QOTD: Farewell To The Body-On-Frame SUV?

Pictures of the "production" version of the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder, which looks about the same as the "concept" version unveiled at Detroit in January. And along with the reveal, another body-on-frame SUV bites the dust. Having driven the Infiniti JX (essentially, a really nice 2013 Pathfinder), I'm not at all concerned; the Pathfinder has become yet another toddler taxi. The most extreme situations it will ever see is a gravel driveway. This is a "truck" that needs to compete against the Honda Pilot and the Toyota Highlander – not to mention the Ford Explorer, which seems to be doing just fine with a unibody layout. The body-on-frame SUV is a species in decline. Part of it is obviously cost considerations. There are perfectly good car platforms out there that can be used to create perfectly good, car-like crossovers. But how much of it is because these car-based SUVs are competent enough that having a body-on-frame design doesn't matter? We can throw out arguments about towing, or off-road prowess, but very few of these vehicles will ever be used for those duties, and even then, they are often strong enough to fulfill the 99 percent of owner expectations. So, my dear readers, here's my question; how much of the lamenting of the body-on-frame SUV and its apparent superiority is merely cooked up in the hearts and minds of truck fans, longing for a bygone era? Or am I missing the mark? from The Truth About Cars http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com

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