Re: OT Gas Prices

On Sat, 22 Apr 2006 11:25:36 GMT, tdbamford2nowayjose@xxxxxxxxxxxx (T.
David Bamford) wrote:


I've read in Consumer Reports that both the Honda Element and Scion XB
have a load capacity of 675 pounds. That is passengers and cargo
*combined*. Not good. In another forum, I read some complaints about
that from those who found out the hard way (bottomed out shocks, scary
ride handling).

David, consumer advocate

Forgive my ignorance on this, but is that alot? Are you saying that
people are overloading it because it has all that room? I'm just
picturing how much uglier the Scion is with its ass dragging on the
ground.

KC

Certainly not for a vehicle that is marketed - in part - for its
versatility and ability to carry "stuff". Look at it this way. If
you have four passengers, you'd better all average 168.75 pounds!
Now, we're talking the United States of Lardassmerica, so bear that in
mind. Four large men would easily exceed the load limit. Hell THREE
larger guys would do it!

Okay, now let's just say we have four Callista Flockharts piling into
the mighty Scion and they all want to go antique shopping. Well,
let's hope that the find-of-a-lifetime chest of drawers is a tad on
the light side, else a few of these waifs will have to take a cab!

Overloading a vehicle will push it down, of course. We've all seen a
variety of vehicles driving down the road ridiculously overloaded. I
call 'em The Clampetts and I wonder aloud where grannie and her
rockin' chair went.

But outside of possible damage to the vehicle, the biggest danger of
overloading is how the vehicle reacts - or DOESN'T react - when
turning or braking. Shocks bottoming out on bumps is jarring and a
pain in the ass, but overshooting a stop light due to overheated brake
pads is a tad more serious. Loss of control on that turn and drifting
into oncoming traffic will not make your day.

David, wanna haul stuff? Get a pickup!

Thank you for that explanation. I get it now! I would think that
some people who buy a Scion get around the looks by noting that it has
so much room in. It looks like a good buy for the money, in that
regard. Fooled again by the Marketing Department!

I saw a TV ad for the Chevy Tahoe and they had a couple of features
that caught my attention. One was a button that folded the seats in
the second row, so that, apparently, you don't have to yank and
struggle. The other was a little TV screen that shows what's happening
on the rear end of the vehicle, making backing up much easier.

Don't know if these features actually work, but they sound like they
came from the mind of someone who is thinking in terms of what people
do and how they use the vehicle. Too many times, "feature" is just
shorthand for "stuff I want to invent".

Look at how the microwave changed from, say, 1984 to 1990. In 1984,
microware manufacturers really believed that people would cook whole
meals in them. By 1990, they realized that most people heat coffee
and make popcorn, hence those handy-dandy buttons.

I emphasize *most*, because my parents do cook in their microwave:
stuffed peppers and french onion soup and such. If you've caught any
of my posts about my parents' Tang and potted meat product palates,
this shouldn't come as a shock.

KC
.