17th Jan 2007, 21:04
I completely agree with the previous comment (16:41) about the alternative fuels and such. Some people on here will say the 'only' solution to the oil issue is for everyone to drive Honda and Toyota econo-boxes and Priuses! Not true! What people really want is to drive the regular utilitarian safe comfortable vehicles we have now, but still get off the dependence on foreign oil. I for one encourage the domestic car companies to work on more hybrid SUV's and trucks and alternative fuel vehicles! American's don't like teeny euro style cars! If you just can't get over that then move somewhere else.
18th Jan 2007, 08:02
Which safe vehicles are those? Not SUVs, if death and injury statistics are any judge.
And the cars you cite have MORE room inside than most SUVs AND do the SAME functions as 99% of SUVs are used for, like commuting, grocery getting, and so on.
I have yet to see more than five people in any SUV, even the nine passenger ones, and most have two occupants if that.
18th Jan 2007, 08:08
Whatever the fuel, SUVs and trucks are deathtraps.
But I guess if you really hate yourself and your passengers they are a good choice. Unfortunately, you run the risk of taking strangers with you.
18th Jan 2007, 13:39
Do we really have to go over this again?!
SUV's are no more a 'death trap' then tiny plastic cars. It doesn't matter how many airbags you have, your Toyota is no match for a large American SUV or pickup in a crash! So unless you have real proof to back up your claims, realize that your logic is (1) against the laws of physics and (2) has no proof to back it up. So you'll understand if no one here believes you.
18th Jan 2007, 15:11
What a bunch of sanctimonious crap! Don't you realize the dangers of stereotyping? Believe it or not, some people (who are responsible professionals, by the way) have a need to haul equipment, people, and material off-road and in challenging conditions. They need a truck or SUV.
19th Jan 2007, 09:13
What stereotyping? Facts are facts. Research your vehicle's safety record before buying. You will find SUVs are inherently dangerous and always have been. So if you buy one you obviouly would rather risk you and your family's lives just to haul stuff.
HMMMMM, I guess I like myself and my family too much.
And the "hauling people and going off road" is just a myth. I see tons of SUVs NOT in the commuter lanes every day, and I have yet to see one even remotely fully loaded.
19th Jan 2007, 10:42
HMMMM, maybe you need to visit the 85% of the country between New York and Los Angeles before assuming that everyone could just as well be driving a Yaris to their IT job in some office building.
You love to quote statistics, but don't understand them. Statistics are a certain kind of fact, but they tell you what CAN BE LIKELY to happen for a specific set of circumstances, NOT what WILL happen in every circumstance. Furthermore, statistics tell you more about the driver than the vehicle. As you say, research the vehicle before buying---and buy the vehicle that suits your needs. Perhaps your needs are met by a Toyota Prius; my needs require a full-size 4x4.
19th Jan 2007, 12:26
Sorry, I've seen it in every part of the country. SUVs are NOT needed by 98% of the population.
And why are you comparing SUVs to Yarises? There are TONS of other cars that get significantly better mileage.
And my front wheel drive Tercel used to drive through snow like mad in New Hampshire, blowing past all those SUVs stuck in the snow.
19th Jan 2007, 12:37
What stereotyping? You say that if we buy an SUV we don't care about our families and then say what stereotyping?! You can say SUV's are inherently more dangerous, but it doesn't mean anything because you haven't given a shred of proof to back it up! Therefore your 'facts' mean nothing, they're just opinion, so why not state them as such? You trying to convince us that a Civic safer in an accident then a Suburban is bogus. And you have no facts to back that up, because it isn't true. I'm completely confident that if some street racing rice-burner Civic goes out of control and hits my Chevy SUV, I'll be better off than him.
19th Jan 2007, 13:16
Our last Range Rover never was on the side of any road unless deliberate and I hope the new one follows that trend. Pretty liberal with the word "all" aren't you?
19th Jan 2007, 13:25
"Sorry, I've seen it in every part of the country. SUVs are NOT needed by 98% of the population."
How nice that you are in such a position to decide what we should all be driving. Please let me consult you for your valuable opinion before buying my next car.
"And my front wheel drive Tercel used to drive through snow like mad in New Hampshire, blowing past all those SUVs stuck in the snow."
Good for you. And my 4x4 Dodge drives through snow like mad in Colorado, blowing past all those front wheel drive Tercels buried in snow past the doors. SORRY!
19th Jan 2007, 14:52
Check out government statistics, police statistics, and the rest. Read the September 9, 2002 issue of Business Week, where a lot of the research was revealed. Also, please explain why no SUV until 2006 (and then only two made it) were rated anything above "fair" for rollover and accident protection. And if that wasn't enough maybe those government warnings in your visor would give you a clue.
What do you tell your children about those warnings?
19th Jan 2007, 16:03
Some street racing teenagers in a Honda (it was an Accord, not a Civic) DID hit one of my business associates head-on in his GMC Yukon. The driver and passengers in the Honda were killed. The Yukon driver walked away. That's proof enough for me.
19th Jan 2007, 16:24
Really? I've had my Tercel in blizzards far worse than anything in Colorado and it's the SUVs on the side of the road, not the Tercels.
20th Jan 2007, 07:24
Yes, really. You can make all the claims you like about driving your Tercel in some New Hampshire blizzard one time, but the FACT is that your Tercel is going nowhere in 18 inches of snow. You couldn't even get the door open. Oh sure, everybody knows how there is never any snow in Colorado. Or haven't you been watching the news lately?
17th Jan 2007, 16:41
I sure hope more people realize the great American cars and trucks we have to still choose from. Maybe when we are all driving Chinese sedans and trucks down the road everyone will be lamenting what happened and it wasn't what I expected. What people should be angry is that gas went up on average 63 cents a gallon from Summer 2005 to Summer 2006 about $23 billion more. There is actually an electric car dealer that is about to start selling in my town. In Dec 06 Consumer Reports there has to be the ugliest group of vehicles Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Nissan Versa, Honda Fit. It would be nice to have alternative fuels developed with oil industry profits so that we can drive the full size existing vehicles that offer a lot more in my opinion. I test drove Toyota trucks and went with a domestic. At some point I may be forced to drive one of the above, but only hope I can drive my American V8s a bit longer.