No SUVs...it is a start

[norustscott]

I really don't like them...

[sammyg2]

Great, another SUV bashing.
Don't like SUVs? Don't buy one. I used to have one, I liked it. My wife has one now, it's a fine vehicle. If I didn't need a pick-up I would probably be driving an SUV as a daily driver.

Is it OK for me to tell others what kind of vehicle to drive? Nope.
Same goes the other way.
I get pissed when stupid women driving SUVs cut me off, but the problem is with the stupid women, not the type of car she drives.
There is nothing wrong with SUVS. There are bad drivers driving every make and model of vehicle made.

[scg]

SUVs: the Perfect Rental Vehicle for Boston. Every time I go there with my tribe, I rent one.

Don't own one though. Subarus meet most of my needs (the 914 meets the ones the Subies can't )

I think the sign is funny.

[sean_V8_914]

SUV drivers are so high up that they do not see out little flat 914s next to them. There is also a TANK MENTALITY

[sean_V8_914]

...that seems to kick in. Have you ever seen that look of surprise on an SUV drivers face as they spot you...after they are entering your lane? The thing I REALLY do not like about the SUV has to do with the laws of physics. Inertia, stored energy...

[hardflex]

I do think they need these signs where there is corner parking and the vehicle can block the view of the cross traffic, especially a suburban type with tinted windows that sticks way out there.

[sean_V8_914]

"and the parting on the left
is now parting on the right
and their beards have all grown longer overnight"

what song is that?

[hardflex]

"won't get fooled again" The who, from who's next.

[scg]

...and it should be played repeatedly every election ("Won't get fooled again")

[sean_V8_914]

...thats rock and roll.

[toman]

hah. I'd bring up the whole issue of SUVs and the environment, but I guess getting your kids to soccer practice is probably more important than the earth is.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Actually, I believe that the lyric is "the party on the left..." Makes a little more sense that way.

--DD

[Va914]

Here comes the bad for the environment issue again

I know my 914 and many other cars on the road do more damage to mother earth the my SUV.


We have a bunch of idiots in Richmond, Va area vandalizing SUVs just because they have been told the are killing mother earth. I bet the same person drives a '78 Volvo around that burns a quart of oil a week ???

It makes me sick that people would have no sence of right and wrong..

[toman]

http://www.changingtheclimate.com/ her ya go guys... flame on! Seriously folks, does it really take six thousand pounds of iron, twenty inch chrome wheels, four wheel drive and fifty gallons of gas to get little bobby to day care?

[Speedo959]

I took a look at that site and emailed them a suggestion.........‹^› ‹(•¿•)› ‹^›

[Will98D]

Guy goes into a bar and sits down next to a beautiful woman.
"Hi. Would you sleep with me for a million dollars?"
"Well, yes, I think so."
"Great, would you sleep with me for $20?"
"No! What do you think I am, a whore?"
"We've already established what you are, now we're negotiating the price."

Everyone's a bit of a whore in this one. The whole anti-everything (incl SUV) - politically correct - Hollywood - I'm holier than you-crowd is at different times amusing, beneficial, hypocritical and annoying.

Does anyone think a 914 doesn't puke out one heck of a lot more CO, NOx and HC than a modern SUV. All you've got him/her on is the CO2; arguable, but probably not as bad, certainly not in the near term.

What kind of homes do most of these people live in? Probably far larger than they REALLY need. Do they heat it in the winter and cool it in the summer. They probably just cool one small utility room with a solar powered A/C, not leave the whole thing running all day so it's comfortable when they get home. About getting home, did they really pick the most efficient car out there, or did they make a compromise, and don't run the A/C in that, either, because that's more fuel and thereby more pollutants just to rapidly cool the car for 5 miles until they hop out again. If the A/C at your house had the same relative capacity as the one in your car it would probably be the size of two refigerators.

When some guy walks to meet me wearing all natural fibers and living in a cotton tent, eating raw or sun-cooked food, etc., then we can have a situation where one of us had the absolute higher moral ground. Until then, how's the $20 sound?

[sean_V8_914]

an SUV consumes far more fuel than a 914. there are significantly more SUVs driving significantly greater milage per day than most 914s. Yes, a modern SUV burns much cleaner than a 914 but what about all those other factors. which is truly environmentally dirtier overall? ...but them big berthas sure do drink some petrol

[durtkillon]

Would we be having this discussion if fuel was 5 bucks a gallon?

I never tell people what to drive, but I can't help but think more people drive them than necessary. SUV's do however serve a purpose. Heck, I even own one. I drive it as little as possible because I think it's wasteful. If I have to run errands, I drive my TDI. If I have to put a baby seat in the back, carry camping equipment and tow a boat, I bust out the SUV.

I can't say that the environment is the only reason I leave the SUV home as much as possible. It drives like a kitchen appliance. It's slow, coners like jello and takes forever to stop. Combine that with increase rollover risk and cost of repair (its a Land Rover) and my decision gets easy.

Add in dependency on mid east oil, taking up an obnoxious amount of parking space and the disparity in mass compared to an economy car and you have a socially impractical daily driver.

I use it for utilitarian purposes. I avoid using it for a slew of reasons.

[norustscott]

My dislike for the SUV is NOT environmentally driven. Every SUV on the road today is cleaner than my 914 and driven moderatly delivers MPG better than teh industry average just 20 years ago...It goes deeper than the enviroment or the half witted soccer mom hurling 4500lbs to the grocery store in the path of my tiny toxin puffing sports car.

If you want or need to drive a navigator,hummer,land rover, or any other of the choices then please do so.

However, I take three issues to the current stable of SUVs.
Overkill, lack of alternatives and the reason we have them in the first place.

It is clear that the birth of the SUV is directly tied to the EPA. They created IT when they mandated that the large American people hauler, the stationwagon, meet tough, for the time, milage and emmisions standards. They, EPA, failed to mandate the same guidelines for large commercial vehicles. TRUCKS. Mainly broncos, suburbans and the like. Detroit simply exploited the loop hole, put lip stick on the pig and created a new replacement for the station wagon. Detroit applied good ole marketing to the pig and viola...here we are today. Gold plated 20 inch wheeled monsters. And I admitt some are cool. The public craves the SUV from just about every niche, Hollywood status, tough guy montain bike xgame image, safty and some aspects of utility. Like the once every 10 year snow storm that dumps 20"...Ha utillity. Try putting a 4x8 sheet of anything in an SUV...

The family of 4 or five has but two alternatives. Need a multi purpose vehicle to haul the family and weekend chores materials and you get an SUV or Mini van.

Overkill, why 300 hp? four wheel drive, Off road capability period. A large protion of SUVs putt around town or to adn from work, that just boggles me. I see it in the parking lot every day at work...Bob hops down from his beast and proceeds to ***** about the long commute and the price of fuel. Most will agree that from the list of capabilities the typical SUV scores " far exceeds my requirements" So why do so many are in service?...Marketing....another lengthy story.

The only glimmer of hope is the cross over vehicle. The likes of the new Honda Element. Good proportions, fair economy, safe, clean and it handles well. Tiem will tell if the Honda marketing boys can make it happen.

I just want alternatives to 5000 lbs, 15 mpg and center of gravity that is just plan unsafe in the hands of the average driver.

The Ford exployer and Firestone circus from several years ago comes to mind. Have a blow out in any SUV and you run the risk of a rollover. Have a blow out in a 1973 Ford country squire estate stationwagon and a roll over is at best a slim happening.


Finally, We need vehicles to two boats, race cars, haul emergancy personnel in snow storms and over rough terrain. We need We simply don't need them to go to the PTA meetings the library, or soccer game. So where is the alternative...


Scott

[Amark]

Yea, I know what you mean about the gas mileage. My daily driver 98 Suburban 4X4 gets 13 mpg around town. My 2.0 914 gets 16 miles to the gallon around town. On my last emission test the Sub blew 0.0% CO at idle & 21 PPM HC. The 914 blew 3.25% CO & 350 PPM CO.

So if your going to get on a soap box about the environment, the 914 is not the place to argue from.