled with these “righteous ingidnation” threads against the likes of left-lane hogs, Hummer drivers, those chatting on cell phones during the movies, and so on. Almost every response will echo the OP’s sentiments. Still, every day, one will usually encounter many rude cell phone users, be cut off by a Hummer in their commute to or from work, and so on. Odds are, among the Doper community there MUST be an Escalade driver, or someone who loudly uses a cell phone in places where it’s inappropriate.

That’s why I talk about “Doperland” - it seems like utopia, a land where everybody drives fuel-efficient cars (or, if they have an SUV, use them to pull horse trailers on a daily basis), nobody cranks their home or car stereo at volumes that will piss off people for hundreds of feet/meters around, nobody spanks their kids, and Applebee’s is shuttered because nobody eats there.

[wonky]

@elmwood

That’s why I talk about “Doperland” - it seems like utopia, a land where everybody drives fuel-efficient cars (or, if they have an SUV, use them to pull horse trailers on a daily basis), nobody cranks their home or car stereo at volumes that will piss off people for hundreds of feet/meters around, nobody spanks their kids, and Applebee’s is shuttered because nobody eats there.

I do know what you mean, but I rather like Applebees.

[enipla]

@FlyingDragonFan

<snip>“justifying” their choice,<snip>

Those quotes around justifying are why I come back to defend my use and need for an SUV. It says to me that you don’t believe anyone really needs one.

And it says to me that you don’t believe us. Even after anecdotes of actual incidents where we do use them and need them.

You don’t seem to think that it’s “justified”.

[Bippy_the_Beardless]

@Aeschines

Sans taste. I’m a marketing guy, and I’d like to nominate the Esc as the biggest brand perversion of the decade. A Caddy is supposed to be a high-end, elegant car. I mean, what if you saw a Moet et Chandon-branded sports drink? What if you saw a Gucci-branded athletic bra? Wouldn’t that be sick?

Yoiu do know that Porsche and Lamorginni have both produced SUV’s.
I would expect to see Moet et Chandon chocolate truffles, and they would be like every one elses truffles except a little more expensive and containin a little Champaigne.
Caddy haven’t produced gymn shorts, they’ve produced a vehicle in a currently lucrative sector, I don’t think Caddilac have had anything to do with good taste for years. Look at the current line up http://www.cadillac.com/cadillacjsp/model/all.jsp they are all bling cars.

[enipla]

@elmwood

or, if they have an SUV, use them to pull horse trailers on a daily basis

Do you not know that we don’t all pull horse trailers on a daily basis, or was that just a sad atempt at a shot at those people that need something that you don’t? Has anyone said that they pull horse trailers everyday? Or are you, and other anti-SUV folks just confused that someone may need something that you don’t.

[GIGObuster]

SUVs? Escalades? And no mention of God bless my SUV?!?

*"Well I’ve heard that other countries
are down on the U.S.
A land of mass consumption
Our lives filled with excess…

But My daddy wasn’t fighting
on Normandy that day
for the right to drive a Hyundai?
I refuse to live that waaaaaaay…

And I’m proud to be an American
who gets just five MPG
Though I live alone the car
I own can seat a hundred three

And I’ll gladly park so close to you
when you pull out you can’t see
No I’ll never trade my Escalade
god bless my [SIZE=4]S U V!!!"*[/SIZE]

-The Capitol Steps, Washington D.C. Comedy Group

http://forums.therandirhodesshow.com/lofiversion/index.php/t62829.html

As for who the fuck drives an Escalade , polygamist Warren Steed Jeffs was arrested on a new one, big enough to be his traveling office indeed:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14569632/

Regardless, I do see that there is a need for cars like this one, but I really dislike people who get them just for show.

[Aeschines]

@Don't Call Me Shirley

Porsche makes an SUV, and you think the the Escalade destroys the Caddy brand? Wow.

Yeah, I saw one the other day and was stunned. About as smart as creating a cheapo Porche (Boxer), as in not.

[Caridwen]

Since you mentioned Escalades I started noticing them and today when I went to the dog park there were five Escalades, two of those Lexus SUVs and a couple big trucks. I think Escalades are the state car of NJ because everyone seems to have one. Shutup.

[Caridwen]

Woops! Didn’t meant to post so fast.

I don’t have one because I have no need for one but how are they any different than any other SUV except they cost a little more. I don’t get why people hate them and not any other SUV.