Re: Gas is too expensive so.....

Rudeney wrote:
> Lee wrote:
> >
> > We still get gasoline for a bargain, compared to, say, Europe. I,
> > personally, hope the price keeps going up until everyone that bought a
> > Hummer, Tahoe, Suburban, Escalade, Navigator etc. can't afford to fill
> > 'em up any more
>
> Do you really believe that a person buying a $50K+ vehicle is going to worry
> about paying an extra $1,000-$2,000 in fuel costs spread out over a year?
> No, not really.

I don't have the energy to get involved in one of your never-ending
argument/discussions, so just a few quick comments.

You're right. People that spend in excess of $50,000 for a vehicle
don't care much about how much their bill is at the gas pump. However,
I don't think all of the behemoths fall into that $50,000 or more price
range.

> > AND the car manufacturers become a little more
> > proactive about making more energy efficient models.

> There are plenty of very fuel-efficient vehicles on the market.
> Unfortunately, they are too tiny to carry even a small family on vacation.
> Some are too small to carry a week's worth of groceries, and they often
> skimp on safety.

There's a big choice of vehicles for purchase between the behemoths and
the fuel efficient vehicles you describe. I'm not saying everyone
should buy a Prius, but it's not hard to find a safe car that can
easily hold a family or a week's worth of groceries, that gets
reasonable gas mileage, expecially compared to, say, a Ford Excursion.

> I refuse to buy a vehicle that doesn't have at a minimum
> all-wheel drive, stability control, and six airbags. Unfortunately, none
> that fit my requirements get more than 30mpg because all those safety items
> require some additional weight and power to operate. I value my life more
> than my fuel budget.

Absolutely. You shouldn't compromise safety. However, don't forget all
those vehicles that get between 25 and 30 mpg. There are more than two
classes of vehicles, Rodney. Stop being such a drama king.

> I realize there are plenty of SUV drivers that don't need them (and I don't
> believe anyone can justify a Hummer unless living in the wilderness).

I think anyone would be hard pressed to justify a Hummer, even if they
DID live in the wilderness.

The
> problem is that when you do need to carry a family on vacation or tow or
> haul heavy loads, there aren't any another options except for having an
> extra vehicle or two. In my case, I find it cheaper to pay a little more
> for gas in my SUV when I use it for a daily commute.

Somehow, we all survived before SUVs hit the market. We always had a
station wagon, growing up, which worked fine. There's was plenty of
room for the five of us and all our stuff. People that had to tow
things usually had pick-ups.

My husband's a musician. When he drives to gigs, he needs a lot of
cargo space for speaker cabinets, instruments, etc. (including a
stand-up bass). He drives a minivan with the middle seats taken out.
MUCH more cargo space than an SUV and more fuel efficient, too.

> > I'm not saying I enjoy paying as much as I do at the pump, but if the
> > price goes high enough for people to start thinking about their driving
> > habits and about what they drive, I'm happy to tolerate much higher
> > prices and spend less on other luxuries.
>
> I do believe people should reconsider their driving habits and needs, but
> there's no reason to bash SUV drivers just because you don't always see them
> being used for their intended an unique purposes.

I'm not bashing them. Just having myself a little chuckle. If you need
the SUV you should drive one. This is a total guess, but I bet less
than 10% actually ever see any off-road duty. You really think those
big honking Lexus SUVs are going to see anything but the highway and
heated garage? You know, as well as I do, that people buy behemoth SUVs
because they want to drive something big, they want to impress, they
want to feel powerful. It has nothing to do with practicality.
Puhlease.

Drive what you want. But, if you're driving a gas hog, I just don't
think there's much justification for complaining about how much you're
spending on gasoline.

Lee
>
> --
>
> - RODNEY

.

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