Some people also actually need a large car. If you have a 6 person household, the only thing everyone will fit in is an SUV, a minivan, or a full size van.
I knew a family growing up that had six kids, so 8 person household, they had a minivan (Toyota Tarago).
A modern SUV would likely be a) heavier b) have worse blind spots, and c) has a higher front bumper, so worse impact if you hit a pedestrian.
The "I didn't have a choice" argument is almost always a logical fallacy.
One answer is to not have pedestrians. As the suburbs do.
Not everybody wants to live in a city or can live in a city.
> I knew a family growing up that had six kids, so 8 person household, they had a minivan (Toyota Tarago).
Unlike pickup trucks, SUVs are fantastic for hauling both children and assorted cargo. Unlike minivans, they're great at handling a variety of driving conditions: gravel, dirt, ice/snow, inclines. They're also fun to drive and don't make it feel like the next sixteen years of your family's life is just dedicated to the brood.
That's such and absurd suggestion I'm surprised you felt it worth writing, not to mention there are still plenty of pedestrians even in the suburbs.
It's not absurd at all, which is why it's interesting to watch people who have never fathomed this try to come to grips with it.
There is so much of this country completely unserved by sidewalks, busses, or cycling infrastructure. And it's fine. It works.
The minivan also has horrible clearance that bottoms out frequently when you drive on dirt trails trying to get to hiking trails and primitive campgrounds.
They each serve their purpose. The minivan is by far the best suburban people carrier we could’ve bought, and it has incredible storage capacity when you stow the seats, but it definitely has its limitations.
The idea that SUVs have good storage space is a marketing myth.