Do you own a SUV?

   / Do you own a SUV? #191  
I've read most, but not all, of these posts. I have two SUVs, one a small car-based one (Santa-Fe) that's not too bad on gas for now, and one an old gas pig that's not too inefficient when used to tow the horse trailer, which is about all it does anymore. I commute in 1500cc econobox that I enjoy a lot. I've survived a horrendous wreck in an old Escort - I tend to think the small cars are dangerous thing is overblown.

The thing that strikes me from reading this thread is that people still think there will be a choice - that we'll continue to be able to decide if we want to drive an inefficient veheicle. It's not as if the last drop of crude is going to drip out tomorrow, there is an enormous amount of oil left in the ground. It's just that we've already pumped the best and easiest to get, they haven't discoverd any big new fields in a very long time, and the world is using as much or more than can be pumped. Demand is increasing exponentially, and supply is leveling off, and soon will decline. There are and ever will be more people who want it, and less of it to be had. So there will be less oil in total, and we'll get a smaller share of it. Oil is going to get very expensive, especially if you include the costs of the inevitable conficts. And no matter how much you're willing to pay for it, no more will appear in the ground.

Since we use that oil for so many things, functions like agriculture and transportation of goods will likely have to have a higher priority.

There are other souces of oil, such a tar sands, but a barrel of oil from there takes far more energy and money to get than does the crude we've been pumping thus far.

The choice to buy an inefficient vehilce of any kind will simply become unreasonable for most. If you get an SUV now, I suggest you lease it!
 
   / Do you own a SUV? #192  
I agree on the lease aspect if you get an SUV. Not sure how well they will be selling in 2-3 years. Consider how much gas prices have gone up in the last 2-3 years.....
Trade ins on small efficient vehicles should be going up, and going down on guzzlers.
Ben
 
   / Do you own a SUV? #193  
</font><font color="blueclass=small">( I tend to think the small cars are dangerous thing is overblown )</font>

You are welcome to that view, but the data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says the opposite. Here is one quote from the linked report. A subsequent study indicated in this 1997 report validates the 1991 data.

<font color="blue"> "The 1991 study estimated that the reduction of the average weight of passenger cars from 3,700 pounds (in 1970) to 2,700 pounds (in 1982) resulted in increases of approximately 2,000 fatalities and 20,000 serious injuries each year." </font>
 
   / Do you own a SUV? #194  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The choice to buy an inefficient vehilce of any kind will simply become unreasonable for most. )</font>

I agree. Over time, the consumption vs availability problem will reach an equilibrium.. However, my problem with the statement is that some people are trying to define what an inefficient vehicle is for others. They may see me driving alone in my Excursion and decide that I am scum because I insist on driving an inefficient vehicle. Unless they know more about me or why I need an Excursion-like vehicle, they have no place sitting in judgement!
 
   / Do you own a SUV? #195  
Didn't judge you in the least - nor did I define what is unreasonable. It's not my place to do so, nor is it necessary – what is reasonable or not will soon be pretty obvious to you anyway. As I said, I own 2 SUVs. So whatever your problem with my statement is, it must be something else. You seem to have taken my comments as a personal attack on you, which they certainly were not. My comment was that people would make their own judgement that certain vehicles were unreasonably expensive for them to drive.
 
   / Do you own a SUV? #196  
Sorry, Chris. My post wasn't aimed at you. Just a general comment. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
   / Do you own a SUV? #197  
Interesting article in this month’s Consumer Report. The purpose of the test was to show how far off the EPA rated MPG on new cars were off from actual real world numbers – a fact most of us are already well aware of. Anyway, the interesting part was seeing the mileage CR got from some of the cars they tested. Their test was “real world” using a combination of city (stop & go), highway and combination driving. Here are some of the CR MPG numbers:

Jeep liberty Diesel Ltd. 4WD - 11
Honda civic - 26
Chrysler 300C - 10
Honda Odyssey EX - 12
BMW 745Li - 11
Oldsmobile Alero GL - 13

I find it funny how all of these, except the Civic, get worse or the same gas mileage as my SUVs, yet I come out of stores and find nastygrams from the tree-huggers on my windshield. I have yet to see a tree hugger protesting a BMW 7 as killing mother earth.

I must say though I am curios what type of tests were done. I trust CR, but, they referenced another test and had the Ford Expedition, Eddie Bauer @ 12 MPG. This is what we own (w/ 4WD) and we get anywhere from 14 MPG to 17 MPG (I know, it's only 2 or 3 MPG difference but it sounds better than 12 /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif).
 
   / Do you own a SUV? #198  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...they referenced another test and had the Ford Expedition, Eddie Bauer @ 12 MPG. This is what we own (w/ 4WD) and we get anywhere from 14 MPG to 17 MPG (I know, it's only 2 or 3 MPG difference but it sounds better than 12 /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif).
)</font>

In right at 60,000 miles worth of driving on our 5.4 liter Eddie Bauer Expedition 4X4, the overall MPG was 12.2. That's over 60k miles. I'd say they are pretty well dead on with saying about 12.
 
   / Do you own a SUV? #199  
Interesting data point for me - my old Jeep Grand Wagoneer gets 12 or so in mixed driving, probably would do 15 in steady highway. I wondered how that compared to newer designs. I guess it's not that far off, considering the 360ci V8, 3spd auto, full-time 4wd, about 5000lbs, and barn-door aerodynamics. The nice part is that the mileage doesn't really drop that much towing a 5000lb horse trailer!
 
   / Do you own a SUV? #200  
WOW, maybe we should ban the sedans /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Sorry, I couldnt resist. The mileage thing is so relative to how you drive, its kinda silly to base all decisions on it. I agree it is a baseline, but by looking at that report you can see how if you drive it like you stole it most of the time(I think thats what they did) you get poor mileage.

I wouldnt recomend wasting fuel nowadays, but if you have a trip computer that gives you instant fuel economy, try something.

Reset the computer
Drive the vehicle hard for a minute or so, hard accel, wide open, etc.
Then let it idle at a stop for 5min.

Then read the mileage estimate.

Reset it again
Now drive real easy, like 0-40 in a 1/4mile
Decell to a stop with no accelerator input and minimal braking.

Now compare the readings.What's the difference?

The reason I ask you to try this is as a dealer tech we would get alot of folks complaining about their fuel economy. We would drive the vehicles normally, like it was dads car and he was watching you trying to pass your driving test to get your lisence. Making sure to drive the speed limit, obeying all trafic laws,etc. 99.999% of the time people were amazed that their car got 5-7mpg better fuel economy when you drove it.
 

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