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In the interest of your poll, define 'gas guzzler.'
My husband drives a little two-seater roadster that averages 35 mpg around town, and 40 on the HWY. I'm not sure he'd do much better than that unless he was in a small hybrid like the Toyota Prius, which we have contemplated as a car to replace my sedan.
Unfortunately, any discretionary money that might have gone into a new car, is going into gas now, and I am only driving enough to warrant filling up my sedan about every other week. While I only average about 25 mpg around town, I will gladly take that over 11 - 20 mpg.
I contend if people want/need/have to drive the gas guzzlers, fine, but for all of the benefits they think driving one affords them, the penalties should offset it. My sister argues she needs a Suburban for her three children, and I have no problem with that, but because she drives what she does, at the expense of others and the environment, she should be eating up that benefit in, say, taxes. The tax breaks she gets for those 3 children should be lost in a gas guzzler tax.
Looks like we need to offer people incentives to do the right things, and what motivates some is cold, hard cash.
I contend if people want/need/have to drive the gas guzzlers, fine, but for all of the benefits they think driving one affords them, the penalties should offset it. My sister argues she needs a Suburban for her three children, and I have no problem with that, but because she drives what she does, at the expense of others and the environment, she should be eating up that benefit in, say, taxes. The tax breaks she gets for those 3 children should be lost in a gas guzzler tax.
Looks like we need to offer people incentives to do the right things, and what motivates some is cold, hard cash.
We ALREADY DO pay higher taxes for these heavy duty SUV's and trucks. The EXTRA taxes we have to pay (or "penalties" as you call them) to buy a brand new truck can financially wreck a business. This is why many businesses bypass buying a BRAND NEW truck that might be more fuel efficient and buy a used one. Until they CUT those penalties you can watch as everything you purchase goes up, up, UP, UP, UP AND UP in prices as those costs DO get passed onto you the consumer. For a truck that might run around $75K we get not just the NORMAL taxes but ANOTHER 10-15% PENALTY! You better believe if I HAVE to buy that baby the costs are going to make it up are going to come from somewhere. Could be from both YOUR PAYCHECK and higher consumer costs for goods and services and more benefits cut for employees. In the end YOU are still going to be the one paying for it.
So yes, incentives NEED to be offered for people to "do the right things" but it is NOT going to work in the form of extra taxes and penalties. That "incentive" has not worked so far effectively. Therefore you are seeing more OLDER trucks still on the roads.
In the interest of your poll, define 'gas guzzler.'
My husband drives a little two-seater roadster that averages 35 mpg around town, and 40 on the HWY. I'm not sure he'd do much better than that unless he was in a small hybrid like the Toyota Prius, which we have contemplated as a car to replace my sedan.
Unfortunately, any discretionary money that might have gone into a new car, is going into gas now, and I am only driving enough to warrant filling up my sedan about every other week. While I only average about 25 mpg around town, I will gladly take that over 11 - 20 mpg.
I contend if people want/need/have to drive the gas guzzlers, fine, but for all of the benefits they think driving one affords them, the penalties should offset it. My sister argues she needs a Suburban for her three children, and I have no problem with that, but because she drives what she does, at the expense of others and the environment, she should be eating up that benefit in, say, taxes. The tax breaks she gets for those 3 children should be lost in a gas guzzler tax.
Looks like we need to offer people incentives to do the right things, and what motivates some is cold, hard cash.
Exactly. All these people that "have to" drive Suburbans? Give me a break, there are mid size suvs that don't eat 14 mpg, but get over 20 and are still oversized. Believe me, I think I "need" alot of things, but in all actuality I don't. But, just like in Europe, these people who drive these guzzlers should be taxed extra, since they obviously do not care about the negative impacts of the environment that we all have to share, maybe they will care about the negative impacts of their wallets.
how much sports equipment are you talking about? my wife's mazda6 has a pretty huge trunk (and its available in a wagon too). I ask because I've sort of been there before, then realized how much space is actually in the smaller car
I've always wondered that too - people say they need a Suburban to haul sports equipment. What sports are your kids into? I could fit a lot of bats, balls, nets, shoes, water jugs, etc. in my Prius. My mom took me to little league in a Chevy Citation and we never had issues with space in the car.
I did ask this question of my dh this weekend when sitting at a light behind a small "economy" car in our Suburban. "With the price of gas rising I wonder how many people will take better car of their cars in order to get better gas mileage?" Meanwhile, my 2002 Suburban was sitting at this red light running clean as a whistle while the newer economy car that some view as "better for the environment" was belching gray fumes, low tire pressure on one tire, side mirror knocked off.
This is a very important point that momof2dfw makes. Unless a vehicle is kept in good working order, a so called energy efficient car is not very efficient. I recall that at one point certain cities tried to make sure that vehicles were in compliance and forced them to fix them up so they met pollution standards.
It seems as though this was viewed as unfair and dropped. A poorly maintained Prius with low tire inflation, driven in stop and go situations, and not kept in good operating order is not very efficient.
Looks like this is turning into another one of those "bash the SUV owners" posts.
Listen up - gas could get up to $10 a gallon - and I still would be driving my SUV. I bought it knowing full well that I could afford the vehicle and gasoline (knowing prises would only rise). I service my vehicle on a regular basis and plan on keeping it for 8 to 10 years, or longer. We have always taken care of our vehicles, and they have always been good to us.
I would consider it a waste of money to trade in/sell a perfectly good vehicle now - being that trade-in/resale prices on SUV's are falling. SUV's are not illegal to drive nor have they been banned. Many of us have stated VALID reasons for needing a large vehicle - but still you find the need to continue to ridicule our decisions.
I agree our country is a little spoiled when it comes to our autos and our homes, but that is a choice that I am free to make. Bottom line it's my money and I'll spend it as I see fit.
I did not buy an SUV to impress anyone, and I certainly won't get rid of it because someone thinks I should feel guilty about "wasting resources."
As for the OP's question: I plan on keeping (and driving) my SUV, regardless of the rising gas prises.
This is a very important point that momof2dfw makes. Unless a vehicle is kept in good working order, a so called energy efficient car is not very efficient. I recall that at one point certain cities tried to make sure that vehicles were in compliance and forced them to fix them up so they met pollution standards.
It seems as though this was viewed as unfair and dropped. A poorly maintained Prius with low tire inflation, driven in stop and go situations, and not kept in good operating order is not very efficient.
It DOES make a difference and as the owner of a fleet of large trucks we are ANAL about keeping them properly maintained. Same goes for our personal vehicles. Some are not going to believe this at all and still live in a fog believing that just because they drive a smaller car than a large SUV they are automatically being better for the environment even IF they don't properly maintain their car. Over time my well maintained SUV and pickup are going to be MUCH better for the environment than the crappy little cars belching smoke w/ low tire pressure. Here is a little snippet on such:
Driving habits and vehicle maintenance are easy to change and can have a big impact on fuel efficiency. Driving at 120km/h (75mph) can consume 25% more fuel than cruising at 100km/hr (60mph) since automobiles are optimized to run in the 60-100km/h (40-60mph) range. Sudden acceleration, poorly maintained vehicles (frequency of oil changes and brand) and gasoline brands can also impact overall fuel efficiency by over 20%.
Looks like this is turning into another one of those "bash the SUV owners" posts.
Listen up - gas could get up to $10 a gallon - and I still would be driving my SUV. I bought it knowing full well that I could afford the vehicle and gasoline (knowing prises would only rise). I service my vehicle on a regular basis and plan on keeping it for 8 to 10 years, or longer. We have always taken care of our vehicles, and they have always been good to us.
I would consider it a waste of money to trade in/sell a perfectly good vehicle now - being that trade-in/resale prices on SUV's are falling. SUV's are not illegal to drive nor have they been banned. Many of us have stated VALID reasons for needing a large vehicle - but still you find the need to continue to ridicule our decisions.
I agree our country is a little spoiled when it comes to our autos and our homes, but that is a choice that I am free to make. Bottom line it's my money and I'll spend it as I see fit.
I did not buy an SUV to impress anyone, and I certainly won't get rid of it because someone thinks I should feel guilty about "wasting resources."
As for the OP's question: I plan on keeping (and driving) my SUV, regardless of the rising gas prises.
I'm done ranting - have a nice day!
What I think is really sad is how judgemental some of these "holier than thou" types are when the see someone in a large SUV or truck. Sure I MIGHT be by myself when you see me but do you KNOW for a fact that prior that I was hauling 8 people? Hauling a large and/or overweight cargo? THEY DON'T! They just automatically ASSume that we are riding around all over town by ourselves w/ no worries in the world wasting gas for no reason. Yet these overly judgemental types will be the ones to vandalize a large vehicle without KNOWING for a FACT WHY the person has it and they just MIGHT NEED IT!!!
I think this has been discussed a million times on here and it can be another million. It still is NOT going to change the FACT that this IS a FREE country and we as citizens of this FREE country have the RIGHT to buy whatever vehicle we WANT and/or feel we NEED! Maybe after you have walked a mile in someone elses shoes they MIGHT see things differently and that there are PLENTY of people out there that have legitimate needs for such a vehicle.
As GeminiGal said, my Suburban is PAID FOR! Why on earth would I go trade it in for something too small to adequately do the job I need to and end up w/ a car payment. Not to mention the EXTRA trips I'd have to make just to make a delivery sometimes. Plus, there is absolutely no gaurantee that my big SUV would be taken off the road IF I did trade it in. Someone else would just be driving it. Afterall, it is in GREAT shape, well cared for, runs better than new. What if the new owner does NOT take as good of care of it as I have.
Some people just can't think thru the WHOLE scenario to see that there is MORE to it than just one driving a large vehicle. Oh, and we DO pay plenty of extra taxes to drive these. Remember, not only the luxury taxes and all other taxes for them when we buy them but everytime we fill them up at the gas station we are paying MORE in the gas excise tax than others in smaller cars.
Exactly. All these people that "have to" drive Suburbans? Give me a break, there are mid size suvs that don't eat 14 mpg, but get over 20 and are still oversized.
Excuse me, I drive a Suburban and get over 20 MPG. I have NEVER gotten 14 or lower MPG with it, not even towing a heavy trailer.
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