Car buyers revisit an old question: Why be fuelish?

Greed is what drives our economy. This is just another day in The Capitalist Conspiracy that we as Americans choose to support. It is time to Nationalize ALL Natural Resources and get The Money Changers out of our Economy!!!!!!

UNITED SCAM ARTISTS

I'm not saying we can't do it, it'll just be harder for us to make that switch. I'm certainly all for other sources of energy. America is addicted to oil but the powers that be are addicted to oil money. Either way, that leaves us commoners screwed. Furthermore, most other 'democratic nations' have a better track record of listening to its constituents; ours - well, you draw your own conclusion on that. I believe we've been sending clear messages to our elected officials, but they've been tuned out by ear plugs made of bribery money (something they so affectionately call "lobbyists")...

Happy 4th of July to all by the way!!

Here's a link for algae based ethanol. Wouldn't that make a great story for some Virginian Pilot reporter?

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4213775.html

You are right there is a huge difference in size between us and Denmark and Israel. We have the most usable land in the world of any country in the world and many more resources, so it will be easier for us to switch to alternative fuels. Whinning about how we can't do it is the only thing holding us back.

There is a huge difference in size between the US and Israel and Denmark, both in population as well as in land mass. It's more feasible for them. The problem, I believe is as another poster has delineated - the gov't is sleeping with the oil companies and we're the ones getting screwed... we could certainly cripple the oil companies, but not so at the expense of the economy. Talk about having the country by the cojones...

I have a large family and needed a vehicle that fit us all. Do you know I couldn't find one in any price range that got over 19 miles a gallon? I looked for one for 4 months. 15 years ago I bought one much larger and heavier, a V8, that got the same millage. My current van even changes from a 6 cylinder to a 4 and back and still can't give me better mileage. The public might look but the car makers aren't making. Why after 15 years and a lighter smaller vehicle with a smaller engine can I not get better gas mileage. I look forward to my empty nest. It will be cheaper in so many ways.

There are several problems with becoming "big wind".

1. The oil companies are in bed with the goverment. They will do all they can to fight alternative energy, you can bet on that.

2. Many big government folks are directly connected to big oil.

No, the science is not a conspiracy. You simply can't do it because when the wind dies down so does the power. Supply drops below demand and we'll see wide spread blackouts that could last weeks. If you try to close a circuit that is pulling more than you can provide, it's just going to pop back open. Another big concern is if electric vehicles start getting popular, the household requirement will double to triple. Charging an electric vehicle for a few hours of runtime is about the same amount of power as running your clothes dryer for eight hours.

You can use wind as a supplement to prevent having to fire up the reserve generators during peaks

I pre-ordered a Smart Car last September and I won't even see it until at least January of next year. Anyone that believes they can walk into the Smart dealer and get a car a year from now is in for a huge surprise!

My car is a 94' model. It's small and now doesn't look that great, but it still gets great gas mileage. It may be ugly, but I'll take ugly and good gas mileage any day over fancy and not being able to afford to drive it!

Hybrids have less CO2 output and are greener having less impact on our environment.

They are not quite the renewable energy option that will be the wave of the future, but they are the best option we have right now. And I'm okay with that.

Besides saving a few dollars on gas (I save about $100 a month), hybrid owners can feel a little better about at least making a conscious effort on reducing CO2 emissions as well as dependency on foreign oil. On my worst super traffic AC using days, I get 35+ mpg city and fill up 12 gallons only 1/2 of the time that I used to in a Mistubishi Lancer.

Those concerned with money alone: If you are looking at trading in to save money you'd be lucky to break even, but you might feel better about your greenhouse footprint. But if you are already in the market for a car, I say go for it.

Corn produces 50 gallons of ethanol per acre. Algae farms can produce 10,000 gallons of ethanol per acre. Big difference.

The Danes already get 20% of their energy from wind. The Israelis are building ONE solar energy plant that will supply 5% of their energy needs. The technology is there. All we have to do is use it. Why give the Arabs all our money?

There are several problems with becoming "big wind".

1. The oil companies are in bed with the goverment. They will do all they can to fight alternative energy, you can bet on that.

2. Many big government folks are directly connected to big oil.

3. The start up costs are pretty much prohibitive, and finding investors to dump money in to a fringe source of power fighting an uphill battle would be a daunting task.

He is right that the government needs to step up and start dumping money in to alternative fuels, so the start up costs will be defrayed or eliminated altogether. I can tell you where we can start with the money to pay for it....the current money we are handing to the big oil companies in corporate welfare.

I'll give up my SUV as soon as you get all the teenagers back on the school bus that my tax dollars pay for. Close all the high school parking lots to students. Deal???

Algae based ethanol can produce 10,000 gallons per acre. There is a wind corridor from Texas to the Canadian border. There is a solar corridor from Texas to the California coast. The solutions are here. We just need political leadership with the good sense to pursue them.

Yep, the solutions are here but those aren't it. In fact those have only accomplished blocking real progress toward a nuclear grid because they make people think there's other choices. You simply cannot have a power grid that isn't rock solid steady output or the whole thing crashes down. You must have the same output day, night, cloudy, windy, and still. The environment impact of massive farming efforts also doesn't change by changing the plant from corn to algae.

You continuously look to the government to fix all our woes. If there was ever a dependence that needs to be addressed, it’s our dependence on the government, not oil. Government has made itself into an addictive substance, much like cocaine and heroin. It makes you feel so good when you are injected with it, but it ruins your life over a short period of time. I know we must go through painful withdrawals to get the government monkey off our back, but once you have gone through that dark, painful tunnel, you feel free once again.
Don’t wait for the government to tap into those resources, start a company that will. Then you can become "Big solar" or "Big wind" to ward off "Big oil".

Algae based ethanol can produce 10,000 gallons per acre. There is a wind corridor from Texas to the Canadian border. There is a solar corridor from Texas to the California coast. The solutions are here. We just need political leadership with the good sense to pursue them.

I am loving responding to this article due to my employment at one of the dealerships named here. You can ding the dealers all you like. The fact remains that it cost more to operate a larger vehicle than smaller. Plain and simple. The problems with people attempting to trade their larger vehicles is we are not selling them retail, and we cannot get help from the original manufacturer franchise store who sold it new. We are not over-pricing the smaller more fuel efficient cars, but we are however adjusting our trade figures on distressed merchandise (SUV's, trucks, etc). The real problem here is that there seems to be no end in sight. Please don't hold it against the dealer for trying our best to make everyone happy during your re-evaluation of transportation needs. I wish us all good luck!

I bought a Prius over a year ago. AT THAT TIME, because I drive approximately 1000 miles/week, I saved over $400/month. I currently get over 60 mpg. My other car, a Hummer. My family of four would MUCH rather ride in the Prius because -get this- it has more room. And I can get more in it than the Hummer. We keep the Hummer for hauling logs around and stuff you need a big vehicle for in the country.

As far as drilling offshore and ANWAR, by our current president's numbers, and you KNOW he'd be overly optimistic, it would take 20 years to see production from those fields and it would drop the price by 1 cent. But it sure would be nice for his buddies to get permission to do while he's still in office...oh, but GWB would NEVER make a crisis for his buddies to profit from, right, that would be the VICE president. Wait...he's an oil guy too...

Cheap gas is not a right. Even if it gets cheaper, there's only so much and w

JMO, you got me...

Quite incorrect, Chris, anyone who uses petroleum products are unpatriotic and should be place on the no-fly list, their phone should be tapped and a satellite should be dedicated to their every move!

Now, what I said is shear lunacy, much like your statement. Some people need an SUV. I drive a Jeep Cherokee (which is considered a station Wagon in Virginia) and I use it for transferring equipment on film shoots, picking up supplies for prop construction, etc.

I suggest you get off the "gas guzzler" band wagon and look at the big picture. Petroleum is used for far more than fuel. The keyboard you type your posts on, the container your steak is stored and every bit of trim in your Prius.

Fossil sourced products won't go away anytime soon...

You want to stop supporting terrorists? Send a note to your congressman and senator and tell them to lift the ban on ANWAR and off shore drilling.

Folks, the answer is right under our own soil and we are too wrapped up in our petty fallacies to take action on it.

Also, want real gas savings? Ride a motorcycle or ride a bicycle. Both get far better mileage than a prius or any other hybrid.

JMO, I love the inbedded sarcasm. Too bad there are people who really do feel that way.

Chris 33 said "Saving gas is patriotic because our dependence on foreign oil is our biggest national security problem. People who drive big SUVs are supporting the terrorists in Saudi Arabia."

So, everyone who uses gasoline supports terrorists?

jmo

Saving gas is patriotic because our dependence on foreign oil is our biggest national security problem. People who drive big SUVs are supporting the terrorists in Saudi Arabia.

So sorry, but you shouldn't sell your gas-guzzling suburban - you should destroy it. If you sell it, it remains on the road and you still have contributed to the problem. Crush your SUVs now!

jmo

There are some electric cars coming on the market. GM Volt I believe. I think Nissan has something planned. I welcome this, because it will be a threat to the petroleum business. Just the fact that there are alternatives will put pressure on them. Sure the electrics are range limited, but a portion of the daily commuting could be handled by them, and that would reduce fuel use. This is why I think the new urbanism people are a bit wrong (Kunstler, etc) with the idea that people will be forced to move back to the city. Battery technology will improve. Think about how relatively new light bulbs are, then consider how advanced the graphics processing chipsets on video game machines are, and figure the progress in the short amount of time.

All you people comparing total ownership costs - stop making sense! Don't you know that it's not about how much money you have to spend, it's about using less fossil fuels, diminishing your carbon footprint, whatever. If you only care that you are going to have higher car payments and long-term maintenance costs you are being selfish! There's nothing more important than using less gas. If you have a gas-guzzling suburban you should sell it and buy as many small hybrids as necessary to transport your family - very selfish to think about your wallet when we must reduce our reliance on fossil fuels! Pay attention, 33 mpg is better than 23 mpg no matter how much your monthly payments increase!

jmo

and it doesn't go, "I think I can, I think I can". If it did, I wouldn't own it.

And I love it. Several weeks ago I considered trading it in for a more fuel-efficient car, and after researching it, I realized, as others have stated, it would cost more in the long run. Besides, I feel much safer, not only because of the size, but also in a V6 I know can get out of the way in a pinch, rather than a 4-cylinder car saying "I think I can, I think I can". The 10 mpg or so more in gas that I spend with my Mariner is not worth downsizing at this time.