Owners try to unload Guzzlers

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: css9450
No one is questioning the trades people with their big trucks and vans full of equipment. The people using all the gas needlessly are the suburban mothers who idle outside the school for 30 minutes every afternoon near my house, waiting to pick up little Timmy in the Ford Expedition or Land Rover Discovery and drive him back home (a whole 4 blocks away).

Seriously. I should post a picture; every afternoon at 3:15 it looks like a line of ships lined up in port, all the full-size SUVs waiting for the kids. The oddball car or two waiting in line with them looks like a toy in comparison.


I figure the school should give two passes per month to parents to pick their kids up at the regular school-get-out time. They can come later after sports etc.

Teaches bad habits, like not riding the bus. And snarls traffic.

 

[psudaytona]

Originally Posted By: ekpolk
Originally Posted By: psudaytona
... I do like 160miles a week during school. So I am not too bad off.
...
I value a better driving experience(IMO) over saving 3.00 a week at the fuel pump.


You're not a math major, are you?

Hint: at your miles per week, if you had a Prius instead of a CVIP, you'd be saving about $17 per week at today's prices, not a mere $3. I have some DAYS where I have to drive almost 160 miles, so do the math on my savings (my old G35 burned about as much gas as your CVIP). Every once in a while, I wish the Prius had a little more go, but for the most part, I find nothing at all about its "driving experience" that's inferior to that of a chubby SUV or big car.


My math is quite fine. I am only paying an additional 3.00 a week versus what I was paying before these "prices went through the roof". I am sure I could pay even less by driving a scooter around town and getting 100miles per gallon.

I am guessing your prius costs more than 3,000 to buy though.

The prices honestly dont bother me. I dont have a family to support. I dont drive 200 miles a day. I spend more on redbull and lunch on campus everyweek than I do on gas. Would getting 40-50mpg be better? Sure!
I have a car that is oversized and overpowered for my actual needs. I accepted the price I will pay for the fun.

 

[cousincletus]

The wife just unloaded her 2003 Durango for an '08 Malibu 4 cylinder. It was time for her to get a new car (she gets a new one every 5 years), and conveniently doesn't need an SUV anymore. She just about doubled her fuel mileage. So I figure it's a win-win situation for her. Helps keep a GM worker working and buys less gas at the same time. Also, the new Malibu is less to insure and the payments are less than the Durango.

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted By: psudaytona
...

My math is quite fine. ...

I am guessing your prius costs more than 3,000 to buy though.

The prices honestly dont bother me. I dont have a family to support. ...


Your post reminds me of that saying about lies, da** lies, and statistics. Certainly, we can both define the problem in the terms that suit our respective perspectives. On one hand, in absolute terms, you're not spending all that much. On the other, you're spending more than you have to. If it works for you now, good on you. I'll bet some money, however, that there will come a time when your priorities change (like when you have kids to feed...).

As for my Prius, yes, of course, it cost more than three grand. But since you mentioned it, let's look at that. In the summer of 06, I bought my 2004 Prius, used, for under $20k. It is an absolutely loaded example, having everything except leather seats (exactly as I'd order one if cost were no object). I have NAV, HID headlights, the top sound system, Bluetooth wireless phone, etc. This car would cost ~$30kUS new today. And the car had only 15k miles when I bought it. The bottom line is that I avoided the new car depreciation problem, and got a great car for a great price. Once past that initial dive in value, the curve is pretty linear. In other words, over the next several years, you and I will suffer about the same loss in value, in percentage terms of course. I will drive far more miles, and especially because of that, I'm happy that I bought a newer used car than you did. And I can make my car get over 50 mpg. Can you do that?

 

[Cutehumor]

why do women need SUVs to "sit up higher to see traffic"?? I drive econocars, I just watch the vehicle in front of me. My sister likes to sit up higher too. She wants to downgrade her gas guzzler from a 03 tahoe to a mini suv V-6. wants that SUV feeling. The workers who use their trucks and suvs for work, but what about all these women with their SUVs! everyone knows one

 

[ffracer]

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
why do women need SUVs to "sit up higher to see traffic"??


Why does anyone need to sit up high? Fear and ego.

Some are afraid, some need to be on top.

I teach driving school and this is nonsense. If you are situationally aware and looking far ahead, and not reacting to the immediate thing in front of you, because you 1 foot behind them, seating position is a non-factor.

Ever wonder why Indycar drivers don't need to sit up high or worry about blind spots? They have positioned mirrors and lots of training.

You should always be looking a few cars ahead. Even if there is a semi in front of you - look at the cars on the side or you are too close.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

I hate being behind SUVs. I like being aware of what's happening two or three cars ahead of me and can't see anything being behind Tahoes, Sequoias, and the like.

What bugs me most is when those suv drivers use the size of their vehicles to intimidate me to go faster on the freaking right lane.

 

[PF52]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac


What bugs me most is when those suv drivers use the size of their vehicles to intimidate me to go faster on the freaking right lane.


Excellent post! A few years ago, the Auto section in the Chicago Tribune did an article about people's love of SUVs, and one quote in there has stuck in my mind. They interviewed a woman with a Lincoln Navigator - she said she loves the vehicle because "it has a face on it that says, get out of my way!!".

 

[KrisZ]

Quote:
What bugs me most is when those suv drivers use the size of their vehicles to intimidate me to go faster on the freaking right lane.


Don't feel intimidated, one trick that always forks for me is to let go of the gas pedal ane let your car coast (don't hit the brake pedal), its funny watching the tail gaters get frustrated because they don't know why you are slowing down, its guaranteed that they will pass you, usually gunning the gas pedal. It works for me to get rid of a lot of tail gaters that way.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: eljefino

I figure the school should give two passes per month to parents to pick their kids up at the regular school-get-out time. They can come later after sports etc.

Teaches bad habits, like not riding the bus. And snarls traffic.


Four blocks? Let the little devils walk unless it's pouring or snowing hard. They're probably obese as it is.

 

[Black Bart]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Quote:
What bugs me most is when those suv drivers use the size of their vehicles to intimidate me to go faster on the freaking right lane.


Don't feel intimidated, one trick that always forks for me is to let go of the gas pedal ane let your car coast (don't hit the brake pedal), its funny watching the tail gaters get frustrated because they don't know why you are slowing down, its guaranteed that they will pass you, usually gunning the gas pedal. It works for me to get rid of a lot of tail gaters that way.
Well I had the same thing but a little different.
While driving my SUV A little P.O.S. skateboard ran up so close to me that all I could see of it in my mirror was the roof.
I slowed from 60 mph down to 40 she followed me for 4 miles and turned into the school.
Their were breaks in the traffic where I thought she could have passed but maybe not with such a under powered car.

 

[rationull]

Of course lots of drivers do the stupid "if I tailgate them maybe they'll speed up!" thing but when you're in a small car and some full size pickup with a lift gets up on your tail so you can't see anything but the grill, I see it as an antisocial intimidation action. When you've got to stop or slow down to avoid something in the road and they're not paying attention, you're the one who gets run over or pulverized. When the roles are reversed, it just doesn't seem like the threat is nearly as great (at that point, it's called "natural selection" for the tailgater).

It's all I can do not to say something when I'm hanging out where my gf keeps her horses and hear somebody say that they bought their second truck or suburban or whatever for its "safety". Sure it may be safer, but how's that supposed to make me feel? I try to be safe by paying attention, not by making sure if I get in an accident the other guy gets creamed instead of me. If you could mount spikes on your vehicle's body so that if somebody hit you their vehicle would be impaled and stopped before hitting you, would you do that in the name of safety and at the expense of the other driver? The last thing I need is somebody driving a large car for "safety" to rearend me because 65 in the left lane was too slow and they were busy drinking a soda and talking on the cell phone.

Sorry, that turned into more of a rant than I'd intended. Not trying to offend or refer to anyone here, as I seriously doubt the people that bug me on the road are the sorts to hang out at forums like this.

 

[Greggy_D]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Quote:
What bugs me most is when those suv drivers use the size of their vehicles to intimidate me to go faster on the freaking right lane.


Don't feel intimidated, one trick that always forks for me is to let go of the gas pedal ane let your car coast (don't hit the brake pedal), its funny watching the tail gaters get frustrated because they don't know why you are slowing down, its guaranteed that they will pass you, usually gunning the gas pedal. It works for me to get rid of a lot of tail gaters that way.


Ditto here. They intimidate my foot right off the gas pedal.

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: css9450
... They interviewed a woman with a Lincoln Navigator - she said she loves the vehicle because "it has a face on it that says, get out of my way!!".

A Lincoln Navigator looks funny to me - it looks like a cartoonist drew it!

Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
I couldn't sell my 30mpg Ranger a couple months ago

The ad is up still no new offers. Doesn't matter now that life plans have changed. Got plenty of offers on the 22-23mpg Escape though.

This shows that fuel efficiency is still not top priority for people buying a vehicle.

 

[javacontour]

I was reading an article in Road and Track (IIRC) last night and it seems oil is not really all that overpriced.

In the 1980's, oil was at $40/barrel and then OPEC started ratcheting up production and oil came down to $20/barrel.

What would $40/barrel be in today's inflation adjusted dollars? About $104/barrel.

What's hard is that it's the rapid nature of the price increase.

But I don't think today's prices are really too far off from what they were in the 1980's. We just had a long period of where oil price increases were lower than the rate of inflation.

Reality is now catching up, and folks don't care for it.

 

[Mr Nice]

I'm just praying that when gas hits $5 a gallon, there will be less traffic on the road.

I work for my uncle's State Farm agency and in the past 3 months we have see an increase in SUV's mysteriously getting stolen.

Funny thing is they don't buy another gas gazzling SUV.....they buy an efficient 4 cylinder car.

With so many canals here in FL, its a matter of time until the canals fill up with SUV's.

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
I'm just praying that when gas hits $5 a gallon, there will be less traffic on the road.

I work for my uncle's State Farm agency and in the past 3 months we have see an increase in SUV's mysteriously getting stolen.

Funny thing is they don't buy another gas gazzling SUV.....they buy an efficient 4 cylinder car.

With so many canals here in FL, its a matter of time until the canals fill up with SUV's.
Oh priceless -- I'll be able to open a new wing of the law practice -- representing people charged with clogging bodies of water with SUVs... There will probably be several counts charged, covering the environmental damage, etc.

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
I'm just praying that when gas hits $5 a gallon, there will be less traffic on the road.

I work for my uncle's State Farm agency and in the past 3 months we have see an increase in SUV's mysteriously getting stolen.

Funny thing is they don't buy another gas gazzling SUV.....they buy an efficient 4 cylinder car.

With so many canals here in FL, its a matter of time until the canals fill up with SUV's.
Wait a minute -- this post is internally inconsistent! Less driving will be an indicator of more SUV sinkings. Which is it that you really want...

 

[H2GURU]

java,
The whole problem with the article is that it takes a piece of the past, applies a little simple math to it... and it sounds almost reasonable until you look closer. In the 1980s you had free heathcare from your employer, no co-pays, taxes, tolls were cheaper, you had a pension, food took less of your weeks pay than today, etc. Fast forward to your retirement years as I see you live in a cold weather state and tell me what proportion of your monthly check will be going for electricity, heat for your home, and a few gallons of gasoline. I 'll venture a guess that you'll be up to 33% going out for this stuff vs. about 15% now and this is where the problem lies.

 

[Cheesehead]

Well said H2.