Where's the commuter cars?

[Telco]

Originally Posted by Bill in Houston

Imagine how it would be WITHOUT the CAFE requirements.

No doubt, but we do still need to improve it. Not only do we need CAFE requirements to be further segmented to prevent abuses like the V10 halfton offset by the 2 liter PT Cruiser, but the gas guzzler taxes need to be raised to the point of pain.

[GeekGuyAndy]

I think CAFE is still way behind it's time. It's odd that computers can double their power every year or so, yet cars have been declining since the beginning. Yet they keep "improving" by adding DVD players and bulking up. Can I get an improved car that just has what I need?

[GeekGuyAndy]

We ALL need to be driving less. It's easy to focus on the big cars that are making a bigger dent in the gas supply, but anyone using gas needs to understand that it's not going to be around forever.

Yesterday, someone asked me what I was studying and I when I said geology, his reply was "I hope you're not working in oil." Sure most of us say things like that, but he's the one that drove 100 miles to get here, relying on petroleum. I'm pretty sure everyone on this site uses gas, and we all need to drive less, especially those that are driving less efficient vehicles. I've said it before, but I highly praise those that are biking or walking their commutes when possible instead of driving, even if they are capable of driving high mpgs.

I think we should be alloted some amount of gas per year, then anything over that should cost 5x the price. It would mean a lot more meaningful trips, and a lot less "I'll drive because I can".

[Telco]

No, I'm actually not missing a major point. There isn't a whole lot of leeway to cut here. Most driving is necessary driving, not leisure driving. If it were, then when gasoline hit 3 bucks a gallon demand would have dropped a lot more than it did. My family cut as much as we could, but really only dropped maybe 100 miles a week across all drivers. We could cut a bit more, but we're not going to. Cutting the rest of the unnecessary driving would mean cutting out going out to dinner twice a month along with the very occasional movie. It isn't going to save the world, but will cost a job or two, if we stop eating out altogether.

The real problem is not in how far one travels, but in how much fuel one burns to get there. Requiring cars to get better mileage, and putting stiff penalties on those who choose to be wasteful in their choices, would help the problem. Finding a new source of cheap, clean fuel would be the perfect solution, but until it comes along we need to work with what we have, and that includes building vehicles to be more efficient, and putting negative incentives on gas hogs, not in whining about someone who goes somewhere for fun on occasion.

[GasSavers_Canuck]

Originally Posted by GeekGuyAndy

Why are most cars designed to hold 5 people and still have trunk space? Everyone knows most cars hold one - maybe two - people at a time almost all the time. I can only think of a few occasions that I had more than 2 people in the car, and they were specifically to carpool long distance to reduce more cars being on the road.

So why are there almost no commuter 2 seaters?

You mean like these http://www.thesmart.ca/index.cfm?ID=4720

Problem is, they are too expensive in North America. In Canada, they start at $16,700. I can get a Yaris for less than $14,000. Why would I buy a 2 seater?

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Probably insulation from gas price spikes. The two seater diesel gets twice the mileage of a comparable Yaris for ~$4500 more. So long as they both last 200k miles, the total cost per mile will be about the same. The Yaris will likely be more reliable and the Smart likely safer.

[thisisntjared]

Originally Posted by omgwtfbyobbq

Smart likely safer.

and a lot more fun to drive.

[Najla2]

In 2000, I sold Real Estate, Realtors "had to have a larger 4 door car to show real estate" I wanted an Eclipse. After talking with my Broker, I realized, I met most clients at them property and seldom took them from house to house. My 2 kids could fit in an Eclipse. If I needed a larger car, I could rent one (and have the novelty of driving another car for a day) Results, I had the car I wanted (and I've never had to rent a car)

My advice to anyone is buy what YOU want. On the rare occasion it won't work, someone else will volunteer or you can rent.

[cfg83]

Najla2 -

Originally Posted by Najla2

In 2000, I sold Real Estate, Realtors "had to have a larger 4 door car to show real estate" I wanted an Eclipse. After talking with my Broker, I realized, I met most clients at them property and seldom took them from house to house. My 2 kids could fit in an Eclipse. If I needed a larger car, I could rent one (and have the novelty of driving another car for a day) Results, I had the car I wanted (and I've never had to rent a car)

My advice to anyone is buy what YOU want. On the rare occasion it won't work, someone else will volunteer or you can rent.

That's a good story. I would think that for real estate, you should have at least a 4 door family car, but I am happily wrong .

CarloSW2

[Lug_Nut]

My five seat mid-size station wagon averages 45 mpg.
My 2 seat, 1500cc, fiberglass bodied, 1800 lb, "other car" averages 30.
It's not impossible to have your cake and eat it too, it just means shopping more intelligently for your next vehicle.