Posted on: Friday, October 29, 2004
Census report shows Islanders love SUVs, pickup trucks
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hawai'i appears to be at the forefront of the sport utility vehicle craze that has swept across America, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released yesterday.
The report said the number of SUVs registered in Hawai'i from 1997 to 2002 shot up by 69 percent — one of the highest percentage gains among the 29 states in which statistics from the Census Bureau's vehicle inventory and use survey have been released. The national summary is expected to be issued next month.
According to the Hawai'i report, 351,400 private and commercial trucks were registered in the state during 2002, up about 19 percent from five years earlier.
While there were more than 100,000 SUVs on Hawai'i roads by 2002, the number of pickups increased by 10 percent during the same five-year period to nearly 160,000.
Put another way, Hawai'i has approximately one pickup truck for every five licensed drivers and about one SUV for every eight licensed drivers.
During the past 15 years, SUVs and other light-duty trucks have become increasingly popular among American car buyers. According to General Motors, SUVs represented 24 percent of all new vehicle sales in the United States last year, and SUVs now represent nearly 12 percent of all registered vehicles in the nation.
Auto dealers in Hawai'i said the percentages have probably gone up since 2002 because the SUV craze is still going strong here despite higher gas prices, insurance costs and safety concerns about vehicle rollovers.
"For some reason, people keep coming for the bigger SUVs," said Robinson Tsoi, GMC sales manager for Schuman Carriage Motors Inc. "People are trading in big cars for other kinds of big cars. I've been surprised myself."
Tsoi said people want SUVs for the safety, comfort and status.
Russell Wong, general manager of the Jackson Auto Group, said the company sells more SUVs than any other kind of vehicle. Customers say they are more functional, easier to get in and out of, and they don't sit as low to the ground, he said.
With escalating gas prices in Hawai'i, Wong said he's noticed in just the past six weeks or so that customers have begun asking about gas mileage.
"A lot of people focus on SUVs and the environment and assume that they are all heavy gas guzzlers. That's not the case," Wong said.
For Momilani Hendrickson of Ha'iku, Maui, her 2001 Lexus RX300 SUV is a combination of utility and luxury, a spacious multipurpose vehicle ideal for hauling customers and family.
"I bought it to be professional and sporty at the same time," she said. "It also doubles up as kid- and family-friendly."
Reach Timothy Hurley at (808) 244-4880 or thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com.
