There is a thread here where a fellow Pelicanite was ridiculed for purchasing a new Ford Excursion Diesel because of its environmental impact and societal 'excess'.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?threadid=232012
On a related note, used SUV's are dropping in value and new SUV's are deeply discounted. It appears that $2-3 fuel prices have everyone scrambling to find more economical substitutes.
Most Pelicanites are the people their car-illiterate friends and neighbors come to for car advice. I'm certainly one of those guys.
My neighbor owns a 2004 Chev Suburban LT 4x4 and a 2004 Saturn VUE V6 AWD. He has four kids ages 6-13. He has a 20ft ski boat, snowmobiles, and a riding lawnmower. This is VERY typical for my neighborhood.
We live about 20 miles from 'downtown' in a newer middle/upscale development of the Minneapolis/St Paul metro area. Most of my neighbors commute 20-40 miles one-way into work (which takes 20-40 minutes - no traffic).
So my neighbor comes to me and tells me that gas is killing him and he's thinking of trading in the Sub and the VUE and buying something more fuel efficient.
Great thinking, but my gears are turning. I helped him buy both the Suburban and the VUE. At the time, they fit his needs and that's why he bought them. I asked him what has changed. What needs were now different? Nothing except the price of gas.
I did the math with him. He and his wife both drive about 15,000 miles a year (which is close to the national average). His Suburban gets about 18 mpg on his mostly-freeway commute. So he buys 800-850 gallons per year. Gas was $1.60 when he made the decision to buy the Sub. Gas is now $2.10. The difference is <$425 per year. Certainly not going to break him.
He dreaded the idea, but he could buy a minivan - wouldn't tow the boat, but would tow the snowmobiles an lawnmower (poorly) and would haul four kids just fine. Okay, so he buys any minivan on the market and gets 23 mpg and saves maybe 200 gallons per year (about $425) and gets back to what he's used to spending for gas.
It's my job to know the values of vehicles. With people like my neighbor trading in big SUVs, the supply is great and the demand is small, so values are dropping. His Sub stickered for ~$50K and he bought it for $41K. Now, with 17,000 miles he will get $28-29K for it wholesale which is about what the new 2005 Toyota Sienna XLE he wants costs (which stickers for ~$32K). So he will trade even at best. His real 'loss' is roughly $12,000 for the 15 months he's owned the Sub. His payment won't change, so he's happy (the American way!?).
He loves his Suburban. It pulls his stuff, hauls his kids and their hockey gear, goes through snow, and he likes the way it drives (smooth, stable, solid, sits up high so he can see in traffic). It's just about the gas. So he's seriously contemplating losing $12000 to save $425 a year in gas and be less happy.
Are we nuts? I realize that there are tons of SUVs that are driven by people that don't use them for their intended purpose. However, there are plenty (like the fellow Pelicanite with the Excursion) that DO NEED a large SUV or truck. Why the societal pressure?
The world produces 80-85 million BARRELS (55 gallons) of crude oil every day.
So, fine, you say. If my neighbor can save 200 gallons per year by getting a car that is 5mpg more efficient, then he is doing his tree-hugging duty. To that I say: then trade your 27 mpg V6 Accord on a 32mpg 4 cyl Civic.
It's the same 200 gallons, but no one seems to care.
What about the economic impact? The $12,000 loss? The import car manufacturers that are poised to benefit from this swing in demand? The TWELVE homes that are for sale in my neighborhood, depressing property values, because people are less likely to live further away from work?
My neighbor's solution? I found him a new 2005 Saturn ION (32mpg) to lease for 36 months at $125/mo. He will use it to commute and 'save' the Sub for family/towing use. His wife kept her Vue.
Just a rant and rambling, sorry. But I don't get it.
E