The Cadillac Escalade evokes several images: American luxury, the pinnacle of private livery used by moguls from all industries, and spacious enough to fit eight passengers plus luggage. The Escalade — the 2025 model starts at $85,000 — and other square-style SUVs represent a trend in American auto ownership.
The trend can be emissions-heavy as the United States Department of Energy’s Fuel Economy database says the Escalade emits 702 grams of carbon dioxide per mile and uses 22.9 barrels of premium oil while only getting 13 MPG for 312 miles of range. Americans spend up to $15,000 on fuel costs over five years. As the zero-emission vehicle craze continues, big-box SUVs are still selling quite well.
The Escalade, Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and revived Bronco are some of the popular and top-rated large SUVs on the market. However, they have garnered a reputation for being inefficient and costly.
Foreign competitors like the Hyundai Santa Fe are praised for better fuel economy — 24 MPG, 425 miles before refilling. It’s not just because foreign SUVs that offer more.
Electric SUVs are gaining traction — the Rivian R1S and Hyundai Ioniq 5 — but many aren’t the elongated, mini-bus style we’re accustomed to.
The Tesla Model Y, the premier electric SUV and top-selling vehicle globally, has hurt these large SUVs’ reputations. The Model Y can offer more range and MPG without emissions — 117 MPG and 310 miles of range.
Overall, SUVs are becoming increasingly the car of choice for American motorists. That trend began in 2015 and hasn’t let up. Edmunds.com reported that the top 10 vehicles sold in 2023 included three SUVs — Model Y, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4. According to MarketLines, after the Ford F-series and Chevy Silverado — which have electric versions coming or already launched — the top 10 models sold in the U.S. so far in 2024 included those same models. The boxy SUV is very much in style, with more zero-emission models on the way.
Photo Courtesy Rivian
Toyota and Lexus SUVs usually offer hybrid or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) editions. In 2025, Jeep is launching an electric Wrangler, its popular off-roading (and suburbanite SUV of choice). Whether GM will flip the Escalade, Yukon, Tahoe, and Suburban to electric power is unclear. However, based on the success of the electric Blazer and the more round-style SUV, the Equinox, there’s a good chance we will see them in electric power soon enough.
So, who is buying these cars? Statista.com reported in 2019 that the biggest age group of SUV buyers was 25 to 54. Millennials and Gen X might prefer the big-box SUV because they have young children who play sports with a lot of equipment. Some might also use them for road trips and vacations. According to the New York Times, baby boomers favor smaller SUVs since they are usually empty-nesters who don’t need much cargo space.
The SUV craze began in the 1990s when baby boomers were financially secure and finally had options for shuttling kids around without buying a mini-van.
The box SUV went from being expensive and unreliable to more affordable and necessary.
“Beginning in late 2011, Subaru sales increased every month for nearly eight years,” wrote Tom Voelk of the New York Times in 2020. “Globally, Porsche’s Macan and Cayenne each outsell its 911 three to one. Jeep, considered the crown jewel of Fiat Chrysler, rocketed from moving 300,000 units in 1989 to 1.4 million in 2019.”
Photo Courtesy Ford
The numbers only keep growing as time goes on. Heck, you can just take a look at car news and see that SUVs are the preferred make for car buyers. Chevy discontinued the Malibu after more than 40 years in production and specifically cited SUV sales as the reason for the decision.
However, SUV-over-sedan is not limited to the U.S. Europe is also embracing smaller SUVs to fit on the narrower roads. BMW’s X series has been selling well across the continent.
SUVs are not outselling pickup trucks, but they have become the preferred choice for Americans over sedans and coupes. More automakers offer SUVs with electric and gas power, and fewer people are choosing traditional cars. Zero-emission models are preferred by environmentalists, but box SUVs aren’t going anywhere any time soon.
