Gas-guzzling SUVs are useless, wasteful

The fact that rich people are buying expensive luxury vehicles may be good news to automobile manufacturers and the government bent on stimulating the economy, but we should be aware of consequences of the sport utility vehicle (SUV) craze.

Taking advantage of the overwhelming demand for SUVs, car dealers imposed an additional cost of up to 30,000 yuan ($4,418) if drivers wanted delivery during the National Day holiday last month. It meant a Volvo SUV with a sticker price of more than half a million yuan cost an extra 20,000 yuan, while the more expensive 3.5L Mercedes-Benz SUV would set you back an additional 10,000 yuan.

Now the new Audi model Q5 has joined the fray with a whopping sticker price of 650,000 yuan. Although the government raised oil price on Nov 10, the waiting list for the car is long and drivers still have to wait up to six months for delivery.