Paris Bid to Ban SUV
#16
Lexus Fanatic
The government has every right to ban suvs in the nation, but will they? Not likely. Not when everyone from local police to secret service, city council members to congressmen, and everyone in between owns or operates one. Not to mention suvs have become an integral part of our auto industry and economy. We'll just have to wait until our air and water from coast to coast is as dirty as Houston, the price of gas is over $10/gal, the junkyards are out of space, and the cost of road infrastructure becomes too high to carry. Sigh...
#17
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Originally posted by lex400sc
They are bigger, heavier passenger vehicles that do not conform to passenger vehicle safety or emissions regulations (what the hell is the point of safety and emissions standards when half the autos in the country don't follow them???), they are a lot more deadly to all parties involved in a collision, they raise the safety risk on the road when you can't see in front of or around them, they are heavy gas guzzlers in a nation that can ill-afford to guzzle gas, they are primary used as single-passenger cars and if lucky as vans, and they are almost never used to their advantage (off-road, towing, hauling). So again, suvs do nothing but bad for all of society---can anyone produce a single reason in favor of suvs to counterbalance all the negatives (besides the 'choice and lifestyle' argument)?
They are bigger, heavier passenger vehicles that do not conform to passenger vehicle safety or emissions regulations (what the hell is the point of safety and emissions standards when half the autos in the country don't follow them???), they are a lot more deadly to all parties involved in a collision, they raise the safety risk on the road when you can't see in front of or around them, they are heavy gas guzzlers in a nation that can ill-afford to guzzle gas, they are primary used as single-passenger cars and if lucky as vans, and they are almost never used to their advantage (off-road, towing, hauling). So again, suvs do nothing but bad for all of society---can anyone produce a single reason in favor of suvs to counterbalance all the negatives (besides the 'choice and lifestyle' argument)?
Not only that, they are annoyances because they take up so much room in a parking spot (if it fits at all) increasing the likelihood of dinging neighboring cars, make it difficult for other cars to see the road because they are so huge (ever try turning left when there's an SUV in the opposite direction making a left turn? I can't see around them to determine if it's clear to turn, so I generally wait for SUV to make its turn). Not only that, most SUV owners I see on the road drive as if they had a standard passenger car: weaving in-and-out of traffic, driving fast when their brakes would have an extremely difficult time scrubbing off speed, not paying attention when making lane changes (mostly because the blind-spot is so huge), etc. etc. And lastly, safety of non-SUV owners. Their bumpers are higher than a standard vehicle's bumper, hence, in a collision the safety of a passenge car bumper would be negated by the SUV's higher bumper. I'm glad I drive a big car, but I feel sorry for the others on the road who drive Civics and Accords that would be demolished in a collission with an SUV.
I'm glad Paris is banning SUVs, I hope it sets a precedence so we start doing that over here too.
#18
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Originally posted by lex400sc
The government has every right to ban suvs in the nation, but will they? Not likely. Not when everyone from local police to secret service, city council members to congressmen, and everyone in between owns or operates one. Not to mention suvs have become an integral part of our auto industry and economy. We'll just have to wait until our air and water from coast to coast is as dirty as Houston, the price of gas is over $10/gal, the junkyards are out of space, and the cost of road infrastructure becomes too high to carry. Sigh...
The government has every right to ban suvs in the nation, but will they? Not likely. Not when everyone from local police to secret service, city council members to congressmen, and everyone in between owns or operates one. Not to mention suvs have become an integral part of our auto industry and economy. We'll just have to wait until our air and water from coast to coast is as dirty as Houston, the price of gas is over $10/gal, the junkyards are out of space, and the cost of road infrastructure becomes too high to carry. Sigh...
Last edited by LB Lex; 06-14-04 at 03:22 PM.
#19
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I think SUVs do come in handy for Home Depot, your boat and things of that nature. But to just driving around and to work and school, it's sad.
Not to mention EVERY re-design makes these things BIGGER AND BIGGER. It's annoying, not being able to see ahead or around you as you are surrounded by these big buses. And I RARELY see SUVs with more than a driver.
If the government here changes anything about SUVs, Ford and GM are screwed badly. They depend on them so much.
Try more like 10k to build. GM makes 30 grand, 30 GRAND! off every H2 sold. 20 grand off every Escalade. Ford 25k off every Navigator.
With SUVs more carlike than ever, with cars becoming bigger and taller, SUVs are not going anywhere soon.
Its ALL MARKETING!! SUV= SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE. There is NO SPORT with these buses. NONE. Yet people think they are cooler than driving a van.
Not to mention EVERY re-design makes these things BIGGER AND BIGGER. It's annoying, not being able to see ahead or around you as you are surrounded by these big buses. And I RARELY see SUVs with more than a driver.
If the government here changes anything about SUVs, Ford and GM are screwed badly. They depend on them so much.
I think there's a point in the purchasing process where the SUV buyer's brain is partially deleted. It's a natural side effect of paying $36K for a vehicle that cost $22K to build
With SUVs more carlike than ever, with cars becoming bigger and taller, SUVs are not going anywhere soon.
Its ALL MARKETING!! SUV= SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE. There is NO SPORT with these buses. NONE. Yet people think they are cooler than driving a van.
Last edited by LexFather; 06-14-04 at 03:51 PM.
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