[W126 Coupe] 300SE meets Sucky Utility Vehicle (SUV)

[Shayegan, Richard]

Two things. Small cars can be made fairly safe actually. Look at the
test MB did where they ran a S-Class into a Smart. Smart did quite well.

Second, come move to North Carolina where people, even those in SUVs,
actually care about driving. 


> -----Original Message-----

> From: mbcoupes-bounces at mbcoupes.com 

> [mailto:mbcoupes-bounces at mbcoupes.com] On Behalf Of Dick Spellman

> Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 7:00 PM

> To: Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists

> Subject: [W126 Coupe] 300SE meets Sucky Utility Vehicle (SUV)

> 

> Well for those of you that do not know me, I have a 

> particular rant that simply stated suggests that this 

> government and US automakers conspired to permit the sale of 

> SUV's at a time when they realized they could no longer 

> compete with a sedan or other family vehicle made in Japan.  

> It started with the Dodge/Plymouth Caravan which was in my 

> opinion a reasonable compromise and natural evolution of the 

> family station wagon.  The caravan even made a reasonable 

> utility vehicle once absent the rear seats.  Gas mileage, 

> visibility and safety were good as well.

> 

> But, today we have nothing but gas guzzling SUV's on the 

> roadways where the drivers are forever thinking they are 

> invincible and do more stupid SUV tricks than any other 

> motorists on the road.  100's in accidents from a single snow 

> event mostly SUV's (snow rare this winter in Btown).

> 

> Now for today's case in point.  Today while stopped at a RED 

> light (a long wait I might add) in the left turn lane to 

> enter a MASS highway the SUV operator in front of me decides 

> he needs to move to the lanes to my right for local traffic 

> and not the highway.  Without so much as a glance in his 

> OBSTRUCTED rear view mirror, he throws the sucky utility 

> vehicle in reverse and slams into the front of my 300SE Euro sedan.

> 

> I was polite enough given the adrenalin rush from the stupid 

> event (that's why they call them accidents I suppose) but, 

> had he been driving a sedan or other similar passenger 

> vehicle his glance in the rear view ( I won't bother to 

> comment on not checking his side view mirrors) would have 

> given him the visual clue that a line of cars was in fact behind him!

> 

> Anyway, rental car tomorrow for the rest of my weeks 

> business, then the insurance hassle etc.  Just another day in 

> Boston where driving is always an experience.

> 

> By the way, last winter it was a city plow truck that drove 

> into the trunk of my other MB sedan at yet another red light 

> where traffic was clearly stopped.  There's no escaping the madness!

> 

> Dick

> rant off and a glass of merlot in hand.  By the way I don't 

> care if you own an SUV, it's all a part of the conspiracy and 

> marketing hype that says everyone's gotta have one, not much 

> you can do about it.  If I had been in a lean, efficient 

> SMART Brabus car it would have been trashed by the SUV and I 

> might not be writing this piece at all!  So, no way I'm 

> getting a smaller car where the roads are nothing but SUV's.

> 

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