CAFE regulations

[tenguzero]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061226/...fueleconomy_dc

Wah wah wah. I like how GM whines and moans about fuel standards. I personally feel that these stupid SUVs are worthless, and should be removed from the roads (but that's my own extremist point of view.) Regardless of YOUR feelings on SUVs, there has to be some admission on the part of people who would oppose this CAFE regulation that the situation has indeed become worse. I find it flat out contradictory that this GM rep would complain about fuel requirements and the fact that there's no magic bullet to make the cars run more efficient, and yet the data proves that vehicles were MORE efficient just a decade ago. So here's a genius idea for the eggheads at GM:

Stop doing whatever it is you're doing that affects fuel consumption negatively.

How about you crap out a few less "Yukon XL who-gives-a-f***" wastes of space, and concentrate on some products that aren't so RIDICULOUSLY UNNECESSARY. I don't care if they think the American consumer wants that kind of bloat -- the American consumer is an idiot anyways. I'm not afraid to admit it (but at least I don't have credit card debt out the ears from trying to live beyond my means.) And really, what is 4% a year anyways in the grand scheme of things? So your hulking behemoth of a vehicle gets 18 miles to the gallon this year, next year it's expected you will make it get ~18.7 Watch out, big challenge. Maybe they could divert some resources away from factory multi-speaker DVD theater installations?

It's tough to justify anything that might curtail the consumer's right to choose what they want to purchase, but hell -- sometimes the consumers really do need to be saved from themselves. Sure things are looking a little rosier now that gas is more affordable, but as soon as the prices jump back up (which they WILL at some point) the herd will start mooing for automotive advances again. So for the good of all parties involved, someone has to step in and lay down the law. Until that happens, the masses will continue to blindly stumble around in ignorance, and the big auto manufacturers will trip all over themselves to pander to their big vehicle lust, and then bellyache about it when the fickle masses turn on them and stop buying the vehicles.

At any rate, if gas mileage issues do ultimately kill the giant vehicle, good riddance to it. One less oversized beast on the road is one less mountain blocking my line of sight into traffic.

[YogsVR4]

Originally Posted by tenguzero

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061226/...fueleconomy_dc

Wah wah wah. I like how GM whines and moans about fuel standards. I personally feel that these stupid SUVs are worthless, and should be removed from the roads (but that's my own extremist point of view.) Regardless of YOUR feelings on SUVs, there has to be some admission on the part of people who would oppose this CAFE regulation that the situation has indeed become worse.

I see a couple of different whines going on here


I believe the CAFE regulations is one of the small reasons GM got into trouble in the first place and one of the major reasons automobile prices are where they are now.

I also don't believe that the 'situation has indded become worse'. It wasn't bad to begin with. My VR4(s) never got above 20 and my new Titan is around 15. The Accord is mid 20s and the Delorean might be 12 on a good day. I'm good with all of them. My choice. My money.

I'd rather the government cut their take of a gallon of gas by half and watch the price go down to a buck and a fraction.

[tenguzero]

Hey man, if you've got cheese I'd be happy to take it to go along with MY whine -- at least then I'll be able to properly entertain my guests

[Broke_as_****]

I'm just tired of both sides taking things way off into one extreme or the other.

I really don't see the bitch about most SUVs. A 2006 Explorer with a V8, which I'll use as the medan inbetween the smaller V6 powered stuff that gets reasonably decent mileage and the urban tanks like the 7000 lbs Expedition, is EPA rated at 14 city/20 highway. That's about all the more a F150 will get and both are in the same area as far as drive train, weight and build. And hell, that's just about the same mileage my Z gets when I have my lead foot stowed in the glovebox (rare), though the Z will do about 20 all around city and highway. How much R&D money are we willing to toss down the drain to get another mile per gallon?

That being said I also don't see why anyone would need anything bigger than an Explorer or maybe an Armada.

[gdalton]

Just my two cents and all, but I know people who do have a need for giant trucks, like my brother and his 5 kids. You can't fit them all into a geo. He wound up getting a minivan to fit them all but the mini doesn't get much better mpg then the larger suv's.
As far as I'm concerned if your going to buy a huge suv you should at least be required to learn how to drive it, these crazy soccer moms in their 3 ton hunks of steal flying down the road at 80 mph while talking on cell phone with one hand and slapping little timmy with the other scare the crap out of me.

As for mpg of sports cars compared to trucks, well I drive a Silverado with a 4.8l v8 and a rather large lead foot while my wife drives a new RX-8 with a tiny little 1.3l rotary and a smaller (yet just as heavy) led foot, and guess what my truck gets better gas mileage then her car. As a matter of fact on two trips to Georgia we averaged 21mpg in the truck and 18mpg in the RX-8