Detroit still betting on SUV's

[Cowperson]

Higher gas prices be damned . . . . the SUV is still the pick in North America.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9556248/site/newsweek/

Cowperson

[HOZ]

AND they wonder why Toyota has left GM standing still as the worlds biggest and most profitable auto-maker.

[arsenal]

Well you have to consider TOC (total cost of ownership).
Is buying a big SUV at 0% financing a better deal than buying a hybrid at say 4.9%?

While you may pay more for gas with the SUV, I think overall it would be cheaper, becuase of the financing rate. How long would you have to own the hybrid to make it worth the higher fincancing rate?

[Agamemnon]

Originally posted by arsenal@Oct 3 2005, 06:36 PM
Well you have to consider TOC (total cost of ownership).
Is buying a big SUV at 0% financing a better deal than buying a hybrid at say 4.9%?

While you may pay more for gas with the SUV, I think overall it would be cheaper, becuase of the financing rate. How long would you have to own the hybrid to make it worth the higher fincancing rate?

Isn't there also the benefit of less pollution emitted by your car? Of course, that's a benefit everyone enjoys, not just the owner...

[habernac]

the difference between the US and Canada is staggering. Where Canucks buy more economical models, Americans were still buying SUVs like crazy. Maybe the upward trend in fuel costs will change that. Who knows?

[Cowperson]

An interesting Washington Post article on global gasoline prices, the variance between countries and the reaction in those countries.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9560418/

Back in the 1970's, if I recall correctly, many, many nations were sticking their noses into price controls at a similar moment as this . . . . but it doesn't seem to be in the cards in 2005. Why the different attitude?

We bought a new Dodge Durango and a new Chrysler 300C last week - both with V-8 Hemi's - and should be interesting to see how much we pay for gas on a week-by-week basis doing our normal stuff.

Cowperson

[arsenal]

Originally posted by Agamemnon@Oct 3 2005, 12:39 PM
Isn't there also the benefit of less pollution emitted by your car? Of course, that's a benefit everyone enjoys, not just the owner...

Hybrids are not all that clean either. The actual process of driving is cleaner in a hybrid, but there are hybrid engines that actually polute just as much if not more than a regular gas engine. This has more to do with filling the fuel cells. In the conversion, there are polutants escaping.

I think that it is more of an issue with the hydrogen engines than the current cell engines, but they are considered "cleaner" becuase they have little to no emissions at the exhaust pipe.

[nfotiu]

Well, Ford just announced today that their SUV sales are down 50% from the same month last year!

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally posted by nfotiu@Oct 3 2005, 12:57 PM
Well, Ford just announced today that their SUV sales are down 50% from the same month last year!

During all that hurricane mess I heard numerous times on CNN that SUV sales were "sagging". I have no links or research to back this up, but they did run several stories on how high gas prices have already affected auto sales.

[Lurch]

Back in the 1970's, if I recall correctly, many, many nations were sticking their noses into price controls at a similar moment as this . . . . but it doesn't seem to be in the cards in 2005. Why the different attitude?

You might want to rethink this idea, or I misunderstood your post. Opening paragraph from your own link:

Rising fuel prices are stoking popular anger around the world, throwing politicians on the defensive and forcing governments to resort to price freezes, tax cuts and other measures to soothe voter resentment.

[Lurch]

Hybrids are not all that clean either. The actual process of driving is cleaner in a hybrid, but there are hybrid engines that actually polute just as much if not more than a regular gas engine. This has more to do with filling the fuel cells. In the conversion, there are polutants escaping.

This is truly baffling. Hybrids currently available for sale use regular gas engines, but supplement with batteries and electric motors. Same engine, better mileage - how is it possible this is not better for the environment. There is no commercially available fuel cell car that I am aware of - a few buses in SF and some other metro areas are the only pilot projects that I have seen.

[Cowperson]

Originally posted by Lurch@Oct 3 2005, 12:10 PM

You might want to rethink this idea, or I misunderstood your post. Opening paragraph from your own link:

There really isn't any comparison to the extent of government price control's on gasoline in the 1970's versus today.

While we may be seeing SOME initiatives they would certainly pale in comparison to the Nixon era when we saw a presidential order making it illegal to sell gasoline over a certain price another order limiting oil companies from selling outside of a certain price range. . . . both examples from the early 1970's.

Obviously, there is lots of argument that price controls encourage shortages and invariably the gasoline crisis of the early 1970's is used as an example of that . . . . . and perhaps that's why we still haven't seen a comparable political clamouring.

http://cassandra2004.blogspot.com/2005/09/...-shortages.html

http://freedomkeys.com/pricecontrols3.htm

Cowperson

[TimSJ]

The thing with hybrids is that you have to replace the Batteries every 4-6 years. No disposing of those batteries isn't that friendly to either the environment or your checkbook..

Cow congrats on the new vehicles... That 300c is a great car..Especially with the V8.

Did you know it is actually a 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class underneath. You can almost tell people you are driving a benz...

[Cowperson]

Originally posted by TimSJ@Oct 3 2005, 01:14 PM
Cow congrats on the new vehicles... That 300c is a great car..Especially with the V8.

Did you know it is actually a 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class underneath. You can almost tell people you are driving a benz...

I'll be sure to tell Mrs. Cowperson that . . . . I finally pried the keys out of her hands yesterday afternoon and took it for a short spin on a nearby (lonely) highway . . . . burst it up to 165 kmh and it was only at 2800 rpm. The speedometer goes up to 260 and 7000 rpm. Five seconds from zero to 100 kmh I believe. Beautiful automobile. I hope I get a chance to drive it once in a while.

Cowperson