Word to the wise, DUMP your BIG SUV NOW!!!
July 16, 2006
A ski buddy of mine is the part-owner of two new-car dealerships. I was talking to him yesterday. And, he said that, should gas prices rise to around $4.00, there would be such a huge glut of full size SUV trade-ins that the value of used SUVs would go DOWN to almost nothing. Car dealers are going to have scores of SUVs (sitting on their used car lots) that they can't sell for what they allowed on the trade-ins. So, the "smart money" is on unloading your BIG SUV now while you can still get something for it. That way, you'll be heading to the slopes this season in something that will serve you much better than a BIG SUV (vehicles that are rapidly becoming dinosaurs).
Ahhh... Bush-a-nomics. LOL Do some basic math. How much will it cost to dump that SUV and buy a new toy-mobile relative to the gas savings. Like Pat Goss points out almost every week - the Prius-math. That car (due to new battery technology) will be worthless in 5 years, but you need to drive it TWENTY years to BREAK EVEN...all the while having to drive IT vs a comfortable SUV.
Let's do some math.
15,000/year, gas $3.00/gal, 15 mpg = $3,000
15,000/year, gas $3.00/gal, 30 mpg = $1,500
So, to double your gas mileage and drive a toy car = save $1,500/yr
Toy-mobile costs $30,000 divided by the saving = 20 years to break even while stuck in a toy. Correct my math.
I hope you're right as I'd really would like to get a good Suburban but couldn't afford one. Anyone out there with a toy (say a Prius) - how does it do climbing the mountains in the snow? He!!...how does it or any toy do just climbing a hill? Pat Goss just test drove the Dodge Charger, 425hp, 6.1L, 13.5 quarter mile....what a ride!!!!! Heck with mpg (though it was still 15 or 17). People so preoccupied with gas mileage are the same ones worried about getting their kids to soccer practice. LOL LOL
Thats great advice ... if you can afford to do it. Unfortunately I can't right now, financially or otherwise. Let me know when you find a hybrid with 40" or more clearance on the back deck; I have a pair of big dogs, one of which stands 31" at the shoulder and they only fit in the Xterra .. ,tried our Outback and the dogs' heads kept slamming against the ceiling every time we hit a bump. Yeah I know, make them lie down, they do for the most part but not all the time.
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A ski buddy of mine is the part-owner of two new-car dealerships. I was talking to him yesterday. And, he said that, should gas prices rise to around $4.00, there would be such a huge glut of full size SUV trade-ins that the value of used SUVs would go DOWN to almost nothing. Car dealers are going to have scores of SUVs (sitting on their used car lots) that they can't sell for what they allowed on the trade-ins. So, the "smart money" is on unloading your BIG SUV now while you can still get something for it. That way, you'll be heading to the slopes this season in something that will serve you much better than a BIG SUV (vehicles that are rapidly becoming dinosaurs).
If Syria and Iran get dragged directly into the fighting in the Middle East, gas at $4 a gallon may seem like a bargain...
Though if you have a family of four (or more), pets, etc., a large vehicle is needed to transport the whole crew, especially on vacations.
There was an interesting article this past week in the Post speculating on how high energy prices must get (and for how long) before people start modifying their buying decisions on cars, size of houses, where they live, etc. We may be reaching that point.
Actually, there are several excellent family vehicles that get good gas mileage. The Honda Odyssey is one of the best. The new models have a high output V6 that runs on 4 cylinders when cruising and not under load. Also, there's quite a lot of room in the Odyssey. My brother has a family, and, last Spring, traded a Ford Expedition in for a new Odyssey. They LOVE the Honda and it gets around 30mpg on the HWY. And, if you feel that you really need a 4WD or AWD, the Subarus get pretty good gas mileage considering that they're AWD. However, in reality, very few people actually need a 4WD.
Then there's the other negative factors in owning a BIG SUV. Don't you feel really LOUSY when you have to fill the darn thing up? Do you sometimes feel like you're part of the problem instead of being on the solution side of things? Have you ever had some folks JEER at you as you drove along in that HUGE thing.....if you haven't, I guarantee that you will! Also, if you drive a BIG SUV, your vehicle is FAR more likely to be vandalized, ranging from a "key-job" to the old sugar in the gas tank.
Get RID of you your BIG SUV! There's a better way to go!!!!!!
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Have you ever had some folks JEER at you as you drove along in that HUGE thing.....if you haven't, I guarantee that you will! Also, if you drive a BIG SUV, your vehicle is FAR more likely to be vandalized, ranging from a "key-job" to the old sugar in the gas tank.
Are you being serious??????
Where have you been? Those types of things are becoming all too common in parts of CA and the Pacific Northwest and I believe that it's just a matter of time before such behavior moves East. Or at the very least, BIG SUV drivers are likely to experience various types of subtle negative reactions towards them from time to time.
Jeering in CA I can see ... but the Beltway? You've got to be kidding. And I'm sorry but the Honda Odyssey is a friggin soccer wagon; I dont want to transport the neighborhood, just me, my honey and a dog or two ... and ski gear of course! The dogs don't fit in the Subaru.
snowcone, you're contradicting yourself! On one hand, you say that the Honda Odyssey has sooooo much space that it can "transport the neighborhood". And, on the other hand, you say that even a Subaru (wagon) is too small. I find it a little hard to believe that a Subaru wagon would be too small for your needs; after all, the Odyssey isn't that much larger than a Subaru (wagon). Furthermore, it's clear that you're so shallow as to be caught up in an image mentality based on your description of the Odyssey. Let me ask you this, should gas go to over $4.00, would you still be willing to drive a GAS HOG simply for the sake of image?
As far as JEERS while you drive on the beltway go........DUHHH.......how's someone going to JEER at you while you're going between 50 and 80 mph? Again, I implied that there might be some subtle negative reactions, but it goes without saying that such reactions won't occur on the beltway.
I guess my point is what the heck do you or anyone else care what I drive? If I want to spend $70 to fill up my tank, isn't that my business? How about you drive your Honda down to the Ford plant in Norfolk to see what kind of jeers you get there!
Sometimes I think that some people have way too much free time on their hands...................
Ullr, I DO CARE what American's drive because I want the USA to have a bright future. Plus, it would be nice to slow down the rate of the Global Warming. When you put $70+ in a BIG SUV, remember, a lot of that gas comes from countries who want to hurt Americans. And, when you drive a BIG SUV, you're putting far more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than a more fuel efficient vehicle. And, by the way, ethanol fuel (derived from corn) isn't the answer either. For every gallon of ethanol that we create, it takes nearly 1.4 gallons of gas. So far, the only efficient way to create ethanol is from sugar-cane. With sugar cane, for every gallon of gas that you expend in growing and processing you get nearly 3 gallons of ethanol back. So, for now, the only answer for America is conservation since sugar cane won't grow in most of the US.
Ullr, in your individual case, I'd like to see you drive a BIG SUV (and have to put gas in it) for a LONG time. I hope that you're still in a BIG SUV 10 years from now, that way you can show everyone how SMART you are!!!!!!!
OK, this is getting ridiculous. The DCSki Message Forums are a resource for mid-Atlantic skiers and boarders to discuss mid-Atlantic skiing and boarding (and closely related topics).
Not for individuals to harass others based on what car they drive. Not for endless discussions about the environment, global warming, etc. In LIGHT moderation those discussions are fine (especially when related directly to skiing), but more often than not, they degenerate into name-calling exchanges that no longer have any semblance to skiing.
Look, I care deeply about the environment, am concerned about global warming, and have been a member of the Sierra Club for as long as I can remember. But there are venues that are much more appropriate for these discussions than DCSki, and the DCSki Forums should not be used as a place to push one's own personal agenda.
I've watched this get worse and worse and I'm fed up. When DCSki has had annual surveys in the past, one of the features readers like most is the civility and focus of the message forums. People have specifically commented that the DCSki Message Forums haven't become "free for alls" like some other forums. And people have been impressed that posters are mature and show respect for one another.
That is one of the strengths of DCSki and I believe it's a strength worth preserving, even if that means I have to come out of hiding every now and then and post a stern note like this one. (That's not what I enjoy spending my time doing, believe me!) I have heard from many who are concerned about the direction the forums have been going, and I share their concern. I recognize that discussions can drift during the summer, but this is something we have to keep in check.
So let me be blunt: if you can't play by these simple rules, please find a different place to share your opinions. My tolerance for these kinds of discussions has run out. Posting to the DCSki Forums is a privilege and not a right.
