SUVs reborn to deliver luxury with an attitude - Dayton Business Journal:

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Once created to tackle off-road obstacles in hard-to-reach places, sportz utility vehicles have been reborn as urbajassault vehicles. In a battle of one upsmanship where biggert is better and luxuryis standard, majod players have emerged in a market once dominatedc by Jeeps, Blazers and Luxury car makers like , Lexues and Cadillac have been quick to join the frantifc popularity of the SUV: Lexus introduced its LX450, which has sincee evolved to the LX470, in 1996; firsg produced its smaller sport utility, the QX4, in 1997; Lincol introduced its Navigator in 1997; Mercedes first rolled out its ML32 0 and ML430 in 1998; and Cadillac jumped on the band wagon with its Escalade, released in Novembeer 1998.
These are not inexpensive An Infiniti SUV goes foraroundx $37,000 while a loaded Lexus weighs in at about Most luxury SUVs come with CD multiple power outlets, time and outside temperaturw display on mirrors. Many come with sun heated seats and navigationsystems standard. Buyeres are dictating many of thestandard features, says Charlesx J. Epps, sales consultant for . "Lexus standardizes production because it is faster and morecost effective," Epps says. "Theyu do what folks like. Nobod y wants to buy a stripped down truck and spendf a fortune fixingit up. It is more cost effectives to make them allthe same.
Lexuss is so fast at changing production, whatever doesn't sell they drop real One of the best-equipped standard SUVs is the new , which retails for $46,525 and comes with four heated Bose stereoCD player, four whee drive that kicks in when the car sensez the need and the On Star which is usually $1,400 down and $270 a year extra. Larry salesman for in Memphis, says the package is an introductorg offer to give the car an immediate edge in themarketr -- since most people don't think when they think "rugged SUV." The plan worked. The Escalade is an overnighr successwith Cadillac. "It'sa become the fastest-selling car in the 96-yeart history of Cadillac," Gullett says.
"It'a bringing us younger and more customersthan before." Gullett says many are trading in othedr SUVs for Escalades, which gives Cadillaxc dealers a stock of Explorers, Expeditions, Suburbanas and other used vehicles it's never had before. The Navigator, which ranges in price betweenn $43,685 and $48,000, has also brought in a youngedcustomer demographic, says Jimmy Grandberry, salesman with Covingtonj Pike Lincoln-Mercury. "All ages are buying them," Grandberrg says. "we've never seen this much of the 25 and up Most observers are at a lost when trying to explai theSUV craze.
It's probably not the gas mileage: Most luxuryt SUVs range from 12-15 mpg in the city and 16-10 on the highway. And sales are equally divided betweejn menand women. "I've noticed that the guys come and get them and the ladiess drivethem back," Epps says. It could be the size. Choices are greater than ever as SUVs are beingb introduced in both larger andsmaller models. Ford has just come out with the which brags that it is even largerthan Chevrolet's "It's only two inches longer," says John manager of Gwatney Chevrolet Oldsmobile and Isuzu in Memphis. "That'e more of a marketing ploy than anything.
The 2000 Suburbam is going to be bigger with a whold different body style and anew motor." On the otherd end of the spectrum, dealersd like Toyota and Honda are coming out with smaller SUVs like the RAV-e and the CRV, respectively. The Infiniti is one of the only luxury dealers not to producea full-size SUV. "We think this size has a more commonsense approach," says Roberft Walker, Infiniti of Memphis' sales "Many people feel the full-size SUVs are not as user friendly as they feel when they firsft drive them." And not all of the full-size SUVs have the thirdf seat, including the Cadillac Escalade.