Buying a car ... tips / tricks / advice

[riverc0il]

27-28mpg and in real world it's more like 25.

Oops, I over stated. Their web site says 29.

 

[hammer]

Think it's also a stretch to call a Subaru Outback a full size CUV...

 

[Bumpsis]

Geoff's point is well taken and really true. There is a lot of people who really don't take under considertaion that one's personal automotive choice does have a significant impact on one's personal carbon footprint. And yes it matters.

SUVs, due to regulations that were heavily influenced by the auto idustry are allowed to be 3-4 times more dirty (emissions) than sedans.
Next time you're parking at your ski area, just take a look around the lot. It's probbaly about 60% SUVs and pickups. It's interesting that if you go to a XC ski area, that percentage drops by quite a bit - just my casual observation.

Yes, it's great to have the convenience of all that room that comes with with a big SUV, but outside the ski season, for most of the time you're pushing a 5000 lb smoke stack with a lousy milage.

I also think that the auto industry simply doesn't offer enough choices to the consumer in the US. I have a VW Passat with a roof box and our family of 4 can fit into it just fine even for a week long ski trip. OK, so we don't have a dog, although I could fit one too. It's a 2002 and I probably will be looking to replace it in a couple of years, yet I don't see too many choices.

I happen to really like the idea of station wagons (roomy, practical, good milage and handle well while easy on the emissions), yet there are very few choices of this type on the market.

The auto industry poisoned the idea of a station wagon by a very hard marketing push to make the SUV the main consumer choice for a family hauler because the profits on a truck based SUV were just so much higher. It's all about money. What was sacrificed for that: safety and the environment.

 

[Puck it]

Geoff's point is well taken and really true. There is a lot of people who really don't take under considertaion that one's personal automotive choice does have a significant impact on one's personal carbon footprint. And yes it matters.

SUVs, due to regulations that were heavily influenced by the auto idustry are allowed to be 3-4 times more dirty (emissions) than sedans.
Next time you're parking at your ski area, just take a look around the lot. It's probbaly about 60% SUVs and pickups. It's interesting that if you go to a XC ski area, that percentage drops by quite a bit - just my casual observation.

Yes, it's great to have the convenience of all that room that comes with with a big SUV, but outside the ski season, for most of the time you're pushing a 5000 lb smoke stack with a lousy milage.

I also think that the auto industry simply doesn't offer enough choices to the consumer in the US. I have a VW Passat with a roof box and our family of 4 can fit into it just fine even for a week long ski trip. OK, so we don't have a dog, although I could fit one too. It's a 2002 and I probably will be looking to replace it in a couple of years, yet I don't see too many choices.

I happen to really like the idea of station wagons (roomy, practical, good milage and handle well while easy on the emissions), yet there are very few choices of this type on the market.

The auto industry poisoned the idea of a station wagon by a very hard marketing push to make the SUV the main consumer choice for a family hauler because the profits on a truck based SUV were just so much higher. It's all about money. What was sacrificed for that: safety and the environment.

This gets old. Really it does.

 

[riverc0il]

I happen to really like the idea of station wagons (roomy, practical, good milage and handle well while easy on the emissions), yet there are very few choices of this type on the market.

VW SportWagen TDI.

Your 2002 Passet is hardly super fuel efficient. At 28 MPG, there are crossovers that get just as good MPG and full on SUVs that get not that much less. If you are going to grind an ax against gas guzzlers, you should step your own auto choice up a bit. Especially now that there are quite a few large sedans and people haulers in the over 35 MPG range (2013 Mazda CX5 hits 35 highway with the manual, wow. 31 MPG auto with AWD, and Mazda's are super fun).

We are all in a glass house when it comes to emissions due to our skiing habit (as Nick eluded to). I don't think that excuses us from doing our best to minimize our personal impact. It definitely is a difficult decision to figure out that balance. My position is eventually fuel prices will force most people to change. It already happened once when gas prices first hit $3+. It'll happen again whenever the next 1-2 dollar spike happens.

 

[Nick]

Exactly ... until we invent a teleporter :lol: