Defending SUVs

In his Nov. 10 letter “what about SUV pollution?” William Matthews unfairly characterizes these vehicles as “uber-polluters.” According to the Environmental Protection Agency, many SUVs spew less pollution per mile than small sedans.

The “gigantic Escalade” singled out by Mr. Matthews has an EPA air pollution score of 3 on a scale where 10 is the best, beating the much smaller Mini Cooper’s score of 2. Regardless of what Mr. Matthews’ nose is telling him, the EPA data indicates that tailpipe emissions should not be one of his reasons for bashing SUVs. Bill Draeger Oak Park