What is wrong??

[Sporkman]

Originally Posted by 4bfox

On the flip side of the coin....my wife KO'd an 8-point buck a couple weeks ago on the way home from school at night in her Ford Explorer. Took out the left headlight and the grill, but she drove it on home.
...
My arguments for her getting rid of the "gas hog" and getting a Civic hybrid are falling on deaf ears now.

Just tell her not to hit any more deer & she'll be fine.

[kamesama980]

How often do you hit deer? maybe drive a little slower in deer areas.

[GasSavers_SD26]

Originally Posted by Sporkman

Those days are long gone.

That's what we said in 1997.

[GasSavers_SD26]

Originally Posted by Minger

My mom drives an Acura MDX - prior to me driving, she drove the civic, which made a lot more sense.

But the thing is, my parents aren't willing to make the cut (or buy me a cheap car) to stop driving the MDX - it gets ~18 mpg on average, and my mom has ~18 miles to work...and then another 18 back again. I don't know what t hat has to do wtih anything, but whatever.

On the other hand, my family is asian and we basically don't buy American cars, besides my dad wanting another 'vette...which not buying American is kidna nice, because at least I have my civic (and my dad was trying to convince me to get something like a Jeep Wrangler...because they're 'fun' cars. So is a miata!)

But...Americans just don't seem to give a crap about MPG, but will complain to the ends of the earth about having to pay $50-60 when they have to f ill up because they get 15 mpg and have a 17 gallon tank or something. bleh

What an interesting post. The Honda MDX isn't a car that I like personally, but people buy it. It's a Honda, designed and developed in the US, assembled in Canada, so people buy it for the backing that they feel is Honda engineering in addition to fitting their budget, needs, and wants. Even Honda recognizes what's necessary in the market place to sell vehicles that continue to generate profits and keep the company moving forward and employing the good people they have. Doesn't every business want to be successful?

Honda actually has been building cars in the US by US workers since 1982. Might want to find out where your Civic was actually made.

It's just about hysterical how you talk about the Wrangler and the Miata. Maybe the same reason why your parents decided to get the MDX. Make your decision to buy your car for yourself carefully.

[Project84]

I'm skeptic that fuel prices could ever go back down but I would like to point out the simple fact that if we lessen our demand for gasoline (produce more electric/hybrid cars... or just make N/A cars more efficient which I think could easily be done) the price would stay the same for a longer period of time, or possibly go down some.

Will we ever see less tha $1 a gallon again? I think not.

Do I think there's an outlook for $2 a gallon? Probably not.

$2.50 a gallon is where I think it COULD go again one day. Being that whether there's demand for it or not, the big oil companies have been shown the sky is the limit on what they profit, I doubt they'll let price ever dip much lower than mid $2 range, whether our demand for oil dropped by 5% or dropped by 20%.


Does anyone agree with my first post? I'm curious if I'm the only person thinking this way.

Like I said, if they make a "technologically advanced and more efficient" 230 horsepower Pontiac G6 capable of 36 mpg, why not apply that technology to a 170 horsepower Pontiac G6 and obtain 45 mpg?

This is my idea, and possibly I don't understand the details as to why it's not possible, but I can tell you I don't support where the american auto industry is going at all.

[GasSavers_SD26]

Gasoline was below $2 last January, yes, one year ago, here in heavily taxed Wisconsin. Wasn't for long, but it was nice to see.

As for pushing a vehicle through air like the theoretical G6 scenario...

I think it's relevant to think about the fact that you're not moving in a vacuum just moving a pulled object. You're moving through air. So, if you have less power to do the work, it's going to require more throttle to do so using an amount of fuel to do so.

You're not using all 230 HP to get 36MPG. Nor are you using 170 HP to do the same work. If you're gonna improve the mileage, something has to change. Aerodynammics, weight, etc.

[Sporkman]

Originally Posted by SD26

That's what we said in 1997.

This isn't 1997. Lots more economic activity demanding energy, not much more oil production.

[striegel]

The U.S. market does strange things even to foreign auto companies. Every new generation of Honda and Toyota seems to get larger, heavier, with bigger engines and more horsepower. That's just the opposite of what I've been looking to buy.

My 2004 Scion xB is really good with its 1.5l engine, but apparently not powerful enough for the American market so the 2008 model has over 2 liters and even the lowest model in their line is equipped with a 1.8l engine now.

I feel the same way as some of you do: 30 or even 35 mpg is nothing to be so proud of. I want my next car to get an EPA rating of 40+.

[StorminMatt]

Originally Posted by Sporkman

This isn't 1997. Lots more economic activity demanding energy, not much more oil production.

Actually, things are not to different when it comes to energy-demanding economic activity. BUT, lots more people are driving gass guzzlers these days than back then. AND, unlike 1997, more people are driving in places like India and China. This last factor is a MAJOR reason why oil as become SO expensive.

[Wyldesoul]

I know I'm likely to get lynched for this... But as a preface, I'm not one to believe that cars are causing global warming. (I acknowledge it exists, but c'mon. MARS is warming up, and they don't have people there, or SUV's)

That being said, my main reason for trying to hypermile is to save money out of my pocket. I can't quite afford to fuel a gas guzzler. But neither can I afford to buy a house.

I'm one to VERY much believe in the standard of living idea. If you can afford to be opulent... Then do it! I mean, they make cars that are as comfortable as a living room! With all the amenities you could want! That would make a long trip so wonderful!

Long trips is one of the main reasons small cars don't sell so well in America. I mean, with the distance that I had to drive to see my fiance once a month, I would be hard pressed to find a place in Europe where I could drive that far and remain in the same country. And big cars have a hard time fitting through quite a few old European city streets, so they aren't as practical as in America.

The primary reason why small cars aren't popular in America, it's a matter of standard of living. It is a lot easier to afford to buy and maintain a big car than in Europe, and so people want to live more comfortably. Even in Europe, how many rich people do you see in VW Lupos? Or any subcompact? (Smarts don't count, as they are a fasionable thing, and ALL about image). If you can afford to buy and gas a Mercedes C class, you're not going to buy a Vauxhall Astra.

Even with most lower income people, you can just as easily buy a ten year old Cadillac as buy a brand new civic. There just isn't a NEED for tiny cars... People can so easily afford better, more comfortable rides. Not to mention safer.

It's very hard to get a European subcompact to pass American safety regulations. I know everyone says that "Well, we just need to get the SUV's off the road" but you can't. You're always going to have SUV's on the road, be they owned by the lower middle class and up, or only the upper class. And what about 18 wheelers? You wont' EVER get those off the road. And not all crashes are with other cars, too. You're more likely to die plowing into a tree if you're in a subcompact than a full size car. Or the deer situation. I know you jest about the "just don't hit the deer" but your wife is right, man. Your VX would have been totaled by a deer, whilst her SUV was just damaged.

Not just safety, but emissions, too. American emissions regulations are the most stringent in the world. Those cars just can't pass US safety and emissions regulations...

I say, if someone wants to buy a big car, let them, if they want to use a lot of money to have a large, comfortable ride with peace of mind, let them. "Raise gas until they can't afford to drive an SUV" Why? Why are you going to force them out of the standard of living that America offers? Why do we need to lower our standard of living? In America, Its' CHEAP to live GOOD! You don't have to be rich to live like a king! Our lower middle class has a higher standard of living than most of the world's upper class! Why is that a bad thing?

I personally hypermile so I can afford a couple more computer games a month. But if the rest of the country wants to waste their gas, they're the ones paying for it, not me.

*runs and hides*