The great American poet Marianne Moore was once commissioned by the Ford Motor Co. to name its newest car. A few names she came up with: The Utopian Turtletop, The Resilient Bullet, and The Intelligent Whale.

Ford didnt use any of these names, preferring to go with the family name of Edsel. But The Intelligent Whale might be a good name for a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The American public seems addicted to these buildings-on-wheels. The phenomenal sales growth of this private passenger vehicle also pleases the auto manufacturers, since SUVs are their most profitable product. People seem to like SUVs despite their low gas mileage, parking space prob-lems, high accident potential, and other disadvantages.

Every year, manufacturers try to outdo each other in size and sales volume. The expected introduction of a pickup bed in place of the rear seat in luxury SUVs promises to put even more SUVs on the road in the future.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that in 1997 (the most recent date for which studies are complete), 9,400 people died when a car, van, or SUV rolled in an accident 21% of total crash deaths. The rate for pickups was 42% and 62% for SUVs. The NHTSA is currently considering a rating system for SUVs that could end up as the basis of a warning label program.

Rating system or not, the make of a vehicle affects your insurance premium. If you’re thinking aboutpurchasing an SUV (or any other kind of car), check with us about insurance costs. Knowing the insurance premium for different makes in advance might save you from an unpleasant surprise after your purchase. Comparing sticker prices isnt enough; you need to consider the long-term impact of safety factors, gas consumption, maintenance costs, license, taxes, and insurance costs to get the whole picture.