On Tue, 31 Dec 2002, Bill N wrote:

> They are popular because of their versatility.  Mini-vans, of which VW
> vans are the first example, are popular for the same reason.

Well, exactly my point.  Nearly everything people use SUVs for where I
live could be done better with a minivan.  Minivans get better fuel
economy, often seat more people, and have more cargo capacity (due to a
lower load floor.)  So why is it almost everyone buys SUVs instead of
minivans?  Status.

             _ _
  __ _ _   _| | |  | David M. Brodbeck (N8SRE)              Ypsilanti, MI
 / _` | | | | | |  +-----------------------------------------------------
| (_| | |_| | | | @ cyberspace.org
 \__, |\__,_|_|_| "To the optimist, the glass is half full.  To the
 |___/             pessimist, the glass is half empty.  To the engineer,
                   the glass is twice as big as it needs to be."