Hummers why?

[takao]

Hmm... Well buddy, we don't really have any diesel cars here- SUVs or Minivans so thats not really relevant because American is the country with the SUVs.

well diesel is the best for hauling stuff around and towing

well you can get a gasoline sharan with 150 hp and around 30 MPG though nobody actually buys those
and from the renault they have a 2.0 turbo who gets 29.4 combined and has even 170 HP
and that's the worst you can get from sharan and grand espace in terms of fuel consumption .. there are still plenty alternative for those who don't need 150+ HP

 

[ErikCLDR]

well diesel is the best for hauling stuff around and towing

well you can get a gasoline sharan with 150 hp and around 30 MPG though nobody actually buys those
and from the renault they have a 2.0 turbo who gets 29.4 combined and has even 170 HP
and that's the worst you can get from sharan and grand espace in terms of fuel consumption .. there are still plenty alternative for those who don't need 150+ HP

We don't have them because of emissions.

People also don't like them because many of the diesel engines are loud and smelly. They also cost more and don't preform as well typically speaking. More diesel cars are starting to come onto the market though.

I really love the E320 CDI. Jeeps are coming out with diesel engines. VW has some diesel models but last time I checked they cut the passat TDI but they brought back the Touareg V10 TDI which is just simply expensive and unnecessary

 

[TheAnswer]

True or false, you think most SUV owners purchase the vehical because they are compensating for their insecurities (i.e. undersizsed reproducive organs) and/or lack of intelligence. there's actually extensive sociological research conducted in the former, and I think the ladder is pretty hard to test.

I think insecurities of all types play a factor in most decisions. Often behavior is modified as result of a threat or to increase mating chances. Therefore, people who feel more threatened or wish to increase their potential mating pool are more likely to make decisions that they feel challenges the threat, etc. There are parallels in animal behavior, changes in stature, facial expression and even in hair follicles (today's goosebumps used to make us appear larger to foes when we felt threatened). I'm saying purchasing a larger vehicle when you aren't regularly using the space inside it, is an extension of the same behaviors, simply a response to a perceived threat (whether rational or irrational is another story).

Take the factor of safety for example. A lot of people admit to buying SUVs because of the perceived safety benefits for themselves. People do this primarily because they don't trust (i.e. they feel threatened by) the way other people drive and want to survive a crash. Therefore, one factor motivating the action is insecurity. Countries do the same thing with weapons systems...bigger/more is better. Now, of course the SUV driver has the outward perception of being concerned about safety, but not so unadventurous as to own a minivan...a prospective mate would obviously factor this is to their decisions to start a family with this person.

 

[ErikCLDR]

I think insecurities of all types play a factor in most decisions. Often behavior is modified as result of a threat or to increase mating chances. Therefore, people who feel more threatened or wish to increase their potential mating pool are more likely to make decisions that they feel challenges the threat, etc. There are parallels in animal behavior, changes in stature, facial expression and even in hair follicles (today's goosebumps used to make us appear larger to foes when we felt threatened). I'm saying purchasing a larger vehicle when you aren't regularly using the space inside it, is an extension of the same behaviors, simply a response to a perceived threat (whether rational or irrational is another story).

Take the factor of safety for example. A lot of people admit to buying SUVs because of the perceived safety benefits for themselves. People do this primarily because they don't trust (i.e. they feel threatened by) the way other people drive and want to survive a crash. Therefore, one factor motivating the action is insecurity. Countries do the same thing with weapons systems...bigger/more is better. Now, of course the SUV driver has the outward perception of being concerned about safety, but not so unadventurous as to own a minivan...a prospective mate would obviously factor this is to their decisions to start a family with this person.

You are indeed a physiological genius.

Hasn't that part about people feeling safer in SUVs been reiterated 134543095934905 times????

 

[fotografica]

I think insecurities of all types play a factor in most decisions. Often behavior is modified as result of a threat or to increase mating chances. Therefore, people who feel more threatened or wish to increase their potential mating pool are more likely to make decisions that they feel challenges the threat, etc. There are parallels in animal behavior, changes in stature, facial expression and even in hair follicles (today's goosebumps used to make us appear larger to foes when we felt threatened). I'm saying purchasing a larger vehicle when you aren't regularly using the space inside it, is an extension of the same behaviors, simply a response to a perceived threat (whether rational or irrational is another story).

Take the factor of safety for example. A lot of people admit to buying SUVs because of the perceived safety benefits for themselves. People do this primarily because they don't trust (i.e. they feel threatened by) the way other people drive and want to survive a crash. Therefore, one factor motivating the action is insecurity. Countries do the same thing with weapons systems...bigger/more is better. Now, of course the SUV driver has the outward perception of being concerned about safety, but not so unadventurous as to own a minivan...a prospective mate would obviously factor this is to their decisions to start a family with this person.

Yikes!! I didn't realize I should have gone to a psychiatrist when I was contemplating which vehicle to purchase I wasn't considering all my insecurities,shortcomings,size of my genitalia etc..I simply purchased based on the fact that I trailer (both a 20'CC and a utility trailer),transport several family members regularly,make numerous trips to the home improvement center for never ending indoor/outdoor projects that require alot of cargo volume/room,have to be at my work no matter the weather (which reequires me leaving very early and or late when the roads aren't plowed), not to mention I would have to travel during said conditions up and down my driveway which is on a fairly steep incline. I guess I should have gone for that psychiatrist appointment before I went to the car dealer

 

[TheAnswer]

Yikes!! I didn't realize I should have gone to a psychiatrist when I was contemplating which vehicle to purchase I wasn't considering all my insecurities,shortcomings,size of my genitalia etc..I simply purchased based on the fact that I trailer (both a 20'CC and a utility trailer),transport several family members regularly, make numerous trips to the home improvement center for never ending indoor/outdoor projects that require alot of cargo volume/room,have to be at my work no matter the weather (which reequires me leaving very early and or late when the roads aren't plowed), not to mention I would have to travel during said conditions up and down my driveway which is on a fairly steep incline. I guess I should have gone for that psychiatrist appointment before I went to the car dealer

Interesting, tell me more about this steep driveway of yours...are you trying to make yourself less accessible to others? These indoor projects...do you feel inadequate? Those outdoor projects...what are you trying to hide from others? This utility trailer...how come you are carrying around all this baggage from the past, do you feel it will help you in the present?

Seriously...note I said a factor and not the only factor. Big difference. Obviously you have a need for your vehicle....for me the curious behavior is those that don't have weather conditions or hauling duties that require such a vehicle, but they choose to purchase one anyway.

 

[carbonmotion]

Interesting, tell me more about this steep driveway of yours...are you trying to make yourself less accessible to others? These indoor projects...do you feel inadequate? Those outdoor projects...what are you trying to hide from others? This utility trailer...how come you are carrying around all this baggage from the past, do you feel it will help you in the present?

Seriously...note I said a factor and not the only factor. Big difference. Obviously you have a need for your vehicle....for me the curious behavior is those that don't have weather conditions or hauling duties that require such a vehicle, but they choose to purchase one anyway.

your thesis changed from your first post to your current one. what about the aesthetics? it's a huge assumption that the only non - utilitarian need for a SUV is the cover up for your insecurities. and an untrue one at that. human being and human society is very complicated, you need alot of worldly experience in order to get a small grasp.

 

[ErikCLDR]

Interesting, tell me more about this steep driveway of yours...are you trying to make yourself less accessible to others? These indoor projects...do you feel inadequate? Those outdoor projects...what are you trying to hide from others? This utility trailer...how come you are carrying around all this baggage from the past, do you feel it will help you in the present?

Seriously...note I said a factor and not the only factor. Big difference. Obviously you have a need for your vehicle....for me the curious behavior is those that don't have weather conditions or hauling duties that require such a vehicle, but they choose to purchase one anyway.

Then they buy it because they like the high ride height or because they like the look of it, or they want a status symbol.

Its just they same as clothes, why do I spend $50 on a shirt at Abercrombie when I can go Wal-Mart and buy one for $5. Why do people live in big houses? Why do we buy macs when we can buy a comparable PC for 1/2 the price? Why do people hire people to mow their lawn? Why do you put in a pool when you can swim in a pond? Why do people buy mercedes when they can buy kias?

Its because they can afford to. Why own crap when you can own something that appears nicer and better?

 

[TheAnswer]

your thesis changed from your first post to your current one.

Actually my first post was just a flippant remark, the thesis of my second post was that people often buy more car than they need (sometimes from fear of the other drivers on the road)...and I proposed additional driver's education. My basic theory is that the better drivers everyone are the more task appropriate vehicles they will choose to purchase.

Basically, I think if everyone knows how to take over the vehicle from the passenger's seat if the driver has a heart attack, drive after their windshield is shot out or covered in paint, drive with a blown out tire...the better prepared they will be when something occurs on the road and the less they'll feel they have to drive a tank just to protect themselves.

 

[carbonmotion]

Basically, I think if everyone knows how to take over the vehicle from the passenger's seat if the driver has a heart attack, drive after their windshield is shot out or covered in paint, drive with a blown out tire...the better prepared they will be when something occurs on the road and the less they'll feel they have to drive a tank just to protect themselves.

bad grammar. can not comprehend.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

First thing I would like to say is I drive a 2004 Sentra Spec V (a small car)

I do think a lot of people buy trucks and SUV that do not need them.

My parents have own to sububerns in the past and now they own a trailblazer. Reason for the 2 sububens is it was a family of 5 and we did take long trips plus just moving the entire family around a car would not really cut it. Plus it was nice for it cargo room which we did use quite a bit over its life.
In 2003 they sold the suburban and replaced it with a trailblazer because my brother and I spend less time at home because of school but they still needed the SUV because of the cargo room and we still do take family trips quite often just as a daily use it not a nice. Also my parents and my sister do make fairly long drive to different tournaments and a car just sucks to drive long distance compared to SUV or a truck (even more so when you are a 6 footer). They do take normally one of my sister teammates along as well so it does get some good use out of it. But we really do need it hauling power. Now when it is sold I really do not see them replacing it with another SUV because by that point in time my sister will no longer really be a home and there is no need for it. That or it will be kept as a spare vehicle for when they need it. Right now we have a Pickup truck that is used most of the time as a work truck for us and we use it for its bed so it is not driven very offend. Yeah when I fly home I will use it as my vehicle but that is because my car is 600 miles away at school.

I do see my self after getting out of school replacing my car at some point for a Truck or an SUV because of the crew path I am choosing to go into and there will be quite a bit of times I will be going off the pavement and I will need the ground clearance to move around the site. Plus the hauling power is nice. Now most people would just see me being a lone driving in an SUV/Truck and not realize that an almost a daily bases I will need the ground clearance for my job.

I think if one gets an SUV or truck as there daily driver they need to have a good use for it at least once a month if not more offend. 5-10% of the time is a good number for having a good use for it.
That being hauling or as a good size people mover. If you have more than 4 people going some place quite a bit as a group a SUV is a lot more comfortable for all those involved.

 

[TheAnswer]

bad grammar. can not comprehend.

I guess between my run-on sentence and your two sentence fragments, we're the perfect pair.

 

[Fearless Leader]

thanks TheAnswer that was quite good.

 

[carbonmotion]

I guess between my run-on sentence and your two sentence fragments, we're the perfect pair.

except you still dont make any sense

 

[Abstract]

What if it snows?

I guess it only started to snow when SUVs were invented.


I'm only 26, and grew up at a time where the Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota 4Runner were essentially the only SUVs I'd see on the road.

I think you can survive without an SUV in the snow. My family has, and I'm from Toronto and need to go to the mountains in Quebec to see some relatives. You live in Conneticut. I know you get a fair bit of snow, but lets not even go there.

 

[Abstract]

So because I want a Corvette Z06 I am compensating for something? What will you have us drive? Boring 80 HP 4 banger vehicles that just take us from point a to point b with no fun in between?

To tell you the truth, I wish it was like this (unless you actually "need" a bigger car). Yes, I'm talking about around......120 hp cars, maybe? It would certainly help the environment if we worried more about it than about our own selfish sense of fun.

People assume that a 100 hp car can barely run, but my 100 hp car is very speedy and accelerates quite well. It drives well. It is fun. I don't care about the top speed because we're not allowed to go that fast anyway. Besides, I don't care how fast a car can go if it doesn't handle turns and windy roads equally well. My car is fun.

Besides, it's not as though driving a 300 hp car is necessary at all. We've proved that 15-20 years ago. The human race survived! Sure, we could only accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds, but it is much worse than doing it in 2.7 seconds or whatever it's at now? This engine size stuff is a perfect example of diminishing returns. After 200 hp, it's nice, but not really giving you as much back in return.

 

[ErikCLDR]

Lets face it, the environment is going to die. We've infected the Earth, and unless we drastically change our lifestyles- everyone in the world, and decrease our population and go back into caveman like society, its only going to get worse. Thats not going to happen either, unless bird flu mutates with human flu and a mass pandemic is started.

We can slow the amount of oil we use but its going to run out eventually. If its true that we have 20 years of oil left, that means when I am 36 there will be no oil. If we cut our oil usage in half today, I'll be 56 when we run out of oil, so its not a huge difference. I don't mean to sound unconcerned, because I'm not, its just that sooner or later its all going to be gone.

The world is an oil based society, except for complete 3rd world countries. Everything we drive, eat, or use is one way or another derived from oil. Everything that is plastic, anything that has been imported.

 

[TheAnswer]

Lets face it, the environment is going to die. We've infected the Earth, and unless we drastically change our lifestyles- everyone in the world, and decrease our population and go back into caveman like society, its only going to get worse. Thats not going to happen either, unless bird flu mutates with human flu and a mass pandemic is started.

We can slow the amount of oil we use but its going to run out eventually. If its true that we have 20 years of oil left, that means when I am 36 there will be no oil. If we cut our oil usage in half today, I'll be 56 when we run out of oil, so its not a huge difference. I don't mean to sound unconcerned, because I'm not, its just that sooner or later its all going to be gone.

The world is an oil based society, except for complete 3rd world countries. Everything we drive, eat, or use is one way or another derived from oil. Everything that is plastic, anything that has been imported.

So are you advocating a change in behavior patterns in an attempt to do what we can to correct the problem or a "play the fiddle while Rome burns" approach?

 

[Fearless Leader]

what we should do is take the mac community with there friends and family to the moon and watch the earth and its inhabitants kill it self.

 

[quagmire]

To tell you the truth, I wish it was like this (unless you actually "need" a bigger car). Yes, I'm talking about around......120 hp cars, maybe? It would certainly help the environment if we worried more about it than about our own selfish sense of fun.

People assume that a 100 hp car can barely run, but my 100 hp car is very speedy and accelerates quite well. It drives well. It is fun. I don't care about the top speed because we're not allowed to go that fast anyway. Besides, I don't care how fast a car can go if it doesn't handle turns and windy roads equally well. My car is fun.

Besides, it's not as though driving a 300 hp car is necessary at all. We've proved that 15-20 years ago. The human race survived! Sure, we could only accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds, but it is much worse than doing it in 2.7 seconds or whatever it's at now? This engine size stuff is a perfect example of diminishing returns. After 200 hp, it's nice, but not really giving you as much back in return.

As long as the vehicle overall is fun to drive then I will be all over it. The Lotus Exige maybe only 190 HP, but I am sure it is fun to drive. I just can't stand the appliance view of cars. Especially considering this nations passion with cars in the past. How we do a 180 in a quick 20 years due to oil prices. Why can't we have fuel efficient vehicles, but be fun as well? Toyota is trying to do that with the Camry by giving it 268 HP, but I am not sure ripping off Mazda's front clip will help shake its bland perception. Honda is almost there with the Civic. The Si kicks ass. They just need to work on the front clip design of the sedan. I hate the pug nose look of it. The coupe isn't that bad. We'll see with the next Accord in 2008. The Accord Coupe concept looks promising with the design of it.

 

[ErikCLDR]

So are you advocating a change in behavior patterns in an attempt to do what we can to correct the problem or a "play the fiddle while Rome burns" approach?

I'm saying it doesn't matter what you do the same result is going to happen.

 

[Roy Hobbs]

Who really cares if people buy SUV or high HP cars and they don't "need" them.

People can buy whatever they want, sure a small car with 80hp gets great gas mileage but would I drive it NO. People buy what they like and whay they can afford.

If someone wants to buy a Hummer so be it. They shouldnt have to justify that they "need" it to anyone.

The liberal "hippie" views on this board sometimes make me sick.

It's a free country and if you want a huge SUV you can get one. You shouldn't have to have your desicions scrutinized by a bunch of tree huggers.

And for the record I do not own a Hummer, I just think this thread is ridiculous

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Who really cares if people buy SUV or high HP cars and they don't "need" them.

People can buy whatever they want, sure a small car with 80hp gets great gas mileage but would I drive it NO. People buy what they like and whay they can afford.

If someone wants to buy a Hummer so be it. They shouldnt have to justify that they "need" it to anyone.

The liberal "hippie" views on this board sometimes make me sick.

It's a free country and if you want a huge SUV you can get one. You shouldn't have to have your desicions scrutinized by a bunch of tree huggers.

And for the record I do not own a Hummer, I just think this thread is ridiculous

why do I care about people Buysing SUV and not needing them. Simple they do effect my bottom line. They effect my bottom line because the SUV increase the demand for gas which inturn increases the price for fuel. I do not like having to pay extra to support the insentive habits of people like you.

Clearly you do not care about the ones that will live after you that will have to clean up the mess YOU LEAVE behind.

I still want to know why you would want to get a hummer if you do not need it. unless you are making up for stuff you are lacking downstairs then I complete understand why you need it.

 

[ErikCLDR]

Are some of these people on the thread here not even from America like Rokem

Some people are making it seem like everyone in the US goes around driving a Hummer or Excursion, or Suburban.


This is America, you can buy what you want, end of story.

Why do my parents have a 4000sq ft+ house. Only 4 people total live in the house. My sister is at college Do we need 5 bedrooms-no, do we need four- no, do we need one- maybe. Do you need a Dining room and a breakfast nook and an island where you can also eat. What about a family room, living room, and bonus room- why have 3 of almost the same thing. Think about all the wood wasted and habitats destroyed. Think about all the oil used you have to use to heat the house. High and Cathedral Ceilings also help waste the heat. I mean, think about that too.

 

[Roy Hobbs]

why do I care about people Buysing SUV and not needing them. Simple they do effect my bottom line. They effect my bottom line because the SUV increase the demand for gas which inturn increases the price for fuel. I do not like having to pay extra to support the insentive habits of people like you.

Clearly you do not care about the ones that will live after you that will have to clean up the mess YOU LEAVE behind.

I still want to know why you would want to get a hummer if you do not need it. unless you are making up for stuff you are lacking downstairs then I complete understand why you need it.

You really think if there were no SUV's that gas prices would be lower??? If everyone had a car that got 40 mpg gas consumption would be much lower. The oil companies would then have to raise the price per gallon to make up for the loss in sales.

I would buy a Hummer if I WANTED one, I do not purchase my vehicles on need. I buy what I want.

Bottom line is if somewants to drive a Hummer that is there right, they can buy whatever vehicle they so choose. If you want to drive a Civic or some other tiny high mgp car thats your business and if someone wants to drive a SUV its none of your business.