I'll use Horowitz as an example here, as I've found him becoming more and more egregious over time. I think that his arguments sound appealing, but some of them really have very little thought behind them, and are practically a straw man to knock down. Salon had a little forum a while ago on SUVs. It would be the height of arrogance and, in my view, an ominous precedent to say we ought to override what people want and give them what we think is good for them. If you have a family, you understand why people want SUVs.
Safety is really important.
SUVs are safer. I'll start with the latter. They are, however, far more dangerous to other drivers. His concern is not for everyone's safety, but his own. The former is simple sophistry.