What is wrong??

[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*