"RCE" wrote in message
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"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
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"RCE" wrote in message
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"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
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As far as the 40 mpg hybrids you keep mentioning, you need to stop
that. According to two people I know who own them, Escalades get 12-14
mpg on a good day. A Camry or an Impala get numbers in the high 20s -
low 30s. I wasn't a math whiz in high school, so please correct me if
I'm wrong, but I *think* that's about twice the gas mileage of an
Escalade.




A 40 mpg hybrid, a Camry or an Impala are not suitable to tow a 5000 lb
boat to the launch site.
A F-350 diesel pickup that gets 16-18 mpg is, among many other uses.

RCE



I never suggested that someone who needs to tow should own anything but a
vehicle capable of doing it.

Maybe we should check here and see what we both believe, based on our own
observations. I'll use the word "truck" here to mean actual trucks, SUVs,
Humjobs, etc. Now: For every 100 trucks you see, what percentage do you
think actually tow anything, or, for that matter, to do ANYTHING that
only a truck can do? To assist with the answer, think about two things.
First, think about how trucks are sold in commercials - how they portray
the customers, and the activities shown. Second, think back to the
1960s - 1970s. Do you have any memory of how many trucks you'd see in
parking lots, compared to what you see now? I'm not talking about the
parking lot of a hunting lodge - I'm talking about places which represent
a more average selection of drivers.


Few trucks, but lots of big cars with huge, sweeping fins.
That's what consumers liked .... that's what they got.

I understand your position and the points you are making, Doug. I just
don't think you are going to change a nation's 100 year old mindset
overnight or anytime soon for that matter. You are correct in everything
you say, if you subscribe to that type of thinking. Most don't. Nobody
is going to give up suburbia and move back to the cities anytime soon.
Incentives have been forced down our throats to no avail .... HOV lanes
that are 10% utilized, gas guzzler taxes, even high fuel prices. Americans
want their big cars and trucks, whatever the cost.

RCE

Part of the problem is that absolutely nobody is suggesting that people
change.* And, let's face it: Some people need to be reminded. I see no
reason why a president could not reason with people. Hell...we're told not
to question the war, and a big chunk of the population happily obeys.

* Bert and Fred should come along here sometime soon and say that I'm trying
to "control peoples' behavior". I'd be interested in seeing what these
numbskulls would do if they were diagnosed with precancerous moles, and
their doctors suggested that they should be more careful about exposure to
the sun. "Look, doctor boy - don't try and control MY behavior!"