Oh boy...this thread will bring out the haters.

Paying to run an SUV is no different that buying beer instead of tap water or a steak instead of hamburger.

If that's what you want, and you can afford it, good for you.

It's this sort of attitude that is going to be the downfall of this country. I'm getting what I want, screw everybody else. What these people who buy these SUV's don't understand is that by buying and using one of these they are using up a non-renewable resource and hence making it more expensive for the rest of us.

@Mojosan

Um not quite. We can breed more cows and grow more hops for beer. Can't grow or breed more oil. It's a limited resource. It'll be even more expensive and more limited as consumption continues to soar.

@greatgoogly: Get a bike. Even your compact car is using fuel. Fuel that could be used to heat our homes.

See where this can go...

@MsClear: Bio Diesel....

SONICHGHOG A bike is not a reasonable alternative. I live 12 miles from work and today it is 8 degrees outside. A compact car is the best I can do, a SUV is not a reasonable choice. A smaller car will get you to same distance in the same amount of time.

Bring on the Grease Cars! I'm all for that. Currently, I'm planning my bike purchase for the spring. Think I can get my car usage down to twice per week if I do so. Cheaper and good for the planet.

Sorry. Motorcyle. Dress warm. My Bike (motorcycle) gets better mileage than a Prius.

Sorry, by bike, I mean motorcycle. Dress warm. My Bike will get me better MPG than a prius.

>>>>>>
We can breed more cows and grow more hops for beer. Can't grow or breed more oil. It's a limited resource.
>>>>>>

Is energy being used to brew the beer? How about to deliver the raw materials to the brewer? How about the enourmous energy used to manufacture the glass bottles? How about the energy used to transport the finshed product all over the nation? How about the energy used to keep it cold once it arrives at the retailer and the consumers home.

Unless you wear old potato sacks as clothing, eat "people kibble" as sustenance, and live in the smallest possible pod as shelter, your "wasting" energy and non-renewable resources.

I just wish they would make registration fees dependent on engine displacement. It's asinine that it costs more to register a brand new 35mpg honda than a 2003 bronco.

I don't mind you having your giant car, but you should f'ing pay for the privelige.

Well in MN I can't say I can fault people for wanting one for the winter months, but they shouldn't buy it just so they can go 85MPH in the winter and the summer.

You gotta slow down a bit with the snow.

They dont even sell the bronco anymore since like 1980 and a few states will tax you for having a big car

@sonichghog: Great mileage, yes. And massively higher pollution than an SUV, too. So the best of the good and the bad, all in one!

my SUV burns e-85, cost a little less at the pump, but i sacrifice a couple mpg, so at the end of the day the money is about even, but the "oil" consumption is less

I actually know a couple who bought a used luxury Forerunner and then BITCHED for MONTHS to everyone who would listen about how they could barely afford the gas. Keep in mind, they were already in debt and living on a single income with a new baby in a shitty neighborhood. THAT's the kind of attitude that is defining America right now.

I drive an F-150. I love my F-150 and am willing to pay for its gas.

Of course, I need to haul stuff.

Try doing that with a Prius or a motorcycle.

What about big families, don't they have the right to drive around in a single vehicle instead of two Priuses? (What's the plural for Prius? Priui?)

SONICHGHOG said
"Sorry, by bike, I mean motorcycle. Dress warm. My Bike will get me better MPG than a prius."

Unfortunately here in Mass you ride a motorcycle you are likely to get wacked by either one of the SUV's, Pickup Trucks, or just a big 'ol Massachusetts Pot Hole. There is a reason motorcycles around here are referred to as "organ donor mobiles". I know one doctor who used to tell his patients who were waiting for organ transplants to hold on til spring because then when all the motorcyclists come out and inevitably a few donations would become available.

I have 10 year old Ford Ranger, and I'll probably get a small SUV as a replacement when it dies. I do a lot of driving in bad conditions and have to carry a lot of stuff around with me.

I can see why the sales of small SUVs went up. They get better mileage than the big ones, but they still offer most of the benefits; large amounts of covered storage, 4WD, better sight lines while driving, etc.

Also, some of the small SUVs get the same MPG that a large car will get, but the SUV is more versatile.

disclaimer: i own an suv.

The suv is a comfortable target. While i admit that driving a big suv is not eco-friendly, where is the same thought process when it comes to houses?
Many Americans live in houses that are way bigger than they *need*. Take al gore for example ;)
Living in a big, private house wastes a ton of water (lawn), electricity , and oil/gas (heating).
Driving an SUV and living in a big house are things that people *want* - not *need*.

@greatgoogly: True. But if someone is going to moan about how much fuel is wasted by suv drivers, over there car. I will also moan about how much is wasted by compact cars over my bike.

I like some people actually need an SUV. My wife and I are both on a local volunteer fire dept. So we have to carry two sets of gear plus two medical bags. It gets tight in a car trunk plus with all the dirt roads we have around our rural area and a car just wont work. We had a car for going to work (70 miles round trip) but it was totalled in a wreck. We are now looking at SUVs to replace it but the ones we are looking at get mileage equal to a car.

Heck my mom just bought a new Rav4 and it gets city mileage comparable to most smaller cars.

@Mojosan:

That's right if that's what you want and you can afford it then why not screw over the rest of the world by sucking away our natural resources.

Good for you, what a forward thinking attitude you have there.

We have lots of oil here in the US. We can even turn coal into oil like Hitler did.

What the problem is?

Like SHFD739, some people require SUVs or SUV-type vehicles for good reasons.

My wife has multiple sclerosis, and getting in and out of a car without considerable ground clearance (there's probably another term for this...the distance between seat height and the ground) is rather difficult. Coupled with the need for storage of devices used for walking assistance, groceries, and the ability to carry other people as well leads to a *need* for an SUV. Now, that doesn't mean, of course, that we'll go out and buy a huge V8, truck-based SUV for this purpose; rather we will buy a mid-sized SUV, most likely a Pilot or Highlander.

Is that a problem for the haters?

Barely anyone needs an SUV. period. I don't care how much crap you think you have to carry around. and i'm NOT talking about the rural firefighter here.

Biodeisel scares me. bad idea having fuel growing the same place as food. Mexico has already had issues with rising costs of tortillas among poor communities that rely on them to live. It sounds like I'm being 'funny', but that crisis is real.

If i were a farmer and you asked me if i wanted to grow 'car gas' or wheat, it would be 'gas' hands down. The ONLY way i would grow wheat is if it paid the same as 'car gas'.

see where this is going?

@ad8bc: We're not willing to pay more for your selfish status symbol. Need to haul stuff? Rent a truck for a day and stop trying to justify selfishness.

I'm also not talking about people with special needs NEEDING an SUV.

Do you really think that people will "hate you" because your wife legitimately needs a large vehicle to get around?

Besides, what do your specific needs have to do with the general population buying cars they don't need that are wasteful?

Gas prices aren't going to make people wise up and buy more practical vehicles. I think a luxury tax on large vehicles is the way to go. A substantial (like 50%) tax levied at the point of sale, which would go towards funding alternative fuels research & environmental cleanup efforts.

The gov't would allow exemption from this luxury tax if the purchaser could demonstrate a need for a vehicle of that size- a large family living on an unpaved mountain road, for instance, or volunteer emergency personnel.

It would discourage people from buying Hummers for the "conspicuous consumption" factor, and help fund the extra effort it takes to clean up the extra mess.

I have to say - I have a sports car that does not get the best mileage (24MPG) - but I only drive it 2-3 days a week. On the weekends I try to ride my bike and I carpool to work almost 4 days a week..

I was given my SUV...can't afford a car payment right now, so I'm dealing with the gas cost. I like my car, do I wish I had something more fuel efficient so I could save on gas? Sure, but it isn't worth paying $300 + a month just to save $50 a month on gas.

@sonichghog: In other words, you'll complain if someone doesn't go and put themself at risk of death. Nice.

Not all SUV's are bad. Hummer on the other hand is pure evil! >:(

@MYarms:

My case exactly.

Do you drink anything but water? Why are you screwing over the rest of the world by sucking down natural resources?

Do you live in a 100sq ft apartment? Why are you screwing over the rest of the world by sucking down natural resources?

Do you eat any food that is not grown by yourself? Why are you screwing over the rest of the world by sucking down natural resources?

Watch television? Why are you screwing over the rest of the world by sucking down natural resources?

Shall I continue? Or is your horse so high you can;t get off it?

The illegals in TN love, I mean absolutely love SUVs- bigger the better. It is their way of showing they are prosperous especially with cash only deals. They won't be qualifying for any house mortages anytime but can "Buy Here-Pay Here at 29% Interest" for a 3-7 year old Expedition or Suburban... And then fit all of the anchor babies in the monster.

@Buran:

Some people have children. I dont really want to rent a u-haul 3 times a week, but thanks for offereing that practical alternative.

May I ask what type of home you have? I'd like to offer you more energy efficint alternatives.

I am not wild about the SUV craze, and I understand the fact that some people do need a hardcore vehicle to be able to get up their shit drive way...But half of those SUVs have ground clearance like my Jetta. Those Luxury SUVs are a waste of money and resources. If they got better mileage, fine. Impose fuel economy standards. But an H2 which gets about 10 miles (I think the EPA was being VERY generous there) is not practical.

I have grown up in the winter and in Mass I have no difficulty getting around in the winter. Front Wheel Drive, a set of cheap snow tires and a standard transmission and you are fine. And I have a crap driveway to boot. Everyone is just sold on this concept that with an SUV you are able to go out and drive as fast as you want no mater what the weather is. It's all marketing.

@Mojosan:

so then we should forget the whole thing because no matter what you do, you're wasting resources, so meh.

You may be annoyed by the other post, but your response makes no sense to me.

What exactly are you saying? Seriously. Is it all just a waste of time to do anything, or is that that we have to do everything all at once?

@Steel_Pelican: There is such a "tax" -- it's the increased cost of the vehicle. Oh yeah, I forgot. People are buying vehicles they cannot afford anyway, with a "low" monthly payment. They would probably rise up and pay whatever tax was necessary to maintain their status symbol. I hate hearing people complain about what they pay for gas when they choose to purchase a large vehicle.

I paid cash for my truck -- it was 2 years old and I bought it in Michigan last November. It is only 2 wheel drive (I don't need 4WD in Texas) and because the dealer couldn't get it off his lot (it was November) I got it for $5000 less than a comparible truck here in Texas. And I pay no interest. So I am not bitching about gas prices. I budget for them. And my wife (who really does much more driving than I do for her job) drives a 2001 Saturn with 140,000 miles on it that gets great gas mileage. So she cancels me out.

@Buran: You're funny. That's all I'm going to say.

The first thing we need to do is Kill All SUV Owners.

There are a lot more pickup trucks than SUVs on the road; where is the outcry about them? Same sort of gas mileage.

The SUV is the whipping boy of fascists claiming to be environmentalists.

GMAFB with the "unless you live in a cave, you can't say anything about SUVs" BS.

@ClayS: There was already an outcry about pickup trucks on here. Specifically mine. I can still hear the echo.

@ad8bc:

I have no issue with pickup trucks or SUVs. I think we should live and let live, and allow people to choose for themselves what they want to drive.

My wife drives an SUV and I drive a Honda Accord. Together, we average 24 mpg. When we go on trips that SUV is loaded almost to the headliner. I can't stand driving that monster, but my wife loves it. To each his own.

@MsClear:

GMAFB with the "I waste resources in hundreds of ways every day, but get all righteously indignant because people dare to choose the type of vehicle they want to drive"

@Mojosan: What do you think people did before SUV's existed? People hauled kids around back then too, y'know. SUV's actually waste a lot of interior space.

@ClayS: And to tell the whole truth, I barely drive it 6000 miles a year. I'm usually too busy burning jet fuel and driving rental SUVs as I travel around the country, consulting for shipping companies' conveyor systems (the same three that are hated here on Consumerist) and airport baggage handling systems (for airlines hated here on Consumerist).

I'm not kidding. I bet now many of you are pi$$ed off at me.

@Mojosan: You don't need a freaking pickup truck to haul kids around. Get a fuel-efficent wagon, hatchback, or if you must, a minivan. And if you want to know about my house, have fun tripping over the large pile of recycle bins on the curb.

@johnva: yeah, and those were the days where it was legal to seat kids four across in the backseat and two in the back of the station wagon.

We can blame car seat and booster seat legislation for making SUVs popular! Hooray! Us environment-hating conservatives are off the hook!