New wave Auto Industry (California: insurance, neighborhoods, to buy)

[BLUEDIAMOND64]

We were talking to our Honda salesman yesterday and he said that people are trading in their SUV's/Truck and large vechicles and they just sit on the lot. People are migrating the Civic/Hybrid and the newest "Honda Fit". With the gas prices they way they are: the fit gets 28/33MPG. I wonder now if we will see a wave the of the smaller cars.

[poconosmama]

I'd like a mini cooper myself as far as smaller cars go, but living on top of a mountain and having two small kids I'll stick with the little suv.

[MermanMike]

I have a couple of friends with Priuses...they are getting 65-75 miles/gallon...and Toyota is saying the next generation will get 100 miles/gallon. That's the future...although I have heard from a professor at NYU that even if every car in America was hybridized today, we would be consuming as much oil as we are today within 7-9 years. Oy!

I would like a hybrid...the technology is getting better so fast that I am apprehensive to bite until the new generations start taking off and the free market does its thing to have every car manufacturer making wild jumps in fuel efficiency. Can't they come up with Wrangler that gets 100 miles/gallon? Come on...

[SifuPhil]

Originally Posted by MermanMike

Can't they come up with Wrangler that gets 100 miles/gallon? Come on...

Sure they could. But the root problem is a lot bigger than that...

We're a nation of spoiled drivers. We've grown up with the idea that it's our inalienable right to drive fast and far in our bloated vehicles, without a moment's thought about fuel economy. That mindset stretches back probably to the invention of the car.

Overcoming that mindset is the real problem - the rest is just tech stuff. But as long as you have people driving a 20-mile round-trip to WalMart only to buy a single pack of pencils for $0.69 and thinking they're getting a bargain, you'll have a tough time seeing results.

I WILL say that I'm seeing a LOT more SUVs on the used-car lots these days...

[61scout80]

when i first moved to phoenix the area was invested with H2's. you couldn't look out the window without seeing 3 of them. Gas hit about $2.50 a gallon and they all disappeared. now if you see one or 2 a week its a lot. The rapid pace they all went away makes me think aliens took them, you don't even see them on the used car lots, they are just gone!

There were also a lot of 4 door full size diesel pickups. I would love to own one, but just can't justify it for my use. Well now diesel is at about $4.00 a gallon they seam to have vaporized as well.

The fuel prices also made everyone with a junk economy car in their yard think they have gold. A year ago you couldn't give away a geo metro, now people list ones that are dented, barely running and without air (big deal here) for $2000. when my boss asked about a trade in on his a few years ago they gave him a few hundred to keep the geo.

Personally i drive my diesel jetta that gets 48-50 mpg. days my fiance needs to go to work i end up driving our lifted jeep...that hurts, but its usually only 2 days a week. I'm looking for a cheap-o commuter and then the jeep will be parked until fuel gets sane, or our income goes up.

VW has a few press releases about a diesel electric hybrid that can get up to 70 mpg. That would be a nice commuter.
Volkswagen to Introduce 70 mpg Diesel-Electric Hybrid Golf : TreeHugger


i have always been into small cars, and hopefully now that fuel is absurd we will see some of the wild small cars Europe and japan have had for years. I'd love to get my hands on a focus RS or a Peugeot 206 RC

Originally Posted by MermanMike

Can't they come up with Wrangler that gets 100 miles/gallon? Come on...

that would be terrific, never have to strap on the jerry cans to go wheeling!!!

[mathjak107]

Originally Posted by MermanMike

I have a couple of friends with Priuses...they are getting 65-75 miles/gallon...and Toyota is saying the next generation will get 100 miles/gallon. That's the future...although I have heard from a professor at NYU that even if every car in America was hybridized today, we would be consuming as much oil as we are today within 7-9 years. Oy!

I would like a hybrid...the technology is getting better so fast that I am apprehensive to bite until the new generations start taking off and the free market does its thing to have every car manufacturer making wild jumps in fuel efficiency. Can't they come up with Wrangler that gets 100 miles/gallon? Come on...

we have 2 priuses in our company and both only get low 40's..
i think 60 is wishfuil thinking

hardley worth the difference from a good economical conventional civic or sentra

in fact ihave never seen a legitamate review claiming more than 40's on the 2008 prius and lower on previous prius models

[scrantonluna]

It's a good time to buy a pickup if you need one, as the prices are really dropping. In the end, higher gas prices may not be a bad thing. I mean, come on, does the average person really need to be hopping flights all over the globe? If gas prices stay up you will see more public transportation and rail freight, which is fine by me. Big Oil might break the Big Box in the end; I for one would certainly prefer a corner market over MaoMart. Inner cities would become a more popular place to live vs. the suburbs, due to close proximity to office buildings (work), and you may see some rejuvination in hollowed-out and decayed neighborhoods as market values go up and public outcry demands greater police presence in said areas.

For those who are able to make use of one, a small scooter, such as the honda metropolitan pictured below, will certainly help in the war on fuel. With a rating of 110mpg and a price tag of around $1800.00 brand new, scooters like the metro and it's twin the vino are sub-50cc, meaning you don't need a special licence and can get up around 35mph; not highway speed, but plenty for a nearby commute that uses city streets. You only need insurance and registration, both of which are dirt cheap.

[The Commish]

California is getting an 800 mile long, 200mph bullet train.

The east coast and upper midwest could use something like that.

[recycled]

Originally Posted by The Commish

California is getting an 800 mile long, 200mph bullet train.
The east coast and upper midwest could use something like that.

Really? That would be news to me, haven't seen that in any local newspapers here in Orange County, CA. Don't know quite how it would be funded, since the state is almost bankrupt (again). They would have to build a dual track electrified rail system on it's own right of way, separate from freight trains. In California the way things normally work (or don't work), just getting the rail right of way would take 10 to 15 years.

[BLUEDIAMOND64]

The Pruises are Toyotas?? The hybrid in the Honda lots are being sold so fast before they are made. Actually I went into Newton, NJ yesterday and there are about 4 dealerships, all the big SUV's/Trucks are in the front.

We are looking at the Fit to get around locally, but any highway driving, I would rather be in a SUV - mainly for safety issues.