Posted on 02/06/2005 11:25:08 AM PST by newgeezer
TOLEDO -- Consumers at the 2005 Toledo Auto Show are shopping for more than the latest vehicle trends.
Locally, gasoline prices flirted with the $2.00 per gallon mark this week. How much higher would prices have to go before vehicle buyers shied away from hot selling SUV's and full-size pickup trucks? According to Perrysburg resident Heidi Decker, $2.50 to $2.75 per gallon.
Decker checked out a large Toyota SUV reported to get 15 miles per gallon in the city and 19 miles per gallon on the highway.
Fred and Sherry Clark didn't let high fuel prices stop them from buying the vehicle that caught their eye. "I just bought me a brand new ram. It's not too easy on gas," said Mr. Clark.
The couple checked out a Toyota gas/electric hybrid vehicle reported to get 60 miles per gallon. That's six times the mileage of their full size pickup truck. "I love that. We could go everywhere," said Mrs. Clark.
The 2005 Toledo Auto Show also features hybrid SUV models that satisfy consumer cravings for roominess and safety with better gas mileage because an electric motor runs the vehicle at slower speeds.
One such gas/electric hybrid SUV is the Lexus RX 400 h. "This will give you even better gas mileage in the city than on the highway ... 30 miles in the city. Our regular gasoline RX gives you only 18 miles to a gallon," said Lexus representative Kavita Matani.
Matani also says the company reports 9,500 buyers nationally on a year long waiting list for the Lexus hybrid SUV. The RX 400 h will arrive in dealer showrooms in April.
"Gives you the capacity of a V8 as far as horsepower, but the fuel capacity of a compact car," said Matani.
The Ford Escape gas/electric hybrid arrived on the market in late 2004.
Posted 10:40p.m., Saturday, February 5, 2005 by jcook
With all the talk of NRST and repealing the 16th Amendment, perhaps we should replace the income tax with a sales tax on motor fuel. :-)
As for hybrids, I agree with the Nissan CEO:
Bump that.
I could afford gasoline at $4 a gallon if the Government didn't steal 30% of my income.
It is interesting that some folks get all-a-twitter when the price of gasoline goes up a nickle, but don't give a hoot when the Dems want to raise their taxes a few thousand dollars a year... unbelievable.
Not all pickups get bad mileage. Mine might be a freak but my GMC Sierra extended cab (2000 model) gets 26 to 28 mpg on the highway. It was getting 26 regularly until I put a hard bed covers on it. Now I get 28 or more. I drive I-75 to work and back daily and I refuse to sacrifice safety to get better mileage.
I'm with you on that. However, your estimate of 30% is probably low when you add in all the hidden taxes, and "fees". Taxes and fees that are hidden: hotel tax, airport tax, telephone tax, alcahol tax, cigarette tax, gasoline tax, airport tax, sales tax, state income tax, personal property tax, death tax, burial tax... and probably more, that don't come to mind.
Too many folks are not aware of how much of their income is being confiscated. They will roll over when the internet is taxed by the Feds, next the states, then the UN.
They're members of "Sheeps R Us."
American_Centurion wrote:
I could afford gasoline at $4 a gallon if the Government didn't steal 30% of my income.
*I totally agree with your comment
Including the two at the top of the article, that's 9002 new car buyers this year, 9000 clearly don't have money, or gasoline issues...
What a dishonest article...There's talk of Ford employee layoffs...Many 1st and 2nd tier suppliers are and have gone bankrupt...
Gasoline would not be necessary if you had a horse, which is what you would have if the gov't didn't build infrastructure and educate the workers with your 30% {50% in reality}.
You sure you're on the right website?
Would not be a surprise after GM had theirs. The cyclical downturn in the auto industry is just getting started.
I don't know of another place where the fundamentals of the State can be discussed fairly and in the contemporary present tense, although sometimes some readers don't do their job and miss a lot. Maybe they are on their Blackberry cellphone and posting to the Internet while driving, who knows.
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