Of course, many don’t understand that conservatives (as a group) are more safe. Credit scores do matter because those people give a crap. The GMC Trucks are built a little tougher, so people who buy them may be thinking a bit more, which can mean a lot when traveling down the road in a 6,000 pound metal monster.
KLS, thanks for that good belly laugh! I too try not to get too serious; my kids love South Park but sometimes it is over their heads and they only think it plays for the laughs :-)
Just for some perspective about Al Gore…
Maybe youve never heard of a thing called Carbon Credits. I wont bother explaining it, but Al Gore could fly circles around the Earth all day, and if he buys enough carbon credits he could STILL be helping the environment more than he is hurting it.
Just a little education for some of you. Back to work now…
Oh, one more thing, smog is created when you use a vehicle that runs on gas – Smog is not fun to breath, its very unhealthy and will almost kill the olympics this year in China.
As far as a hybrid vehicle being worse for the environment? Thats all about economies of scale. If they made and sold a ton of them, then it would be better for the environment than a gas guzzler.
Sunnie,
Instead of buying a SUV next time, perhaps consider a van?
From what it sounds like you do a lot of highway driving (which extends your gas milage) I’m not really an ecofreak but here’s a point of comparison.
I own a 1995 Honda Civic 2wd 1.6L 4cyl with an 10 gallon tank (approx.)and average about 24-26 mpg city / 36-40 mpg Hwy. From the car stats provided by Kelly Blue Book (KBB), a 1995 Ford Explorer with 2-WD 4.0L 6cyl engine gets 16 mpg City /20 mpg Hwy with a 21 gallon tank. (I understand you may get better or worse mpg then this, depending on what you drive. I’m using this as a point of comparison)
This is one of the smaller SUVs.
Using the lesser of my highway milages…
95 Civic — 36 mpg*10 Gal. = 360 Miles
95 Explr — 20 mpg*21 Gal. = 420 Miles
On one tank I can travel more then 2/3’s the distance that one would cover in the SUV… for a little less then half of the fuel used. (Note that’s 36 MPG at 70+mph in the Civic, and that is based off of personal experience, K.B.B. puts it at 35 mpg)
Financially speaking it costs me less then $30 to fill up, how about you?
One of my arguements against the prevalence of SUV’s is this, use the right tool for the job at hand.
If all you are doing is moving back and forth to work for 1-2 adults & perhaps 1-2 children and shopping on occasion, a midsize or econocar is perhaps the best way to go. Your gas will last longer and costs less to fill up.
If you are hauling 1-2 adults & 1-4 children (and perhaps a pet); or 1-2 adults with cargo a van would probably do quite well. Especially as some have very expandable interiors. Also for safety of the occupants, vans are really the way to go.
SUVs are/were supposed to be used in rougher terrain and haul heavier loads and trailers. For everyday back and forth to work or driving the kids to school it just doesn’t make sense.
For really heavy hauling a pickup or box van. Pickups are not a good choice for day to day driving.
One of my other arguments is that while YOU may be safer in your car in most collisions (excepting roll-overs which you are more prone to), I no longer am. A 1-ton auto vs a 2-ton SUV is not a pretty sight. This is compounded by the fact that a majority of SUVs ride significantly higher then the front and rear bumper of most small cars, and on some of these I fear the first thing a small car would hit would be the tires. Another problem caused by this is that while you can see the road better (because you are sitting higher up), all the driver of a smaller car behind or next to you generally sees is door panels or bumpers and this creates a huge blind spot. And as a small car owner, I get blinded at night by SUVs due to the fact that with your height your headlights are even with my rear view mirror. Think of it as having someone behind you at all times with their high-beams on.
How did you all get so far off the subject. Let me get you back on track. My insurance is less for my Ford Expedition because when I run the #@%$ over your Prius I only dent my bumper, and you need a replacement car.
When the lights from the SUV’s are shinning in your face as they do mine, that’s when i adjust my side views to reflect the lights right back in the truck or SUV’s face. Works every time!
I agree that you should buy a car for its intended purpose. People driving huge SUV’s (I’ve owned one)and using them to go to the market or a soccer game is a pretty sad commentary on where people’s heads are. I hope they know that they’re doing a good job of supporting the oil companies, but I doubt it. They just complain about the high cost of fuel. I for one would like to screw the oil companies and the oil producing nations so I’ve had a major change in heart about what I drive (a butt ugly Honda Element @ 26 mpg on the highway). My next car…who knows but I’ll be sure it fits my needs and doesn’t cost me a fortune to fill up. A lot of people need to get real about oil and how much they use. It’s ancient, dirty technology.
You’re most welcome, Stat Guy. I’m pleased to know I’m not the only adult who is bold (crazy?) enough to admit I watch a cartoon!
For the person who said SUVs are an annoyance because of their size… I agree! It’s like being surrounded by moving billboards.
However, I would leave the country and surrender my citizenship if the government started restricting our current automobile choices. As much as Hummers and Expeditions with a single occupant (almost every time I see one, grrr) peeve me to no end, I will support a person’s choice to own and drive one.
I’m sure my gas-gulping sports car gets under the collar of the hard core tree huggers in a similar fashion.
They have a valid point; I should probably have a more fuel efficient/practical vehicle, blah blah blah. However, I carpool and I only live 5 miles from the office, so I think it balances out. Just don’t take away my horsepower!
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Of course, many don’t understand that conservatives (as a group) are more safe. Credit scores do matter because those people give a crap. The GMC Trucks are built a little tougher, so people who buy them may be thinking a bit more, which can mean a lot when traveling down the road in a 6,000 pound metal monster.
I am trying to understand the lemon vs the orange vs the apple discusion. Can someone please enlighten me? Thanks.
Sunnie, you can tie them (kids) to the roof if you purchase the optional luggage rack.
KLS, thanks for that good belly laugh! I too try not to get too serious; my kids love South Park but sometimes it is over their heads and they only think it plays for the laughs :-)
Just for some perspective about Al Gore…
Maybe youve never heard of a thing called Carbon Credits. I wont bother explaining it, but Al Gore could fly circles around the Earth all day, and if he buys enough carbon credits he could STILL be helping the environment more than he is hurting it.
Just a little education for some of you. Back to work now…
Oh, one more thing, smog is created when you use a vehicle that runs on gas – Smog is not fun to breath, its very unhealthy and will almost kill the olympics this year in China.
As far as a hybrid vehicle being worse for the environment? Thats all about economies of scale. If they made and sold a ton of them, then it would be better for the environment than a gas guzzler.
Can I help you with anything else??
Sunnie,
Instead of buying a SUV next time, perhaps consider a van?
From what it sounds like you do a lot of highway driving (which extends your gas milage) I’m not really an ecofreak but here’s a point of comparison.
I own a 1995 Honda Civic 2wd 1.6L 4cyl with an 10 gallon tank (approx.)and average about 24-26 mpg city / 36-40 mpg Hwy. From the car stats provided by Kelly Blue Book (KBB), a 1995 Ford Explorer with 2-WD 4.0L 6cyl engine gets 16 mpg City /20 mpg Hwy with a 21 gallon tank. (I understand you may get better or worse mpg then this, depending on what you drive. I’m using this as a point of comparison)
This is one of the smaller SUVs.
Using the lesser of my highway milages…
95 Civic — 36 mpg*10 Gal. = 360 Miles
95 Explr — 20 mpg*21 Gal. = 420 Miles
On one tank I can travel more then 2/3’s the distance that one would cover in the SUV… for a little less then half of the fuel used. (Note that’s 36 MPG at 70+mph in the Civic, and that is based off of personal experience, K.B.B. puts it at 35 mpg)
Financially speaking it costs me less then $30 to fill up, how about you?
One of my arguements against the prevalence of SUV’s is this, use the right tool for the job at hand.
If all you are doing is moving back and forth to work for 1-2 adults & perhaps 1-2 children and shopping on occasion, a midsize or econocar is perhaps the best way to go. Your gas will last longer and costs less to fill up.
If you are hauling 1-2 adults & 1-4 children (and perhaps a pet); or 1-2 adults with cargo a van would probably do quite well. Especially as some have very expandable interiors. Also for safety of the occupants, vans are really the way to go.
SUVs are/were supposed to be used in rougher terrain and haul heavier loads and trailers. For everyday back and forth to work or driving the kids to school it just doesn’t make sense.
For really heavy hauling a pickup or box van. Pickups are not a good choice for day to day driving.
One of my other arguments is that while YOU may be safer in your car in most collisions (excepting roll-overs which you are more prone to), I no longer am. A 1-ton auto vs a 2-ton SUV is not a pretty sight. This is compounded by the fact that a majority of SUVs ride significantly higher then the front and rear bumper of most small cars, and on some of these I fear the first thing a small car would hit would be the tires. Another problem caused by this is that while you can see the road better (because you are sitting higher up), all the driver of a smaller car behind or next to you generally sees is door panels or bumpers and this creates a huge blind spot. And as a small car owner, I get blinded at night by SUVs due to the fact that with your height your headlights are even with my rear view mirror. Think of it as having someone behind you at all times with their high-beams on.
How did you all get so far off the subject. Let me get you back on track. My insurance is less for my Ford Expedition because when I run the #@%$ over your Prius I only dent my bumper, and you need a replacement car.
When the lights from the SUV’s are shinning in your face as they do mine, that’s when i adjust my side views to reflect the lights right back in the truck or SUV’s face. Works every time!
I agree that you should buy a car for its intended purpose. People driving huge SUV’s (I’ve owned one)and using them to go to the market or a soccer game is a pretty sad commentary on where people’s heads are. I hope they know that they’re doing a good job of supporting the oil companies, but I doubt it. They just complain about the high cost of fuel. I for one would like to screw the oil companies and the oil producing nations so I’ve had a major change in heart about what I drive (a butt ugly Honda Element @ 26 mpg on the highway). My next car…who knows but I’ll be sure it fits my needs and doesn’t cost me a fortune to fill up. A lot of people need to get real about oil and how much they use. It’s ancient, dirty technology.
You’re most welcome, Stat Guy. I’m pleased to know I’m not the only adult who is bold (crazy?) enough to admit I watch a cartoon!
For the person who said SUVs are an annoyance because of their size… I agree! It’s like being surrounded by moving billboards.
However, I would leave the country and surrender my citizenship if the government started restricting our current automobile choices. As much as Hummers and Expeditions with a single occupant (almost every time I see one, grrr) peeve me to no end, I will support a person’s choice to own and drive one.
I’m sure my gas-gulping sports car gets under the collar of the hard core tree huggers in a similar fashion.
They have a valid point; I should probably have a more fuel efficient/practical vehicle, blah blah blah. However, I carpool and I only live 5 miles from the office, so I think it balances out. Just don’t take away my horsepower!