[Shermy]

Eron Shosteck, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said of Ms. Huffington, "Her opinion is out-voted every year by Americans who buy S.U.V.'s for their safety, comfort and versatility." He said that S.U.V.'s now account for 21 percent of the market.

Which in no way explains why they can't be more efficient. They can be, but that doesn't profit an auto manufacturer, so they don't.

[FreeTheHostages]

"Which in no way explains why they can't be more efficient. They can be, but that doesn't profit an auto manufacturer, so they don't"

True. But they always can be dangerous -- hard to see around and anticipate future traffic movements in front of them. I really think some SUV owners buy them to compensate for small body parts. That's what I'm thinking and there I said it. ;)

[Axenolith]

They can be, but that doesn't profit an auto manufacturer, so they don't.

Reasonable mileage SUV's are available (I own one, a VUE, ~21\27 mpg, 40+ mpg version due 2005) but they either don't have the capacity or power that some people WANT. People pay for things they want, profit is not evil and its no one else's business to determine what a "fair" profit is at that.

[Stultis]

[The fact that Americans choose to buy SUV's] in no way explains why they can't be more efficient. They can be, but that doesn't profit an auto manufacturer, so they don't.

So your point is what? That the gub'mint (or just you and Arianna?) should insure that the automakers are forced (or "incentivised") to do (what they/you decree to be) the "right thing," whether it's profitable or not?

How about doing away with the CAFE nonsense altogether and letting people buy what they damn well want and producers make what they damn well want?

[Dan Day]

Which in no way explains why they can't be more efficient. They can be, but that doesn't profit an auto manufacturer, so they don't.

You're highly deluded.

If the carmakers could make an SUV that was more fuel efficient, all else being equal, people would buy more of that model versus the less efficient model of some other manufacturer.

[aruanan]

Which in no way explains why they can't be more efficient. They can be, but that doesn't profit an auto manufacturer, so they don't.

"efficiency", like value, is an attributed quality, the definition of which depends upon the perceived needs of the one doing the valuation.