Citing snow as an example. Unfortunately disabilities don't melt away, and aren't around for just two weeks of the year (in the UK, on average).
Blue badge holders (that being people registered as disabled in the UK, with disabilities that qualify them for the blue badge scheme that permits parking charge and certain parking condition exemptions, for either themselves or a vehicle in which they are travelling) account for around 8% of the UK's driving population: 2.35 million among a driving population of approximately 29 million. Disability among drivers in the UK is thus roughly four times more common than snow.
While not exclusively the case, SUVs allow them to retain a semblance of independence and normality more than any other car type. You can put whatever in them (including power wheelchairs) and go places, without having to rely on the help of strangers. And after all, cars are and always have been about the freedom to go wherever you want and do whatever you want when you're there; people with disabilities want that too.
And I'm also unhappy to report that - as someone who has 17 years on you and spent most of the period from your birth until your adulthood playing unwise field sports while having an undiagnosed hypermobility condition resulting in the comprehensive destruction of my hips, knees, and ankles so that some days I have to hold onto the walls to walk to my office on the other side of a 25-foot wide house but does not have a registered disability - with age comes a certain incompatibility with cars you have to plummet into and climb back out of.
When you reach your 40s (if you're unlucky), 50s, and 60s, a car seat where the hip point meets your ass height in a standing position is hard to overrate. And old people are a lot more common than snow.
I agree, for people with less physical atributes, a SUV is a fine option, but still doesn't mean it's the best or that it is the only available choice, Minivans also exist and there's station wagons that have the seating position almost on level with mid-sized SUVs these days. SUVs bring many other disadvantages with them such as:
en.wikipedia.org
And this list surprisingly doesn't mention cost, which is also one of the downsides of an SUV, with the current economy and probable recession we in the EU (maybe even worldwide) are going to face, this isn't looking good at all. Not to mention the amount of resources it takes to build them as well.
Your comparison with supercars made before I found it silly because of one reason. Supercars aren't produced by the tens or hundresd of thousands or even millions and are not for the common citizen.
Most supercars don't even reach the 10 thousand mark of production, and those are machines for the rich people to have money to spent, and us common folk to appreciate and they are also cars that you can have your fun on a track, it's a niche car, for a niche number of people. Not to mention the pleasure of driving them, not that I have driven many, but I've driven a 2019 M2 competition (not even a full fledged supercar, but a more affordable sports car) for a few tens of kms on a nice propper road and it was legit one of the most pleasurable drives I've had in my life, better than whatever Porsche Cayenne or Macan I drove (top of the line SUVs) which I did daily on the place I've worked previously. The Panamera and Taycan were also much, much better and comfortable rides as well in comparison.
So even if they have a large fuel consumption or other disadvantages, they won't make a dent due to their low production numbers compared to SUVs.
On your case however I can understand your stance with SUVs being, I won't say "essential" but "needed". But they are definitely a problem on the grand scheme of things.
Heck, just look at the electric cars. They already suffer with range (and handling) due to them being heavy by nature... yet manufacturers go:
"now let's make them an SUV"... like... *facepalm
Money talks... Which is why I say this type of car nowadays is just a car for "
sheeple" and the people that would actually benefit from them (such as disabled people) rarely are in them, in fact, all of the blue badge parking spaces near my home and pretty much at whatever place I look into the city is mostly sedans/saloons with the ocasional wagon/hatchback... ... and now that I'm typing this, I can't even remember the last time I saw an SUV with the blue badge.
At the end of this, the problem isn't really SUVs... but the people.
) but if I ever bought one, it wouldn't be because I'm a car enthusiast, which I am, it'll just be for their added practicality.
Yet another car SUV/Crossover I can't explain how it was sold by the bucketloads and was horrible in every single way, and I know because I drove, repaired and cleaned thousands of these.
