| |
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/16/2006 6:45:44 PM | | People drive expensive sports cars beacuse they want performance... they love cars and all the technology that makes them great... people drive S.U.V.s because they think the bigger the better... People drive big ugly suvs because its what the neighbor drives... Its all about perception... | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/16/2006 7:10:15 PM | | I drive an SUV...because it is paid for and still runs GREAT! I figure if I can still afford the gas and upkeep on my SUV...why not drive it? I do need to get to work, and often I take care of someone in a different town on the weekends...guess I need to drive. (If I had my own way...I would have someone to drive me around!!! LOL) | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/17/2006 4:42:12 PM | | I had 3 Ford Explorers and loved them( except for the front end problems). Got rid of the last one due to I wanted a Magnum, which by the way only gets marginally better mileage. What I cant understand is the animosity towards people that drive them!!! Whats it to you if I spend alot of money on gas? Its my money. And before you go on about the gas guzzling and the Ozone layer I want to know why people arent freaking out about people who own these huge homes that require large amounts of "fuel" to heat, cool and light up? Doesnt this add to the Global Warming? Or is it easier to attack someone who is driving as expensive vehicle?And to all of you that complain about stupid SUV drivers, I dont think bad driving is limited to a vehicle category as I see bad drivers in all types of vehicles. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/17/2006 4:50:39 PM | ^^^ just a quick note...its not the "ozone layer" its greenhouse gas build up in the atmosphere that is the concern with gas guzzlers.
and there are people who are trying to do something about the monster houses (look in any neighbourhood that is getting them) and all the energy efficiency innovations in home building, such as "Built Green", "R2000" and "LEEDS" programs. as well, a lot of the electricity in several regions is produced by clean, renewable energy sources such as hydro and wind power. cant really say the same thing for gas guzzling SUV's. they may burn the fuel a little cleaner now, but they still produce the same amout of CO2 per gallon, which contributes directly to global warming (despite what the right wing conspiracy folks will argue till theyre blue in the face). | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/17/2006 5:12:35 PM | Well I regret using the term SUV, so loosely folks. We don't call them SUVs in Australia. So I guess now I know that there are of course examples on the market that are great on fuel. And of course, it was silly of me to expect anyone who drives a "Canyonaro" to the 7-11 to try and justify that. But we all know they're out there. If they like paying for nearly double the amount in fuel for their 5 seater Peterbilts, than the average commuter/motorist, then there's not much we can do about it. I guess at least we can see how, even though we are almost completely reliant on oil as a civilization, for everything we need, use, want, that we kind of see it as a basic right. As in "I'll use as much fuel as I want because that's my god given right!" - ? -
PS: Confession- I actually drive a Forester, which I suppose falls into the SUV class.
It gets 28mpg. I drive it for that reason  | |
|
mako28
|
Joined: 2/23/2006
Msg: 32 | |
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/17/2006 6:23:36 PM | That is where you are wrong...it does not contribute to global warming. I won't engage you in a debate...but you need to know that everything you believe about global warming is still theory.
Secondly, "gas guzzling" as you say...last time I looked the average difference between car and suv wasn't too great. Because I feel dorky today, I looked up the mpg on 4 SUV's, 4 eco cars, and 4 mini suv's (which are the most common)...here's what I found: The suv was 35% less efficient in city and 38% on highway when compared to the small economical car. The mini SUV was 10% in city and 18% on highway compared to the same cars! Added to that, I found that an average car will "put out" .325 kg co2 per km while the suv will "put out" .365 kg co2 per km. That is an 11% difference. Say what you will...that doesn't seem like "guzzling" to me. The compounding argument doesn't work here...if you were to exchange every SUV for a car, you would be looking at an 11% difference (actually less...people who needed suv's would be making more trips and therefore more output).
The economical ramifications of demanding instant alt fuels or a suv ban would be huge! Alt fuels (as they exist today) cannot be mass-produced the same way oil is, so it'll cost a lot more. The best ratio of power exchange I've seen is a .6 to 1 / alt fuel to gas, so you will need to buy almost twice as much. The drop in efficiency (.6) means more truckers having to deliver the product (and big-rigs will not be the first to convert...an average big-rig company is around 10% profit margin...a 100% increase if fuel could not be absorbed and would thus cause the failure of those companies) trucks running double time on regular fuel would certainly washout that 11% co2 differential.
It is very easy to go on and on with this...but the bottom line should be Simple to understand: SUV's aren't the enemy they're made out to be. They do not make a significant dent in co2 output. They are just an easy target for people who do not understand the whole picture. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/17/2006 7:12:40 PM | | Really? hmm.. how would you feel about giving me 35%... 11% or even 10% of you income to me? doesnt sound so small now does it? I guess it really matters when you put things into context. I could spew out numbers also... but meh.. why bother? no one cares... I dont really care about your numbers and im certain you wouldnt care about mine either. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/17/2006 7:27:23 PM | I won't engage you in a debate...but you need to know that everything you believe about global warming is still theory.
too late...consider yourself "engaged"!
Sorry, but greenhouse gases and global warming are SCIENTIFICALLY BASED theories that is supported by 99% of the world's scientific PHD holders and recent scientific nobel prize winners. The other 1% are oil industry "scientists" put in place to put spin on the issue and try to create doubt to prolong their industry's run. There is no doubt within the international scientific community about the green house gases and its affect on our planet.
The same sort of attempt to discredit a crucial scientific "theory" by the politicos/church happend when a theory was put out that stated that the sun was the centre of our solar system...not the earth. Still later, the same was said about the craziness of the "theory" that the earth was actually round!! Always politics behind resistance to changing something with incredible ramifications.
And to dismiss because it is only a "theory" is incorrect. A phenomena such as this that has taken so long to work out has no smoking gun to prove definite causality. To use your logic, smoking doesnt cause cancer, its only a theory that is being contested. Power lines dont cause cancer or leukemia in infants, its only a theory with weak causal links at best. However, we have come together to realize that if there is a possiblity that they could cause these things, weve worked to reduce the impact. Its called the doctrine of prudent avoidance.
I say if theres that much knowledge and consensus amongst true scientists supporting the "theory" of global warming and the causes of it (even though SUV's/internal combustion engines/industry may only play a small part) it is still causing an affect on the climate. Better to deal with it than ignore it and hope for the best that all these scientists are actually all dead wrong.
When I had a stinking gas guzzling SUV, I would be lucky to get 15litres/100kms. With my new car (which isnt a hybrid or anything like that) I can get 7.9-6.9litres/100 kms. Big difference (and I dont know where you got your stats from to show the smaller numbers, but this has been my personal real life experience)). This thread has not changed my mind one bit. And I dont care how much $$ people are spending on gas...I say the price isnt high enough! Let it go to $2-3/litre. Thatd be the best thing for our planet (environmentally/socially/economically). This would accelerate further research into alternative renewable non-polluting sources of energy.
But the main reason why I hate SUV's is that they ARE gas guzzlers that are using a non-renewable resource that the world is currently fighting incredibly expensive wars over. Like I said before, when I would fill up the gas guzzling SUV, I felt like I was at least partly contributing to the Americans being in Iraq and the incredible instability in that region. Imagine the change that could be created by using what the US spent last year in Iraq to truly engage research into alternative fuels! Mind boggling! The impacts to national security would be unprecedented! Think of it...western powers would no longer be reliant on supporting/propping/toppling unstable regimes to get their oil.
My 2 cents! | |
|
mako28
|
Joined: 2/23/2006
Msg: 35 | |
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/17/2006 8:58:28 PM | To start off...if you read my other post on page 1, I agree with you on the economical and eventual "safety" benefits that would be gained by an alt fuel source and removal of the Middle East in "everyday necessities"...100% agree with you.
My position is not against "big oil" however. The issue of who’s numbers are right is a debate that will not end anytime soon...but for the record, I did not create my opinions from the "oil does not equal warming" side...I made it from the "oil is warming" side's research. I know we can't measure how many scientists are pro man-made warming vs. against...but I assure you it is not 1 out of 100. (Also...in reality, there was not much public backlash or refusal to your center of the solar system & round Earth analogy. Even in Egypt’s' Summer civilization the solar system and round Earth was known...it took thousands of years to prove, but it was known. It was those who could not see beyond their own emotional perspectives that believed the sky was falling...and I believe it is the same today.)
Lets' "use my logic". Does smoking cause cancer? Do 100% of people who smoke get cancer? We all know the answer is no. Some do and some don't...and even if 80% did get cancer that, by definition, is not an absolute and thus does not cause cancer. People who smoke a lot usually do not exercise regularly, the usually don't eat healthy...the smoking is indicative of the life style they choose...which is not a healthy one. Smoking is correlated to cancer...but not causual. You will take the "prudent avoidance" route...I opt not to be satisfied with an answer that is enough to pay lawyers way too much but not enough to change (or solve) the actual problem at hand.
The issue, are we contributing? And if so, where can the largest return on our investment be made? You already know that I don't think we are contributing...but that is something you and I will agree to disagree on. For arguments sake though...if we are, wouldn't it be best to focus our energies on something that would make a measurable difference. The point I am making here is that SUV's are not a big issue. SUV's aren't the "first step". The end output would be nearly exactly what it is today. It isn’t so much “what” you drive but “how much” you drive, bad traffic flow, car pooling.
I will end my rant…sorry. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/17/2006 9:06:36 PM | My honey and I own an SUV. We bought it a couple years ago, before gas was astronomically high, and we're only a few payments short of owning it completely.
We bought it because we like to go off-roading, we like to camp, we carry stuff with us (golf clubs, beach gear, luggage when we travel, etc), and we like that there are five seats in it, all aside from the fact that his work takes him off road, and sometimes requires him to haul stuff and people at the same time. It's convenient for us.
I flat-out refuse to own a small car, as our primary vehicle. If I get a car, it will be small, because it'll just be to get me to and from work... but for all the things we need a vehicle for, the suv works for us. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/17/2006 9:16:38 PM | | may I ask what S.U.V you own? numerous ones are very fuel efficient. also... I dont know what kind of offroad driving you or ur hubby do... could you be more speciffic? I could point you to several 4 cylinder suvs that can haul as much... go off road as well.. and handle better.. but then... not knowing what you own.. id be talking out of my azz. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/17/2006 9:22:08 PM | We own a ford explorer.
It's not the best on gas, and we know that.. but when we bought it, it fit our budget, and it continues to fit our budget. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/17/2006 9:26:31 PM | | v-6 or 4 litre 4? either way... thats not what most people call a bad suv.. its mid sized and semi-practical... sure.. you could buy a 4 wheel drive mini van that can go off road just as well but why? you already own that suv.. Im not anti suv... im against idiots who drive huge suvs like hummers that never go offroad... even then.. im not against them... I just snicker when I see them... | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/17/2006 9:30:53 PM | We had a friend that said that if we didn't take the truck off road within the first month of purchasing it, he was going to spray paint "SOCCER MOM" on our Exploder. Yes, Exploder, that's our nickname for it.
We've made sure to get our worth out of it. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/18/2006 12:30:04 AM | Gas aside, here are just a few of the problems with SUVs:
- People in cars (or smaller SUVs) can't see around them. That is dangerous. In driving school they always tell you "don't just watch the car in front of you, watch the car in front of it, too." Well, we can't do that anymore.
- They are "safer." Baloney and you know it. It's been proven over and over again that SUVs are MUCH more dangerous than cars. Yes, we all know they roll over easily. But they also don't have crumple zones and other crash features that are designed to protect you in an accident. Why? Because they are NOT REQUIRED TO BY LAW. SUVs don't have to follow the same safety guidelines as cars because they are not classified as cars. You may FEEL safer, but you are not. And the automakers love it, they didn't have to spend any money on insuring you won't die when you get hit by that H2. Hooray!
- They cause a LOT more property damage when you run into something.
- Their extra weight wears out the roads much faster. Then taxes get raised so we can pay to have the street fixed more often. Nice.
- That "feeling of safety" lulls many SUV drivers into a false sense of security and causes accidents. When people "feel safer," they are less inclinced to be careful - and people believing (even sub consciously) their tank-like SUV will protect them in an accident leads to careless driving.
And while you may be happy to pay all that extra money for gas, just be aware that it's YOUR extra money that is funding terrorism. And no, that is not me being extreme, it's 100% true. All that gas comes from places like Saudi Arabia... which is where your money goes. That's the money that has been funding terrorists. Like Osama's Sept 11 bankroll.
That's just the way it is. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/18/2006 3:36:04 AM | you are joking, a sedan thinking it could sneak through cause apparently I am slow for driving a bigger vehicle...we collided (I had the right of way), I stopped ...it drove on...got the plates of the driver, kept driving and not road rage but on my way taking the kids to school...it was one of their teachers...I went to the local police station to report it (ok only a scratch on my bumper bar)...was asked by the cop what was my problem?....cause insurance could fix it ... or maybe the other car did not "feel" the collision...get real it is an offence in australia to leave the scene of an accident...hence at 9am I was then given a breathe test...grrrrrrrrrrr ok it's the rules, but then asked if the teacher was going to get one?...this officer replied if they got there within three hours after my complaint...told the police officer I would be putting a complaint in against him if he could not do his job in time...verdict = car repaired by teacher's insurance and an extra fine by the courts against the teacher | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/18/2006 3:53:54 AM | I have always had smaller sized cars. I'm 50 and like the added space for my grandkids when I visit them. Damm it, I worked hard all my life, so a SUV is my cup of tea. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/18/2006 8:19:21 PM | | I drive an Expidition 4X4 and love it. I live in the country and it suits almost all my purposes. I can haul anything anytime. I have 4 children (so far one that's 6 ft tall) and it gives them more room than a van. I can haul my boat, trailer, dog in back, chickens whatever. I have lots of late meetings and drive 45 minutes on the country roads each way to work. It makes me feel more safe when a deer decides it wants to dance with my truck. The deer will be dead and stuck to the grill instead of me dead with a deer stuck to my lap. I am going to be changing vehicles soon and it will be a crew cab pick up. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/18/2006 9:16:46 PM | | I drive a '99 Ford Explorer Sport because it's functional, practical and safe. You can't beat a 4WD or AWD vehicle unless you live in a suburban area or drive like your Grandma. I'm not sayin' an SUV is indestructable or to drive like an idiot but the odds are in your favor if something should happen because of weather or traffic conditions. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/18/2006 9:26:22 PM | Sure.. a 4wd car or truck can accelerate faster than a 2wd vehicle but it CANNOT stop faster in slippery conditions... a fact that seems to elude a lot of 4wd owners out there...
I always find it interesting when I see an suv speed away from the light to only see him slide to a stop at the next stoplight. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/19/2006 12:04:13 AM | I have owned pickups and Suburbans. I live in a somewhat rural area where atleast one utility vehicle is very helpful. I also used the Suburban to tow a race car to race tracks.
Once used to using them for more than just point A to point B I can't imagine not wanting to own atleast one.
Of course I also have a Taurus, a VW, and a modified Camaro Z28 to add to the selection. I am looking for an all wheel drive vehicle to add to the variety. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/19/2006 12:09:32 AM | edmguy
Your right unless a person is very skilled. But the idea of racing to the next stop light or stop sign is foolish.
A 4 wheel drive (not to be confused with all wheel drive) when in 4 wheel drive lets you control wheel spin to a degree all 4 wheels through the drive train. But most people are too careless to do it. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/19/2006 4:15:04 AM | Like I said I dont think of myself as invincible and I certainly don't drive foolishly but a newer truck with ABS, like mine, will make stopping a lot easier and safer.
I've see my share of big SUV's in the in middle of snowstorm or heavy rain driving as if they're on bare pavement and think to myself "If they ever had to stop in a hurry they're not going too" as I continue along at a reduced speed and giving myself extra room between the other cars around me and myself. | |
|
| Do you drive an SUV and why?
Posted: 8/19/2006 6:59:47 PM | | had the big 350 gas hog... now i got a vibe... 37 miles to the gallon.. i just honk and wave as i pass the gas pump.. great car. | |
|
Home
login 
