WHY ARE SUVS SO POPULAR?

Over the past 20 years, the market share of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) has grown steadily. When cars were surpassed in sales, we knew we were in for an unstoppable trend.

Today, people just seem to want SUVs. Roughly one in two vehicles sold in this country is a utility vehicle. Add pickup trucks to the equation, and that doesn't leave much room for the traditional car.

But why the craze? It's pretty easy to understand, really. What's more, if you take a look at the type of SUVs that are selling the most, you can really understand what consumers are looking for.

And a look at the inventory currently offered by ToutesLesMarques.ca helps us understand. Your online dealers have the best used SUVs in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Côte-Nord, and Charlevoix regions. To find out which SUV to choose, ask our experts. They are always available to answer your questions and guide you through the process, so you can get behind the wheel of a reliable used SUV.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

SUVs are not new. In the early days of the automobile, it was necessary to think about creating models with high ground clearance, because the road network was not well developed. The cars of the time had to be able to go everywhere.

During the Second World War, the need for vehicles capable of going off-road became crucial. This is where the ancestor of the Jeep Wrangler was born, as the famous Willys MB.

After the conflict, other companies started to venture out, mainly to meet specific needs. In 1948, Land Rover developed a utility vehicle for farmers and industrial use. Other models were to follow, especially in the 1960s when some icons were born. These included the International Scout, the Ford Bronco, and the Chevrolet K5 Blazer.

The popularity of these vehicles would remain low, however, even though new players were added to the offering in the decades that followed. These included the Nissan Pathfinder, the Jeep Cherokee, and the Ford Explorer. These models were built on ladder chassis and offered real off-road capabilities. People liked their practicality but enjoyed their rougher ride or higher fuel consumption less.

INCREASED POPULARITY

However, things would change in the late 90s with the introduction of more urban sport utility vehicles, built on unibody structures, often derived from cars. The Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V are good examples. In the luxury SUV segment, think of the Mercedes-Benz ML (now GLE) or the Acura MDX. From that point on, the popularity of these models exploded.

WHY?

To understand why, simply put yourself in the shoes of a buyer. When you choose an SUV, first, you get a vehicle that is way more spacious in the back, simply because of its body configuration. Second, since seats in rows two and three (when present) can be folded down, the cargo volume is increased tenfold.

Then, there's the issue of visibility. In an SUV, you sit higher off the ground, which is very pleasant in all driving situations. What's more, because most modern SUVs are built on car-derived chassis, comfort is up to par.

Once manufacturers realized that consumers preferred the experience these types of vehicles provided, they started offering more and more models. So much so that new segments were born, such as subcompact SUVs, which really are simply small cars with SUV bodies.

OVER 100 SUVS

Consequently, when you look at the type of vehicles we have in stock on our site, it's no surprise to discover that most of them are SUVs. At the time of writing, we had over 100 of them, and in all categories.

Nissan Rogues by the ton, as well as Honda CR-Vs, Mazda CX-5s and Jeep Cherokees in the compact SUV segment. The subcompact SUV segment is also rich with a variety of Nissan Qashqais, for example.

Even the world of compact luxury SUVs is not left out with a nice selection of SUV brands, such as Lexus NX, Acura RDX and Audi Q5. At the time of writing, 34 different models were waiting for you. We, in turn, are waiting for you to take a test drive at your local ToutesLesMarques.ca dealerships!