[SHiFTY]

I would certainly consider something like a diesel toyota hilux... Those things will probably outlast me!

[lateStarter]

I forgot who said it, but "the car of the future is a bicycle". Why can't everyone admit that this binge we have been on, is over?

[Renfield]

My favorite is the Saudi saying:

My grandfather rode a camel.
My father drove a car.
I fly an airplane.
My son will ride a camel.

[Renfield]

Gas prices put brakes on auto sales
Ford, GM see sharp drop in sales of pickups, SUVs after strong summer; Chrysler sales edge up.
...Sales of light trucks, which include pickups, sport/utility vehicles and vans, plummeted even more, falling 30 percent from a year earlier, while car sales declined 14.5 percent... Link

[FoxV]

well now that you mention it, a company in my town that makes break parts is laying off 200 people.

ah, the demand deconstruction begins

[gary_malcolm]

On my bike ride to work this morning I saw a Black 2004 Cadillac Escalade in a used car lot for 21k. I'll bet that's a loss

[mgibbons19]

HAHAHAHAHAHA! LOL. Dumbasses.
And yup, I would buy one. I'ld prefer a Toyota pickup, but I'd take something else. I don't drive much already, so a useful truck really wouldn't cost a lot. Be nice to for securing firewood and such.
But, am I selling my Corolla to walk into a 5 year loan on a brand new quad-cab pickup for our primary vehicle?
Probably not.

[MicroHydro]

At least there will be enough room to live in their cars after they default on their mortgages

[Concerned]

Depending on an individuals financial situation definately YES!
There are people earning lots of money say 250K+ their energy spend being less than 5% of their income. These people can and will continue to buy large vehicles irrespective of gas prices.
You could have someone on minimum wage driving a fuel efficient car(s) and they get bumped of the consumption ladder first More gas for the SUV's

[ALBY]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '[')you admit this? here? you ain't so smart? are ya boy?

[skyemoor]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ALBY', 'I') have a 1999 3/4 ton suburban I just finished paying off.
It gets about 14 MPG, which is not that much different than a ford explorer, believe it or not.
I bet i will keep this car for another 20 years. In the intermediate future, SUV's may be valuable for carpooling. From this perspective, My burban is much more efficent than a prius. I can take 6 passengers in comfort, 8 passengers max, plus all their stuff.

[ALBY]

try hanging armor on your prius. or loading firewood in one. or bugging out with your family and gear when the sheeple learn the supermarket just went out of business.

i own the burban. im not buying another vehicle before PO and the long emergency set in.

affordability is not a concern for me. the burban does not really drive that many miles. plus i still have my high income pre peak job. availability of fuel isa coincern. i know i can get diesel from bio, kerosene or even #2 fuel oil if need be.

[BrianDavid]

I'm getting a little tired of the preening prius prigs. There is actually a strong case to be made that hybrid cars are a political phenomenon, not an energy-conserving device. The increased marginal energy costs required to build a hybrid (which include small-scale manufacturing inefficiencies as well as increased total number of hybrid-specific parts, each requiring energy to make) more than offset any gain in on-the-road fuel savings over the (probably short) life of the vehicle.

I live in a rural area and use a full sized diesel pickup to do real hauling, as well as commuting. Granted, I only get 20 mpg...but the fuel I use is 30% more efficient gallon-for-gallon than gasoline and costs less to refine. Plus, I'll get 300,000 to 500,000 miles on my truck before I need to replace it. Talk about efficiency!

Drive your prius, by all means, if it massages your ego. But please find *some way* to hasten peak oil. :-^)

[WisJim]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BrianDavid', 'I')'m getting a little tired of the preening prius prigs. There is actually a strong case to be made that hybrid cars are a political phenomenon, not an energy-conserving device.

[backstop]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NeoPeasant', 'O')nce you have adapted your life to be car independent and your car sits in the garage for weeks at a time, it really doesn't matter much what your vehicle's fuel consumption is.
You soon may be able to pick up a big ole used SUV for a pittance, and it can be quite useful on the rare occasions you drive it.

[WisJim]

This reminds me of back in the 1970s when the american automakers refused to build any quality small cars. Went out and bought a used Beetle, later a Rabbit, and drove VWs for years. Now the Japanese make good reliable cars that you can buy 2nd hand and keep driving for another 10 years. Ford and GM just want to keep doing the same old thing that they have done for decades, and want the government to bail them out with your and my money.

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MicroHydro', 'A')t least there will be enough room to live in their cars after they default on their mortgages

[bentstrider]

My current ride is a 7-speed beach-cruiser for everything around town.
I only need a vehicle if I plan on going more than 20 miles, something I only do a couple times a month.
I did have an '87 Bronco II, but ECU's and complicated vehicle electronics on fuel-injected vehicles aren't exactly in my lead. Some sensor completely took a shit, and to make it worse, my own mother got someone else to work on it(almost went to jail for caving the wannabe mechanics skull in!).
But, besides that, my three transport-related goals are; 1.Recumbent bike, 2)Honda Enduro 250, and 3)'74 K5 Blazer.
The recumbent would then become the primary work-horse vehicle for everyday, 20-30 mile mobility(you could really get around with a fairing in-place, keep the miserable wind out of your face!).
The Enduro 250 would mainly be an emergency back-up if something went horribly wrong with the recumbent(ie.,wheel rim gets taco'ed, frame crack from riding vigorously, etc). The '74 K5 with the carbureted 350 and 4x4 would mainly be for hauling and clearing.

[Omnitir]

I would not buy an SUV in the near future. But in the slightly more distant future, say about 15-20 years or so, I think SUV’s will be all the rage again as various technologies make zipping around in light and efficient electric powered vehicles common-place (common in some countries anyway – just as it is now). The recession/depression won’t last forever, and when it ends we will enter a new age combining lessons learnt from PO (the need for clever, efficient designs), with new technologies.

In the mean time though, I’ll keep my aging Toyota Corolla and my train pass, to wether the peak oil storm.