This is probably the most off-topic thread possible here, but does anyone know the difference between a SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle), a SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle) and a Jeep? I always stumble upon the different classifications, but can’t figure it out.
They’re not any different. 
Some are “made” to do better off-road, etc., etc. But, honestly, there’s not any tangible difference aside from companies wanting to claim some new acronym for sport utility vehicles. 
Ah, ok. I always thought it had some more meaning to it .
A Jeep is a brand.
A Jeep was a brand, but now the off-road cars are all called “Jeep”.
SUV: Status Upgrade Vehicle.
Very few people around here actually use their $80,000 SUV’s for off roading. In fact, I’d venture a guess that none of them use it for anything other than transporting kids to soccer practice and picking up groceries.
I’d hate to drive one of those things with gas prices the way they are now…
I hate to drive any of those things at all, except for bike maybe. Got rid of my car and am living in a city with good public transportation. Don’t have time for repair shops, court dates, hospitals, etc. 
I’d love to get rid of my car and take PT, but there are very few places in the US that have good PT systems… Nashville is not one of them.
All pollute the environment and stock the coffers of rich automakers.
I don’t know anyone that calls their Land Cruiser or Exterra a Jeep. Jeep is most definately a brand. As far as CJ, Wrangler, Comanche … most people will just call it a Jeep if that’s what you mean.
Not in the United States, Jeep is a registered trademark. If Ford tried to call one of their SUVs a Jeep, they would get sued.
Yes, but from my experience the term Jeep is often used not only when refering to the brand but also to describe off-roaders in general, not officially of course.
I agree with the assessment that most SUVs never get taken off-road, but that’s just as well, since in all likelihood, that sort of abuse would void or seriously affect any warranties. Just because a vehicle is “built a little tougher” (I actually doubt that too), doesn’t mean that the manufacturer will honour a warranty when the vehicle has been treated roughly.
I used to work in a bike shop and we ran into a similar thing with folks who bought ATBs figuring they could bunny hop them down flights of stairs and then have the company cover them when they potato chipped a rim.
SUVs aren’t just “built a little tougher”, they are meant to be used off-road. If a car retailer says to me that i void any warranty when i use my Jeep off-road, I’d go to the competition right away.
Hm. That may be. The service manager at the shop told me it was the same with off-road vehicles. I’ve never been in a position nor had the motivation to investigate it.
Must be a German thing then. Everyone I know with an SUV simply refers to it as “The Truck”… as in “Kid’s go get in the truck”.
As for off-roading, most people I know personally take their vehicles off-road, however if you have a family, pets, and wish to do some camping then you need a bigger vehicle. For years there was literally nothing between a mid-size car and an SUV or minivan. In the 70s and 80s, you had station wagons but what passes for those now have no cargo room and barely any passenger space.
There are 5 people in my family and 2 large dogs (80-90 pounds). Without a large vehicle even a trip to the local park is impossible for all of us to go and yes we like to take the dogs on trips as well. Most cars out there wouldn’t even fit the ice chest for a day trip in the trunk. Now we don’t do soccer trips and we don’t drive needlessly but there are times when a larger vehicle are needed. We look to SUVs because the area we live in is prone to flooding when it rains and the added clearence and power of an SUV over a minivan comes in handy. We also do 15 festivals a year where we sell goods. That takes towing power which a minivan does not have.
Not everyone who drives a larger vehicle does so for status. Heck, I don’t want to have to pay $30,000-$50,000 for a new vehicle but it is needed for our family.
When I take a vehicle in for service, I have never been asked how something happened. They simply fix the vehicle. If it is under warranty, the warranty covers it. Unless something is specifically excluded in the warranty, they have to cover the vehicle. I have never seen a warranty saying that you cannot take a vehicle down a flight of stairs or off-road. If the service manager had denied my warranty claim, you bet that I would have gone up the chain of command with warranty text in hand.
Yep, I’m with Wayne, not everyone drives an SUV for status. I have space for 5 people in my Bronco but the backseat is usually folded down for holding room. We also have flooding problems (about 3-4" of rain causes flooding here) because of the completely flat plateau we’re on. I also spend a lot of time on dirt roads or in fields where a car wouldn’t stand a chance.
Jeep is a brand, a very successful brand. Like Kleenex or Rolleblade.
Or Jello…
The GP (now Jeep) was manufactured by Willy’s and Ford during WWII. The initials became their calling after the war and was changed to Jeep. Jeep is now division of Daimler-Chrysler corporation.