P.s. JW = I got the joke,and laughed quite a bit when I read your psychic prediction for the next model LS.


Justin...

 

Yes, until gases prices hit the $5/gal that economists are predicting, then the Prius sales will go through the roof again. It's not a matter of if, but just a matter of when that gas prices will hit a "norm" of about $4/gal. and then those that have not kept conservative engine displacements will see their sales numbers drop again.

I don't care what the stickers say... if you have a 5.0L or a 6.0L engine, and both quote a near 20 mpg efficiency, I'm going to think that under normal driving, the 5.0 is probably going to be about 18, while the 6.0 will be 14 or 15 mpg.

Like I said, I would not be surprised at all if a 3.5 or 3.7L V6 was an option.

 

Fuel prices aren't bothering many of the GM/Ford crowd over here,and we've been well above $5/gal for the last decade.
The average price for premium unleaded 98 RON fuel here has been above $1.40 per litre for as long as I've had internet access...which was in '98. You guys don't understand just how good you actually have it in the US.

It's not uncommon to see a half dozen 307kw or 317kw 6.2L V8 Commodores on my 20min commute to work each day. despit paying almost $6/gal for fuel,they're still driving their cars.
Priuses? They're only for the trendies in the inner city. Usually the same people who drink skim lattes and wear pleather belts.
Noone in their right mind pays $35k for a heavy,slow corolla with a sanction from your local greenie.


Justin...

 

talk about a deflating dealer session,,

I went to look at the Hyundai Equus, the first salesman said he did not know anything about the car and would get me someone who did,, the next guy was somewhat vague on the specifics of the car and was more curious in my 430 and how I thought it compared and asked several questions,, they did not have the Ultimate model available to test drive so it was just a looking day,, in fact they were not very eager for me to even do a test drive of anything,,?????? were they thinking I was taking a step down, perhaps,,

my conclusion is Hyundai had better step up their staff education on how to handle a customer looking at a $60K car in lieu of a junker on the used lot,,

what a disappointment,,

Derry

 

Oh, I know how good we're having it here in U.S. I've travelled to Japan, Copenhagen, Taiwan even as close as Canada and no one enjoys the good prices like we are (except South America). Price are relative though, your prices have been high all along, so GM and FORD just have that market. The equivalent would be if your prices jumped to $7 or $8 in next two years, then would the same guys still be driving their big trucks.

Sure, the guys that HAVE TO like construction guys will have to take the hit, but it's those families that have say TWO kids that just feel like driving a big Yukon, that will now maybe think "hey, do we need that 3rd row?" and maybe come down to a Equinox or such.

 

I was referring to V8 Sedans,not 4wds/SUV's. Check out http://www.holden.com.au/vehicles/commodore#/overview and http://www.hsv.com.au/e3/home/ to see the kind of cars I'm referring to.

4WD owners would be feeling the pinch too,I'm sure,but their sales here are stronger than ever. People seem to think that they need a 2500kg,7 seat truck to take their one preschooler around... As stupid as it is,they'd rather bow to peer pressure and their own ego than to drive something more sensible.
Hell,if we're being honest,I'm probably in that bracket myself,driving an LS. I could get by in a corolla,but I choose to have a luxury barge. Why? Because I wanted something nice. 90% of my driving is on my own,commuting to work. On the weekends,the wife and I go on country drives in the 430,and it's great for that.
Occasionally,I take several of us out for dinner in it,and it's like a limo ride for the guys in the back,without the cost.
Yeah,my fuel bill is expensive,but I take that as a compromise for the luxury.


Justin...

 

Hey, same here. If drivers were all sensible, there would be no LS, no S, no 7, Yukon, Corvettes, GT-R, etc. There would be three types, compacts, midsize sedan, and minivans... and who wants to drive a minivan? ha ha.

I drive the LS for same reason. Did I really need such a big sedan? Not really (I have 3 kids), my RX could have been the people hauler and a small sedan (Civic) as my daily commuter. But heck, I'm in my 40's so we just splurged and got the LS 2 years ago because I always wanted and liked it since it's inception.

Put it this way... even if fuel were to skyrocket to $10/gal. there would still be enough people on the planet that want big SUV/V8 engine vehicles that they'd still be made. In more limited quantities, but they would be.

 

I like to think of my LS as "less likely to be mangled or dead in a car wreck" type of Vehicle. I would be a scared paranoid skitzo if I was still driving my 1985 Nissan Stanza or 86 Civic today. the SUV's of today would turn those things into Convertibles. the "Bigger is Better" mentality is what got us in this mess to begin with - otherwise we would all be driving sensible medium sized Bumper cars with cute little happy horns.

 

Even the Smart car does well in government crash tests where it is only dispersing it's own inertia. However, when struck by another larger vehicle... Somewhere on the web there's video of an insurance institute offset crash test between a midsize Mercedes and a Smart. The Smart gets launched and spins around in the air almost twice.