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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Srexley who wrote (191572)	10/12/2001 5:41:20 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

Hey, I've got nothing against SUVs... but if we are trying to reduce the US's dependence on imported oil (and the trade deficit) by mandating minimum fuel efficiency standards for autos, I don't see why the rest of our transportation fleet isn't included too. If lower oil imports are a 'good' thing, they we have been getting less utility out of that C.A.F.E. rule because more and more pickup trucks and SUVs have been bought in recent years then 'autos'... thus reducing whatever beneficial effect the rules were supposed to bring. SUVs didn't even exist as a major vehicle class when the C.A.F.E. standards were promoted in the '70s. If the US was energy sufficient unto itself... then maybe we wouldn't have to care so much whatever the Saudis or Iraqis were up to.

To: Srexley who wrote (191572)	10/12/2001 6:59:13 PM
From: Ish	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 769667

<<The way most anti SUV people look at it is that the vehicles should be changed. I need a truck, and like that I live in America where I can buy a nice one.>> No kidding, when you need to pull a trailer with 80 bales through 18" of snow, a YUGO doesn't cut it.

To: Srexley who wrote (191572)	10/12/2001 8:06:10 PM
From: greenspirit	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

Srexley, I believe the SUV thing began primarily because of government mandated MPG regulations. Since trucks were exempt from higher MPG requirements, and car company market-research determined that a truck which had the feel of a car would be popular with the former large station wagons owners, the SUV was created. It bridged the gap and confused the regulations enough to be classified as a light truck (exempt from MPG regulations). SUV's, for all intensive purposes, are the replacement for the station wagon which was so popular with families for years. Since car companies couldn't produce large enough station wagons which met the needs of both consumers and regulators. SUV sales soared. What's interesting to consider is if we never passed the higher MPG regulations, would SUV's have ever been created? Further, would we as a nation actually be saving more fuel today given the assumption of 18-20 MPG station wagons, vs 12-18 MPG SUV's? It's a question we'll never be able to answer with certainty, but it's interesting to speculate about and consider when looking at more regulations through a stagnate prism.