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SUV drivers, what would make u give yours up?

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Lardbutt

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Those of you driving SUVs or trucks should read this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050915/ap_on_re_us/energy_poll

Apparently most people want you guys to give up your SUVs. Would you consider trading yours in for a more fuel efficient vechicle, for the good of the economy and the environment?

I guess this is a free country, no one can force you what to dive. But if I were an SUV owner it would be hard for me to drive with a clear conscience these days.
 
You guys are retarded. Let me run through a few scenarios for you apparently unmarried, single, kidless folks:

Tomorrow I'm taking some of the New Orleans folks to the Children's Museum. In my back seat will be 3 child seats and in the rear will be 2 strapped down strollers and a dog. On the top rack will be the dogs kennel and picnic supplies. The only other vehicle capable of carrying the load in anywhere near a similar manner will be a minivan which gets the same gas mileage as my RX300.

Next week I will be transporting several pets from my neighborhood to the park for a "pets day out" thing sponsored by my home owners association. All of the dogs will be in the rear area with 1-2 passengers on teh back seat.

Feeding a house of 17 people requires considerable resources and of course - space. We load the crap out of the RX in order to have to only make one trip to the store.


I'm getting between 19 and 21 MPG consistently with the AC on and generally churning around 75MPH - what are you getting? Most minivans are actually getting WORSE gas mileage than I am as are most sports cars and trucks and I'm doing as good as most luxury cars, It has been said that America makes stupid opinions without knowing ANY of the facts and this article and the responses in this thread thus far clearly illustrate America's ignorance on this topic. The average car in america only gets 17-25 MPG!


What's more, your retarded source can't make up its mine on whether it wants to incite people to read the article or report on the facts:

Here is what the article actually says
"_Just over eight in 10 want higher fuel efficiency required for cars, trucks and SUVs."
 
Phoenix said:
You guys are retarded. Let me run through a few scenarios for you apparently unmarried, single, kidless folks:

Tomorrow I'm taking some of the New Orleans folks to the Children's Museum. In my back seat will be 3 child seats and in the rear will be 2 strapped down strollers and a dog. On the top rack will be the dogs kennel and picnic supplies. The only other vehicle capable of carrying the load in anywhere near a similar manner will be a minivan which gets the same gas mileage as my RX300.

Next week I will be transporting several pets from my neighborhood to the park for a "pets day out" thing sponsored by my home owners association. All of the dogs will be in the rear area with 1-2 passengers on teh back seat.

Feeding a house of 17 people requires considerable resources and of course - space. We load the crap out of the RX in order to have to only make one trip to the store.


I'm getting between 19 and 21 MPG consistently with the AC on and generally churning around 75MPH - what are you getting? Most minivans are actually getting WORSE gas mileage than I am as are most sports cars and trucks.


What's more, your retarded source can't make up its mine on whether it wants to incite people to read the article or report on the facts:

Here is what the article actually says
"_Just over eight in 10 want higher fuel efficiency required for cars, trucks and SUVs."
Click to expand...

Hey, if you need it and can get utility out of a SUV, so be it.

If you're driving around shopping for groceries by yourself in one... damn. Just damn.
 
Zaptruder said:
Hey, if you need it and can get utility out of a SUV, so be it.

If you're driving around shopping for groceries by yourself in one... damn. Just damn.
Click to expand...

You're likely in the same MPG range as all SUVs and everyone else in the world 17-23. What are you driving so we can pull up its actual MPG rating and compare?
 
Phoenix said:
You're likely in the same MPG range as all SUVs and everyone else in the world 17-23. What are you driving so we can pull up its actual MPG rating and compare?
Click to expand...

Can't speak for him (or 'everyone else in the world'), but I'm driving a Skoda Octavia 1.9TDi Elegance, running at 54MPG according to Parkers.
 
iapetus said:
Can't speak for him (or 'everyone else in the world'), but I'm driving a Skoda Octavia 1.9TDi Elegance, running at 54MPG according to Parkers.
Click to expand...

Well if you're driving in the US - you are certainly good for the economy but since you're using US grade diesel you're definitely worse for the environment :)
 
Phoenix said:
You guys are retarded. Let me run through a few scenarios for you apparently unmarried, single, kidless folks:

Tomorrow I'm taking some of the New Orleans folks to the Children's Museum. In my back seat will be 3 child seats and in the rear will be 2 strapped down strollers and a dog. On the top rack will be the dogs kennel and picnic supplies. The only other vehicle capable of carrying the load in anywhere near a similar manner will be a minivan which gets the same gas mileage as my RX300.

Next week I will be transporting several pets from my neighborhood to the park for a "pets day out" thing sponsored by my home owners association. All of the dogs will be in the rear area with 1-2 passengers on teh back seat.

Feeding a house of 17 people requires considerable resources and of course - space. We load the crap out of the RX in order to have to only make one trip to the store.


I'm getting between 19 and 21 MPG consistently with the AC on and generally churning around 75MPH - what are you getting? Most minivans are actually getting WORSE gas mileage than I am as are most sports cars and trucks and I'm doing as good as most luxury cars, It has been said that America makes stupid opinions without knowing ANY of the facts and this article and the responses in this thread thus far clearly illustrate America's ignorance on this topic. The average car in america only gets 17-25 MPG!


What's more, your retarded source can't make up its mine on whether it wants to incite people to read the article or report on the facts:

Here is what the article actually says
"_Just over eight in 10 want higher fuel efficiency required for cars, trucks and SUVs."
Click to expand...

+1 for you.

My FX35 gets the same mileage as my Maxima.
 
If one of you even thinks of attempting to take our SUV from us... a reminder... we have loaded pistols in our home.

Thank you.

Instead of worrying about SUV's why not do something about those big ass black smoke belching semi's, dump trucks, etc. that are on our highways?

Thanks again.

Bottom line "most people" can kiss my ass.
 
I think the correct answer to this question would be "the return of old school station wagons," which were more-or-less outlawed by safety standards in the 80s.

In Phoenix's case, he could put the dogs or the supplies in the way-back seats.
 
you guys think that 17-23 mpg is good?!?! I'm getting around 33-38 mpg and I still wish my car were more fuel efficient. 2005 Honda Civic, standard, in case you were wondering. I just don't see how anyone can justify driving an SUV even in Phoenix's case, it just boggles my mind. Note this isn't an attack, just my opinion on the matter.
 
My wife and I USED to have a 97 Blazer and a 96 Corsica. She drove the Blazer and I drove the Corsica. I was kind of against the Blazer since it's just us and a 3 year old, but then I remembered what hell it was going on vacation twice last year in the Corsica so we got it. It was only like $4000 so no big deal. Well, it blew the transmission and we won't have the uhh...so called "Cheddar" to fix it for another month or two and I'm back to driving our old shitty Cavalier. I guess it's okay though cause since gas prices skyrocketed, we never had to put gas in the fuckin truck. The Corsica get's decent mpg and the Cav, well, it's a 4 banger standard, you figure it out. Hopfully we'll get the truck back just in time for the gas prices to drop a little bit.

I'm currently trying to convice her to sell the truck for another car, maybe something like a buick that's a bit bigger than the Corsica.
 
ZombieSupaStar said:
i guess its more of the suv soccer mommin bandwagoners



which i see alot of on the road.
Click to expand...

Yeah, this is obviously aimed at the soccer moms (and people like them) who don't need the space and utility of an SUV; people who could just as easily be served with a minivan or one of the station wagons on the market.

The thing is very few people who own SUVs actually need them, that's why I really have no sympathy when gas prices bite them in the ass, or smarmy reporters write articles like this and they all get in a huff. :)
 
max_cool said:
you guys think that 17-23 mpg is good?!?! I'm getting around 33-38 mpg and I still wish my car were more fuel efficient. 2005 Honda Civic, standard, in case you were wondering. I just don't see how anyone can justify driving an SUV even in Phoenix's case, it just boggles my mind. Note this isn't an attack, just my opinion on the matter.
Click to expand...

Not everyone's single. Did you even read Phoenix's post? How's he going to transport all those people and things around in a Honda Civic? He'd have to have several of them, and guess what -- that would end up using MORE gas than his single SUV.

You have to realize that your needs don't represent everyone else's.

As to the station wagon comment, if you can find a full-sized station wagon with 3 rows of seating that gets significantly better gas mileage than the SUVs mentioned here, please let us know.
 
xsarien said:
Yeah, this is obviously aimed at the soccer moms (and people like them) who don't need the space and utility of an SUV; people who could just as easily be served with a minivan or one of the station wagons on the market.
Click to expand...

Minivans and full-sized station wagons don't generally get much better gas mileage than SUVs. And "Soccer moms" are so-named because they cart kids around to soccer practice. They're always hauling kids, groceries, etc. around, and so yes, they DO need the space. Just because you see someone driving by themselves in an SUV (or any other type of vehicle) does not automatically mean that they don't ever have anyone or anything else in the vehicle. And "Soccer moms" are generally not working mothers, so the family can only afford two vehicles -- one for mom & the kids, which has to have space for everyone -- and one for Dad to drive to work.
 
SteveMeister said:
Minivans and full-sized station wagons don't generally get much better gas mileage than SUVs. And "Soccer moms" are so-named because they cart kids around to soccer practice. They're always hauling kids, groceries, etc. around, and so yes, they DO need the space.
Click to expand...

Please, you mean to tell me people weren't doing this before SUVs hit it big?
 
Phoenix said:
You guys are retarded. Let me run through a few scenarios for you apparently unmarried, single, kidless folks:

Tomorrow I'm taking some of the New Orleans folks to the Children's Museum. In my back seat will be 3 child seats and in the rear will be 2 strapped down strollers and a dog. On the top rack will be the dogs kennel and picnic supplies. The only other vehicle capable of carrying the load in anywhere near a similar manner will be a minivan which gets the same gas mileage as my RX300.

Next week I will be transporting several pets from my neighborhood to the park for a "pets day out" thing sponsored by my home owners association. All of the dogs will be in the rear area with 1-2 passengers on teh back seat.

Feeding a house of 17 people requires considerable resources and of course - space. We load the crap out of the RX in order to have to only make one trip to the store.


I'm getting between 19 and 21 MPG consistently with the AC on and generally churning around 75MPH - what are you getting? Most minivans are actually getting WORSE gas mileage than I am as are most sports cars and trucks and I'm doing as good as most luxury cars, It has been said that America makes stupid opinions without knowing ANY of the facts and this article and the responses in this thread thus far clearly illustrate America's ignorance on this topic. The average car in america only gets 17-25 MPG!


What's more, your retarded source can't make up its mine on whether it wants to incite people to read the article or report on the facts:

Here is what the article actually says
"_Just over eight in 10 want higher fuel efficiency required for cars, trucks and SUVs."
Click to expand...
Not all of us SUV haters are blind.
You use it for a good reason, people understand that.

But I couldn't tell you how many people I see driving a fuckin' Escalade with NO ONE or NOTHING in it, all the time.
 
People, I realize that you're concerned and all, but all you're going to do is keep complaining, and people are going to contrinue using their SUV's. Why do you really care? True it's not the most practical use of gasoline and it's not great for the environment, but in the end, who cares? You're not the one that has to pay $70+ for a fillup. Complaining will do nothing. Why does it even bother you how people use their vehicle? Why are you all up in people's business? Quit dippin' in other people's Kool-Aid...If they wanna be dumb, and pay double and sometimes triple in the amount of gasoline :lol , so be it. Considering all of the tractors, semi's, and utility vehicles on the road anyway, it's not really making that much of a difference economically as one may think. Live and let live. Now if you propose a plan that will actually work, and convince SUV owners to change their ways, I'm all for it.
 
"the return of old school station wagons," which were more-or-less outlawed by safety standards in the 80s.
Click to expand...

Wagons from companies like Volvo and Audi are breaking the law? :lol

Are kids safer rolling over in some SUV?

For the record, I'm not an SUV basher, though there are certainly some people who drive them for 'status' who don't need them at all. If they want to keep driving them once gas is $4.50 a gallon, they should go right ahead.
 
You know, gas mileage only means a lot if you're actually driving around a lot. We sure put a ton of emphasis on fuel economy but the biggest change you can make is to better limit, as much as possible, the amount that you do drive.

Also, proper maintainence can have a significant impact on mileage as well.

These issues are ones of public education and city planning. I'm all for demonizing people that drive a Lincoln Annihilator or what not when they don't have to, but when people live in their gated burbs and drive tons and tons of miles a year with underinflated tires and dirty filters, well, that's a problem too.
 
Actually, there is one beef I have with some SUVs, and it's not gas milage. We need standards to reduce bumper height to where an SUV isn't going to decapitate people in a car that they hit. Many SUVs have reasonable bumpers, but many do not. Street legal vehicles shouldn't have bumpers four feet off the ground, and that's just a public safety issue. It'll also keep insurance rates down, because bumper-to-bumper accidents cause much less damage.
 
BTW:

2005 Subaru Outback Wagon - 28/23
2005 Nissan Xterra V6 - 22/19

The Outback Wagon seems kind of at the low-end, too. Lots of wagons seem to be nearing 30mph highway. The Xterra above is middle of the roadish for a SUV.
 
There's no quicker way to sounding like a dopey, naive college kid than saying how SUV's are the scourge of the earth and the cause of the oil crisis. Sure, some people are being wasterful by driving these things to work every day and Hummers are just obscene no matter how you slice it, but this has always been a misguided argument. The problem is our over-reliance on gasoline and driving ourselves everywhere we want, whenever we want. Take all the SUV owners and give them more fuel efficient cars instead and we still have an oil crisis to almost the same degree and we're still over-reliant on a form of fuel we should be replacing outright. Also, a lot of SUV drivers are suburban moms going to the supermarket and other local trips, and the LOCAL gas mileage isn't so shocklingly different between SUV's and regular cars.
 
VALIS said:
There's no quicker way to sounding like a dopey, naive college kid than saying how SUV's are the scourge of the earth and the cause of the oil crisis. Sure, some people are being wasterful by driving these things to work every day and Hummers are just obscene no matter how you slice it, but this has always been a misguided argument. The problem is our over-reliance on gasoline and driving ourselves everywhere we want, whenever we want. Take all the SUV owners and give them more fuel effecient cars instead and we still have an oil crisis to almost the same segree and we're still over-reliant on a form of fuel we should be replacing outright. Also, a lot of SUV drivers are suburban moms going to the supermarket and other local trips, and the LOCAL gas mileage isn't so shocklingly different between SUV's and regular cars.
Click to expand...

And there's no quicker way to put your foot in your mouth than by calling people naive, and then not bothering to do a quick spelling/grammar check.
 
xsarien said:
And there's no quicker way to put your foot in your mouth than by calling people naive, and then not bothering to do a quick spelling/grammar check.
Click to expand...

Funny, at the same time you posted that I was already fixing that typo, but I don't understand how my argument is invalidated or even slightly diminished by accidentily pressing the "s" key, which sits right next to the "d" key. WTF? You've never had a minor typo? Jesus.
 
This seems ilke a perfect time to place all the blame on us suburban dwellers... damn I must get a double amt of hate I'm a suburban dweller and we own an SUV.... oh yeah I don't recycle either so there!
 
xsarien said:
Please, you mean to tell me people weren't doing this before SUVs hit it big?
Click to expand...

Where do you get that idea? I never said they needed SUVs in particular, I said they needed the space. And in fact, the stereotypical "soccer mom" drives a minivan, not an SUV anyway. You seemed to have pulled that inference out of thin air, I'm afraid.
 
SteveMeister said:
Where do you get that idea? I never said they needed SUVs in particular, I said they needed the space. And in fact, the stereotypical "soccer mom" drives a minivan, not an SUV anyway. You seemed to have pulled that inference out of thin air, I'm afraid.
Click to expand...

I grew up in the woefully bubbletastic suburbs of the northeast. About the only thing minivans are used for - in my experience - are history lessons on the evolution of the automobile.

"See, kids? Without daddy's GMC Envoy, you'd be going to school in a Sienna."

:: Kids swoon with curiosity, condescension ::
 
DarienA said:
This seems ilke a perfect time to place all the blame on us suburban dwellers... damn I must get a double amt of hate I'm a suburban dweller and we own an SUV.... oh yeah I don't recycle either so there!
Click to expand...

I blame everything on suburbs anyway, but at least this time it's pretty well reasoned!
 
beermonkey@tehbias said:
Actually, there is one beef I have with some SUVs, and it's not gas milage. We need standards to reduce bumper height to where an SUV isn't going to decapitate people in a car that they hit. Many SUVs have reasonable bumpers, but many do not. Street legal vehicles shouldn't have bumpers four feet off the ground, and that's just a public safety issue. It'll also keep insurance rates down, because bumper-to-bumper accidents cause much less damage.
Click to expand...

Laws vary from state to state. Most states have minimun height for bumpers, otherwise you need a different license for a "truck". Cops doing a halfassed job in enforcing, well that's another issue.
 
The biggest problem I have with SUVs is their impact on my vision and general size. Do you have to park at the end of the aisle in a parking lot, go down the middle of the aisle or roll four feet past the stop line on the street when I'm trying to turn?

Dammit! :)

In my past experience, I've found truck and SUV drivers to be less considerate -- although now that they're getting so ubiquitous I haven't found that to be the case in the last couple of years... but I still find a bit of recklessness in many truck drivers come winter, thinking four-wheel drive will allow them to tear down the road at dry-road speeds regardless of conditions.

I think a lot of SUV drivers have status on their mind, not utility (or sports, for that matter) -- and in those cases they're wasteful, but what a person does is their business... I think if people at large thought about their consumption, we could do a good job scaling back energy use, but if it takes a spike like this to make the question even relevant to most people, it'll take even more IMO, to create a significant impact on usage patterns.

Although it does bring me to my big complaint about SUVs and gas: it does grate when these same SUV drivers then moan about the price to fill up their tanks. If it costs you that much, you knew it was a fuel hog before you bought it. Suck it up.

In light of this gas crunch, I have read some neat stories in the news -- some guy in Vancouver apparently bought an SUV, took it home, did the math, then took it back the same day. What surprises me is he went and bought a Smart car.

Another touching story I read was about what people were saying at the pumps. In between the bitching and moaning, there was a guy who was filling up a Hummer, and he didn't give a damn. Turns out, he bought the Hummer because it was a shared dream for him and his son to ride like kings in this big thing. Apparently his son was terminally ill and the guy said something to the effect of "I want us to have the best damn time we can together while he's still around." Can't fault that.

Anyhow, there's a point somewhere maybe in the ramble above....
 
What the title of this post should be "SUV/Minivan/Pick-up truck/Luxury/Sports cars/anybody with AWD,4WD/anything but a civic car drivers, what would make u give yours up?"

I suppose I could replace my Explorer (16/21) with a charger (17/25) or G35 (17/24) or BMW 3 series (18/25) but it doesn't look like a big difference, does it?

It looks like your issue is everyone who isn't driving economy or midsize sedan cars, so why do SUVs get singled out?


Toyota Tacoma (pickup)
15-18

Explorer
16-21

Dodge Charger
17-25

BMW 3-series
18-25

G35
17-24

Sienna (minivan)
18-24

Subaru Impreza WRX STi
18-24

Mazda mx6
19-26

Accord
24-34

Ford Focus
26-32

Honda Civic
32-38
26-31 (Hatchback)
 
Space Age Playboy said:
SUV drivers are rich assholes who use their vehicles to make themselves feel big. Nothing will make them give them up willingly.
Click to expand...

It's people like you who bring the average IQ of GAF down to single digits.
 
Space Age Playboy said:
SUV drivers are rich assholes.
Click to expand...

Thank you I resemble that comment.

krypt0nian said:
You'll get the keys to my Xterra out of my cold dead hands.

Plus my huskies will be mad and bite you.
Click to expand...

Xterra drivers represent! 2003, Yellow Xterra here!
 
this topic is absurd, nevermind most "SUV" owners don't "own" rather they lease and hence would be stuck with them for better or worse.

a better opinion poll would be of SUV drivers asking them what type of car they would purchase next when theirs gets turned in and if they will downsize.

i know for the last year now local dealers have gluts of SUV inventories and trade-in value is an all time low. this is very regional however.
 
Proud owner of a 2006 V8 Toyota Tundra quad cab. And I'm SINGLE! Mua ha ha ha ha! Pay me my ransom and I shall stop single handedly destroying the world!
 
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