Gas Prices -- What would it take to get you out of your SUV?

[exdeath]

I don't have nor care for SUVs, but I do have a high performance car with a V8.

If you want to conserve resources, stop trying to race people at lights.

When you antagonize me and make me step on it and hear that supercharger on my V8 scream, I only get maybe 10 mpg while I'm smoking you. If you people stopped driving aggressively and stopped trying to race people in your 'sporty' eco friendly 4 bangers, I wouldn't need to do that, and I can get up to 25 mpg.

If you have to buy a gas sipper because you can't afford the gas, don't go whining that you can't win the races you start and propose that we prohibit owning V8s, because unlike you I can afford the gas and I will spend my money as I see fit. Have fun having wet dreams that increasing gas prices are going to put me in a 3 banger anytime soon.



I'll drive a 150 HP car when you are driving a 50 HP car, hows that?

 

[Darwin333]

I drive a Ford F-150 with the 5.4L V8. My wife drives a Navigator with a large V8 (Pretty sure it?s the same engine but not sure) as well and currently the cost of gas is not even close to a significant portion of my families budget.

I require a truck with a large engine for work. I often have to tow trailers with materials to my jobsites and its more economical to pay the gas price when I am not towing something than to have two vehicles. As far as my wife?s truck, we initially got a deal that we couldn?t pass up on it but irregardless, she would still most likely drive an SUV for the convenience. Living in the New Orleans area its not all that un-common to get some street flooding during major rain events (happened just last Friday). People with small cars often stall from the high water or you might have to wait a few hours to get home. Not a problem with either of our vehicles. My wife and I find the SUV more comfortable, more room for the wife?s 12 bags when we go to the coast for the weekend and I can tow, launch and recover my boat/ski?s with it (so we don?t have to take my truck to the coast). Gas prices could triple and I still would not sell either of my vehicles or purchase a ?commuter? vehicle.

And I am sorry to say, but the idea of ?the world running out of oil? does not even cross my mind when I am deciding which vehicle to purchase. Just like I don?t think about the finite amount of electricity we have when I turn on my computer. They would have to be rationing out 2 gallons of gas a week before I would buy one of those plastic sardine can cars.

 

[1EZduzit]

Originally posted by: BigPete

Originally posted by: 1EZduzit
You've obviously been raised differently then then I. Waste is too be avoided whenever possible and in my opinion not to attempt to avoid waste is immoral and selfish.

Does everybody waste resources? Of course, we're all guilty but some waste much more then others. The idea is to try to be as efficient in the use of resources as possible. Wasting resources is much more serious then littering, or do you think littering is moral too?

I don't think we were raised very differently at all. I was raised to not be wasteful because my parents were (and still are) very hardworking people. Some of the things I was raised with include turning off lights when you leave a room, don't leave water running, etc. We were raised this way because my parents didn't want to spend the money on unnecessary bills.

As I said, I have no issues with anyone trying to conserve resources. I do have an issue with you and anyone else labeling others as "immoral" because of what they choose to drive. I still can't understand how driving and SUV or whatever automatically makes you
"immoral". WTF?

As far as littering goes, I never brought that up and I'm not sure what that has to do with anything. I'll respond anyway. People who litter are trashy and those are the people who truly don't care about anyone else. I have no respect for people who litter and I think the world would be a better place without them. I'm not even talking about the people who throw their gum wrapper or banana peel out the window. I'm talking about the assholes who throw entire bags (think McDonalds, Burger King) out the window. People who litter and people who drive SUVs have nothing in common as far as I'm concerned.

Driving a SUV doesn't make you "immoral". I just believe in using the right tool for the job. I personally have a Chevy 4x4 pickup that only gets 16 - 19 hiway mpg, but I also have a car that gets a little over 30 mpg and an econo car that gets 45 mpg.

I don't drive the gas hog unless I need to, such as my trip to Grand Targhee 2 1/2 months ago.

 

[Rogodin2]

Has it ever occured to you that many of the people you see in SUVs and Trucks alone cannot afford a commuter vehicle so they drive the one they need for all those other duties your not privledge to see?

That's the most ignorant statement I've read on these forums.

There is NO REASON for an SUV. There are not 'other duties' that they fullfill (luxury and waste-pulling, a boat or trailer with your stupid big family is not a duty) and whoever can affort a SUV, boat, or trailer sure as hell can affort a decent audi/saab/vw station wagon to transport the kiddies with.

The sad fact is that I see SUVS and Lifted 4x4 quad cab monsters with only one person in them-this is on I-90 with exits every 20 miles. It's such a waste.


Rogo

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: 1EZduzit
Driving a SUV doesn't make you "immoral". I just believe in using the right tool for the job. I personally have a Chevy 4x4 pickup that only gets 16 - 19 hiway mpg, but I also have a car that gets a little over 30 mpg and an econo car that gets 45 mpg.

I don't drive the gas hog unless I need to, such as my trip to Grand Targhee 2 1/2 months ago.

You have three cars? My wife and I have one. I wonder how many more resources and fossil fuels were used in the creation of your three vehicles, and will the better mileage balance out that environmental cost?

I say I'm more moral than you are. Just saying.

 

[DealMonkey]

Originally posted by: rbV5

True or false: Large SUVs and light trucks use more gas than passenger cars?

I'd say false. Large SUV's and light trucks are likely a much smaller percentage of total number of automobiles with the exception of some regional areas. They are typically driven shorter distances as well. I'd be guessing, but passenger cars probably consume by a large margin more gas overall annually than all the large SUV's and light trucks put together.

I didn't say "percentage of..." I said head-to-head: A passenger car vs a Light Truck/Big Truck/SUV. Of course the MPG advantage goes to the passenger car.

Of course I have a point. My life experience has shown me that the folks that yell the loudest from their soapbox, or behave in the most judgemental fashion, generally have the biggest skeletons in the closet. They themslves wouldn't fare well under the same scrutiny they reserve for others.

People like that don't want to know the "facts", they just need a marketing rally point like "SUV" the rest they can make up for themselves.

Here's some of my vehicle use facts;

*I work 12 hour shifts reducing my commutes to 7 days every 14 days instead of the normal 10.
*My commute to work is a grand total of 2.5 miles, mostly rural highway.
*I often bike to work, sometimes for months on end.
*I drive my more fuel efficient Tiburon 1/3 of the time.
*I have a family of 5, camp outdoors regularly and pull a trailer full of gear.
*I drive over the mountain passes in the winter to visit the coast to the West and snowboard to the East.

My SUV is a good choice for me, I like it and it's comfortable.

I commute 0 miles to work. I operate a business from my home. Beat that.

 

[DealMonkey]

Check this stat:

Americans own 200 million vehicles--125 million cars, and 75 million light trucks

So it's more of a 1/3 own trucks/SUVs, 2/3 own cars split.

http://www.reason.com/news/show/34283.html

 

[Pabster]

$4+ Gas Prices Great News!

Sadly, the guy is right. I suspect the figure is $5+ before Americans really start to change their ways.

 

[Rogodin2]

If you factor in the cost of transportaion, cultivation, harvest, processing of the food you buy at safeway it honestly doesn't matter. Once diesel reaches $5.00 per gallon you poor bastardds won't be able to purchase food at your safeway/albertons/FP and Kroeger.



Godspeed lads.

Rogo

 

[1EZduzit]

Originally posted by: BoberFett

Originally posted by: 1EZduzit
Driving a SUV doesn't make you "immoral". I just believe in using the right tool for the job. I personally have a Chevy 4x4 pickup that only gets 16 - 19 hiway mpg, but I also have a car that gets a little over 30 mpg and an econo car that gets 45 mpg.

I don't drive the gas hog unless I need to, such as my trip to Grand Targhee 2 1/2 months ago.

You have three cars? My wife and I have one. I wonder how many more resources and fossil fuels were used in the creation of your three vehicles, and will the better mileage balance out that environmental cost?

I say I'm more moral than you are. Just saying.

I run all my cars till they don't go anymore, do you? If you know a more efficent way to use resources then that I'm all ears.

 

[JD50]

Originally posted by: Rogodin2

Has it ever occured to you that many of the people you see in SUVs and Trucks alone cannot afford a commuter vehicle so they drive the one they need for all those other duties your not privledge to see?

That's the most ignorant statement I've read on these forums.

There is NO REASON for an SUV. There are not 'other duties' that they fullfill (luxury and waste-pulling, a boat or trailer with your stupid big family is not a duty) and whoever can affort a SUV, boat, or trailer sure as hell can affort a decent audi/saab/vw station wagon to transport the kiddies with.

The sad fact is that I see SUVS and Lifted 4x4 quad cab monsters with only one person in them-this is on I-90 with exits every 20 miles. It's such a waste.


Rogo

Wow, the irony in this one is strong.

BTW, who the hell are you to tell people what they can and can't afford?

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Rogodin2
If you factor in the cost of transportaion, cultivation, harvest, processing of the food you buy at safeway it honestly doesn't matter. Once diesel reaches $5.00 per gallon you poor bastardds won't be able to purchase food at your safeway/albertons/FP and Kroeger.



Godspeed lads.

Rogo

:roll:

 

[Eos]

Originally posted by: Enig101
I saw one of those Excursions today on my college campus. I absolutely can not fathom why anyone would need one of those. It is sort of surreal how large and ridiculous they are.

As BoomerD has pointed out a couple times in this thread, not everyone fits in econobox. I have a very long torso. 6'5"-ish with a 32" inseam. When I try to get into most cars, I tilt my head over and then bang my head on the upper door frame. I just can't get in.

The Excursion has no center console going from the dash to the floor. This makes it different from the Expedition by having a larger cockpit. More leg room. Also, no egress issues. I can sit on the seat and clear the upper door frame.

 

[CyberDuck]

Originally posted by: Pabster
$4+ Gas Prices Great News!

Sadly, the guy is right. I suspect the figure is $5+ before Americans really start to change their ways.

Most likely you are right, and maybe thats even to low.

From the article you posted:

While light trucks and SUVs accounted for 19 percent of all vehicles sold in the United States in 1975, the percentage grew to 50 percent by 2005. By 2015, light trucks and SUVs are projected to account for 52 percent of all new U.S. car sales, according to EIA projections.


My opinion: This is insane! I have nothing against you buying a light truck or an SUV if you are a soccer mom with quintuplets, a concert bass player, or a rancher in Montana.

But when I see these ever-growing vehicles driving through Miami -- where I have yet to find a hill, let alone a mountain -- with just one person inside, carrying nothing, I can only conclude that America deserves the foreign oil-rich despots that are causing so much trouble.

As long as America doesn't get serious about reducing oil consumption, petro-dictators will grow stronger, and there will be more of them. So when I see $3.41 gas prices, I say: ''Bravo!'' The sooner we get to $4, the better!

I knew it was bad, but not that it was THAT bad, 50% of car sales..! Yes, The U.S. really need much, much higher fuel prices. Unfortunaltely the rest of the world also will have to live with much higher prices because of the U.S. squandering, but i think we will have less problems since at least Europe already have much higher prices than the U.S. and can lower taxes if necessary. Personnaly i don't car much about the prices, they can double (to 14$ / gallon) without me worrying. Others might not fare so well.

Regards

Jostein

 

[DealMonkey]

Originally posted by: eos

Originally posted by: Enig101
I saw one of those Excursions today on my college campus. I absolutely can not fathom why anyone would need one of those. It is sort of surreal how large and ridiculous they are.

As BoomerD has pointed out a couple times in this thread, not everyone fits in econobox. I have a very long torso. 6'5"-ish with a 32" inseam. When I try to get into most cars, I tilt my head over and then bang my head on the upper door frame. I just can't get in.

The Excursion has no center console going from the dash to the floor. This makes it different from the Expedition by having a larger cockpit. More leg room. Also, no egress issues. I can sit on the seat and clear the upper door frame.

How much do you weigh?

 

[BarneyFife]

Funny. I'm looking at getting rid of my car and purchasing a Hummer even as gas prices go up.

Why? Well if you work on roadway construction sites, its not that easy manuevering with your vehicle in dirt/mud/gravel.

Safety reasons. I'm one of the "selfish" people that don't give a crap about other drivers. If I get into an accident, I only care about myself and rightfully so.

Finally, my workplace will pay for gas. I'll leave the asian econo boxes for the rest of you.

 

[CyberDuck]

You should buy an M1 Abrams, sure nobody would argue that you need one, and the company will pay the gas so then everythings fine. Who knows, there might some day be a tree or an armed desperado to run over. Can't let that happen with out beeing prepared.

 

[Jaskalas]

Originally posted by: eos

Originally posted by: Enig101
I saw one of those Excursions today on my college campus. I absolutely can not fathom why anyone would need one of those. It is sort of surreal how large and ridiculous they are.

As BoomerD has pointed out a couple times in this thread, not everyone fits in econobox. I have a very long torso. 6'5"-ish with a 32" inseam. When I try to get into most cars, I tilt my head over and then bang my head on the upper door frame. I just can't get in.

The Excursion has no center console going from the dash to the floor. This makes it different from the Expedition by having a larger cockpit. More leg room. Also, no egress issues. I can sit on the seat and clear the upper door frame.

... we have some issues if people don't fit into Expeditions. :laugh:

 

[DealMonkey]

Originally posted by: BarneyFife
Funny. I'm looking at getting rid of my car and purchasing a Hummer even as gas prices go up.

Why? Well if you work on roadway construction sites, its not that easy manuevering with your vehicle in dirt/mud/gravel.

Safety reasons. I'm one of the "selfish" people that don't give a crap about other drivers. If I get into an accident, I only care about myself and rightfully so.

Finally, my workplace will pay for gas. I'll leave the asian econo boxes for the rest of you.

Hummers are actually just modified Suburbans. Their off-road capabilities are quite lame. You'd be better off buying an FJ Cruiser or something that actually performs off-road.

In any event, I'll just modify my "asian econobox" with a ramp/wedge on each side, so if you get anywhere near me, you and your Hummer will flip right over. Seems fair, right? I mean, you don't give two craps about anyone else's life, why should we care about yours?

See you on the freeways!

 

[DealMonkey]

Originally posted by: Jaskalas

Originally posted by: eos

Originally posted by: Enig101
I saw one of those Excursions today on my college campus. I absolutely can not fathom why anyone would need one of those. It is sort of surreal how large and ridiculous they are.

As BoomerD has pointed out a couple times in this thread, not everyone fits in econobox. I have a very long torso. 6'5"-ish with a 32" inseam. When I try to get into most cars, I tilt my head over and then bang my head on the upper door frame. I just can't get in.

The Excursion has no center console going from the dash to the floor. This makes it different from the Expedition by having a larger cockpit. More leg room. Also, no egress issues. I can sit on the seat and clear the upper door frame.

... we have some issues if people don't fit into Expeditions. :laugh:

No kidding. That must be an undeclared statistic driving ginormous SUV sales: fat lardos who can't fit in anything else and are too out of shape to bend slightly at the waist to enter and exit their vehicles. Lay off the donuts, folks!

 

[CyberDuck]

Originally posted by: DealMonkey

Originally posted by: Jaskalas

Originally posted by: eos

Originally posted by: Enig101
I saw one of those Excursions today on my college campus. I absolutely can not fathom why anyone would need one of those. It is sort of surreal how large and ridiculous they are.

As BoomerD has pointed out a couple times in this thread, not everyone fits in econobox. I have a very long torso. 6'5"-ish with a 32" inseam. When I try to get into most cars, I tilt my head over and then bang my head on the upper door frame. I just can't get in.

The Excursion has no center console going from the dash to the floor. This makes it different from the Expedition by having a larger cockpit. More leg room. Also, no egress issues. I can sit on the seat and clear the upper door frame.

... we have some issues if people don't fit into Expeditions. :laugh:

No kidding. That must be an undeclared statistic driving ginormous SUV sales: fat lardos who can't fit in anything else and are too out of shape to bend slightly at the waist to enter and exit their vehicles. Lay off the donuts, folks!

This graph might explain a bit of the SUV-popularity

BMI>30 chart

 

[BarneyFife]

Originally posted by: DealMonkey

Originally posted by: BarneyFife
Funny. I'm looking at getting rid of my car and purchasing a Hummer even as gas prices go up.

Why? Well if you work on roadway construction sites, its not that easy manuevering with your vehicle in dirt/mud/gravel.

Safety reasons. I'm one of the "selfish" people that don't give a crap about other drivers. If I get into an accident, I only care about myself and rightfully so.

Finally, my workplace will pay for gas. I'll leave the asian econo boxes for the rest of you.

Hummers are actually just modified Suburbans. Their off-road capabilities are quite lame. You'd be better off buying an FJ Cruiser or something that actually performs off-road.

In any event, I'll just modify my "asian econobox" with a ramp/wedge on each side, so if you get anywhere near me, you and your Hummer will flip right over. Seems fair, right? I mean, you don't give two craps about anyone else's life, why should we care about yours?

See you on the freeways!

If you run into me with your econobox, you have no chance LOL!

 

[DealMonkey]

Originally posted by: BarneyFife
If you run into me with your econobox, you have no chance LOL!

My modified wedge-shaped econo-box will flip your ass! FTW!

I'll laugh as I drive through your wreckage!

 

[exdeath]

Originally posted by: DealMonkey

Originally posted by: BarneyFife
If you run into me with your econobox, you have no chance LOL!

My modified wedge-shaped econo-box will flip your ass! FTW!

I'll laugh as I drive through your wreckage!

Some Mad Max-Carmageddon-Twisted Metal sh1t right there! w00t!

I recall the wedge shape was the final evolution of the battle bot stuff; can't flip them, thick armor that provides a glancing angle to deflect stuff, can flip the others over, etc. :laugh:

 

[DealMonkey]

Originally posted by: exdeath
I recall the wedge shape was the final evolution of the battle bot stuff; can't flip them, thick armor that provides a glancing angle to deflect stuff, can flip the others over, etc. :laugh:

That's exactly what I want to reproduce in a small economic passenger car!