I don't know, I reserve the right to bellyache! Where I live I absolutely have to have 4 wheel drive (and not all wheel drive)-- we have a few people in the area that drive small cars, but most usually have a second car for bad weather or just stay home from work. There are very few 4 wheel drive vehicles that are not SUVs or Trucks. We also have the largest number of large animal collisions in the entire state along the stretch of road I drive to school (deer, elk). When you hit those type of animals in a small car or something low like a crossover, or even a mini van the animals roll right up your hood and come through the windshield.
Right now I drive a large Chevy truck. It is almost as fuel efficient as the small SUV I was driving before, and a heck of alot safer. But darn it, it smarts to fill up the tank from 1/4 and paying 70-something dollars! I don't feel I really have a choice either, because public transportation around here sucks if it isn't completely non-existent and I can't afford to live closer to school or work.