Gas prices

I really would like to see more diesels. I don't see myself paying for a Hybrid only to find out it won't get the mileage posted on the EPA Sticker but I would be happy to buy a BMW 530d and get over 40mpg while still being able to cart around 4 adults and get 0-60 times in the sub 7 second range.

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Some software money can't buy. For everything else there's Micros~1

 

Here's one for you. For some strange reason SUV City reminds me of NoVA . . .

http://www.suvcitythefilm.com/Pages/smallqtmov.html


- MJD

 

Most of the people who drive SUV's that I know, don't use them as commuter cars. They are moms with three or more kids that need cargo space for bat bags and other sporting equipment. Everone has their own situational needs for trasportation so those of you who work in Dc driving your hybrid probably use more fuel than I do in my GMC Denali that is 6 years old with 22,000 miles on it.

 

There are many mini vans and cars that get worse mileage than some of the SUVs on the road today. There are even two seat sports cars that put out more pollution than SUVs. And don't think that a 6 cylinder engine will always give you better mileage than a 8 cylinder either. As an example... our 2002 BMW X5 4.4L V8 was giving us between 20mpg to 22mpg in real world (mixed city/hwy) driving. Due to the need for more room the X5 was replaced with a 2005 Toyota Sienna 3.3L V6 and that vehicle is giving us about 16-18mpg actuall (mixed use).

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Some software money can't buy. For everything else there's Micros~1

 

More proof we're being robbed at the pump:

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/051026/earns_preview_exxon_mobil.html?.v=1

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051026/bs_nm/energy_conocophillips_earns_dc_4

I wonder how these guys can sleep at night?

 

They can sleep in diamond-encrusted beds with fine platinum trim Good thing our fearless leader is giving them tax breaks!

 

Good article from Forbes:

http://www.forbes.com/investmentnew...y-in_js_1107soapbox_inl.html?partner=yahootix

 

With all the national debate going on about this (or at least what Bill O'Reilly's been saying, which is that the oil companies are the bad guys), at the end of the day, they're a business, and a 10% profit margin is hardly great. My company requires higher than that to satisfy Wall Street, and we're a government contractor (go figure). Does that mean we should just take it? No. I never buy Exxon-Mobil in favor of the neighborhood cheap stuff. Although we don't have many alternatives to fuel, we do have the choice of which companies to buy from. Boycott the big boys and prices fall.

Another point I'd like to make. To humans, housing is more of a necessity than gasoline is. I don't know about the rest of you, but even as a necessity, I'd never discount my house below what I thought I could get for it on the open market because someone else "needs" a house. Most of us who have sold houses feel the same way. Businesses, like Exxon-Mobil, feel the same way. Don't like it? Don't buy from them.