Anyone here Anti-SUV?

[Rage187]

1 SUV uses 29 Gallons of gas that takes it 400 miles..

3 cars use 29 gallons of gas that takes them over 400 miles..



and all of you wonder why gas is so high...

 

[Eug]

<< Auto manufacturers love to sell SUVs cause its their highest profit margin. I think an enviro tax at purchase time for vehicles that don't get 25 mpg would be good and a tax rebate for those that get more than 40. >>



<< And what will you do for the people who already have cars? How will they get the discount? Poor peopple dont buy new cars >>

Tax incentives for people buying green cars are not the answer. Taxes on higher consumption are the answer, and one form of this is the ubiquitous gas tax. The problem with tax rebates for green cars is that it penalizes those who are the ultimate greens, like those who take the bus or ride their bicycle. Essentially a tax rebate for a hybrid car can be interpreted as a bonus for buying a luxury item. And I'm saying this as a person who has a car which DOES get a tax incentive in many jurisdictions.


<< Statistically men under the age of 25 cause more accidents than any other demographic including seniors. >>

Correct. A friend always complains that seniors drive to slow causing accidents. This is said of those who drive at 95-100 kmh in a 100 zone. I tell him he's driving too fast if he thinks they're going too slow. Even at 120 kmh, somebody at 100 should not pose a problem if they stick to the right lane. If you're going 145 kmh however, then I can see how a person going 100 will pose a problem.


<< I'm not making it dangerous for others. You have to be aware of the number of SUVs out there, just like buses, trucks, trains, and telephone poles. If you have the foresight to protect yourself that is a good thing. If you put the almighty mpg over everything else, you have to realize that you are sacrificing one thing (safety) for another (economy). Yes, there are tradeoffs that aren't as severe as an SUV, but that's my choice, and fortunately I live in a society that permits me to make this choice.
If -you- choose to drive around in a can-of-car like a Kia Rio you have already made the decision to make it dangerous for yourself. I'm not making that decision for you. >>

There is no rule that says a car can't be reasonable on emissions and mileage AND safe. If one must drive an SUV (esp. for the suburbanites), there's nothing that says it can't have a more tuned 4L engine and a good catalytic converter than an equally powerful less well-tuned 5L with a crappy catalytic converter.

P.S. Why does every thread always DEGENERATE into a religious thread?

 

[Aihyah]

Please remember, its not the car that drives irresponsibly, its the person behind the wheel. Man, you're making me sound like the NRA.

well the comparison to guns does'nt work unless everyone uses their gun daily even responsible drivers get into accidents at their own hand or by others. not really true with guns.

as for safety of minivans, i'm mainly refering to crash/flip tests.

 

[Aihyah]

which reminds me of another reason suvs are bad, driving up our average gas guzzle rate only increases our dependence on foreign oil unless you think thats good

not to mention the pollution...such low standards on truck emissions.

 

[BooneRebel]

<< but in your arguements you are creating the false dilema that only suvs are safe, but there are other even safer vehicles, namely minivans. >>



Yes, a minivan is probably a more practical choice. But I've already stated that my primary goal is to drive what I choose to drive, not what someone else dictates to me. It's my personal opinion (is there any other kind) that I enjoy driving a 4x4 more than I if I was in a minivan. And I have the opportunity every once in a while to actually go off-road, in which case I'm really reaching if I try to take the standard family van.

Again, this is just my opinion, but that's what so great about our society. My opinion matters - to me.

If I had a stable full of cars, I'd drive the sportscar in the winding mountain roads, the 4x4 off road, the minivan to the soccer game <shudder>, the pickup to the farm, and the sedan with the ultra-soft ride on long trips. Not having the extra benjamins in my pocket, I've narrowed down the scope to the one or two vehicles that best suite my lifestyle, in which case I purchased SUVs.

 

[rufruf44]

heh, Boone went from Member to Senior Member in this thread. A few more of thread like this and he going to hit Golden in no time

 

[Yuto]

So what do all of you SUV-haters look for in a car?

I look for:
price/performance
comfort/reliablity
how it looks
safety (to me, not to other drivers - I guess I'm selfish SOB)
where its made

If an SUV suits your needs, then I wouldn't begrudge anyone who makes that choice.

 

[BooneRebel]

<< There is no rule that says a car can't be reasonable on emissions and mileage AND safe. If one must drive an SUV (esp. for the suburbanites), there's nothing that says it can't have a more tuned 4L engine and a good catalytic converter than an equally powerful less well-tuned 5L with a crappy catalytic converter. >>



If it makes you feel any better, I split the difference with a well-tuned 4L and a really nasty diesel 6L. The 4L for trips, the 6L for pulling the boat.

 

[Soulgirl]

<< They are part of the reson of our high gas prices :| >>



Blimey - you should live in England... we pay around 79p per litre... and with 5 lites per gallon work that out!

 

[Yuto]

<<

<< They are part of the reson of our high gas prices :| >>



Blimey - you should live in England... we pay around 79p per litre... and with 5 lites per gallon work that out! >>



What's 79p in dollars?

 

[Aihyah]

well gas in california is probably about $2.00 average, rough guess. thats equiv to 1.43pounds. 100pence per pound right? i dunno. ack u figure it out.

well assuming that 3.95pounds per gallon = $5.50 US. nice.. ouch.. jeez thats $137 dollors to fill a 25 gallon suv tank

 

[bigdog1218]

saying that suvs are pointless and are the cause of high oil prices is retarted, i mean if you want to look at gas consumption why doesn't everyone just buy a hybrid and thats it, so all cars suck now because they don't get 70/gallon, so if your car gets less mileage than that we should be anti-whatever your car is, and i think all cars that go over 85 mph are pointless, is there anywhere in the us where the speed limit is over 85?, why makes cars that go faster than that,
and the man reason for the increase in oil prices is the huge increase in electric consumption

 

[desy]

Tax incentives don't work
Heard of an RRSP? Most people take advantage.
I like this thread cause I'm needling my hunting buddy who has a 94 Exploder and is thinking of getting a Pathfinder, good ammunition.
1 I want him to buy American if he does.
2 He does a ton of city driving but is one of those whos recycles like crazy 'for the environment' but thinks nothing of driving his gas guzzler around.

I think I talked him into keeping the Exploder and buying a car for day to day. Its paid for and he can afford to have two vehicles.
Its more effective for me cause I'm married and can choose which to drive and sometimes need two sets of wheels. So I do see his dilema.
How are those small trucks with the 4 doors and short boxes? That might be his best choice.

 

[Alienwho]

Whoever said minivans are safer then SUV's, lets have a contest. We each get rammed on the passenger side of our vehicle by a ford taurus going 25mph. You can either choose to take the impact in an excursion, or a minivan voyager. What would YOU rather have your kids in?

 

[Aihyah]

your arguement is basically nullified by the fact that there are speed limit laws if u want to speed, you will pay through your teeth and possibly lose your license. if you want to waste gas, doens't really happen

 

[BooneRebel]

<< and the man reason for the increase in oil prices is the huge increase in electric consumption >>



I'd say the main reason for the increase in oil prices is OPEC's agreement to limit production. It's a pretty evil system. If they don't think they're getting enough money per barrel they reduce production - simple as that. As long as we're so dependent on crude there's not much we can do about it. Even Bush's plans to open the Arctic won't make a huge dent.

 

[Eug]

Interesting article


<< Blimey - you should live in England... we pay around 79p per litre... and with 5 lites per gallon work that out! >>

The UK (and Canadian) imperial gallon is 4.5 L, but most of the posters here are American. So a gallon would be about 3.78 L.

Anyways, that means 1 US gallon is about US$4.20 in England.

By the way, for comparison's sake, in Toronto one L is about CAD$0.62 at the moment. (That UK price is about CAD$1.70.) And the price per US gallon in Canada is about US$1.55, which is only a bit more than the US average, and significantly less than some parts of the US. See here.

 

[yourharddrive]

I love my explorer.....please dont h8 me

 

[Sciolist]

<< I like SUV's ... i just dont like them in front of me... since I can't see in front of them...

as long as they are next to me or behind me.. they are fine >>



I agree with this. I don't like being behind anything I can't see around -- this includes 18 wheelers, minivans, trucks and SUVs. So I have a little rule I follow; when allowing others to merge in front of me, regular cars go ahead, maybe even two of them. I don't allow people in vehicles that I can't see around to merge in front of me if I have any choice in the matter.

Maybe if everyone who dislikes being behind them followed this simple rule they would get the idea that people don't like being behind you!

And I knew someone whose son was in an accident with an SUV driver who ran a stop sign. His son was injured, but the SUV driver was delighted that her vehicle had sustained very little damage. The boy was bleeding, and she was looking at her bumper and saying &quot;YES! It is a safe vehicle!&quot; Well, safe for YOU, maybe! Jerk.

 

[KpocAlypse]

SUV are perfectly fine, i just can't stand the people how drive them like the own the road....

Sure they burn gas like it was nothing, but The owners sure pay for it, so i can't really get mad about that..


The only thing i though was dumb about the whole idea that you buy a big a$$ four wheel drive, and the thing NEVER touches dirt....I mean do you really need a 4x4 to take the kids to school?

 

[tm37]

I think we should do away with anything that might possibly make someone happy. People are givin way to many choices. WIth me as your dictoral leader I will make all the choices for you. That way eveyone can be happy!

/end sarcasm

 

[unclebud]

i don't think women neccesarily like sports cars more than any other car. maybe the money that got them the car (ferrari? corvette?)
and suvs/pickups are terrible at handling--i own an s-10 also, but after i got my honda, i had to chill
now i can actually dodge potholes instead of driving and cussing

 

[Thegonagle]

Hmmn. I drive 25,000 miles per year. Cars fit my needs best. I currently have a Civic that took me 43 MPG on my last road trip (but usually averages about 30). More often than not, I'm the only person in the car. But I'm glad I know people who have trucks. They're usualy nice enough to let me borrow them, because they're proud of their trucks, and that's good for me . I don't know where I'm going with this, but I do want to say that the most dangerous part of any car or truck is the driver. I don't feel good knowing that the worst drivers actually feel safer with an extra 3000 pounds of steel around them, but I like the gas mileage I get in my &quot;can,&quot; and I feel that I've avoided several accidents that I would have been involved in had I been in a truck or SUV.

My 1.5 pennies,

Joe.

 

[Noriaki]

They are good for camping with 3-4 people.
Especially skiing ones (ski rack on roof) or otherwise cold trips.
If it gets to cold or rainy with a little creativity with luggage placement you can sleep 3 or 4 people in one (i had to do this once fortunately I had shotgun )

But most people won't drive their shiny new 3 million dollar SUV off road, which IMO makes it totally useless.

To me it's a truck with more passenger space and less cargo space.

You should use them for offroading or towing heavy loads etc etc.

They are not sports cars, soccer moms should get mini-vans, and they are not good day-drivers.

 

[Linflas]

<< I agree with this. I don't like being behind anything I can't see around -- this includes 18 wheelers, minivans, trucks and SUVs. So I have a little rule I follow; when allowing others to merge in front of me, regular cars go ahead, maybe even two of them. I don't allow people in vehicles that I can't see around to merge in front of me if I have any choice in the matter. >>


This is the kind of thinking and actions that cause problems for everyone on the road irregardless of vehicle type. If you are maintaining a proper following distance you should be able to &quot;see around&quot; anything.