Be a man and disassociate yourself from the situation. Who gives a fuck what some asshole says or thinks about a friend? Ignore it, unless you value his opinion. It sounds like you don't.
My wife says the same thing, but that thing holds about 50% more than our Nissan Rogue did, and the roof is stout enough to hold several hundred pounds should the need arise. You won't get anywhere fast, but you'll damn sure get there.