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David Zalubowski / AP
A 2009 Chevy Tahoe.
By Dan Carney
Think cutting-edge electric vehicles like the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf are hard to get? That’s nothing compared to the challenge of buying a three-year-old full-size SUV.
That’s because while there is still plenty of demand for big SUVs -- Chevy sells about 5,000 new Suburbans and 8,000 Tahoes every month -- there will soon be virtually no supply of late-model used ones.
New big-SUV sales are percolating along now, but that wasn’t the case three years ago, when the aftershocks of the 2008 financial meltdown were still reverberating around the industry and there was no loan money available to those remaining customers who still wanted to spend $40,000 or $50,000 on an SUV.
The result: today there are no three-year-old SUVs because three years ago there weren’t any new ones. It's sort of the automotive equivalent of the baby bust faced by countries like Japan that find themselves short of able-bodied workers decades after childbirth rates flatlined.
According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, in 2010 the normal number of SUVs returning to dealers from leases every month was between 2,500 and 2,750 nationwide, giving shoppers ample selection.
“This made them easy to find and kept pricing reasonable,” observed Jake Moore, general manager of Country Chevrolet, in Warrenton, Va.
Last month, the number of SUVs returning from lease was fewer than 200. In the whole country. Chopping the supply of used vehicles to less than a tenth the normal volume is going to give used Tahoe shoppers a real headache.
“This will cause a severe shortage of used SUVs for the used car market, which in turn should drive up prices,” Moore said. “I think we will feel the impact of this in late January due to the time it takes to process, sell and market the lease turn-ins.”
So, about the time the first big blizzard of the season convinces drivers that they need an affordable used 4x4, there won’t be any to be had. With a shortage of used SUVs and high prices on the few that are available, many shoppers will decide to buy new ones, giving the domestic car makers a sales boost for a few years.
Moore said his dealership has stocked up on used SUVs in anticipation of the bust, but with a finite number of vehicles available, not all dealers can do the same thing, and they will eventually run out anyway.
“As far out as April of 2014, the return volume for big SUVs is only going to be around 500 a month,” Moore said.
That’s a long time to wait to buy a used SUV, so shoppers who are in the market for one should act quickly or start considering buying new. And if you have a three-year old SUV, in a couple months your current ride will be worth its weight in, well, if not gold, at least copper. That will put you in position to upgrade to a new one with a nice trade-in.
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Until gas goes up a dollar a gallon, then sales will fall again. SUV's are tied directly to the price of a gallon of gas are they not?
ren - gas is already up pretty high
This is just Americans buying what they want and not what the progressive/liberals want them to buy. Now let's get going on drilling for our own oil and get this country back to work. We have tried the other way and is is a failure. The electric cars will find a place in America soon enough without us being forced into them now.
JH--yes, let's keep those horse-drawn buggies going too, since progress is stupid.
I prefer oxcarts myself.
After just reading the Progressive/Liberal Used SUV buying guide I found nothing about encouraging Americans on to what car or SUV to buy. Eliminating alternative propulsion methods for cars is like trying to stop automotive manufactures in the early 1900's because horses worked just fine.
Burning more oil and creating pollution is just fine for those who think we can actually speed up the destruction of planet earth. I enjoy cleaner energy and don't particularly like squishing tar balls between my toes when I walk along the beach.
Employment came from new technology not breeding more horses.
SteveYo
I don't want a horse and buggy but the Amish do. We are all different in what our needs and wants are. I am just sick and tired of the progressive/liberals trying to force us to change when we really don't need to. All things change sooner or later but the war on oil has lost jobs, increased the cost for heating, and increased the cost to drive. A lot of things that ordinary middle class Americans enjoy are being priced out of range. If you think the oil companies are getting rich you need to see just how much their products add to the tax coffers in this country. And then we get the lefties telling us that more and more of us are living below the poverty line. I wonder why. Could it be that their policies are costing too much?
And I drive a full size diesel pickup and a very nice, fast, American sports car. I enjoy both of them. Is that a problem?
Hey, I'm a liberal pinko-commie and own three large American SUV's. Politics has nothing to do with me when it comes to wanting the best and nobody builds SUV's as good as the ol' USA. Period.
What part of the country did this stupid story come from? There are more SUV's of all years than you can count on car lots and every where else. Typical msnbc bad reporting. Not surprising either
It is a fallacy to think that oil companies are going to drill enough oil to make prices drop, it is not in their interests. Just like Debeers will not sell so many diamonds that the price will drop.
You can spend $35-40k on a new hybrid that will be redundant and obsolete before you pay it off in order to save 25% more gas over an equivlant econobox (compare a Chevy Volt to a Cruze).
Or, you could buy a used SUV for $15-20k and spend an extra $100/mo on gas over the $40k econobox hybrid.
I'll let you all do the math on your monthy vehicle costs. Here's a hint - if you're basing your decision on nickle and dime gas price fluctuations that we've already lived with for a decade, you're math is wrong.
Give it a rest msnbc! We don't need any more marketing propaganda to up the price of used cars and trucks[SUV]. They are already over rated,over valued and over priced!
Actually this is a true fact not propaganda. I work in the automotive industry and at our dealership we are lacking pre-owned SUV's in both our makes that we sell. As soon as we get one it sells quick!
Ah, no thank you. SUV's older than a few model years are not fuel-efficient and handling can be an issue, too.
I'd rather wait for the new Ford Escape coming spring 2012 instead.
Kuga !
I prefer to hang on to my 1999 Ford Expedition, keep it in good repair, buy the extra gas and whatever else it might need. It's still very solid and runs great.
Furthermore, I prefer to give my money to local businesses for parts and repairs, and to the big oil companies (while I'm not really that fond of OPEC) over giving it to the banks and finance companies (which I fervently despise).
I'm returning to the way I did things back in the 1980's when I was a HECK OF A LOT HAPPIER even on a tight budget!
Look for another panic sell on big SUV's in the years ahead when OPEC cuts off the spigot--for example, Iran makes good on it's threats to mine the entrance to the straits of Hormuz. Or another world conflict via North Korea doing something to panic SK and Japan, or a crises in Saudia Arabia (via Al Queda), etc, etc.
Americans never learn that electrical cars are the future. Electrical cars with new batteries coming out in the next 5 years will have 1000 mile ranges and 0-60 times of under 3 seconds. And recharge times for 100 miles of 5 minutes.
We have enough solar energy to drive billions of cars worldwide--one for every person on earth easily forever. We just need to get over this feeding frenzy for oil appetites.
Stupid Americans. No vision. No gumption. No balls.
I'll let the stupid American comment slide because I look around and agree with you sometimes.
I agree with you on the electric cars. Supporting the dangerous IC engine over electric is just stupid. Yes, I get that in the old days it was all about raw horsepower and smoking people on the highway to feed your ego but those days are over; cars that are electric, decently fast, and dependable are what is needed. I always love the arguments like: "I'd hate stopping to recharge" and "it won't be as fast as XY's sports cars". To those responses all I can think is you already stop to refuel and let the tech evolve so there are sports cars in the electrics
Unfortunately, electric cars aren't practical for everyone. My sister has a small farm, and there aren't electric cars big enough to haul hay bales, bags of feed, and can make it up the hill to the barn thru spring and fall mud. She'd rather have something that doesn't create as much environmental damage, but they've opted for a large SUV since they also have 2 daughters and use the SUV as a family car in addition to its work vehicle duties; one large SUV makes more sense than having a small sedan and a pick up truck. Maybe someday they'll make an electric car that can handle all the chores and still be used for the family, but it seems as though that's a long way off.
Wow, a lot of insanity on both sides of this debate.
Electric cars may fill a niche, to be sure. But cheap gas will probably kill off the Volt, which was Chevy's intention anyway.
Toyota will continue to make the Prius, once again cleaning our clocks, technologically. They have been making them for a DECADE now.
But battery technology isn't going to provide a 1000-mile range anytime soon. Storing that much energy in a car is, well, rather impractical and defies the laws of physics.
Sorry I can't be drawn into the rhetoric on either side of this debate. But I studied Automotive Engineering at General Motors Institute and have a degree in Electrical Engineering - and thus I am forced to live in messy old reality, where the laws of thermodynamics trump political talking points.
Electric cars have their limitations - but also their uses. The market will decide, eventually, if they are a worthwhile endeavor.
But rhetoric and hype on either side of this debate is less than illuminating.
I totally agree with you. This whole thing is being run by the higher ups. The oil people. We as a country need to move completely away from all the oil companies who are interested in OWNING US only.....(Bushes???)....
We could have removed all our dependency on oil years ago. They say there is a problem in creating 18 wheelers that run on electicity, but i'm sure there WILL be an answer. If a car can be made that is cheaper to buy and cheaper to run, then that will be the end of gasline for cars. Money talks and BS walks as the saying goes.
Batteries are already on track to hit that 1000 mile range. There are a bunch of new technologies coming out in the battery world. As far as larger vehicles, with the advent of these new batteries and moving the electric motors out of the front of the car to the wheels themselves we will have very powerful trucks for people to buy. I was reading about an extended range pickup truck that has 4, 60hp electric motors, one on each wheel. Their is no ICE, but a mini turbine engine that sips gas and spins at 50,000 RPM, giving some serious charging capabilities. The truck will have the most advanced 4wd system the world has ever seen and when you hit the highway it will shut down all but one of the motors, conserving electricity.
The new age is upon us. Motor technology and battery technology will produce affordable, fast and fun vehicles for the masses. Can't wait
Sure electric may be the future, but in the meantime you all should check out a company called Ecomotors who has developed an opposing piston design in a 'pancake' style engine. They reportedly are generating 1hp per pound of engine weight! Truly amazing if you realize a 100 hp engine typically weighs in between 300 to 400 lbs! Serious, serious fuel savings! The engine design accomodates diesel or gasoline and according to the articles I have read, does not transfer torque to the engine casing or engine mounts. All of it loads at the crankshaft. The engine has, if I recall correctly, 50% fewer parts than a standard engine which translates to a cooler running, lower friction, high efficiency motor.
Batteries with 1000 mile range? 5 minute recharge times? That would be something. But I don't believe we are close to that. New technologies or not.
I want some of what connor smith is smoking. "Lisa, in this house we follow the laws of thermodynamic!!" - Simpsons
The country with the largest know oil and natural gas reserves is the United States. New techniques are allowing us to tap those reserves. Crank up the SUV assembly lines and drill baby drill.
because we need to completely tap out a finite resource asap. makes perfect sense.
...and to do everything we can to destroy the environment, to boot. Bonus!
Why not synthesize gasoline and diesel from coal? This is not new technology.
Nazi Germany was doing it 70+ years ago to power their war machine! Also we have more coal in the Eastern U.S. than the Middle East has oil!
Peter: Your statement is false; the US does not have the largest known supply of oil.
I guess America never learns. Go eat some more McDonalds!
Believe it or not you can still drive an SUV and not get the urge to eat fast food. The two are mutually exclusive.
Anyone want a four year old flex fuel Tahoe, 21,000 miles, clean save a few scratches on the outside for a "fair return"...I'd love to buy a new Expedition.
So who paid MSNBC for that little bit of automotive marketing/advertising ???????
It was me. I did.
Go look at all the tiny little cars that are available. Then figure out how you will get two dogs, two kids, the groceries, Aunt Marilyn and her luggage inside one. Then figure out how you will get that load out to the house over rough roads in bad weather. Ford may soon bring back the Excursion. There is also no car made today that will tow a boat or camp trailer. You can't stay in the middle of the city forever.
How often do you put two dogs, kids, your aunt, groceries in one car and then tow a boat with it?
Buying a car based on a "worse case scenario" seems rather foolish.
And here in the United States, we have paved roads, last time I checked.
99% of SUVs never, ever go off road. The few that do, rarely do so.
Buy a vehicle that fits your needs, not some crazy scenario. Aunt Marilyn? Surely you jest.
Most folks don't need or want a gas-guzzling vehicle that costs $100 to fill up, every week.
I'd rather have the money, thanks. I don't need to give more money to the oil companies.
But you go right ahead - I am an Exxon/Mobil shareholder, and make money off your foolishness. Smoke cigarettes, too, please! That funds my retirement (nice 6% dividend on Altria!)
And if Aunt Marilyn comes to visit, I'll rent a mini-van. Or a forklift.
Is she really that fat?
"How often do you put two dogs, kids, your aunt, groceries in one car and then tow a boat with it?"
Every other weekend. It's living man, not worst case but why we do the things we do.
"99% of SUVs never, ever go off road. The few that do, rarely do so."
BS, that one percent, according to you, are good old boys who will go off road weekly just because it would be a sin not to throw a little mud.
"Most folks don't need or want a gas-guzzling vehicle that costs $100 to fill up, every week."
Then don't buy one. You seem to be upset that others make a decision you don't like. No one is forcing you to buy an SUV just like no one is forcing me to by an EC. Ain't choice grand. PS, Get a one with aux tank and it will cost you $175 to $200 to fill up but you have have to do it once a few weeks.
Robert, you obviously are a city dweller. I live out in the country where some roads are gravel. We also don't get big snowplows that plow our street because we're out in the country ... the state contracts with guys who have plow attachments for their pickups, SUV's and farm tractors to plow our streets ... after they've plowed out their own driveway, fed the livestock and can manage to get the time to plow the street.
You also obviously don't have children. If you have ADULT children it doesn't count because the laws regarding where children can legally sit in a vehicle have changed due to SRS airbags. In my state, all children must be in a carseat or booster seat until the age of 8, if they are under 60 lbs and/or under 4 ft 8 inches tall. Safety guidelines actually go much farther and ask that parents keep their children in booster seats and out of the front seat until they are at least 100 lbs and/or 12 years old.
Your derision shows you for someone who is myopic. Not everybody lives where ALL roads are paved and maintained the way that the urban and suburban streets are. We have some pretty rural roads in our country - partly because we need rural areas to grow FOOD on.
I personally needed a vehicle that would haul a Mastiff, myself and a young child. We have a pick-up truck, but it was impractical to take care of our everyday needs because of the gas mileage. My little old 1997 Tracer wouldn't fit the bill due to lack of interior room. We bought a Highlander (granted - NOT a steroid-laden SUV) because we needed the room inside but I also need the 4WD for getting out in snow. We still have our Titan (4WD), as well as our Tracer (front wheel drive). We have vehicles that fit our varied needs - whether it's going into town once a week for groceries (a 20 minute drive just to GET to town), getting out into the field to remove fallen trees (one of the farmers pays us to cut hay on our 10 acres so HE needs the trees removed if they fall), go hunting to put meat in our freezer, take the dog to the vet or anyplace else we need or want to take her, get my husband to work driving a semi each week (he uses the Tracer for that 90% of the time) or go on vacation for a week with 3 humans and the Mastiff.
In the suburban area in which I live and work, there are far too many people who have these weekend monster vehicles (who perhaps actually do use them for family treks, including towing a boat or trailer). During the workweek, having no more efficient vehicle, they're all out there commuting solo in them, burning more gas than they really need to, and spewing more toxins into the environment than necessary. It's ridiculous; and I seriously doubt that they all actually use these vehicles even on their weekends.
Electric cars will get you there, but how are you going to get back?
Steve--They'll get you back the same way they got you there......just after you wait 8 hours to charge the battery lol
Sorry to say man, if you are going off road in a Ford Excursion, you don't know what you are doing.
This from a 30 years experience off-roader, hunter, fisherman, carpenter, who has off roaded in almost every concievable type of vehicle including half-tracks, airboats, atv's and almost every kind of SUITABLE 4x4. An Excursion is not a suitable off-road vehicle. Too heavy for the wheel base just for starters, and not enough underbody clearance to be of any use in serious terrain. But if you like going off road in such a thing (a pansy vehicle, just like the consumer version of the Hummer) then by all means, go ahead. There are several brands of winches that can pull the weight. I just hope you are close to large tree when you get stuck.
Oh, and you can tow a boat with almost any car, so long as you don't overload it. Ask Uhaul. They'll put a hitch on almost anything.
I would call this a blessing in disguise. People have an economic memory of about 18 months it seems, and now that gas is under $3 a gallon, many are running out to buy the biggest gas hog they can find. The gas shortage is over! Yee-Haw!
Hold it, Cletus. These gas price spikes will come back - they always do. We conserve and save and reduce demand, and price goes down. Then we all go out and buy gas hogs and demand goes up. Law of supply-and-demand dictates prices go up when demand goes up.
And how many of these gas "crises" do we have to have before we realize they are part of the landscape? I think in my lifetime, I have experienced at least a half-dozen of these, since 1973. Gas prices going through the roof periodically are a way of life, not some one-time anomaly.
So prices skyrocket and people complain about gas prices again, and dump their SUVs for a Prius. Repeat ad infiniitum.
Buying a gas hog because gas prices TODAY are reasonable is just idiotic. If a more efficient vehicle fits your lifestyle, then buy it - it will save you money in the long run.
And when gas prices go up to $5 a gallon again (and they surely will, in 2-3 years) you won't be bent over the gas pump, again.
Thanks MSNBC, though, for more responsible journalism. Who pays you guys, Exxon/Mobil?
Go hug a tree Robert.
and you go f*ck a bunny, tmstz, if you've got the capacity.
The same thing happened in the 70's. All of a sudden big cars were out and any little car's price sky rocketed. I bought my first Cadillac then, a year old car for about 50% discount. I kept it two years and sold it for more than i gave for it. People seem to never learn.
U can probably buy a 5 year old tahoe well maintained & just get a tranny & suspension overhaul & it should be good as new. Provided the engine & interior hasnt been rode hard. Then u can have thousands left over for stuff like tires, maintence, & even the gas. I doubt a 5 year old suv will get less than 3 MPG compared to a new one provided its running properly. Thats they key. It has to be running properly IE no check engine lights. U just wont look as cool but it will still get the job done. Alot cheaper than 50 grand too.
Amen! I have a 2002 Excursion that I got in 2007. I had the under carriage re done and the transmission rebuilt. The cost for the truck and the work was less than 20% of a new Suburban 2500 at the time. Since then I have had to have a little work done on the engine and I did have the interior recovered due to ware. Still way under the price of a new truck and comparable to what I would have paid for a tiny car. With a little bit of maintenance I can keep this truck looking and running new for another 10 years.
Personally I think the 02 looks pretty sweet.
I just bought a very used 1997 Suburban for $1600. Yeah its old and its big, but who cares. This is my work vehicle and I was short on cash. But I can work on it myself and the parts are cheap.
I just don't like cars and riding that close to the ground. I want to see what is in front of the truck in front of me. I like something with a real frame with real parts. Also this thing holds a lot of fuel, so if the gas goes up, I can ride through the spikes. I have been budgeting $4/gal for about 3 years now so now that it is about $3.25/gal I am still okay.
Take your tiny over priced plastic electric vehicles and sell them to college kids who can really use them. They have no use in the country where I live.
Tony
I dont like riding that close to the ground either, I dont want to blow a tire and skin my ass.
This means that I won't see any SUVs in the ditch when the next big snow storm hits. And no pictures in the news showing upside down SUVs at intersections after a ice storm. I fail to see the sport or utility in those vehicles.
geoperson, many people who own 4WD vehicles tend to think that it means that they can drive just as fast in snow as they can on dry roads. That's not the fault of the SUV or truck ... it's the fault of the people driving it. Those people would end up in the ditch regardless of what they are driving because they just don't know how to drive in inclement weather. 4WD will give you better TRACTION than 2WD, but you still have to account for the fact that the faster your tires are going the less traction they have. And don't get me started on rear-wheel drive vehicle owners who don't understand that in snow you need to have WEIGHT on the drive axle to provide traction (which is why my one car has front-wheel drive).
NOTHING should be out driving on icy roads because NOTHING will get traction on ice unless you have chains on your tires.
I spent a good portion of my young years in the mid-west and part of that time was spent living in North Dakota. I may not have learned to drive there, but my mother learned to drive in Minnesota and Dad learned to drive near Chicago. I currently live in Virginia which doesn't get as much snow as MN or ND, but I respect the capabilities of my vehicles and understand when to slow down, when I need 4WD and when I have no business out on the roads. I shake my heads at the 4WD drivers who don't understand the limitations of their vehicles. Most of them tend to be urban/suburban drivers. This woman stays home when there's ice on the roads and drives slower when there's snow - regardless of the fact that I have two vehicles with 4WD (a Nissan Titan and a Toyota Highlander) and a vehicle with RWD (1997 Merc Tracer).
I couldn't have said it better. In my youth, I was an avid off-roader, and in Florida, that means MUD!
I recall hunting in central Florida one winter. My Jeep was out of commission so I drove to the preserve in a Dodge Aspen Stationwagon. The preserve's terrain was a mixture of mud and sand, so as soon as I arrived and registered with Wildlife Authorities, I reduced my tire pressure to 15lbs. Then I proceeded to the campsite without incident because I put the car in 2nd gear and let it idle along the trails. I went around mud pits and over sand with no problems.
When it was time to go home, I picked up 2 guys hitching along the trail. They were driving a Rover 4x4, but had gotten stuck on a small sand dune in the middle of the road. I guess they never figured out you are supposed to drive around those, even with 4x4. Further down, another pair of stranded hunters. They apparantly thought the best way to deal with a claypit is to floor it. Wrong. The huge KC blazer with suspension lift and 350ci engine buried itself in clay up to the frame.
All four were amazed I had the audacity to take a 2wd stationwagon hunting in that place. But we made it back to the checkin-hut with no problems.
It's the driver, not the vehicle...and a good driver knows the limitations of his vehicle and himself.
And a good driver knows to reduce your psi when entering sand. We have a portable air compressor that we use when we've been driving on the beach in the Outer Banks of NC.
What you're seeing Geoperson are nimrods who have no idea what 4wd is for.
They hit the switch for 4wd and think they can climb trees with it.
There is a museum in Canyon Texas that has a 1898 studebaker electric car. Think about it.
Yep! Back in the 1910's and 1920's, most delivery trucks were also electric.
People seem to seriously accept this little article as truth, you can't con a con baby and I can smell a used car dealer hiding behind a few cheap words.
"This means that I won't see any SUVs in the ditch when the next big snow storm hits. And no pictures in the news showing upside down SUVs at intersections after a ice storm."
There will be, just like cars in the ditch. It's not the vehicle that goes in the ditch it's the driver.
PS I had to drive my neighbor around in my big gas hog SUV every time it snowed last year. His Toyota could not get out of the drive way while my "useless" Ford Excursion had no problem at all. He stopped bitching about my SUV after that.
Demand for SUVs in this economy reminds me of an old saying, "There's a sucker born every minute".
Some demographic groups love suvs - I see this everyday. Never very far to go - but lots of folks to load in. The SUV is just a replacement for the full size van.
Just sold an 08 Saturn Outlook XR, pretty large w/ 8 seat capacity, and got a great price. Don't need that big of an SUV anymore.
I did buy a new smaller GMC Terrain. Super milage compared to the Outlook.
50K for a SUV...better have at least 1 bedroom and 1 bath...you can get a better deal on a house right now......................
wow! how much did the car industry pay to have this advertiseme... errrrrr ... uh... article written?
I used to have an SUV, which consumed between 80 and 100 dollars a week in gas. Just to set the record straight, I'm a carpenter and I justified the expense because I frequently carry tools and materials to work.
Then one Sunday I saw an ad for a '73 volkswagon squareback (small stationwagon) and decided to buy it for $2000. The cargo area holds as many tools and materials as the Ford Explorer does and it is definately more fun to drive.
Within two months, I got rid of the Ford because I found myself using it less and less. When I have a lot of materials to haul for a job, I rent a pick-up. Most of the time I have the lumberyard deliver the materials for me.
My little old VW does 30/37mpg, is a slug from 0 to 20, but above that is reasonably fast. All on 65 hp. I can work on it myself, in fact, it takes 2 people only about 40 to 60 minutes to remove the engine!
I'm saving $300 dollars a month. My conclusion is we've been sold a bill of goods by the automakers. You don't need 300hp in most cases. Unless you are hauling a heavy boat, carrying engines, cement, steel girders etc., all that hp only helps you waste gas from one red light to the next. Most SUV's are designed to carry people anyway, not cargo. Ninety percent of the time, when I see an SUV it has no passengers, just the driver. A minivan is much more versatile and with a 4 cylinder, much more fuel efficient.
I have had 4x4's and SUV's most of my life. I hunt, fish, boat etc. The VW does fine towing my sailboat. Lots of torque for 65hp. SUV's evolved from vehicles designed to go off-road, like the Scout, original Bronco, Jeep and others. Those first SUV's were much lighter than the monolithic SUV's of today. The reason is they WERE BUILT TO GO OFFROAD. There is nothing more silly than seeing a 6thousand lb. SUV with 4X4 printed on the side. Try to get that thing out of a mud pit!
Now, if you really want a huge vehicle to drive around alone and waste gas, hey more power to you. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy the dozens of people I meet every week who think my VW Squareback is cool and are amazed that 40 years ago, we already had the technology to make fuel efficient cars.
Hats off to ya Ray! A clever solution for you to meet your needs!
Man you were lucky! You could probably get twice what you paid for it.
Not to mention you have a vehicle you can fix with a screwdriver and pair of pliers. (not quite but you don't need a "technician" to work on it)
I will call Ray a liar on this one. A VW Squareback has 24 cubic feet of aft cargo capacity while the ford explorer has 80.7 cubic feet of cargo space. So unless the laws of physics are different in his VW then there is no way it holds “just as many tools” as the explorer. Ray the key to telling a lie online is make sure it is not something that a simple Google search can reveal as a blatant faults hood.
Also not for nothing but what kind of carpenter drives an SUV to begin with. A truck with a shell and a ladder rack is far more appropriate than either a VW or an SUV for the trade.
Also Ray inaccurately talks about weight. It might interest Ray that the 2012 ford explorer and the 1971 Bronco have basically the same weight. While the 2012 Explorer has more horsepower and better gas mileage. Ergo they will both do just fine off road. In fact with its longer wheel base the 2012 will be less likely to get stuck in a “mud pit”. Add a lift kit to it and you could climb rocks with the best of the old guys.
I must point out that Ray seems to repackage a lot of mistruths that are spread by the radical left. I suspect that is what he is, a radical leftist pretending to be a VW driving carpenter. But even if he is what he says it is clear he knows nothing of 4x4’s or SUV’s.
I don't have any problem with electric cars. In fact, they are pretty damn cool. Any advancement in technology is a great thing. However, they are only practical for local driving and are very expensive. I really don't see the average person spending $30k to buy a car that can only be driven locally. Hybrid/electric cars are more practical since the gas engine can kick in once the batteries run down. But again, these are mostly small cars that don't make a lot of sense for families or tall people like myself who can't fit in them. Like any other purchase, you need to find the right value for your situation. It's not one-size fits all.
Europeans seem to think that every American has 2 SUV's in the driveway. Most people I know have a smaller car for local driving and a larger vehicle for family travel. I have a Honda Accord and a Chevy Silverado full size truck. I can squeeze into the Honda to drive locally but it doesn't work for me on long distances. My truck is comfortable for travel and it also offers a lot of utility for hauling larger items and other household work needs. I don't feel bad about the gas mileage because it's my choice to buy it and I pay more $$$ to fill my tank and more gas taxes with each fill-up. Seems fair to me.
Sure... small cars sell well in Europe where gas is $10/gallon and also because it's not as popular to drive long distances there. All the anti-American comments don't help either. Look.......... we are not Europe and don't want to be Europe. It's nothing personal, we just want to be who we are without your judgement. I'd love to see high-speed rail in the USA..... the train options in Europe and Japan are amazing but it's a tough sell here because this country is SO HUGE and people LOVE their cars. It may not make sense to Europeans but that's just the way it is. It's funny, when Europeans move to America, they generally buy a big vehicle and love the ability to travel long distances on their own at low cost. That's part of the "freedom" you have living in America. You can go places on your time and not based on a train schedule.
I think you are all missing the point. People want and are keeping the lease SUV's because it is a preparedness issue. One can pack up and leave town in an SUV much better than a small compact car when things hit the fan.