Wow. That's quite a statement. Interesting that you didn't include minivans in your statement. They seem to get a pass that the evil "SUV" doesn't, even though they tend to get similar fuel economy.

So, when the 98MPG Prius comes out, are you going to lobby to ban your current gas-guzzling 48MPG gas-guzzling Prius?

How would you define who "truly needs" the "gas guzzling behemoths"?

Do you own a house? I can't understand how any homeowner can live without a truck. I need to haul stuff around all the time. I also frequently tow toys around. My wife is an interior designer and drives an SUV because she frequently hauls around bulky items. I sure hope when you get your way that the grand wizard of vehicledom approves our use of gas-guzzling behemoths. It's attitudes like yours that make me ashamed that I own a hybrid vehicle. I bet more people would buy hybrids if there wasn't this stigma around them.

When we bought my wife's Grand Cherokee we specifically bought the 6 cylinder instead of the V8 because it gets significantly better FE, and still meets her needs.

When we bought my truck we got a diesel engine for the increased FE and because it meets my towing needs. About 80% of the miles on the truck (only 36,000 miles in 4 years) have been towing.

We buy vehicles that meet our needs. The vast majority of consumers are buying the vehicles that meet their needs. It's ridiculous for you to judge people by the car you see them drive without knowing their situation.

 

I do without a truck, and so did most people before 1985 for sure. If someone were to dig up the stats, SUVs were no more than 3% of new sales back then.

I'm not exactly advocating eveyone going this far, but Sunday afternoon, I saw a big guy, his wife, and pre-teen daughter riding in a Geo Metro - it did not kill them.

Another reason I don't like this poll: the wording invites the banter of the last few posts.

 

What invited the banter of the last few posts was statement that trucks should be banned because they are not legitimate vehicles. This issue was raised by others responding to the poll.

The poll didn't ask if you thought trucks OR hypermiling are legitimate vehicles or driving techniques. The poll asked which would save more gas. THATS IT.

But, as all to common on this board, some one decides to twist a very straight forward question, into a preaching pulpit. Guess what. Hybrids come in all sizes and flavors now-a-days. SUV's and Trucks are also beginning to use hybrid platforms. Seems to me like the early adapter are having a hard time coming to grips with this, so instead of embrassing the wide spread use of this new technology, they now want to condemn anyone who doesn't drive a small vehicle. Instead of seeing the rewards of such systems proliferated to other platforms, they now want to attack its use in anything other than what they drive.

Statements that insinuate hybrid technology should only be used in certain size vehicle, or are a misapplied unless the car get over XXX mileage are obtuse to the benefits this technology is providing to all car owners.

Sounds to me like some of you are having a hard time accepting that your hybrid uniqueness is being obsoleted.

 

Your rhetoric sums up the problem exactly, and explains why the planet is spiraling inexorably into greater global warming/climate change.

Please provide an email address so that those of us who would like our grandchildren to have a planet to live in can still have one, and not be the victims of thoughtless, self-centered planet-destroyers like yourself.

Check the price of gas lately?

Harry

 

Ummm....you are not clueless about innuendos...the poll was pitting SUV vs hypermilers, and only offered choices between the two - loaded question. Also, the thread-starter has been questioning hypermiling for the past month.

I won't go so far as suggesting trucks should be banned, but I think it's obvious vehicles are one of several items that society in general is oversizing to their whims and claiming it's a need.

 

And let's not forget our insane reliance on foreign oil, and what that's gotten us into, and will in the future.

Harry

 

Maybe a little education will do you some good.

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6440

 

I recently read that owners of hybrids make up something like 1/3 of 1 percent of all vehicles in the US. Given that many of us buy them with the intention of becoming more efficient drivers, we're already working on the problem. It would be great if auto makers would seriously devote themselves to making ALL vehicles more efficient, not just a chosen few.

Of course in an ideal world, all of us would learn better driving habits and use less gas no matter what we drive, or we'd all just move to little villages or cities where one can walk or bicycle to everything needed, and take a train when going out of town.

 

Nice, I had thought about looking into doing that research myself, glad to see someone already did that for me.

Okay, reminder to all, for some reason (honestly, I'm surprised) this has become a hot button topic to some of you. Lively debate is great, it's what makes the site work. I want to keep that up, but, DO NOT PERSONALLY INSULT ANY OTHER MEMBER HERE!

The reason I'm surprised is that I would think it would be a community goal here to get everyone on the road to use less gas, and drive smarter. Oh, sure, it's not going to happen; there are far too many meatheads on the road who are scared that hybrids will steal their souls, but that the idea is to educate as many people as possible and to lower fuel usage everywhere. Not to get everyone to in some cases make drastic changes suddenly just to appease some of us.

I think the point of this poll (I'm probably wrong Lakedude) is to remind us that we can't get too SMUG (Southpark reference), and that our goal still remains to enlighten more people and improve aggregate fuel economy. We can blow away EPA, and that's great. But instead of taking the high ground and sneering from our Olympus at the wretches in their SUV's to also point to them a way that they too can cut their fuel uses, and that in reality, that savings will have a bigger effect than finding a new way to get .1 MPG more out of our tanks. Honestly, I don't really see this as an either or, but I do see the idea that some people who are just becoming ready to change being intimidated, and that'd definately not the message we want to send.

Let's take a breath, and continue. Honestly, in my experience, it's not that SUV drivers need to magically increase their MPGs (BTW Lakedude, you never answered the question, is this 1 MPG change a mandated change to new SUV's or a magical every SUV owner gets 1 MPG more?) but instead to actually "force" some education on them. They're the vehicles I often see idling in parking lots. They're the vehicles that will give up following me so they can race to the stop light ahead of me, come to a full stop, then start up again just as I'm getting there. Oh, sure, cars do it as well. (When I say SUV's, I mean SUV's, pick up trucks, minivans. All those jumbo vehicles.) Getting the drivers of the biggest gas guzzlers to drive a bit more smartly would achieve the same goal, and perhaps then some.

 

All great points Rich.
I like your thoughts about not intimidating people who are considering changing habits. Even for someone to move out of the fast-paced Left lanes and slow down a bit would help quite allot.

Most people have no idea the fuel cost savings they could have with minor driving modifications. Their SUV, truck or van "just gets what it gets" and are completely at its mercy.
Many families buy the large vehciles and are "stuck" with them as they watch their budget money blow out the exhaust pipe. I know 3 off hand who are really struggling with that.