Big is back: As pump prices plunge, SUV sales surge

and the dumbing down of America continues! While the Bin Ladens and Chavez's of the world get richer at our expense, and use our SUV gas money to further their agenda against the U.S., we blissfully drive ourselves closer to hell and send them our money. But at least there's plenty of room for us all to fit in the back!!

Mass Transit ID10t's go ride the bus!

Typical, short-term memory...

it's just like fishing....i aint taking the bait.

We only care when there's a crisis. And then we go right back to the same self-destructive behavior. It's like losing weight... you eat well until you reach your goal, then there's no problem, so you pig out on McDonald's again, until you're right back where you were, or worse, lying in the ER while doctors and nurses try to keep you alive after the heart attack.

How foolish. What goes down, will eventually go up, and eventually disappear altogether. One should have a very good reason for buying a gas-guzzler.

This is happening because the automakers are allowed to manufacture these SUV's and large Pick-ups. Americans who rail at the automakers on forums and letters to the editors break their necks to rush down to buy one. If automakers were regulated they would not be allowed to manufacture or sell these type vehicles thus preventing Americans who are fickle and can't control themselves from buying them.

It's not the automakers fault that SUV and Pickup sales are so high. They just make what the buying American consumer wants. The proof is in the numbers sold vs small compact hybrids or other small vehicles.

Stupid is as stupid does. Ya'll don't realize they only dropped the price to get you to spend money on christmas presents. Gas will jump back up, first of the year.

These people buying SUV's are dumb and not reading the tea leaves. Gas prices will jump along with other goods and services. This is just a lull before the great storm hits. I would not buy anything big at this time and especially on credit.

Oil exploration companies are cutting back on personnel in West Texas as the price of a barrel of oil declines. Refiners are also cutting production. Stand by for shortages and a rise in prices--simply supply and demand.

How soon we forget. Best reason to implement a price "floor" on gas.

Might even help with the deficit.

Need regulation wrote:

This is happening because the automakers are allowed to manufacture these SUV's and large Pick-ups. Americans who rail at the automakers on forums and letters to the editors break their necks to rush down to buy one. If automakers were regulated they would not be allowed to manufacture or sell these type vehicles thus preventing Americans who are fickle and can't control themselves from buying them.
It's not the automakers fault that SUV and Pickup sales are so high. They just make what the buying American consumer wants. The proof is in the numbers sold vs small compact hybrids or other small vehicles.

Good point. Let's stop people from buying what they want. Your government knows what car is best for you and people living in cities shouldn't even be allowed to own a car. Maybe we can limit the number of children families can have to no more than fit in a small car. Farmers and construction workers can just make two trips to haul their tools oh wait...

Susan Greene wrote:

How foolish. What goes down, will eventually go up, and eventually disappear altogether. One should have a very good reason for buying a gas-guzzler.

One should have a very good reason for having anything larger than a studio apartment, one set of clothes, a TV, electric lights or anything else that consumes energy. I think the Soviets beat us to your ideal, but don't worry, the politboro takes over here next month.
Did it occur to you that some people may need a large vehicle for work or family reasons and can't afford to put off the purchase? If you are unsure of your job would you pay the premium for a hybrid that will never be recovered even at $4 gas? When you or the government determines what is or isn't a good reason, it is only a matter of time before all sorts of things are regulated "for the good of the people."

My 04 Dodge Durango with the 5.7 Hemi gets 23.5 mpg on the highway and that's with all the seats full. I love this SUV for family transport and it only travels with a full load. We also have a full size truck and a 30+ car. The point is that they all have a use and when to drive is my choice. Regulation will never be the answer, the need and want to do better is.

My VW tourag gets 25 on the highway with all seats loaded and some luggage. This is a great car besides my Audi A6 which also gets really good gas millage.

But anyway the reason why gas went down is because of the recession, since people couldn't pay for gas because it was eating them alive they were turning to alternatives or using less gas so the supply went up and they had to cut the price back so people would buy more of it.

I live in a great city where I can walk, bike or take the train/bus everywhere I need to go. When people have the option to live in cities where they don't need cars it's amazing how many people give them up/don't use them as much. And no one NEEDS a huge car. You can fit as many people in most small cars as you can in most SUVs. It's just many Americans buy into the false marketing that having a huge car makes you more powerful and gives you more options. In fact, it only takes away option as you have less money to spend on things other than sitting in traffic in our increasingly jammed roads. Oh, and in countries where the governmetn does regulate fuel efficiency people have more, not less options. I say higher taxes on bigger/higher polluting vehicles. You want to ruin the world for the rest of us, you better be prepared to pay a premium for it.

All this buying the big vehicles is good and fine until next summer when the gas prices skyrocket again. When that time hits people will be driving to the dealership to trade that gas hog in on a small car all the while fussing with the dealer about the low trade in amount they are getting. Maybe the dealer won't even take trucks and SUV's on trade-in because they know they'll just take up space on the lot since they won't be able to sell them.

It will be funny when all these folks who are trading in the small cars that they bought because of the high gas prices are crying next summer because they can't afford to put gas in their big vehicles.

2012Cant wait wrote:

<quoted text>One should have a very good reason for having anything larger than a studio apartment, one set of clothes, a TV, electric lights or anything else that consumes energy. I think the Soviets beat us to your ideal, but don't worry, the politboro takes over here next month.
Did it occur to you that some people may need a large vehicle for work or family reasons and can't afford to put off the purchase? If you are unsure of your job would you pay the premium for a hybrid that will never be recovered even at $4 gas? When you or the government determines what is or isn't a good reason, it is only a matter of time before all sorts of things are regulated "for the good of the people."

You make good points until one realizes that an SUV isn't designed for urban driving. It's a pick up truck with a steel top and four wheel drive. That's a lot of extra baggage to drive around in a city and it's gas consumption shows it.

Virginia might get two snowstorms a year, or, it might not. The country in this part of the state is as flat as your hand. Now you tell us why an individual around here needs an SUV. There are more efficient cars for the type of driving that is done around here.

An SUV is simply a sign of conspicuous consumption unless one lives in an area where there is a need for such an automobile. It's "keeping up with the Joneses" at the expense of the supply of gasoline for other drivers.

Need regulation wrote:

This is happening because the automakers are allowed to manufacture these SUV's and large Pick-ups. Americans who rail at the automakers on forums and letters to the editors break their necks to rush down to buy one. If automakers were regulated they would not be allowed to manufacture or sell these type vehicles thus preventing Americans who are fickle and can't control themselves from buying them.
It's not the automakers fault that SUV and Pickup sales are so high. They just make what the buying American consumer wants. The proof is in the numbers sold vs small compact hybrids or other small vehicles.

Let's ban cigarettes and liquor while we're at it.
Also, books on homosexuality, Howard Sterns radio...
You know, this is fun once you get the hang of it.

Oprah reruns... Letterman monologues... losing your keys.

Jokes going to be on them when the gas prices go up again and the value of the junks they just bought drops to dang near nothing.