Frustrated Car Owners Look To Ditch Their Gas-Guzzlers

After paying $75 to fill his black Dodge Ram pickup truck for the third time in a week, Douglas Chrystall couldn't take it anymore.

Feeling pinched at the pump, and guilty as well, Chrystall, a 39-year-old father from Wellesley, is putting ads online to sell the truck, and the family's other gas-guzzler, a Jeep Grand Cherokee. He knows it will be tough to unload them because he is one of a growing number of consumers downsizing to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[StealthisBlog]

"I don't need all this space, it just seems so ridiculous"

Uhh... yeah, Mon, it seemed ridiculous to us when you bought the damn thing. Yet you went right on and done it.

Say, anybody seen one of those commercials recently where the tagline is: "That thing got a Hemi?" Ehhh... No. ROFLMAO! I kill me.

[GetTheFreakOuttaHere]

Ahh! The ONLY silver lining in the ever-increasing price of gas! Stunningly Ugly Vehicles (SUVs), get thee behind us!!

[Coyote2]

So, apparently just about anything within the realm of possibility in todays chaotic world will trigger an oil crisis with doubling and trebling of oil price.

-oil prices already have exceeded world records in real dollars. This in itself is a slow moving crisis that is causing inflation of everything from kids toys and lawn furniture to food production and shipping and manufacturing.

-The Middle East, the largest world center of oil production (and underdeveloped oil resources in Iraq and Iran) has become MORE UNSTABLE because of neo-conservative intervention.

-Climate Change means more and larger storms. American oil facilities are clustered together within major hurricane targets. All our eggs are in one basket.

-The American Dream was built upon the foundations of Cheap Energy and Excessive Consumption. Our Economy is dependent upon that policy continuing, yet record oil prices; and conservative refusal to accept Climate Change as a real threat which resulted in America being unprepared; plus completely failing in our Middle East policy all add up to the surety that America will be severely crippled by any and all very possible future events.

America is all but on her knees and it seems then inevitable that we will experience a decade of Depression when fate strikes the blow. Therefore we need to instigate severe change in our consumption habits immediately, and while this will depress our economy, at least we will be managing that change rather than waiting for Fate to send us reeling.

[Coyote2]

To start, we must admit that the American Dream is dead. She died from obesity. Then we must create a new dream, not a neocon dream of empire, not a Corporatist dream where the rich and powerful dominate government, not a far-leftist dream where the State of Israel comes to an end, but a dream of NEW ENERGY.

We need to dream not of consumption, but of conservation and RECYCLING. We need to dream not of oil, but of electricity.........................oh-oh, where does that come from? Our electrical infrastructure is ill equipped to handle our current needs; how will it deal with a rush of plug-in electric automobiles? Without vomiting more carbon.

So you see, even the solutions to this problem are another Progress Trap (Ronald Wright); we are doomed, unless we start immediately and mange our Doom rather than waiting for Fate

[JoeBlough]

Three fill-ups in a week? You have to ask yourself - Is this trip really necessary? Drive slowly and limit your trips and you will do alright.

[trinity]

My little Saturn used to need three fill-ups a week for my job...thank goodness I got a new job this year.

[gcallaghan]

A lot of thses gas guzzlers are leased. It'll be another system-shock to these SUV driving morons when, after the fruitless attempt to find somebody more stupid than themselves to assume the lease, they discover that they're still on the hook for the entire lost value when the lease finally expires.

[Mike169]

I'll finally able to see more than the back window of these hogs when I'm driving. Good!

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

I have no sympathy for people who haven't ALREADY switched to personal vehicles that get at least 20 mpg.

As to the gas tax: RAISE it. Say no to token "gas pump populism." Infrastructure repairs and cross-subsidization of public transit are cash starved.

Plus, discouraging consumption is good national security policy.

Last, an FDR-esque war profits tax on the oil companies would be their just desserts.

As of July 2007... crude was $60/barrel.

[tombollocks]

You're spot on! If gas was only 75 cents a gallon I still wouldn't want one of those wasteful things. Yesterday I paid $49.25 to fill up my 96 Accord (which is a great car, even for its age), and I'll be able to drive it for about 18 days before I fill up again. I just can't imagine spending that or $80 two-three times a week!

And for those that say "But I have kids. I NEED the space and I feel safer". Please. Just stop it. It's all about status, not at all about kid's safety or the space.

Raise gas taxes now!!!

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Thanks. If it was about the kids -- we'd be talking minivan. Better safety stats. And some are available with AWD.

New Rules:

If your Hummer hasn't been to Afghanistan, you're an idiot.

If your SUV hasn't been to the Rubicon Trail, you're an idiot-in-training.

If your SUV has a "Support the Troops" ribbon, you're an idiot.... instructor-level.

[Irtnog]

The truth is that most of these people NEVER needed a huge oversized SUV. The most common excuse was: "I don't feel safe out there in a compact car amongst all the big SUVs." Hogwash. Many people bought and drove these ridiculous monsters to show other people how "successful" they were. Now that driving them is such a pain in the pocketbook they may come to their senses. I never cease to be amazed at how gullible Americans are. Everytime I see an H2 I think to myself; "there goes one of the dumbest people in the county." If you need a large vehicle for you business or for work, it's one thing. If you bought and drove a huge vehicle because of the image you wanted to project, you are getting your just deserts. Next time around maybe you'll be a little smarter about your financial decisions.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

SUV's are no more safe than sedans, roll over more often and are more fatal when they do, and are MUCH more lethal to those in vehicles they hit.

Don't get me started.

http://www.iihs.org/

[drkazmd65]

Good luck in unloading these oversized, under-efficient, penis substitues.

Drove by a used car lot yesterday - and what appeared to be a mint-like condition 2006 Silverado Pickup truck had a big sticker on it reading "Like New! $16,995". My Father In-Law bought one of these to drive about town in 2005 for about $32K.

Now that's what you call depreciation.

My wife's 2004 Matrix AWD was bought for ~$18K has a trade-in value ~$12-13K now.

[pbfishtaco]

I have some sympathy for uninformed consumers, but the automakers are guilty of their own short-sightedness. Lobbyists and Lawmakers are alot cheaper than R & D for more fuel-efficient vehicles that people would want to own if they had a chance. Chances are the 'not-so-big 3' will be too big to fail, and the good old American consumer/taxpayer will pay, again, for their cynical decisions. Remember Chrysler in the '80's? We are losing whats left of our manufacturing base.

Corporate Welfare is:

Socialize Risk
Privatize Profit

[totalliberal]

Amen.

[Sumocat]

"He knows it will be tough to unload them because he is one of a growing number of consumers downsizing to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars." -- Hopefully this signals the end of the SUV bubble, much like the disappearance of home-buyers signaled the end of the housing bubble.

[Weathermaker]

Good. I filled my 2007 compact car with gas last weekend for $45 and drove 400 mi through the Appalachians and still had 60 mi to go. Average speed was 72 mph (God bless cruise control). Why on Earth do you need a Jeep Grand Cherokee in the Boston suburbs is beyond me. I understand the need for a truck, but an SUV?

[drkazmd65]

I put ~550 miles / week on my 2000 Protege and average topping off the tank (~8.5gal at a pop) every three work days. Last night (8.25 gal for ~$31). Been averaging 38mpg since the weather warmed up in that little car.

Room for me, my stuff, my wife and a car seat too. SUVs are for those that aspire to seem affluent, and that have no concept of efficiency.

[dadw5boys]

$25,000 TO $35,000 CARS AND TRUCKS AND CAN'T AFFORD TO PUT GAS IN THEM???

WOW HOW IS THAT ?? YOU GOT THE BIG BUCK TO BUY THEM.

HMMM LIVING ABOVE YOUR MEANS ARE WE?

KEEPING THE PRICES HIGH BUY TAKING ON TOO MUCH DEBT?

Economic lessons are hard learned aren't they!!!

[totalliberal]

Gee, who could have predicted? Well, just about everyone but the Republican trolls, that's who.

They don't predict too well do they?

[WIpatriot]

Indeed.

[gevan]

I'm only getting 25 or 26 mpg. Where did they park those electric cars? Isn't there an electric motorcycle? Why not?

[dadw5boys]

Check out these electric cars!

http://www.feelgoodcars.com/index.html

[drkazmd65]

Cool cars,... but I do need one that can do highway speeds at this stage of my career.

I'm sure they will be coming though,....