Reality check before you start Jap bashing... check that little sticker on the left (clutch) side frame of your busa. I bet it doesn't say "Made in Detroit" on it.
French Wage War on SUV
- Thread starter eynlai
- Start date
That's funny
True, people do in fact drive like a**holes, maybe I've found the the solution to this, give SUV drivers a special endosement on their licences, maybe that'll some of the ones that are not capable of hanling them... oh well, HOW ABOUT THEM ANGELS
Yes, I have driven one for a long period of time. A 4-Runner Limited for about 4 months. Biggest waste of gas and space I've seen.
So why shouldn't there be a extra layer? If it's involving something that is potentially more dangereous? Not that I have a gun, but aren't you required to take some gun safety coarse/program before you can be licensed to get one?
Don't roll in about the "Sports cars, Ricers, Trucks, minivans, high-dollar coupes, etc etc etc. It's not model or vehicle-type specific at ALL." argument. You know exactly what I'm talking about. To a HIGHER degree, I see SUVs taking up MORE parking spaces... Even double spaces.
To the traffic congestion... PHYSICs... If you can fit... say twenty cars that are 5 feet long into a 100 feet space (let's say they're all tailgaters)... How many 8 feet SUVs can fit in that same 100 feet space? Go get your calculator.
By the way, you're comment about me having a "half-brained, no thought solutions...".... So what do you purpose, Eienstein? You can't even figure simply physics. Has all that hauling around kids, friends, boat, house, building, mountain in your precious SUV caused your brain to go too mushy inside your helmet?
Please... you make yourself sound like you're a long-haul driver... Like BJ in that old 1980's T.V. show "BJ and the Bear". Jeez, that was a good show. Bear was cool.
TheAtomicAss
Registered
Really? Compared to who? Other cagers? Don't be so sure.
"You've found" this to be true? How so? I mean, unless you've done a formal survey and compiled the data, you haven't found anything; you may assume these things to be the case, or even suspect them to be the case, but unless you know for a fact this to be the case, try to be a little less insulting to people behind the wheel of SUVs who actually DO know how to drive. And there's a hell of a lot of them out there.
#2. SUV do take up too much room on the road for no valid reason. Come on, we've all heard it, "I need the room". My question is, 'For what??!!'. If you truely need that much room, then get a mini-van. How many times have we've seen the biggest SUVs driven by the smallest (physic-wise) drivers? I had a co-worker that was so small, she had to get 2 pillows so she can see over the steering wheel of her Escalade! I truely believe SUV should only be sold to and driven by those that truely need it. Like the truely ++++++++ sizes, say 350 lb. +[/QUOTE]
Erm... and a van is better than an SUV, how? They're still big, and they're still going to be driven by the same people (if they listen to your advice.
I agree that some people have no need to be driving a large vehicle, but it's no different than people who drive huge-ass duallie pickups that have never hauled a bag of groceries, not to mention been used as a working truck as they're designed to be.
And just because someone might be small, how do you know what they're using the vehicles for? I know people who use them to haul kids around, to run a catering business out of, and to haul things continuously (they basically tossed the seats to use it as a constant hauler). Again, you're assuming things and generalizing them across all SUV drivers, and doing so with what I can only classify as ignorance.
#3. Tying into #1. SUVs are extremely dangerous because the visiability in them are poor and the handling is hap-hazardeous at best. Most SUVs are so damn big and the windows are so small in comparison you can't really see anything. Coupled with the fact that SUVs have the worst handling capabilities. Most are top-heavy and are likely to body-roll like it was a donut + will flip.[/QUOTE]
Spoken like a person who has never actually driven one.
In extreme cases, an SUV has a chance to roll. Thing is, so does a Taurus. And as far as visibility goes, you really need to sit in one and take a look -- in many cases you have a better view of the road simply because you're not having your view blocked by parked vehicles and other road-side detritus.
However, I've seen way too many times where some BLING-OUT punk will drive it like he/she's driving a 2 seater Porsche. Especially when they are trying to race us bikers.[/QUOTE]
Hmmm... I hate bling on a car as much as much as anyone but I don;t see why that constitutes a need for a ban.
As for racing or driving like crap, is it any more prevalent in an SUV than any other car type? I would guess no... but it sure makes for a nifty news story or expose in a newsmagazine, doesn't it?
To hell with graduate driver's licenses for bikes, how about qualifying driving licenses for SUVs?? Likely 2 tests, WHY do one need to buy and drive a SUV, and special license that one CAN safely drive a SUV. Like one of those Semi-truck licenses or commercial bus licenses ( in CA those are A class I believe).[/QUOTE]
Yes, let's force people to jump through extra hoops, just so they can satisfy someone's idea of inferiority or superiority, based solely on their choice of vehicle. Let's add layers of beauracracy and make people suffer financially and also with their schedules simply because someone in the minority decides to be vocal about somethng that has offended them. How very California of you.
#3.[/QUOTE]
You have two #3s.
Space HOGS. We've all seen them before. Pull in to a parking lot and you see a SUV parked in a "compact" space making it too tight to fit anything else but a bike. Sometimes, you see a SUV take up 2 spaces because that driver is FULLY inconsiderate.[/QUOTE]
I've also seen this from Sports cars, Ricers, Trucks, minivans, high-dollar coupes, etc etc etc. It's not model or vehicle-type specific at ALL.
We've seen them before on the road, taking up way too much lane than they need and that they can handle simply to satisfy their EGOs.[/QUOTE]
Again, you see this across all vehicle types.
In traffic congestion, SUV actually contributes to the trafffic jam because of all of the room they're taking up while sitting still.[/QUOTE]
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA did you actually just say that? They add to traffic congestion, simply because they are trapped in the traffic congestion? You cannot actually be serious.
Wow.
And SUVs are particularly dangereous because the driver can be ignorant by not seeing where they are going during a lane change, or they simply don't care and boss their way in.[/QUOTE]
Yes, that's the SUV's fault. We don't need to worry about driver responsibility at all.
#4. GAS HOG, GAS HOG, GAS HOG. I like to think that I'm environmentally conscience and all, but I'm more capitalist than anything. But nonetheless, let me satisfy my environmentally conscience side and say that SUVs are guzzling up resources like there's not tomorrow... And at this rate, there might not be, thanks in part o SUVs. Now let me speak economically. SUV are in a very large part to blame for our high gas/petro prices (the other is obviously the greedy oil company). Now, I'm not to say how other people should spend their $$$, unless it affects me. SUV affects me, my wallet and YOUR wallet as well. How? When a SUV is burning gas at the rate of 8 MPG or even 13 MPG, it's cost more than just the driver/owner that's dishing out $70 to full up. It's costing you and me. At that gas-guzzling rate of the SUV, it's using up the supply of oil/gas, thus the shorter supply (and even though demand remains steady), the higher the gas prices for EVERYONE. [/QUOTE]
Again, trucks, vans, some sedans and even some sports cars all have crappy gas mileage too. I can understand if you're sitting around watching nothing but Anti-SUV news shows, or a member of E.L.F. or something saying this (well no I can't but...), but at least try to have something that resembles perspective on the issue.
Do SUVs eat gas? Yep, to varying degrees. Are they the only ones that do? Not by a long shot. Are they the main reason gas is so expensive? Oh hell no (take a look at how much state tax is levied on a gallon of gas some day, not to mention the margin put on it by both oil companies and retailers... educate yourself on the matter some time), not by a long shot.
So give me one valid reason for having a SUV, unless you're over 350 lb, or disabled?[/QUOTE]
As soon as you give me one valid reason for having a hyper-sports bike, or an exotic car, or a sports car, or an oil-heated house, or char-broiled steaks, or a certain political viewpoint, or...
Or better yet, give me a valid reason why anyone should have to explain themselves to some self-important idiot speaking out of complete ignorance as to what is actually happening in the world. Get over yourself.
My remedy for the SUV? SUVs should require a special license and valid reasoning to have one and to operate one, like if you're obese or disabled. SUVs for any other reason should be charged $20 per gallon of gas at the pump. SUVs should have to pay at least 4 times the amount for a annual registration. SUVs should be charged a mininum insurance of $3000 every 6 months for insurance, and that's just for liablility only, add comprehensive and collision it should cost at the mininum of $7000 every 6 months. That's for all of the damages and/or injuries that SUVs causes. One "at-fault" accident should cause the insurance to go up to a mininum of $10,000 for liablility only and $20,000 every 6 months for that SUV driver.[/QUOTE]
Like many other people in many other segments of society, you are choosing to punish people for a choice they make, simply based on arbitrary reasons fueled by your own myopic bias.
The fact is EVERY SINGLE POINT you raise above has little to nothing to do with the type of vehicle driven, and everything to do with the individual drivers. You need to figure out the difference, instead of categorically having a prejudice against people based solely on the body attached to the four wheels they drive around on. But you seem to have some psychotic hard-on about blaming a certain type of vehicle for the woes of the world, and apparently very little actual information to base it on.
Until you manage to wrap your brain around that and actually look at things like this objectively, please, spare me your half-brained, no-thought "solutions," because its just a waste of bandwidth, not to mention the time of anyone who actually thinks rationally.[/QUOTE]
Lemme stick my nosy Ass in here.
Point 1, SUV drivers in my particular area tend to be the 3rd or 4th worst. I live in a rural area though, so nobody's really a horrible driver, as far as that goes. I do occasionally run into an Asshat, though.
Point 2, most minivan's have much smaller engines. RARELY do they possess V8's, V6's are the normal fare these days, and some I4's can be found. Almost always under 4L. They do get slightly better gas mileage. And if you're so small you have to use 2 pillows to see over the steering wheel, you need a smaller car. Period. I don't care what you need to haul.
Point 3, I've driven my mom's Blazer. 2dr, 4x4, tinted windows, and it wants to roll, I can't see out anything but the windshield at night, and it's a ##### to park in the garage because the sloping roof messes up your perception. Did I mention it makes me uneasy to drive because it roll in turns? Sure a Taurus can roll, but can it do so as easily as a vehicle 3 times taller? No.
Point 4, HAHAHAHAHA. I love it when those idiots pull up to my 250 and try to race me. I love blowing them away while getting 4 times better gas mileage.
Point 5, How about a licensing system that doesn't let any of these moron drivers on the road, PERIOD? No amount of training is going to change the fact that you are an Asshat.
Point 6, Don't see that much. But then again, rural area.
Point 7, No comment.
Point 8, It's all fine and dandy until these mother-fuckers cross the white lines, impeding my lane-splitting ability.
Point 9, GET RID OF THE GAS-GUZZLING CAGES PERIOD. MAKE THEM ALL BUY MOTORCYCLES. Problem solved. (Just so long as those motorcycles aren't Hardley Ableson's).
Second to last paragraph: And what's wrong with a psychotic hard-on?
Then it's the same argument that "Guns don't kill, people kill". So if we regulate guns, why not regulate SUVs?
1. The French can't wage war on anything without the USA's help, so good luck with that.
2. Do a ride along in my ambulance and see how well these "compacts" or "gas efficient" vehicles do in a crash, when your families life is on the line. Short answer, they don't.
3. Since when do we give a sh!t what the French say?
4. This is the dumbest thread I have ever read.
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2. Do a ride along in my ambulance and see how well these "compacts" or "gas efficient" vehicles do in a crash, when your families life is on the line. Short answer, they don't.
3. Since when do we give a sh!t what the French say?
4. This is the dumbest thread I have ever read.
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Reason for Edit: None given...|1129012363 -->
Yes, I have driven one for a long period of time. A 4-Runner Limited for about 4 months. Biggest waste of gas and space I've seen.[/QUOTE]
Yes four months is oh so long....
So why shouldn't there be a extra layer? If it's involving something that is potentially more dangereous?[/QUOTE]
Every car is potentially dangerous. I don'tt see where it is you get this absurd idea that one vehicle type is more likely to make someone drive poorly and such than any other. It's like saying that it's okay to have a use a steak knife, but if you want to use a cleaver of a butcher knife, you better have proper training, because it's bigger, and therefore more dangerous. It's an argument that has no basis in reality.
Not that I have a gun, but aren't you required to take some gun safety coarse/program before you can be licensed to get one?[/QUOTE]
Only to carry concealed as far as I know (in states that allow it). For ownership, it's all background checks and waiting periods. (I don't have a gun either.)
Don't roll in about the "Sports cars, Ricers, Trucks, minivans, high-dollar coupes, etc etc etc. It's not model or vehicle-type specific at ALL." argument. You know exactly what I'm talking about.[/QUOTE]
Yes I know exactly what you're talking about. You're talking about blaming the object rather than the people driving them. Period. And it's a huge fallacy, and a stupid argument.
To a HIGHER degree, I see SUVs taking up MORE parking spaces... Even double spaces.[/QUOTE]
Wow, that's your proof? You're giving me completely useless anecdotal evidence based on nothing but bias against SUVs and what you want to see, and that's supposed to prove they're the Devil's Chariot?
To the traffic congestion... PHYSICs... If you can fit... say twenty cars that are 5 feet long into a 100 feet space (let's say they're all tailgaters)... How many 8 feet SUVs can fit in that same 100 feet space? Go get your calculator.[/QUOTE]
And you have no idea about traffic congestion apparently.
Your argument might be useful if you were arguing about how many vehicles you can get on a ferry or in a shipping container at once. Maybe. You're just talking about how to fit objects of varying size in a specific spacial aread. But you're not talking about traffic congestion at all.
Trying to blame rush hour gridlock on vehicles that have a bit extra length to their dimensions instead of the hundreds of factors like accidents, traffic bottlenecks, metered onramps, etc etc etc, is like trying to say a rise in oceanic water levels has nothing to do with tides, and is all to blame on fat people hanging out in Florida and taking a dip in the ocean.
It's a stupid argument, and has no b asis in reality. Try again.
By the way, you're comment about me having a "half-brained, no thought solutions...".... So what do you purpose, Eienstein?[/QUOTE]
I don't see an issue, so I really don't need to *propose* one.
You can't even figure simply physics. [/QUOTE]
And you can't even spell "simple". Guess we're even.
(Actually, I can figure fairly complex physics... but go ahead and knock yourself out, kid)
Has all that hauling around kids, friends, boat, house, building, mountain in your precious SUV caused your brain to go too mushy inside your helmet?[/QUOTE]
Hmmmmm... so you obviously have a bone to pick with someone, but considering I never said any of those things, or even said I had an SUV for that matter, I'd suggest you keep the rhetoric to a minimum if you want anyone to take you remotely seriously.
Or has your insecure and relatively insane hatred for certain vehicle types caused you to lose the ability to separate logic from babbling incoherence?
Please... you make yourself sound like you're a long-haul driver....[/QUOTE]
Again, no, I never said anything of the sort... I think you're just confused, or attempting to make a non-existant point.
Actually I make myself sound like a fairly well-reasoned, logically-thinking individual who prefers to deal in reality rather than hot-air-blowing rhetoric. I get enough of that when following politics.
Yes four months is oh so long....
So why shouldn't there be a extra layer? If it's involving something that is potentially more dangereous?[/QUOTE]
Every car is potentially dangerous. I don'tt see where it is you get this absurd idea that one vehicle type is more likely to make someone drive poorly and such than any other. It's like saying that it's okay to have a use a steak knife, but if you want to use a cleaver of a butcher knife, you better have proper training, because it's bigger, and therefore more dangerous. It's an argument that has no basis in reality.
Not that I have a gun, but aren't you required to take some gun safety coarse/program before you can be licensed to get one?[/QUOTE]
Only to carry concealed as far as I know (in states that allow it). For ownership, it's all background checks and waiting periods. (I don't have a gun either.)
Don't roll in about the "Sports cars, Ricers, Trucks, minivans, high-dollar coupes, etc etc etc. It's not model or vehicle-type specific at ALL." argument. You know exactly what I'm talking about.[/QUOTE]
Yes I know exactly what you're talking about. You're talking about blaming the object rather than the people driving them. Period. And it's a huge fallacy, and a stupid argument.
To a HIGHER degree, I see SUVs taking up MORE parking spaces... Even double spaces.[/QUOTE]
Wow, that's your proof? You're giving me completely useless anecdotal evidence based on nothing but bias against SUVs and what you want to see, and that's supposed to prove they're the Devil's Chariot?
To the traffic congestion... PHYSICs... If you can fit... say twenty cars that are 5 feet long into a 100 feet space (let's say they're all tailgaters)... How many 8 feet SUVs can fit in that same 100 feet space? Go get your calculator.[/QUOTE]
And you have no idea about traffic congestion apparently.
Your argument might be useful if you were arguing about how many vehicles you can get on a ferry or in a shipping container at once. Maybe. You're just talking about how to fit objects of varying size in a specific spacial aread. But you're not talking about traffic congestion at all.
Trying to blame rush hour gridlock on vehicles that have a bit extra length to their dimensions instead of the hundreds of factors like accidents, traffic bottlenecks, metered onramps, etc etc etc, is like trying to say a rise in oceanic water levels has nothing to do with tides, and is all to blame on fat people hanging out in Florida and taking a dip in the ocean.
It's a stupid argument, and has no b asis in reality. Try again.
By the way, you're comment about me having a "half-brained, no thought solutions...".... So what do you purpose, Eienstein?[/QUOTE]
I don't see an issue, so I really don't need to *propose* one.
You can't even figure simply physics. [/QUOTE]
And you can't even spell "simple". Guess we're even.
(Actually, I can figure fairly complex physics... but go ahead and knock yourself out, kid)
Has all that hauling around kids, friends, boat, house, building, mountain in your precious SUV caused your brain to go too mushy inside your helmet?[/QUOTE]
Hmmmmm... so you obviously have a bone to pick with someone, but considering I never said any of those things, or even said I had an SUV for that matter, I'd suggest you keep the rhetoric to a minimum if you want anyone to take you remotely seriously.
Or has your insecure and relatively insane hatred for certain vehicle types caused you to lose the ability to separate logic from babbling incoherence?
Please... you make yourself sound like you're a long-haul driver....[/QUOTE]
Again, no, I never said anything of the sort... I think you're just confused, or attempting to make a non-existant point.
Actually I make myself sound like a fairly well-reasoned, logically-thinking individual who prefers to deal in reality rather than hot-air-blowing rhetoric. I get enough of that when following politics.
Maybe the dumbest thread, but why get involved1. The French can't wage war on anything without the USA's help, so good luck with that.
2. Do a ride along in my ambulance and see how well these "compacts" or "gas efficient" vehicles do in a crash, when your families life is on the line. Short answer, they don't.
3. Since when do we give a sh!t what the French say?
4. This is the dumbest thread I have ever read.
I think the more relevant and sane question is, at what point do we make people responsible for their own actions?
This whole "Blame the thing" attitude has basically provided we as an entire society a reason to have zero personal responsibility.
Kids kill someone? Blame video games! Have a wreck? Blame the type of car! Big fat slob? Blame fast food!!
Exactly at what point did we stop taking responsibility for our own actions? Seriously?
(Now, before you go off on the guns don;t kill people, people kill people thing and trying to make a case around it, let me clarify... I'm not a right-wing/republican person. In fact I'm fairly left of center independent. I just want to throw that out there so you don't sit there and try to make it an ideology debate when you have no more points)
1. The French can't wage war on anything without the USA's help, so good luck with that.[/QUOTE]
"Sacre bleu! Ze SUVs... zey are attacking! We must zurrender immediatelee! Haw haw haw!"
gunslingerjr
Registered
i just want a four door full size truck
I must say its very interesting reading your thoughts and opinions about SUVs.
May I add my thoughts. Being British we don't tend to get along with the French too well, but this has nothing to do with SUVs.
As far as vehicles go over here, our average family car is anything between 1800 and 2500cc. Sports cars are generally around 3000-4000cc. Out of all the sports cars we have, very few go up to the equivalent size of an American sports car 6-litre +. I also hasten to add, that we can pull out 300bhp + out of half the cc, and with that comes the economy too, though I suppose we don't tend to look for that in a sports car, but certainly do in a family car. Family cars - diesels will do 50mpg+, this is not the exception - most do. Remember that we're paying over £4 p/gallon for our fuel these days $7 or so.
I was in Vegas in April, followed by a couple of days in Utah, followed by a couple of days in LA. I was really surprised to see so many huge SUVs, everyone seems to have them - is everyone trying to keep up with each other?
I don't agree with everything that eynlai says, but... don't believe that SUVs are necessarily safer than everything else.
The only thing that makes smaller cars less safe is the fact everyone else is driving an SUV, and if you get hit by one you're likely to get flattened. A car that sits so high has a higher centre of gravity and is more likely to roll - will the roof of one of these things support the vehicle and save its occupants when its upside down?
You've had to put up with fairly hefty rises in fuel costs lately, and you can expect more as new economic centres push up the price of oil - look at China, hardly anyone has a car at the moment because they can't afford one, but thats all changing. In 10 years time who knows and that'll push up prices worldwide.
Then there's the environmental impact. Believe what you want, I'm not sure what I believe about what the scientists are saying, but I will say this...
a) They're talking bol*ocks - thats fine, lets do what we want
b) They're serious and the impact will be huge. If this happens and sea temperatures rise we can all say goodbye to our current coastlines over the next 50 years.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. Not trying to wind anyone up... and completely unrelated to bikes. If you're going to get run over or hit by any car, they're all going to hurt almost as much as each other.
May I add my thoughts. Being British we don't tend to get along with the French too well, but this has nothing to do with SUVs.
As far as vehicles go over here, our average family car is anything between 1800 and 2500cc. Sports cars are generally around 3000-4000cc. Out of all the sports cars we have, very few go up to the equivalent size of an American sports car 6-litre +. I also hasten to add, that we can pull out 300bhp + out of half the cc, and with that comes the economy too, though I suppose we don't tend to look for that in a sports car, but certainly do in a family car. Family cars - diesels will do 50mpg+, this is not the exception - most do. Remember that we're paying over £4 p/gallon for our fuel these days $7 or so.
I was in Vegas in April, followed by a couple of days in Utah, followed by a couple of days in LA. I was really surprised to see so many huge SUVs, everyone seems to have them - is everyone trying to keep up with each other?
I don't agree with everything that eynlai says, but... don't believe that SUVs are necessarily safer than everything else.
The only thing that makes smaller cars less safe is the fact everyone else is driving an SUV, and if you get hit by one you're likely to get flattened. A car that sits so high has a higher centre of gravity and is more likely to roll - will the roof of one of these things support the vehicle and save its occupants when its upside down?
You've had to put up with fairly hefty rises in fuel costs lately, and you can expect more as new economic centres push up the price of oil - look at China, hardly anyone has a car at the moment because they can't afford one, but thats all changing. In 10 years time who knows and that'll push up prices worldwide.
Then there's the environmental impact. Believe what you want, I'm not sure what I believe about what the scientists are saying, but I will say this...
a) They're talking bol*ocks - thats fine, lets do what we want
b) They're serious and the impact will be huge. If this happens and sea temperatures rise we can all say goodbye to our current coastlines over the next 50 years.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. Not trying to wind anyone up... and completely unrelated to bikes. If you're going to get run over or hit by any car, they're all going to hurt almost as much as each other.
Kod3001:
Honestly I think you say quite a bit of good stuff there.
When it comes to sports cars, I would MUCH rather be in a TVR Tuscan-S, or a Opel Sportster/Vauxhall VX220.... or a Lotus 340R... oh hell yes the Lotus.... than anything currently available for mass availability in the US (except maybe a Panoz Esperante, even though it's a 4.8Litre). I think they're sexier and sleeker cars to be honest. (Of course, at 6'6", well let's just say my chances of fitting in one even if you could bring them over would be fairly small... but if they bring the TVRs over I'm willing to try! I'm surprised by the roominess of the Lotus Elise)
And apart from my comments above, I'm not a huge SUV fan... for me personally I'd much rather be lower to the ground and have a better feel of the road and such... I'm far more tactile and enjoy feeling what the road is doing.
My entire point, and where I have a problem with the original poster, is he seems to be trying to blame an entire run of vehicles for what are personal actions. I absolutely despise the whole "blame anyone and anything but the one who is responsible," and this entire thread seems to be an extension of it.
It just sticks in my craw so much I can't help but respond to it.
It's funny though... how do you find cars like I mentioned above are, as far as accidents/impacts go? It seems that the main reason you can't get those cars that are Euro-spec revolves almost entirely around crash-safety ratings and that sort of thing. Apparently the Elise had to go through all sorts of crap to conform to DOT standards just to finally get imported here, and I find that ridiculous.
Honestly I think you say quite a bit of good stuff there.
When it comes to sports cars, I would MUCH rather be in a TVR Tuscan-S, or a Opel Sportster/Vauxhall VX220.... or a Lotus 340R... oh hell yes the Lotus.... than anything currently available for mass availability in the US (except maybe a Panoz Esperante, even though it's a 4.8Litre). I think they're sexier and sleeker cars to be honest. (Of course, at 6'6", well let's just say my chances of fitting in one even if you could bring them over would be fairly small... but if they bring the TVRs over I'm willing to try! I'm surprised by the roominess of the Lotus Elise)
And apart from my comments above, I'm not a huge SUV fan... for me personally I'd much rather be lower to the ground and have a better feel of the road and such... I'm far more tactile and enjoy feeling what the road is doing.
My entire point, and where I have a problem with the original poster, is he seems to be trying to blame an entire run of vehicles for what are personal actions. I absolutely despise the whole "blame anyone and anything but the one who is responsible," and this entire thread seems to be an extension of it.
It just sticks in my craw so much I can't help but respond to it.
It's funny though... how do you find cars like I mentioned above are, as far as accidents/impacts go? It seems that the main reason you can't get those cars that are Euro-spec revolves almost entirely around crash-safety ratings and that sort of thing. Apparently the Elise had to go through all sorts of crap to conform to DOT standards just to finally get imported here, and I find that ridiculous.
You missed the point. You made a generalization about SUV drivers and SUVs, I made a generalization about Busas. Point is, you can't make generalizations. I've beem driving SUVs in one form or another since 1995 and never been in an accident. I wasn't comparing bikes to SUVs, I was illustrating that anyone can pronounce thier opinion and I am sure some people feel the same way about Busas that you feel about SUVs.
Oh well. Tried to give you a little bit o' props...never mind.
Fire ze missiles!"Sacre bleu! Ze SUVs... zey are attacking! We must zurrender immediatelee! Haw haw haw!"
Woot!
Randonmickname:
You're quite right about what was originally said, you can't generalise about how people drive.
The cars you've mentioned are among my favourites, with the 4.5 litre TVR, great car, same with the Lotus, though some of these have a highly tuned 1.6 litre engine with one of the best power to ratio. I was going to buy a TVR Cerbera a few years back in my contracting days. I went over to the showroom, and at 6'2" I struggled to fit in it too, and getting out is more like falling out.
However, you're quite right to question the safety of them, and I can imagine it being frustrating trying to get hold of 'Euro-spec' cars, but...
I wouldn't want to be involved in any sort of crash in any of these, I'd rather be on a bike. None of them will stand up to much. None have airbags to reduce weight, there is very little protection around you, but then thats the risk you take for pleasure on the road.
I tend to think these reasons stand against them more in the US because of all the bigger vehicles on the road.
I remember years ago the same problem with the Mini Cooper S. Brilliant car, very fast, holds the road, but didn't make it to the US I suppose because of its size and its chances of coming out of a big smash relatively unscathed.
No. The argument should go the other way... Why don't we lessen the restrictions on our constitutional right to bear arms?
Eynlai, I actually posted a great article from Motorcycle Consumer News about SUV's back in January. It makes a very strong case for SUV's being a large contributor in the increasing death rate of motorcyclists involved in accidents. This could add some fuel to your fire.
Ha-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1.I drive a huge, gas-guzzling, road-hogging, SUV just to piss off self-righteous whiney piss ants like you.....
Glad it's working!!
Who the F do you think you are, anyway?
Worry about what YOU want to drive, wear, eat, etc....not your nieghbors, dude.....stress is a killer.
I'll be printing your post to take to work today so everyone can get a good laugh. I did.!
Mr Brown
Registered
In my household we have a Tahoe and an Expedition. I sold my K-5 Blazer (6" lift, 35 swampers) back in May. The only vehicle we have that gets more than 18 mpg is the Busa, and that isn't exactly a gas miser either.
We have 2 kids, she wanted the third row of seats cuz her damn sisters can't quit having kids, and they like going places together. I got the Tahoe cuz I'm 6'6" and like being comfortable. We need at least one 4x4, cuz it snows here. My family will be as safe as I can make them. If you don't like the fact that I drive big, road hogging, polluting, gas guzzling vehicles that is your right, meanwhile I'll be transporting my family in comfort and safety.
You have nerve complaining about gas useage living in Los Angeles. Nobody south of Santa Barbara has even heard of car pooling. You see more cars with single occupants going from the same bedroom communities to the same working areas than anyplace in the world.
We have 2 kids, she wanted the third row of seats cuz her damn sisters can't quit having kids, and they like going places together. I got the Tahoe cuz I'm 6'6" and like being comfortable. We need at least one 4x4, cuz it snows here. My family will be as safe as I can make them. If you don't like the fact that I drive big, road hogging, polluting, gas guzzling vehicles that is your right, meanwhile I'll be transporting my family in comfort and safety.
You have nerve complaining about gas useage living in Los Angeles. Nobody south of Santa Barbara has even heard of car pooling. You see more cars with single occupants going from the same bedroom communities to the same working areas than anyplace in the world.
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