chasm

yeah these bastards with their big ass trucks! uh I mean, uh wait a minute :-)

Lets see, where do I weigh in on this? I weigh in at approximately 5,600lbs or so, plus passengers and gear :-) I agree, there is always someone bigger. If everyone bought something HUGE, than the advantage is gone if indeed you are the non-fault person in the accident. If you are the at fault, then you are obviously causing more damage so its a tough call. I have to admit, I do feel safer in my truck than in any other vehicle I drive. I sit above most people, and my sheer weight is like armor. (It should be noted that since I ride motorcycle, it really matters not what size the other vehicles are on the road) :-)

That being said, I didnt buy the Avalanche for that purpose. I bought it cause I wanted a 4x4 truck for taking shit and passengers. Plus I love the look. I do think there are too many people who are buying SUVs now who really have no need whatsoever for them, that will slow down with the current gas crunch I would think.

As for the environment, I am a moderate environmentalist. I believe in preserving our environment within reasonable measures. At this point, I do not think that my truck is putting out much more damaging pollution than a Cobalt. I think we have a pretty good handle on conserving pollutants in newer vehicles.

Gas guzzlers do make us more dependent on oil from foreign countries, yet, with such a finite amount of oil left, sure we could buy ourselves a few extra years of driving time before it runs out, but we will still run out. We need to put more research into alternative fuels to correct this, and that goes for all vehicles not just behemoth trucks.

Yikes, that's pretty scary...

Tom, it comforts me to know that you take a stand on so many issues. No kidding either. Sometimes, I think you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.

That being said, I bought my very tiny car for the purpose of saving the environment, and my own money. I drive ALL the time for work, and through I am reimbursed some for gas, I already get it twice a week. My car is tiny, the tank still takes about $25 to fill. $200 a month on gas is enough for me. Plus, I help out the environment, which I am always a big fan of :)

I am not gonna lie. I do love the Range Rover :) And one day, would love to have one. But, maybe I will wait until all of these advances to get one :)

I was wondering what weight and by God what WORLD Tom has on his shoulders?

As for the large truck issue, I definitely feel safer in my SUV than in Karen's little car. I have already discussed with her buying a new vehicle. I prefer another SUV or she could have mine and we can get a pick-up. This is definitely a sore subject with her, but I do agree with Tom analysis of cars being safer these days. I would be OK with a new car like a Volvo, Audi, or unfortunately some other foreign car. The only US produced car that looks good is a Caddy, and that is never going to happen. We will definitely save money on gas with a car.

AS for now though I BELIEVE BIGGER IS SAFER!!!!

No one is arguing that bigger isn't safer. (I'm not saying that it's a fact, I'm just not arguing that point right now.) It's the relativistic nature of "bigger" that is the issue.

Imagine, for example, that Mike buys a GMC Envoy while "the guys" own cars. Now, imagine that Jon buys an Avalanche. Imagine further that Gar buys a Suburban, J buys an H2 and Bill buys an Escalade ESV. SO, how safe, comparatively, is Mike now? Is it so hard to see the big picture of every community in America going through the same exact scenario?

In that last example, we've just increased manufacturing costs of new vehicles by incorporating more materials into their construction all the while increasing gas consumption (dependence on foreign oil) for the end consumer, hooray!

This diatribe comes from an automotive enthusiast, not some tree-hugger that hates all forms of transportation. I'm not sure if I have a harder time with the lack of social responsibility of most people or the blatant myopia towards bigger and bigger everything.

Tom's last comment is my point. The wheels are always turning :)

Just wanted to quickly say that global warming is bullshit. Not in the sense that the average temperature of the world isn't perhaps increasing, but driving Chevy Avalanches to Georgia because you are a whipped bitch for example, is not going to make a farts worth of a difference to our temperature. Global warming is a natural phenomenon of our planet (like Jon having a g/f, or Robb being straight). I think once again human beings as a whole are being over-conceited in the belief that they could actually impact the environment on the global warming scale. The average temperature of the planet was actually warmer in the 1920's and 30's than it is now (it cooled down and has risen again but is still not as high as it was than). I agree with you that the guy was an idiot, and that gas guzzlers as a whole have a negative impact on society. Purple monkey dishwasher.