iaink

Case in point. Just saw a stupid commercial on TV for the Hummer H3. Lauding the fact that it gets.....




brace yourself....




20 (twenty) mpg. Whoo hooo!


We are all doomed. Humidex hit 47°C here today. Unrelated coincidence?

Stuarty

Quality Rant Windward .
Don't think there is much to argue with there except that I was a traffic cop for 5 years and every single accident involving a 4 x 4 resulted in vastly reduced injuries for the 4 x 4 driver. My wife will be commuting 50 mins north each day and I will be commuting 60 mins south, come rain hail snow or shine, so the validity of a 4 x 4 is at least equal to a farmer having one and I really really want one
Stuarty

Steve_P

The commuting time is not even close to being a valid argument, thousands in the places in Canada were the weather conditions are much worse than where you're going, commute those times and distances in cars and don't have any difficulties.

Come on just admit it openly the key phrase is "I really want one" plain and simple, quit trying to rationalise it to the rest of us.

Cheers
Steve

dbd

For what it's worth, yesterday in the desert about twenty miles from the last habitation we came upon a Dodge Ram that had rolled several times and was laying on its side. There was debris all around and three dazed and confused kids and one scruffy dog wondering what to do next. We hitched a chain to the frame rail and pulled it (with the GMC) back on to the wheels. We threw the debris in the back, the kids climbed in through the windshield (both doors were jammed) and drove off. We followed them for about ten miles to see that it ran ok and it seemed to be doing great even though it looked pretty trashed. I was impressed with the strength of it.

Then again, the GMC seems pretty tough (it should be it was US$48,000 two years ago) but the electrics don't work well, the mirrors need a good thump before they'll move and it's stuck in four wheel drive because a wire fell off.

The Honda Ridgeline is just silly, you can't even put a cap on it, it's a truckette for Mom to shop in.

windward

I didn't want to kill your thread

Screw it, we all have our guilty pleasures and I don't even drive yet. I posted in the expectation of resolute defiance by the trucking crowd.

I still think it'd be interesting to start some kind of movement over there - to get people either in Diesels or smaller cars whereever it's practical.

scrubbedexpat074

Not going off at much of a tangent, but some slight defiance. I just bought a 4 litre 4x4 TJ Unlimited (not a truck) just because I wanted one. It's uncomfortable, featureless (apart from the fabulous stereo and being convertible), has no storage space at all. I promised the insurers I won't be going off road or even engaging the 4 wheel drive unless I happen to need milk for tea during a blizzard so admit I have little need for such a vehicle.

I genuinely don't care that it's mpg is laughable (worse than the Hummer I believe), I like the way it looks, I enjoy driving it and that's enough for me.



Incidentally, I would also like a truck but the wife said no.

bsb

Hmm nice idea but the big three's idea of improving sales is to stick a bigger block in everything.

I would love to get a mid size truck with 4x4, crew cab, stick shift, and a smallish diesel.

Chances over here are slim. can get em back home but not here.

The minute i go crew cab they all go automatic, would not mind but wife works @ CAMI so i can get the discount and stuff.

I do miss some of the choices i used to get back home but it aint worth buggering off back. will prob have to settle fer a gas guzzling lump of (big 3 dung) or a Toyota or Honda

Biiiiink

I take it you won't be having a dishwasher or a lawnmower then?

According to research published last year, one cycle of a kitchen dishwasher releases around 756g of CO2, more than double that produced by a short spin in a Range Rover Turbo Diesel, which releases 299g per kilometre. Using a petrol lawnmower for an hour reportedly releases more than 1,000g of CO2. Why are there no campaigns against ‘evil dishwashers’?

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.p...te/article/30/

iaink

Erm, (assuming thats a serious question) rather obviously because you use a dishwasher once a day, and its the equvalent of 2.5km in the Chelsea tractor.

Even running my nasty mower for an hour once a week is only the same as a couple of miles in a range rover, which would take a few minutes at normal speeds, and would likely be done for several more miles at a time. Also, you have a choice to run something with less impact as a car, but dishwashers and mowers, unless you boycot them completely, you dont have that choice.

People are gonna drive what they want, no matter whats good for them or the environment. Eventually public opinion here will change in the face of the facts on global warming (as ever we are a bit behind), but it will probably be too little to late as the politicians dont have the balls to do the right thing earlier enough to make a telling difference

dbd33

You absolutely have the choice to boycott lawn mowing. Mowing is purely decorative and, if you insist on short grass, that can be provided by hand or goat. Even driving a Hummer is less environmentally irresponsible than using a powered lawn mower as the Hummer provides some utility and the mower none. Not only that but the Hummer doesn't kick up a bejezus racket to piss off the neighbours.

iaink

Environmentally damaging methane emmisions for the goat/sheep aside, isnt it left to those kids Honda Civics with the coffee can mufflers to kick up a bejezus racket to piss off the neighbours....or in our case our neighbour with the '37 Ford Coupe hotrod (complete with wheely bars and 700+ BHP flathead V8)

Biiiiink

I have only a hand-push mower thingy, extra points for me... but I guess the emission spewing SUV out front sends me plummeting down the BE holier than thou list

Stuarty

If only they would use diesels in the trucks then I wouldn't feel so guilty.
Steve, you are right, I really really want one
If everyone decided to stop mowing the lawn, and let me be the first to start, then I could have my truck so stop being so selfish and sow gravel on the grass

dbd33

American trucks come with diesels, I've been rattling around in one the past week.

Stuarty

I tried the Silverado crewcab in March and it was very torquey but not particularly economic being a 6ltr monster
They need to sort out the regs to allow the common-rail diesels in they average 30mpg in a medium SUV
Stuarty