Why Do You Drive a Gas-Guzzler? (county, problems, working, liberals)

[525600minutes]

Originally Posted by SpeedyAZ

I bought the Yukon because it can haul more people, sits up higher, and well...it's just what I wanted. BMW's are VERY nice, some of my friends have them and they will NEVER trade it for anything but another BMW. I would LOVE to have one of the new 3-Series Convertibles (I'll think about it after the Porsche clunks out) but I don't think I'd want one as a daily driver.

SUV's rule the road in Phoenix and it makes me feel MUCH safer than driving a smaller car. Yes it gets bad gas mileage but that's what you pay for peace of mind.

You know what's the safest SUV? City Bus! Or back where I am from (in NYC), the subway! But I am a public transportation fan. I do have a small car that I use, but I like to ride the bus (my girlfriend and I also live in the city, which helps).

[gnubler]

Originally Posted by scoobagirl

I'm proud that we've kept American automakers in business.

The American automakers aren't American anymore. GM, for one, has moved most of its production down to Mexico. Can anyone say Flint, MI?

[JoeP]

Out of curiosity, what would you recommend for a family of 7 who's only roads are highways and gravel which get dumped on with feet upon feet of snow during the winter and are a very muddy mess in the spring and whenever it rains? Muddy to the point where a normal car would get stuck in a heartbeat. What would you recommend for clearance height to ride over the snow 8 months of the year?

I didn't realize there were so many families of 7 and it is amazing how they grew in the past 10 years. It is also amazing that more often than not, I see one person in the truck.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by GoPadge

I noticed based on the poll results that nearly 25% of the voters are smartasses. I'm not complaining, I just found it interesting.

I intentionally added that poll option in to let people get a quick jab back at me, as I know I'm a feather-ruffler in a lot of threads. In a way, I am a loud-mouthed Yankee tree-hugger hippie Liberal, and I'm damn proud of it!

[ElkHunter]

I drive what I drive. Not because I want to save the environment, but because I drive what I drive. It's what I have and I can't afford to buy anything else. I drive what I drive. I filled up last August. Haven't added fuel since then. Might fill up in August of this year but I'm not sure.

[miamiman]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

As gas prices near me are at $2.95/gallon for regular unleaded and are about to eclipse that dreaded $3/gallon milestone, I was just wondering if those of you who chose to buy Hummers, Land Rovers, Navigators, Excursions, Escalades, Expeditions, Suburbans, etc. could somehow justify the rationale behind your purchases? To me, it seems like all you've done is increased our nation's demand for fossil fuels, thereby increasing the price we ALL have to pay, even those of us who took the initiative to "go green" and either have already bought or will soon be buying hybrid vehicles. Am I right or wrong? Why did you need a vehicle like that?

I drive a Hummer because I want to. I don't have a family, or any kids, but I like the style and "keeping up with the Joneses." I am not driving up oil prices by driving my luxury SUV to Starbucks and Jamba Juice, and could really care less about crazed tree-huggers who would rather see everyone in a car made out of leaves, running on air. This is not North Korea. We don't have to survive on the bare minimum.

[j33]

miamiman - surely you jest.

[Nirvana-Guy]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

As gas prices near me are at $2.95/gallon for regular unleaded and are about to eclipse that dreaded $3/gallon milestone, I was just wondering if those of you who chose to buy Hummers, Land Rovers, Navigators, Excursions, Escalades, Expeditions, Suburbans, etc. could somehow justify the rationale behind your purchases? To me, it seems like all you've done is increased our nation's demand for fossil fuels, thereby increasing the price we ALL have to pay, even those of us who took the initiative to "go green" and either have already bought or will soon be buying hybrid vehicles. Am I right or wrong? Why did you need a vehicle like that?

Has it occurred to ANY liberal in the world that people have kids and kids would drive anyone CRAZY in a stupid Prius??

Has it occurred to ANY liberal in the world that you get hit by a truck or a bus on a tiny little car, you have a MUCH higher change of being crushed than in a larger vehicle?

Has it occurred to ANY liberal in the world that some people are 6 feet tall or taller and they need leg room and head room and do not wnat to be in a small can of sradines (ie. Prius, Yaris, Honda Fit, etc)?

Has it occurred to ANY liberal in the world that people do NOT need to justify having the car they WANT???

Has it occurred to ANY liberal in the world that people need vehicles that are used for work (ie. Realtors do NOT want to squeeze clients into a Yaris and have the clients be anxious to go home after riding in a Yaris looking for a house or construction workers need TRUCKS to do their work)?

Has it occurred to ANY liberal in the world that the "go green crowd" in Hollywood and DC (aka/ Al Gore, John Kerry, Sean Penn, etc etc) ALL ride around in SUVs or limos, fly in PRIVATE jets spending tons of fuel, etc etc??? WHAT liberal in the world drives a Prius daily?? When has Al Gore spent less than $11,000 a month in electricity for his house in TN??

I know liberals in Berkley, San Francisco, Boulder, Madison, WI.... all rich people who live in Ivory towers and abort their kids do not have families to transport or these rich elitist liberals do not have to work and forget regular people need fule-spending trucks with V-8 engines to get their work done.

I know you liberals don't care if Americans have to drive their kids around in a Yaris or if Construction people have to pay $3/gallon for gas so they can get to work and build your million-Dollar homes (like John Edwards' new house), but hey, we regular people DESPISE your mentality... keep that in mind when you see the results in 2008.

So please cut the crap and let's ALL move on to more serious forums. This is obviosuly a ridicualous thread started by some liberal quack.

[burdell]

Originally Posted by gnubler

The American automakers aren't American anymore. GM, for one, has moved most of its production down to Mexico. Can anyone say Flint, MI?

For many years prior to that a number of GM cars were built in Canada, were they American cars? Or Hyundais built in Alabama? BMWs built in Souuth Carolina? Etc.?

[GregW]

N-G - I am a damned Yankee Liberal Environmentalist and I drive a pre-SUV. Namely a '92 Buick Roadmaster Wagon I bought for $2,500. It has 176 K miles and gets better than 24 mpg on a flat expressway. I also have an older Subaru that gets about the same mileage but lets me travel at normal dry road speed in the snow.

If you just substitute “rich white conservative Republican suburbanite” for “liberal”, your comment makes more sense. Most of my liberal friends cannot afford new anything, let alone $30,000 SUV’s.

The prevalence of huge SUV’s is the result of a fear mongering advertising campaign by the auto companies to let them sell gussied up trucks with roofs by convincing frightened mommies that they and their kids would be safer in a huge clumsy truck. Yeah – upside down in a ditch because they never leaned how to drive and the fancy barge would make them safe. This has made a lot of money for the companies.