SUV's aren't bad...

[Triumph]

It's the people who needlessly buy them who are.

Listening to an automotive radio show here in the DC area on 106.7 (I can't remember the name of the show). People call in, ask the guy questions about their cars, he gives them (sometimes bad) advice. So this guy calls in, asking about his Ford Excursion. He loves everything about it except the gas mileage, and wants to do something to improve it.
Caller: I bought it for my wife for around town, going to the grocery store, taking the kids to practice, etc.
Host: What engine do you have?
Caller: The V10. Will an exhaust system or an increased airflow filter help?
Host: If you're hauling a trailer through the mountains, you might see a 1/2 mpg increase.
Caller: No, the only thing I'm hauling is people.

This guy buys a 10 CYLINDER, 6,000 Pound Vehicle for his wife to go to the freaking grocery store, which is bad enough in itself, and then he complains about the 9 mpg he's getting? Here's a revelation: buy a smaller vehicle! It's pretty obvious he made an impractical purchasing decision, so what was the motivating factor for buying this behemoth? If people weren't so engrossed with having the latest/largest/most powerful/most ostentatious vehicle available, I think the world would be a better place. And you can argue all you want that he can spend his money however he wants, which is true. But his decision DOES affect people around him.

 

[Anubis]

its not that SUV"s are bad its that stupid peopel dont use them for what they are made for. thats the problim

 

[WinkOsmosis]

People just don't care. The ignorance of some people really is amazing. Whenever I wonder if the average IQ is really 100, I remember people who use these SUVs to cart around their one kid and groceries.
About three of my friend's neighbors just got Suburbans. One family has one kid, and traded in their Explorer for a Suburban. What are these people thinking??

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: TheEvil1
its not that SUV"s are bad its that stupid peopel dont use them for what they are made for. thats the problim

What do you think SUVs are made for? They aren't made for offroading, they aren't made for hauling cement. They aren't made for carrying lots of people. They are made for having the ability to carry lots of people should the need ever happen to arrive while looking macho as all good yuppie status symbols should.

 

[Anubis]

they simply arnt thinking. we had a suburban a whil ago BUT we have a 5 person faimily and we made a 2 hour ski trip with all of us and ski gear every weekend so it was needed. Then we got a GMC Saffari. Didnt need the suburban anymore it was too big. had that for a while mom use it to cart things around. now we have a Durango cause we got a sweet deal on it and my mom dosent like driving small cars. she uses it for her busniess and its all good. we even tow crap every now and then. I take it off roadin and its great in the snow. just this past week i drive it to VT with some friends and a bunch of ski stuff. there was 3 Feet of snow there. it came in handy. and i use it to pull a cuple peopel out of snow banks. we use our cars to 90% of their ability. and dont drive them to be yuppy or macho

 

[Spac3d]

Why do you guys always care what other people drive.

I used to drive a Landcruiser, and it was usually just me on my commute 35miles each way. So what? You gonna sue me for that because I should have bought a smaller car?

So this guy is kinda strange buying a huge SUV for his wife, but he is spending his money on it, not yours, so let him be an idiot complaining about gas mileage.

Spac3d

 

[StageLeft]

It's silly. I hope that his v10 costs him $50k/year in gas mileage. What useless exorbitance.

 

[no0b]

Why do you guys always care what other people drive.

They pollute heavily, they use alot of gas, if in an accident with a car the person in the car has little chance, alot of dumbass SUV drivers drive 60 on icey roads causing major pileups. They have a tendancy to flip.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I drive a 99 Jeep Cherokee....it's my commuter. I get around 16-18MPG in it. I like it because I'm 6'4" and can't drive a small vehicle as easily. It's got a 187HP 4.0L I6 stock and has plenty of power. I want to get a boat or Jet Ski pretty soon just to have fun this summer and I like the fact that I have something that I can use to pull that...and something I can use for my camping/mountain biking/hiking trips. The cool thing is that this isn't a big truck, but there's space in it and I can actually haul a lot of stuff in it if I need to...and it's a lot more practical than a Jeep Liberty because it's not as pretty.

I laugh every time I see some banker-type in a H2.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: TheEvil1
they simply arnt thinking. we had a suburban a whil ago BUT we have a 5 person faimily and we made a 2 hour ski trip with all of us and ski gear every weekend so it was needed. Then we got a GMC Saffari. Didnt need the suburban anymore it was too big. had that for a while mom use it to cart things around. now we have a Durango cause we got a sweet deal on it and my mom dosent like driving small cars. she uses it for her busniess and its all good. we even tow crap every now and then. I take it off roadin and its great in the snow. just this past week i drive it to VT with some friends and a bunch of ski stuff. there was 3 Feet of snow there. it came in handy. and i use it to pull a cuple peopel out of snow banks. we use our cars to 90% of their ability. and dont drive them to be yuppy or macho

That is their ability, but not what they are built to do. They are built to cater to people who don' t need them, since they make up the vast majority of sales.

 

[Anubis]

spweaking of the H2 a Doc in my town just got one. I know him. actually have an appointment with him on teusday. gonna ask him if i can take it for a spin.

is pointless tho i do agree. especially considering my friends 92 4-runner has more clearence then an H2

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: Jellomancer

Originally posted by: TheEvil1
they simply arnt thinking. we had a suburban a whil ago BUT we have a 5 person faimily and we made a 2 hour ski trip with all of us and ski gear every weekend so it was needed. Then we got a GMC Saffari. Didnt need the suburban anymore it was too big. had that for a while mom use it to cart things around. now we have a Durango cause we got a sweet deal on it and my mom dosent like driving small cars. she uses it for her busniess and its all good. we even tow crap every now and then. I take it off roadin and its great in the snow. just this past week i drive it to VT with some friends and a bunch of ski stuff. there was 3 Feet of snow there. it came in handy. and i use it to pull a cuple peopel out of snow banks. we use our cars to 90% of their ability. and dont drive them to be yuppy or macho

That is their ability, but not what they are built to do. They are built to cater to people who don' t need them, since they make up the vast majority of sales.

well we get a lot of use out of the ones we have had and without them the stuff we do would be really hard. so im just sayin some people use them for their ability and what they can do

 

[iamwiz82]

I have 2 SUVs, one is a daily driver and the other is not.. The one that is not get well under 10mpg

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: Spac3d
Why do you guys always care what other people drive.

I used to drive a Landcruiser, and it was usually just me on my commute 35miles each way. So what? You gonna sue me for that because I should have bought a smaller car?

So this guy is kinda strange buying a huge SUV for his wife, but he is spending his money on it, not yours, so let him be an idiot complaining about gas mileage.

Spac3d

You didn't read my comment, did you? Yes it is his choice how he spends his money. But it AFFECTS OTHERS AROUND HIM. From small scale things such as hogging parking spaces, obscuring my vision on the road, killing me in an accident, etc, to things on a much larger scale, such as dependence on foreign oil. No, he himself is not making a huge impact on the pockets of the Saudi's, but when you add up the millions of people with these cars, yes it makes a difference. To majorly simplify it; if we didn't depend on foreign oil, we would have a lot less problems.

 

[conjur]

OHH...if *I'd* been that radio host I'd no longer have a job after I told that person what I thought of them

 

[PreDatoR]

y'all just have to bitch about everything don't you... I have a 72 Chevy truck with a 350HP v8 thats get 12mpg i drive it daily... I also USE my truck for hauling sh!t around and pulling trailers. come to my house and bitch at me cause i drive a gas hog and you'll have a shotgun stuffed in your mouth. It isn't any of your FVCKING BUSINESS what people drive... Damn tree huggers need to be SHOT!

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: PreDatoR
y'all just have to bitch about everything don't you... I have a 72 Chevy truck with a 350HP v8 thats get 12mpg i drive it daily... I also USE my truck for hauling sh!t around and pulling trailers. come to my house and bitch at me cause i drive a gas hog and you'll have a shotgun stuffed in your mouth. It isn't any of your FVCKING BUSINESS what people drive... Damn tree huggers need to be SHOT!

READ THE THREAD. NO ONE HATES PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY USE THEIR TRUCKS. For Christ's sake....
You should hate SUV and yuppie truck people even more than we do for making you look bad. You use your truck, they don't.

We would all be better off if people who made use of their vehicles didn't take the side of apathetic suburban trash.

 

[911paramedic]

This thread is soooo 2002.

 

[js1973]

PreDatoR

So how are things in the trailer park these days?

 

[Excelsior]

Predator - Chill out man. Anyone who needs a truck, of course, should have one. The person who started this thread was talking about the moms who get SUVs that chug gas like a biatch, and how they don't need them. And about how they complain when they get low gas mileage.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Jellomancer

Originally posted by: PreDatoR
y'all just have to bitch about everything don't you... I have a 72 Chevy truck with a 350HP v8 thats get 12mpg i drive it daily... I also USE my truck for hauling sh!t around and pulling trailers. come to my house and bitch at me cause i drive a gas hog and you'll have a shotgun stuffed in your mouth. It isn't any of your FVCKING BUSINESS what people drive... Damn tree huggers need to be SHOT!

READ THE THREAD. NO ONE HATES PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY USE THEIR TRUCKS. For Christ's sake....
You should hate SUV and yuppie truck people even more than we do for making you look bad. You use your truck, they don't.

We would all be better off if people who made use of their vehicles didn't take the side of apathetic suburban trash.

By your definition, people who buy Ferraris and don't drive them at 180 MPH make people who DO drive their Ferraris at 180MPH look bad.
Or, if you buy a Honda Accord and don't fill it up with 4 passengers, you're "wasting space


Comeon, this discussion is circular in logic and has no right/wrong answer. People buy what they want, people do what they want. BIG DEAL!

 

[Grasshopper27]

I drive a Suburban.

I don't have kids, I don't haul a ton of stuff, and I'm not gonna sell it.

I like a big truck, lots of interior room, nice ride height, plenty of comfort features, etc.

You guys can all drive whatever you like, but I'll keep my Suburban thank you very much.

 

[NFS4]

I also don't hear you people bitching about the millions of 70-80 year old grandmas and grandpas that drive around in their HUGE V8 powered, land yacht, 8 MPG 70's vintage battlecruisers. I know you all have seen 'em on the road. They're everywhere cutting people off and drving 55MPH in the 65MPH zone.

And what about the old folks in their huge "newer" Lincoln Town Cars and Grand Marquis? Usually, its only the husband and wife driving this HUGE battle axe.

But they have the right to buy whatever they want so I don't bust their balls about it.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Jellomancer

Originally posted by: PreDatoR
y'all just have to bitch about everything don't you... I have a 72 Chevy truck with a 350HP v8 thats get 12mpg i drive it daily... I also USE my truck for hauling sh!t around and pulling trailers. come to my house and bitch at me cause i drive a gas hog and you'll have a shotgun stuffed in your mouth. It isn't any of your FVCKING BUSINESS what people drive... Damn tree huggers need to be SHOT!

READ THE THREAD. NO ONE HATES PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY USE THEIR TRUCKS. For Christ's sake....
You should hate SUV and yuppie truck people even more than we do for making you look bad. You use your truck, they don't.

We would all be better off if people who made use of their vehicles didn't take the side of apathetic suburban trash.

By your definition, people who buy Ferraris and don't drive them at 180 MPH make people who DO drive their Ferraris at 180MPH look bad.
Or, if you buy a Honda Accord and don't fill it up with 4 passengers, you're "wasting space


Comeon, this discussion is circular in logic and has no right/wrong answer. People buy what they want, people do what they want. BIG DEAL!

Thank you. You hit the nail on the head with this one NFS4.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Jellomancer

Originally posted by: PreDatoR
y'all just have to bitch about everything don't you... I have a 72 Chevy truck with a 350HP v8 thats get 12mpg i drive it daily... I also USE my truck for hauling sh!t around and pulling trailers. come to my house and bitch at me cause i drive a gas hog and you'll have a shotgun stuffed in your mouth. It isn't any of your FVCKING BUSINESS what people drive... Damn tree huggers need to be SHOT!

READ THE THREAD. NO ONE HATES PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY USE THEIR TRUCKS. For Christ's sake....
You should hate SUV and yuppie truck people even more than we do for making you look bad. You use your truck, they don't.

We would all be better off if people who made use of their vehicles didn't take the side of apathetic suburban trash.

By your definition, people who buy Ferraris and don't drive them at 180 MPH make people who DO drive their Ferraris at 180MPH look bad.
Or, if you buy a Honda Accord and don't fill it up with 4 passengers, you're "wasting space


Comeon, this discussion is circular in logic and has no right/wrong answer. People buy what they want, people do what they want. BIG DEAL!

There is a difference between not filling an Accord with 4 people and not towing with an SUV. With an Accord, the ability to carry 4 or 5 people comes with little or no penalty to fuel economy or emissions, compared with a 2 seater like a Miata. A Ferrari is a different story, but the fact is that a Ferrari will be driven maybe 100 miles per year, and the numbers are so miniscule that it doesn't matter what mileage they get. The same thing applies to 700hp hot rods. The problem with SUVs is their number. Something like 52% of new cars sold last year were SUVs. That's a problem, just like it would be a problem if 52% of new cars sold were 400hp Ferraris.