RE: The death of SUV mania

Let's assume that the lust for new 20 foot-long personal vehicles ends this instant. Even in saltbelt communities, it's not uncommon for an SUV or 1/2 ton pickup to have a 15 year lifespan. Obviously, as these vehicles age, depreciation will allow younger, less experienced drivers to step into these vehicles. Result? You and I sharing the road in our 2,200-pound 2012 Mercedes E 200's with 17 year-old wildmen in rusty Ford Expeditions. Regardless of the wonderful achievements in structural and material design that may occur in the next decade, this mismatch will spell trouble for small car passengers. Absent the immediate sentence of all 4,000+ lb. vehicles to the crusher, I recommend GRADUALLY downsizing over a term of many years while minding the quantity of Sherman tanks still remaining on the road.

We had a 190E in our family for several years, and I enjoyed driving it. But - it sure looked small sitting at the stoplight in front of a GMC Yukon!