Perhaps it’s silly. Perhaps not. As with so many things, it depends on what else you are doing in life, none of which is our concern, as well as what we desire. Many of us want bigger because we are already paying high prices for small; as we have seen with luxury SUVs, they are priced at the same rates as many…

There are folks who do want a bigger car. But as with any heavily regulated consumer sector, market demand isn’t necessarily the only force shaping decisions.

Both. Often “onerous” regulations are shaped by lobbyists for the biggest players, often for the purpose of making life more-difficult for smaller companies as well as to keep out new entrants. So the regulations end up being “onerous” for one group while there are loopholes for those who shaped the rules in the first…

I see plenty of 7-Series and S-Classes around here, a funny thing given that this is the D.C. metro area and most people work for either federal government or nonprofits. But I see even more X5s, X6s and Mercedes SUVs. As with the rest of the nation, people recognize that you can get more with SUVs for the same prices…

Pretty much this. Luxury is about the perception of exclusivity. Tesla has that perception now because it sells small numbers of vehicles. BMW, Mercedes, and Audi, on the other hand, are not presumed to be nearly as exclusive as they were once were. Exclusive always equals better in the minds of those seeking luxury,…

1. The differences in fuel efficiency between SUVs and minivans are negligible. This isn’t 2001 anymore.