Those are all relatively small, I think they're all lifted sedans. When people are talking about an arms race, they're probably talking about the true SUVs, which are built on truck frames - the Escalades, Suburbans, etc. They're gargantuan compared to a RAV4/CR-V. An Escalade gets 14 mpg city, the RAV4 gets 27 mpg in the city, the hybrid version, 41 mpg.
>When people are talking about an arms race, they're probably talking about the true SUVs, which are built on truck frames - the Escalades, Suburbans, etc. They're gargantuan compared to a RAV4/CR-V. An Escalade gets 14 mpg city, the RAV4 gets 27 mpg in the city, the hybrid version, 41 mpg.
The sales data doesn't really show such an arms race is taking place. Eyeballing this chart, SUV sales actually shrank, presumably being cannibalized by crossovers. Pickup sales inched higher but they're still not back to early 2000s levels.
