Iraq, Oil and SUVs.....

Technically, they do use more oil, only because their engines are bigger (i.e. it takes about 4 1/2 qts for a sedan and a lil more for an SUV). I think you are confused though. They definitely use more gas, at least, some of them do. Seeing as how gas is made from oil, then they do use more oil in that sense too.

 

Driving little cars would not make the Iraq situation any better but it would certainly make MY breathing situation better in the Houston metro area. YES, large and midsize SUV's DEFINITELY suck down more oil than a midsize sedan. They are twice as heavy with larger engines that get atrocious gas milege--even minivans! These folks ar looking at 16-17 miles to the gallon and thinking it's not that bad! Crude-oil is refined to make gasoline--I think we can all agree on that...One person driving around an Escalade to commute to work is a wanton waste of our resources...This is no "green--solar" conspiracy--big vehicles suck lots o' oil.

 

I just don't think the government should tell you what vehicle you can and can't drive. Or do like in Europe where gas taxes artificially inflate gas prices to astronomic levels. If an individual wants to buy one of those damned little Toyota Priuses that go 0-60 in 13 minutes and get 70 mpg to save the Earth, be my guest. Now are little ladies commuting in 8000 lb. Escalades ridiculous, of course.... But do you really want the government slapping higher gas taxes (supported by the cougar cuddlers) that would affect everyone with a vehicle.

But for those of us with boats (25 ft. center console fishing boat) and big yards (I own 25 acres, mostly woodland), we couldn't do without our trucks. If we would just explore for more oil in this country (like the enviro-weenies won't let us do) off Florida and in the Alaska NWR, which is a frozen wasteland, we wouldn't have to worry about those idiots in the Mideast turning off the oil spigot. At least my pickup (78 IH Scout pickup) is a diesel.

 

What happens when we run out of oil .. . even after searching in Florida and Alaska?

Rocket River

 

I relish being called an "Enviro-weenie" if that means I don't want the disapearing wilderness we have left plugged-up with oil derricks and reeking of petro-chemicals. I understand that folks need trucks for pulling boats and working land--my fondest wish is to retire with 3 or 4 hundread acres and raise some cattle and hunt Whitetail. However, I believe in conservation and not waste. I don't believe the government needs to tell us what we can and can't drive.guess I am not your average liberal--I can skin a buck and run trout line and I own a modest arsenal firearms. You don't have to be labled a sissy because you care about our environment and trying to keep our air clean...

 

Personally, I believe that higher gas taxes would force consumers to be smarter about the vehicles they use to commute. All we would have to do is reduce our consumption by 25% and we would not have to buy ANY oil from the middle east. There are more choices coming down the pipe as far as hybrid cars go, there are even several hybrid trucks and SUVs debuting this year. If you just HAVE to have a gas guzzler, you should also pay for the resulting environmental impact.

Drilling in Alaska (which my wife calls a winter WONDERLAND as opposed to a frozen wasteland) would still not fill the needs of the greedy American oil consumers, not by a long shot. They would also have to build another pipeline to get the oil out, and to build a pipeline they would have to build roads and other infrastructure through one of the few places left on Earth that have not been spoiled by human hands. Now, I am not a tree hugger but I would like to see Alaska stay pristine, especially since producing oil from the AWR will NOT significanly increase our production and would not even be able to produce ANYTHING for the decade it would take to build the infrastructure.

 

Tank size doesn't matter, mileage matters. The small SUVs still don't get any better than 15 MPG or so.

 

My Ranger's been getting around 17.5 mpg recently. But I'm saving up for a Tahoe, which gets a horrid 14 mpg. Seeing as though I live ~12.5 miles from work, that means almost $3/day will be spent on gas.

 

Not really true. There are several small SUVs that get over 15MPG in the city and over 20MPG on the highway.

 

As opposed to a hybrid that gets 40-70 MPG, regular Volkswagens that get 40-50 MPG, or the new hybrid SUVs that will get 25-40 MPG.

We could eliminate our dependance on OPEC in this country if we just tightened our belts and bought 1 Tahoe for the family instead of 2 or 3 (which I see in driveways in my neighborhood everywhere).

 

Exactly....A doctor's wife doesn't need a 2 ton Excursion to pick up groceries and drop junior off at the YMCA.

 

There's no such thing as absolute freedom. Our "freedom" to drive ridiculous cars directly impacts other people's freedom to fresh air. Which freedom is more important?

We're already paying an exorbitant tax on gasoline -- in the form of Middle Eastern war, pollution control, road construction, health care premiums and suburban sprawl. These costs are hidden, but they're there.

Driving cars that get good MPG is a cheap, responsible way lessen the impact of these problems.

 

Speaking of mileage, the Cooper Mini is taking over San Francisco.



So while all the yippies are buying up these cute cars, they are failing to note that they get an SUV-like 20 mpg in the city. How stupid is that? And you can't even carry groceries in them. At least they're easy to park.

Now, is you want to talk ideal city car, may I present the Toyota Corolla, the chump wagon of choice of B-Bob...

 

Of course the SUV makers could just make more efficient engines that don't use as much gas.

The technology exists, they just need to be prodded to us it.

 

Anyone have a hybrid? I'm thinking about getting one the next time I'm in the market. Still holding onto my old car for now, though.

 

And yet we would still likely buy our oil from the Middle East, possibly even more. The lifting costs are just that much lower. If demand goes down and prices fall, those who have higher costs will be the first ones to close up their wells as it won't be worth it to produce them.

That's not to say that it's not a good idea to conserve, but I'm not sure how lowering demand is going to end up lowering our dependence on foreign oil without some sort of law that somehow encourages more domestic production (or production from wherever we, as a society, thinks is best). Perhaps we do that with some tax packages, as you mentioned. But there needs to be an incentive for domestic producers at a lower price.

 

Guys, we would reduce pollution and raise MPG if we would simply BUILD more highways. Granted, I think people using Excursions for commuter vehicles is ridiculous. Forcing automakers to build these so-called efficent little ****box death traps will only lead to more highways deaths, because smaller cars are not as safe (laws of physics). http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/ap/ap_story.html/Financial/AP.V4073.AP-Iran-Oil.html

And no, we aren't running of oil, check that link. And why not drill in Alaska. The area effected would be tiny and besides, how much oil do we know is up there without drilling to find out.