Big SUV sales take dive as gas costs soar

[Roland99]

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0509/02/A01-301633.htm

Record-high gas prices are taking a visible toll on certain vehicle segments, such as large sport utility vehicles, while bolstering demand for sedans.

Not all gas-guzzlers are being penalized: Luxury car and pickup sales remain brisk. But many consumers are rethinking whether bigger is always better in a troubling sign for an already troubled industry. In recent years, Detroit's automakers have generated their profits mainly on the sale of SUVs and pickups.

Overall, U.S. auto sales were robust last month, rising 3.8 percent over August 2004 levels despite Hurricane Katrina. But a sales breakdown reveals an acceleration of trends favoring more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Co. reported surging car sales but flat light truck sales, and Ford expects sales of its new four-door Explorer SUV may decline in 2006 -- a glum trajectory for a new vehicle. However, it has high hopes for its new cars.

[Wickerman]

1. all together now!

Awwwwwww!

:nopity:

[SledDriver]

5. Better yet...

FUCK THEM!

[phantom power]

21. Tasty schadenfreud aside, this is bad news for everybody.

An economy where a major fraction of people cannot afford to operate their own cars, and won't be able to sell them, is a very, very bad economy. Those of us who own more efficient cars will be affected along with everybody else.

[Maraya1969]

25. They don't seem to learn any other way. A lot of SUV owners are

not upper class, they are middle class with big car loans. That's my take on it anyway.

It certainly won't hurt the US to adopt European standards as far as car size is concerned.

[kysrsoze]

26. Yup - dumbasses on 84- or 96-month car loans now so heavily under water

They'll not likely break even until year 7.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

68. 8 years to pay off a vehicle?! UFB. (n/t)

[phantom power]

48. Yes, but who's gonna afford them? If you're a guy who

owes $20K (or whatever) on an SUV that you suddenly can't afford gasoline for, how are you going to buy a new fuel efficient car?

Now multiply that guy's predicament by a few million people, and throw in the massive inflation on all goods and services that these fuel prices will cause, and then for desert, maybe the bursting of the housing bubble...

Well, you can see why guys like Kunstler have been predicting economic armageddon due to high oil prices.

[RPM]

33. SUVs are high margin - this will hurt ford, its employees and suppliers

this is not a good thing - yes i hate SUVs - but a sudden drop in Ford's profitablility will lead to job cuts

[Roland99]

35. Not like they haven't known this day was coming. Them fighting CAFE

has only made things worse.


They made their bed, now they have to lie in it.


And innocent workers will suffer for it.

[NuttyFluffers]

63. someday you gotta pay the piper. that day is now.

the important part is remembering the fucker who led you up shit creek without a paddle in the first place, and then hurt 'im good.
:grr:

[ProudDad]

66. Ford doesn't make cars

in the U.S.A.

Whose jobs?

[Joebert]

69. The Escape Hybrid is built in Kansas City

Aren't most Fords built in Michigan, Missouri, and maybe a few in Canada?

I could be nuts, but I do know that my Escape Hybrid was built in KC.

[Carla in Ca]

71. And just last week

S&P reduced Ford shares to junk status.

[JoFerret]

41. We could always consider rationing

and intelligent, equitable distribution of scarce resources.

[NNN0LHI]

2. Lots of boats and RVs in driveways that never move around here too n/t

[sarcasmo]

11. The rich can't handle it when they can't play with their toys. LMFAO

[patrice]

3. I've started rolling down my car window and giving Hummers

a thumbs down every time I see one now.

I swear I'm going to throw a party when the local Hummer dealer, who sells Hummers exclusively, goes out of business.

HUMMERS - What a Fucking Joke - Not combat vehicle - Not even REAL transportation for people who need it! They are part of the chains that bind us to OIL ROYALTY, domestic and FOREIGN!!!!!

God, how can a real Patriot stand this sort of thing?????

[fudge stripe cookays]

6. I just point and laugh.

It's about fucking time these selfish assholes start feeling some hurt.

Don't bother replying to me with your indignant cries, SUV owners. I don't care why you bought the damned thing. I really don't.

FSC

[sarcasmo]

10. I just shake my head and laugh. Makes my 33mpg Chevy Aveo

look like a smart buy every day prices go up.

[Say_What]

16. For anyone with one iota of responsibility SUVs were ALWAYS

a bad investment.

Someone on DU months ago defended her mom's right to own a hummer because she *deserved* it. I'd say that's the height of self-centeredness.

[krkaufman]

23. Yep. Right-on.

'cause if we weren't consuming so damn much gas, we'd have some spare refining capacity and we wouldn't be taking quite as large a hit now.

[calimary]

37. I see a LOT of 'em with little bitty, tight-muscled, tanned, manicured,

talking-on-their-cell-phones-while-they're-supposed-to-be-paying-attention-to-the-road trophy wives at the wheel. Lots of 'em around my part of town. I wouldn't have one if you gave it to me. And, yes, it makes me smile, too. When they pull up to the pump, I wonder if they're waiting for bush to come and give them another nice big tax cut to offset their increased expenses.

I remember the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973 - and how everybody suddenly started having second thoughts about their big-ass gas-guzzling cadillacs and lincolns and other "land yachts." Eventually, all you saw were little cars, mostly Japanese imports, that weren't there to impress anybody with how big they were as much as how economical they were. But few people wanted to buy cars like that until the gun was to their heads and they were forced to.

I see that since then, many of us have learned nothing, and remember less, and have just drifted back to our old bad habits again. Some people NEVER learn. Or intentionally forget the lessons they DID learn, when they think the crisis is over, or that nobody's paying attention anymore.

[krkaufman]

22. Yes, that would be an interesting trend to track...

... the closure of all the recently-opened Hummer dealerships across the USA.

I'd love it if there were a website dedicated to tracking the location of the dealerships, coordinating picketing/protests, and then posting photos of the shuttered dealerships, one-by-one.

edit: The Hummer dealership in Schaumburg, IL has closed. I believe the remaining inventory was moved down the street to the Chevy dealer.

[fudge stripe cookays]

40. Now THAT is good news, kr.

Thanks for brightening my day just a little.

Probably a good thing for Code Pink to begin ramping up their Hummer demostrations again, only going for the jugular in what they put on their signs this time (the tide is turning-- we can be much MORE vocal now).

FSC

[LeftyMom]

51. One was just built here

They go by my house when they're out on test drives, because there's a big empty parking lot to turn 'em around in (One of these days I'm gonna sit out there and just laugh as they turn around, they have the turning radius of a Greyhound bus.) I don't think I've seen one go by in a week, it used to be two or three a day.

[mn723]

24. Check out this site

www.fuh2.com

[fudge stripe cookays]

53. Bwa ha!

"Haiku by Tim

Hulking black Hummer
Purchased in rank atonement
small peckered driver"

:rofl:
FSC

[DisgustedTX]

62. WHOA! Odd Todd!

:) PRRANGLES; COFF-AY!

[SnohoDem]

32. Nothing says "Asshole" like a Hummer n/t

[calimary]

38. When I see somebody (male) driving one of those, my reaction

instinctively, and automatically, is "hmmmmmmmmmmmm... is somebody ... ummm... overcompensating?" BTW, Ahnold lives not far from here, and he drives one, too. When he's not in his big-ass Escalade with the "Join Arnold" bumper sticker on one side of the rear bumper, and the "Bobby Shriver" sticker on the other side.

[fudge stripe cookays]

42. Yeah, I like pulling up next to them...

and giving them the universal gesture for undercompensation.

They look a little annoyed at me for some reason. I can't imagine why.

FSC

[mitchum]

58. My wife also gives them the gesture...

and they get really livid. Just can't imagine why...:)

Just one of the many resons I love her.

[ProudDad]

67. Arnold the GropenFuhrer

should be hung up by his balls with piano wire.

The hummer was HIS idea. He had 6 of them but now says he's down to just 3.

bastard

[JoFerret]

45. That is SO true

...it's like riding around with a vehicle that shouts how truly bad your taste is.

[Danmel]

59. My children have special dispensation to say ASSHOLE

whenever they see a HUMMER (ever notice the name is in all caps- they have to SHOUT ALL THE TIME)

If they see one with a "W" sticker or *-Cheney sticker on it, they are allowed to say "Flaming Asshole".

Otherwise they have to keep the language clean (unless they're singing "American Idiot")

[WorseBeforeBetter]

70. LOL. Good for you - start 'em out young! (n/t)

[Gregorian]

47. What about those HUGE rolling houses with boats and cars in tow?

I hate those people. They slum around the usa with a veritable Greyhound bus, dragging cars, boats, and all kinds of things behind them. Kill the world to see the USA.


I might add that I own the biggest truck you can get. I used to curse, vehemently, those who drove these things. Then I found that I couldn't tow my utility trailer with my old 77 Ford. But the key is that I drive about 20 miles per week. I ride a bike far more than I drive this infernal beast. In fact, by having it, I'm keeping some flagrant dipshit from driving it. But I'm an exception. Mine is a tool. Not transportation.

[Mari333]

4. Car dealer where I live told me people drive up 3 times a day

asking if he will buy their SUVs. He says he wont, they arent worth it. Gas is up to 3.48 today, was 3.19 yesterday.

[PatrioticLeftie]

7. Good

Those things are an unnecessary waste

[pauldavid]

8. How hard is it to put a diesel engine into these

My guess is that you are going to start being able pick them up for a song. Put Drop in a diesel engine so you can run them biodiesel. Make bio diesel yourself and sell the converted suv's to people and continue to sell them bio diesel.

[B3Nut]

27. The original full-size Hummer (H1?)...

had a diesel engine. The H2's on a Tahoe chassis, so retrofitting a diesel shouldn't be too much work. Still there are more worthwhile vehicles that could be retrofitted that can be used to actually get work done, so the best thing to do to Hummers is (1) scrap and recycle them for metal to build responsible vehicles with and (2) make the nice front leather buckets into computer chairs. :D

Todd in Beerbratistan

Edit: i kant tipe

[DBoon]

49. Actuall I think the shells would make good camping cabins

Strip out the interiors, put the empty shells in a camping area, people could spend the night under the stars in one.

Being immobile, they would not waste any gas.

Kind of like cadillac ranch in a way:

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/TXAMAcadillac.html

[Deja Q]

9. I heard it's possible (but not cost effective yet) to convert car engines

to run on hydrogen.

Nice if true. And long overdue.

[LiberalEsto]

13. hydrogen causes engine parts to disintegrate

by making them brittle. It will take effort to come up with materials that can withstand the effects of hydrogen and last long enough to be economically viable. Also, it is very dificult to store and transport hydrogen under current technology - there is no infrastructure of hydrogen stations for refills.

[midnight armadillo]

44. Butanol is easier

Butanol is produced from biomass, can be used in gas engines, and handled with existing infrastructure.

[Straight Shooter]

12. Prove you're dumber --- drive a Hummer!

:nopity:

[Say_What]

15. Ahhhhnold has a fleet of 'em. n/t

[Tight_rope]

65. That statement would make a great bumper sticker!

[Endangered Specie]

14. MY heart fucking bleeds...

:nopity:

[Say_What]

17. Looks like Honda and Toyota are in for another bang up sales year...

my Honda Civic gets 36mpg. I drove cross country for about $200 one way--but that was back in July when gas was *only* $2.l0 gallon.

[phylny]

30. I just bought a Honda CR-V on Tuesday.

I don't know yet what my mileage will be, but I'm sure it'll be better than the minivan I usually drive (that's in my garage, saved only for long trips - and it's a good, solid car which averages 18 - 19 mpg).

I'm doing it not so much for the savings (otherwise I wouldn't have spent money on another car), but more for the conservation and low emissions.

It pained me that Chrysler didn't have anything to compete with it. I drove the Ford Escape (didn't like it for my needs), Toyota RAV4 (came in a close second), and a Saturn.

So far, I love the Honda. Built in Japan. Sigh.

[Gelliebeans]

52. you forgot VW

I am on my third VW and I have always bought them for fuel economy. You would think that no car company would of boxed themselves in after the 70's but I guess the lure of a big SUV was too much for most. Sad really.

[Say_What]

56. You're right. I had a bug in '67--paid $1200 for it and it was only

one year old. In the early 70s I had a Kharman Ghia and after that it was Toyotas and Hondas. All were great cars with great gas mileage.

[tammywammy]

57. VW offers diesel too

Demand is high for them. An used TDI (diesel) is a rare find. But it'll have awesome resale value, plus great mpg.

Mine's on order. :)

[gratuitous]

18. And no matter how many of the overrich still buy them

There just aren't enough self-absorbed greedheads to keep all the automakers afloat. Maybe (just maybe) it's time to quit producing 20 mpg crapmobiles and start building a car to deal with the new reality that we don't have a never-ending supply of cheap gasoline (not that we ever did).

[Fluffdaddy]

19. Time to buy me a BIG ASS suv now that people are selling low

Say good-bye to my 18 year old 240 Volvo :)

[Tesha]

20. You 'gonna register as a Republican too? :-) (NT)

[DBoon]

50. I bet you could buy party memberships real cheap too!

I hear lots of ex-republicans are eager to give them away!

[Hardrada]

28. Just buy a big SUV for cheap

Park it out in front covered with antiBush antiwar signs. And never drive it. Karmic comeback. Only possible good use.

[calimary]

43. Turn it into a nice planter in your front yard maybe?

I like the "covered with antibush, antiwar signs" part, too. Call it Yard Art. Lawn Sculpture. Trash to Treasure.

[cliss]

29. My message to anyone who still owns a Hummer or a SUV:

"I'm sorry. Your time has run out." You were warned many, many times about what was coming.

Many of you are currently "upside down" on your lovely vehicle, meaning you owe more than it's worth. tsk tsk. That's a very frustrating feeling.

Your best bet is to drive it off a cliff.

[delete_bush]

39. they might have to file for bankruptcy...

whoops, time ran out for that option too!

[JoFerret]

46. Of course - some are so rich

..with all the Bush giveaways and welfare - that the price of gas is irrelevant to them.

[RobertSeattle]

31. Donate them to the Recovery Operations

...Then shut down the product lines.

[Robb]

34. Yaaaay! We get to slam SUV drivers again!

...forgetting that older gas-guzzlers are driven by poor folks who can afford to get a $500 car or old truck that gets worse mileage than most SUVs.

Yaaaay! :D Of course now that gas is expensive, they're screwed! :D

:eyes:

[Roland99]

36. Yeah, there are just *SO* many of those on the road compared to SUVs

[fudge stripe cookays]

54. We're not slamming poor land yacht drivers, Robb.

We're slamming the assholes who are buying behemoth glittery status symbols.

Don't get yer knickers in a twist. We love you, and we don't care what you drive.

Oh, and you're a dingbat. :hug:
FSC

[yasmina27]

55. Bwahahahaha!

I love zipping past these behemoths in my prius!

I told my students today that if there is any silver lining to all this tragedy, it's that maybe the people in this country will finally wake up and start buying more energy-efficient cars. That this country has alot of really smart people and maybe we can find a way to finally become less oil-dependent. (I teach 7th & 8th graders, so I have to phrase my words at their level of comprehension.)

I hate having to be politically correct! One of my kids asked if I believed this was because of global warming and that * caused it. I should've been a diplomat (I could easily be far more effective than Bolton or CondeeLIEza). I did honestly tell them that I did not "like" *, but refrained from my usual tirade.

OUCH! My tongue hurts from biting!

[Lost4words]

60. In the midsts of Katrina you are all griping over suvs?

and somebody wants someone to drive off a cliff?

[susanna]

61. So people finally figured out that sedans...

...CAN actually handle their needs. Who'd a thunk it?

I grew up in the 70s with my brother and a sister. We got by JUST freaking fine with sedans and/or station wagons, including: hockey, football, gymnastics, bake sales, booster events, blah blah blah. So, if I hear one more SUV owner say: "I need it 'cuz I have kids" I'll puke. Seriously.

IMHO, SUVs are nothing more than really tall (but short) station wagon, built on a truck chassis. When I say that to SUV owners I know, they get visibly pissed. They doubly hate it because I work in the auto industry and know it's the truth. We don't build new chassis every day; we reuse and recycle until the thing's spent.

Ah well...

[Lost4words]

72. I live on a small ranch down a dirt road no sedan or station wagon

will get me down these roads after a rain storm, I need to pull a trailer from time to time. Remember the International Travelall. Utility vehicles are not new, the term SUV is new. Not everyone lives on a concrete street in the city with a concrete driveway. New Mexico has only 15% of its roads paved. And our jeep does the job at about the gas mileage of a full size luxo sedan.

SUV is a broad description and some are fuel efficient ranging in size from tiny to gargantuan. And how they are driven can make a big difference in mpg as well.

I hate Hummers and the super jumbos some people use to pick up groceries and agree with the waste but the notion that all can do just as well with a C-dan or Station wagon is just absurd.

When anybody knocks an entire group it just sounds prejudice and I do take offense, I was driving little fuel efficient autos before most of you were born and the rest of the country was sporting giant V8s.

[susanna]

74. I grew up in a rural area...

...my folks still live there. Icy, treacherous, the whole nine yards in wintertime. Not great in rain either. They drive sedans and station wagons w/AWD. They can tow small loads - which is generally all they tow - just fine.

Unless someone is towing a large trailer or a boat, I just don't see the need. I don't care if others own them, to be honest. All this is just my opinion. Sorry if you don't like it. It isn't personal.

[DamnYank]

76. I've read that 90% of all SUV's never go off-pavement

I grew up on a farm and we needed 4WD trucks, too. Although I live in a town now I have a small 4x4 truck since I hike, camp and do trail work as a volunteer. The difference today is that many people who drive these vehicles have no real need for them. 25 years ago only farmers, construction workers and serious outdoors people had trucks or SUV-type vehicles. Today its part of keeping up with the Jones's.

[Tight_rope]

64. I've been preaching for years that gas prices will soar high!

So high that people won't know what hit them...get rid of those fucking gas eating machines. But nooooo....people in Houston got to have them....a city that doesn't depend on public transportation. Everyone here must own a car. Hell can't get a job unless your own a car. The first thing they ask you in the interviews is "do you have your own transportation". Oh well! I told them so!

[Lost4words]

73. You are not alone in your prediction, I to am a proponent of mass transit

Mass transportation is what is needed, the earth cannot sustain or survive one polluting and heat generating auto per human being no matter how efficent or small they are period.

[susanna]

75. Absolutely agree with you. n/t