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Hummers why?

yg17 said:
Frankly, I'm all for requiring special licenses to drive SUVs. 9 times out of 10, when some jerkoff comes within inches of hitting me, they're in an SUV and think that because my car can fit in their backseat, that they own the road and have the unconditional right of way. Either that, or they simply cannot control something that big. Maybe if we made SUVs more restrictive, we'd not only see a reduction in car accidents, we'd improve the environment too. Because some lazy yuppy won't want to wait in line at the DMV for her SUV license, and if they did, they probably wouldn't pass the test anyways. And while we're at it, lets ban talking on cell phones and driving too. Because that, plus a yuppie, plus an SUV is a deadly combination.
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The reason I like this idea is because the people who NEED them will go through the effort to get the license, no problem.

The yuppie couple with 1 kid and 1 dog, who only need to "haul" their Billy Bookcase from Ikea to their home do NOT need their SUV, and would probably not bother getting an SUV license. Why? Because it's too much trouble to get a license they don't need.

If you need it, you'll get it. If you don't need it, you probably wouldn't make the effort. People who really really really want an SUV will still make the effort to book a test and pass it, but there would be less SUVs on the road overall, and it would certainly make our roads a little more pleasant to drive on.


DZ/015 said:
Just because you do not like something does not give you the right to dictate the behavior of others. Doing so makes you nothing better than a tyrant.
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What? Ever hear of laws? :p

*throws a pie in DZ/015's face*
 
Rokem said:
Ima bit stupid could you dumb that down a bit,
thanks
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What I mean is that you are taking your casual observations and using them as the basis for an absolute statement (you have only observe SUV's being "fully utilized" a very small portion of the time therefor all SUV's are only fully utilized for a very small portion of the time). It's flawed to make an assumption like that.

It's like me saying it rarely rains in America because I rarely see it rain in Los Angeles.


DZ/015 said:
Wrong. You don't realize just how wrong you are.
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Driving is a privilege in the US, not a right.


Lethal
 
less than 1/5 of all SUVs see something different than a paved road during their lifetime

and for towing: with the Audi Q7 the weight is already so high that with 3-4 passenger added to the driver you can add a weight of 500-600 kg max because more would skip the legal allowed maximum for a car

there is a reason why most private people tow stuff with sedans/station wagons around here

for everyday driving and occasional transporting a station-wagon is superior because he has _less_ ground clearance and thus you don't have to lift stuff as high if it's heavy.. and compared to most SUV they have more space anyway since those 4wd components bigger tires etc. make the inner space smaller
 
floriflee said:
While logically it doesn't make sense, my sister bought an Expedition after she got into an accident where her vehicle rolled. She said she felt safer being in a larger vehicle. It's actually come in handy since then since she married a man with a few children and they've had to haul the kids and various sports equipment/camping equipment to various places. It definitely comes in handy when we get together for familyh reunions.
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Wasn't it a Ford SUV that used to roll at the slightest provocation?
 
Ah yes the little willys jeep...

Come on these people need an alternative when their white vans are off the road. Actually its people who have the white van mentality but don't get to drive one as part of their employment. oh.. do they have white van man in other countries or is it a UK thing?

White vans in the UK have a two speed gearbox. Go (fast) and stop. They cannot see behind cos the windows are blacked out and the mirrors are missing due to hitting other road users with them. Seats have to be big enough to cater for builders butt syndrome and they have to be higher up than anyone else because they are usually vertically challenged when engaged with the ground. The SUV is really just a posh version of the white van. It says so much about one, don't you know.:rolleyes:

It does not explain why SUVs are used for the school run though...any thoughts
 
I have a F-150 .. But would LOVE a larger SUV or Truck.. Like a suburban..

Why you ask?

Umm.. Because I have 3 great Danes ... A husband who is 6'8" ... A small fuel effecient car isn't gonna fit my husband let alone my dogs. Nor is it gonna evacuate us if we need to get out of the way of a hurricane.

Not everyone drives large cars for ego.

Although... Why hummers? Even I think they are too much for the common driver. My Father in law supposedly has one.. I hear it's not driven much.

Ang
 
gothiquegirrl said:
I have a F-150 .. But would LOVE a larger SUV or Truck.. Like a suburban..

Why you ask?

Umm.. Because I have 3 great Danes ... A husband who is 6'8" ... A small fuel effecient car isn't gonna fit my husband let alone my dogs. Nor is it gonna evacuate us if we need to get out of the way of a hurricane.

Not everyone drives large cars for ego.

Although... Why hummers? Even I think they are too much for the common driver. My Father in law supposedly has one.. I hear it's not driven much.

Ang
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Ah, carrying livestock and husbands that size is legit:)

I am 6'7" so I sympathise. I have 3 kids though so I transport them in an MPV.
 
bartelby said:
Wasn't it a Ford SUV that used to roll at the slightest provocation?
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That was a tyre issue related to the Firestones I think.

Though those little Suzuki Samurai we have here roll at the slightest. As did the A Class on the elk test (still sketchy even with the revised DSC) and the SMART takes nothing to flip at all.

Basically a short wheelbase is just as bad as a high centre of gravity. ;)
 
Everyone is ignoring something

MINI-VANS HAVE HORRIBLE FUEL ECONOMY TOO

Exhibit A:
Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 AWD= 17/21 =18MPG

vs.

Toyota Sienna AWD= 18/23 = ~19MPG

vs.

Ford Freestar FWD
3.9L= 18/24 = 20MPG overall
4.2L= 17/23 = 19MPG

I am tired of people dissing SUVs when look at the minivans too. If you are going to complain about SUV's, you better include pickups and mini-vans. Additionally, what about all those people in their fancy BMWs, Mercedes, Jaguars, etc with their massive engines that get 22mpg average. Thats not good either. The only think you can do with it is put 2-5 people in it and drive fast.

and BTW...
Hummer H3 Auto= 15/19, 17MPG overall. Not far behind.
 
SUV's do have one preferable quality though. As a pedestrian it's often better to be hit by one than an equivalent car for example. ;)
 
I can understad certain types of SUV's, but Hummers just plain suck... and they take up so much damn space! Fortunately there aren't too many around here though.
 
There was an accident here in the PNW several years ago involving a turned SUV. The occupants were teen girls and they all died when cabin roof was crushed under the sheer weight of the rest of the vehicle.
 
how about taking european mini vans into the equations and not american ones with big engines few people need ?

VW sharan 2.0 TDI:
Fuel Consumption
Urban 34.0mpg - 8.3l/100km
Extra-urban 49.6mpg - 5.7l/100km
Combined 42.8mpg - 6.6l/100km

140 HP, 229 lbs.ft / 320 NM torque

renault espace grand dynamique 175 FAP
Combined - mpg (litres/100km) 37.1 (7.6)
Maximum Power - hp DIN (kw ISO) 175 (127)
Maximum Torque - Nm ISO (mkg DIN) 360


pretty much all car companies have something of that size (ford galazy, fiat ulyssus,etc.) ... and if that's not enough you can still buy a VW T5/Carvelle/Multivan with a 2.5 TDi with 128 kW 6 gears and 400 NM torque
 
Abstract said:
People need the space to buy groceries and pick up the kids from school.
<snip>.
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Actually there are a lot of us that regularly do transport 7 to 9 people around and need a larger vehicle. I don't like the Hummers, but I do have to have an SUV to carry the family around. I have a smaller vehicle I use when I go to work or run errands by myself.
 
yg17 said:
And while we're at it, lets ban talking on cell phones and driving too. Because that, plus a yuppie, plus an SUV is a deadly combination.
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We have this law in CT and its the stupidest thing. Nobody follows it and the cops don't even enforce it. I have no problem talking and driving. If you can't handle a distraction in the car maybe you should not have a license. The thing they should ban in the car is smoking, I don't know how many times I see a person try to light a cigarette and weave all over the road in the process. While we are at it lets ban car radios because its a distraction to change the channel and 2. If a person cant talk on a phone imagine the problems a person has trying to sing along.:rolleyes:
 
MacNut said:
We have this law in CT and its the stupidest thing. Nobody follows it and the cops don't even enforce it. I have no problem talking and driving. If you can't handle a distraction in the car maybe you should not have a license. The thing they should ban in the car is smoking, I don't know how many times I see a person try to light a cigarette and weave all over the road in the process. While we are at it lets ban car radios because its a distraction to change the channel and 2. If a person cant talk on a phone imagine the problems a person has trying to sing along.:rolleyes:
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I agree, that law is so stupid. For teenagers I suppose its acceptable because they have to get driving experience under their belt. But really, if you can't use a cell phone, then why are you allowed to have a radio, cigarettes, navigation systems, small children, pets, etc in your car? Are two-way radios allowed? They are all distractions.
 
ErikCLDR said:
Well some people might not be able to afford a car and an SUV. You can't constantly be driving with your car at full capacity- whether people, cargo, or towing something.
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I agree with this...however I suspect a lot of people buy cars larger than they actually need because they think "This will be great when we redo the den, redesign the garden, etc" but fail to reflect on the fact that most of the time they will be driving their vehicle alone and that there are rental options for those rare occasions that they will need to haul dirt or plants or lumber.

Also, cars tend to hold more that people think...If I can buy a week's worth of groceries for myself and fit them in my front passenger seat, I don't see why someone shopping for a family of 6 couldn't fit a week's groceries in a compact car if they used the back seat and the trunk.

As for the "soccer moms"...it would be great if they actually used the SUVs they have as the stereotype presents...a mom with 5 or 6 neighborhood kids all going to the game in one vehicle. Maybe it's just my area, but I more often than not I see parent's pulling into the local athletic parks with just one kid and one parent per SUV.
 
Unless strictly for practical purposes e.g. towing a trailer, its vanity or an inferiortiy complex.
 
I want to know how many people that hate SUV's watch NASCAR? All that gas wasted in NASCAR.
 
Just to piss some of you guys off.

n1700144_30545201_9720-1.jpg


My sister goes to school with that kid. I believe one is his, one is his brothers, and one is his sisters. I think they get ~14mpg.

Lucky Bastards.
 
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