Originally posted by: Eeezee
I guess PokerGuy, funboy, and elfear are too full of elitist fail to respond to my comments.
Oh come on. I think you just want to argue about something and no one was around.
Three kids tend to take a bit of ones time so you'll pardon me for not being too prompt in my reply.
Originally posted by: Eeezee
I'm not even talking about little tiny cars. I drive a Camry and it gets around 30 MPG. It is far from what I'd call an "econobox". It's practically a luxury vehicle.
Also, hybrids get better acceleration than any standard gas vehicle. Anyone who says "I need better acceleration, that's why I can never drive a hybrid" has never driven an electric or hybrid car and actually put their foot on the pedal.
You're right about the hybrid counterparts generally having better acceleration but to me that's like saying the 5-yr old on the bigwheel is faster than the 4-yr old. There are only a select few hybrids that even qualify as performance cars (Lexus LS 600h maybe) and they are still big cars that aren't that fuel efficient (Lexus LS 600h gets 20/22mpg). Most of the other hybrids are just not very exciting. Malibu hits 0-60 in 9.2s, Fusion in 8.5s, Camry in 7.6s, and the Altima in 7.1s. The fastest of the bunch would be considered boring by most car enthusiasts. There is just not much out there that evokes maniacal grins when floored and says hybrid on the trunk lid.
I understand that some people just like to drive SUVs, but it has become a huge fad to drive them. That's why it's smart for people to be reminded from time to time that it's wasteful, and in the long run they're needlessly increasing fuel prices. We have millions of people here, so there is no doubt that some will remember and not buy the SUV even though it's trendy.
Purchasing gas guzzlers only drives up fuel prices and causes fuel efficiency development to stagnate. They're a necessity for some people, but there are too many SUVs out there that have never hauled more than a few bags of groceries.
Purchasing + using a truck or SUV causes gas prices to increase, so it makes sense to remind others that they should use a fuel efficient vehicle whenever possible. Why do you disagree with this? No one is forcing people to not drive SUVs or trucks, it's just a reminder that you're needlessly increasing gas prices if you don't really need one.
I don't like being reminded of that for the same reason you don't like being reminded of all the things you could be more conservative with yet choose not to because you enjoy those things.
My electricity and heat is all nuclear, so I'm not sure what you're trying to get at. How many people really get their electricity from gasoline?
I was referring to natural gas actually which is another finite resource. The same argument can be applied to any depleting resource.
Or are you trying to compare electricity prices to gasoline prices? I'm sorry, but you're going to lose that argument every time. The huge difference in consumption for what you're talking about isn't even funny. You're burning extra $50 bills each month for an SUV while I'm burning $1 bills for having a slightly larger TV. I rarely drive (I commute by bike, I live near my work), and even with low fuel prices right now my gasoline budget is always several times greater than my electricity bill.
I'm not finger wagging at anyone, I'm reminding them that it's wasteful, which was the point of the OP anyway. If you want an SUV enough to waste fuel (and pay a lot more for fuel down the line), then by all means, ignore wisdom and purchase one. Just don't come crying when fuel prices go up again.
I'm not trying to directly compare electricity costs to gasoline. My point is that you are trying to dissuade people from driving fuel inefficient vehicles by telling them they are wasting resources. Can the same not be said about any expenditure that is made for something above the bare minimum? The plasma TV we used to own consumed 42 times as much energy as the 10" TV we have. That is a much greater disparity than the difference between a hybrid and an SUV. Are you being wasteful because you don't watch TV on the bare minimum?
People spend their money on the hobbies and entertainment they like. Just because someone spends their money on fun automobiles, something you don't find particularly interesting, doesn't mean they are irresponsible. Are there people out there who will be sorry they bought an SUV when prices jump back up? Sure, but don't try to group everyone who doesn't drive a SmartFortwo or hybrid into that category.
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