Topic: Urban four-wheel drives....

[mick750F]

And I'm serious! The government of the USA can't even rinse out it's own underwear-

   You try washing out underwear that has that much crap in it. 

Mike

[Uncle Ernie]

Waddiyoo reedin my mind? 

[ElCheapo]

Ok I hate everything ............ Well not really.

On the hauling stuff I have a Toyota Corrolla that has 250,000 miles on it. Many times I drive this car like I stole it. I have towed every single vehicle I own with it including the monsterous Ford Taurus. I have trailer that I tow to haul bikes and other stuff. Empty with the small trailer 35MPG. Loaded with 2 750's on the trailer 30 MPG in the same terrain. And a lovely 38MPG with it empty and crusing at highway speeds.  

I have thought many times to buy a truck... But my corrolla keeps kickin ass and takin names enough that I dont need a truck. In foul weather...... Sticks to the road like stink on ....well you know.

[mick750F]

Waddiyoo reedin my mind? 

   Only when I need to snipe a response.

Mike

[loonymoon]

Well Loony, if you also factor in much higher wages in GB/Europe against those in the US, suddenly your fuel prices are a heck of a lot more reasonable than those of our American cousins.

Well you may be right about the wages being higher here Terry, but I still think that the price for our fuel is still higher. I worked out that our price is the equivalent of $6.14 per US gallon, and most of the cost is tax. We definately pay more tax than people do in the US.

[Raul CB750K1]

Just the other day it costed me 55 euros to top my Audi A4 tank with diesel (cheaper than gas). I asked my neighbour, who have a Kia Sorento (A Korean SUV) and it takes almost 80 euro to top the tank, also with diesel. You can't find gas SUV's here.

Raul

[mylittleho]

I'll put in my 2-3 cents.. we have.. unwittingly become an SUV family.. every last one but me.. HAHAHA..

Dad - 98 Jeep Grand Cherokee - 318 V8 4X4 (tow vehicle)
Mom - 00 Explorer Sports Trac (V6)
Sister Beth - 99 Expedition Triton 5.4L
Sister Kim - Toyota highlander (V6)

and Moi.. 93 Infiniti G20 and 88 Ford Mustang.. Infiniti gets 26mpg and the mustang gets 18-21mpg (beating the ever living #$%* out of it, no less) Dads truck averages 12-14mpg, moms averages 16, sister beth is 15, and sister kim (I have no clue)

With the exception on Kim's truck.. I get a boatload better gas mileage than any of them.. even with my mustang and I drive that car HARD..

none of them are used for their intended purpose except kims and dads (kims is a people mover and thats about it.. it's a freakin Corolla with a SUV body) dads is used to pull a 5,000lb. pop up trailer. which it does quite well but they use it 2-3 times a year.. and actually gets better mileage TOWING than driving around town since when it is pulling the trailer it is usually on the interstate.. like I said.. it gets 14mpg average driving 80% interestate and 20 city... moms truck is a people mover and part time hauler (wood chips, ladders, bikes.. small stuff..) Beth's truck was bought for hauling a car trailer (race car) but she has since divorced the ass and now
is so upside down on the loan (thanks to her husband.. they rolled in the cost of their loan on the trade in towards the purchase of the expedition so she is ending up paying like $30,000 for a used Expedition) so she basically CAN'T get rid of it.. right now..

I wouldn't mind a truck SOMEDAY.. to haul stuff around.. but in no way would I EVER get a full sized truck.. I wouldn't use it enough to warrant the piss poor mileage.. Maybe a 6 cylinder or 4 banger single cab but it would have to get GOOD gas mileage..

I guess I am spoiled now.. like I said.. my V8 mustang gets 20mpg average.. which is better mileage than 90% of the V6 trucks out there...

Don't get me started on the bohemoths hogging that fast lane... and blocking out the SUN with their hugeness!!! 

[hymodyne]

I've got a subaru forrester, and I like it. It hauls my little boat on a its trailer just fine, and I've filled it to capacity including the roof rack  on more than one occasion. plus AWD is nice  for new england winters. I grew up in a household where cars were utilitarian first, aesthetic statements second.

recently I was in need of a larger vehicle to tow my bigger boat. I emailed the population of the college I teach at only to find that out of the half dozen or so folks who had a vehicle with the 4000# towing capacity I needed, none could tow something with electric or surge brakes..."Posers" was the word that ran through my head as I shelled out cash to a driver at a local boat yard to tow my boat 505 miles to its new home.

not to worry though, these gas prices will soon make these big vehicles obsolete; don't forget what happened in the seventies to the big guzzlers as fuel prices went up and availability went down...

small engines, hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells and alternative fuels (like vegetable oil). mmmm... smells like...progress

hym

[dusterdude]

a month ago i would have agreed with you but now gas here is 2.35 a gallon.i dont think that will make anyone change.

[mylittleho]

OK WTF!!! I live In Baton Rouge.. something like 50+% of the US oil comes through the Exxon Refinery in Baton Rouge and WE are still paying $2.69 a gallon for regular!!! ARGH!!! It makes no sense!!!!