I’m not a fan of government meddling, but at least this is OUR government. All the idiots who insist on “high performance” (read: 0-60mph in a few seconds, like anybody actually needs that) and giant vehicles to compensate for their fragile little egos, are filling the coffers of the Arabs with all that extra oil they’re guzzling. And we know that a big chunk of money that ends up in Arab hands ends up in the hands of terrorism-sympathizing and outright terrorism-sponsoring Islamofascist states. It would nice if free American citizens would pinch the Arabs’ cash flow without a nanny government forcing them to.
I drive my old, full sized, relatively powerful van out to wellsite, laden with equipment and supplies to work as a geologist, finding oil right here in the U.S.A.
Look around out here, where the road is questionable, the weather often worse, and just getting here is often 'half the fun', and you will see a lot of 'giant vehicles' with 4WD and brush grilles, which are capable of hauling people and oilfield tools in and out of drilling locations. Ranchers and farmers in these parts drive similar vehicles to go similar places and do similar jobs, because they also need that much vehicle.
That simply isn't going to happen in a latter-day Yugo, or some tin can from China.
Not everyone lives or works on the printed side of the "Pavement Ends" sign, and sometimes "ego" has nothing to do with it.
But every time the city weenies water down the 4WD, the light truck becomes less suitable, and eventually we will have to drive something really big to get to work, because all the smaller stuff on the market won't cut it.
The next time you see a Viper and a “beater” vehicle side by side at a stoplight, it may be good for your soul to understand it could very well be me, and my friend, revving our engines and glorying in our own freedom of choice!
My beater has a vanity “veteran” tag plate.
The driver of that Viper is under no compulsion to apologise to you, or anyone else, for his/her personal choice of transportation.
I do. 117 mph in a quarter mile. :)
And I get 23 mpg on cruse control.
Keep the government out of our lives.... the market place w/take care of gas mileage.
When gas reaches $7.00 a gallon, I'll buy your Yugo from you.
Perfectly stated!
I bought my father's 60 when he got a newer car, the 53 was a father/son project when I go out of the army, the 65 was a gift to a step son who failed to finish it and gave it up. The 57 is a four door kiddie hauler (retired).
The Maverick is a street rocket and it is yellow, what's your analysis on that?
Over the years I've had three brandy-new cars total themselves on the rear bumper of my fragile little ego. Cost to me ranged from $2.95 to $900.00 at top end and including having to import parts from Arizona.
I've also watched as Nortet's Lexus rolled up into a knot when hit by a Caddie going about 20 and seen her '99 Ford scrapped for a crumpled radiator and deployed air bags. Oh, and then there was the $2000.00 grille replacement on her 2004.
What I've always questioned are the US citizens who for the past 40 or more years have gobbled up German and Japanese cars on the elitist doctrine that they must be better than home grown (back when they were pointedly NOT better & now when it's about a draw). Always seemed to me that Volkswagen and Toyota earned their market share as symbols of assumed sophistication while MB and BMW indicated that the owner was a VIP in his or her own mind.
Note also that
a) most SUVs I see on the freeway are driven by women,
b) 50MPG plus is already available if you're interested in convincing DOT to import the turbo-diesel cracker boxes I saw all over England,
c) the Toyota and Nissans I drove when overseas were crap on wheels,
d) in current terms, a paid for car can burn off $500 a month and still save you money.