[Revi]

They should name it the EXTINCTION.

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Leanan', 'I') guess we just have to build bigger garages for the cars, then!

[NevadaGhosts]

Ford and GM are digging their own graves. RIP.

[Eli]

Emir

That is too funny of an article I wonder what they make of the fact that gas prices are now on the rise again.

[aahala]

As the article stated, Ford is in direct competition with GM. The finish
line is the door to the courthouse to file for bankruptcy.

The prize is an anticipated federal bailout.

[FairMaiden]

I really have to wonder if they are just PURPOSEFULLY pushing themselves into bankruptcy for some reason we can't see? I mean - they cannot possibly be this stupid!? The waiting line for a hybrid vehicle here is 6 months. Sales for smart and mini cars are sky rocketing...why not just make what ppl want?

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Eli', 'E')mir, That is too funny of an article I wonder what they make of the fact that gas prices are now on the rise again.

[Leanan]

Because they don't actually make any money from selling cars. They make their real money from financing car loans. A big, expensive car is profitable to finance; a little car isn't.

The U.S. economy in microcosm...

[dub_scratch]

Everybody thinks that these SUVs & trucks have no usefulness after the oil crash. Au contraire, these vehicles have very good toeing capacity, which means they can haul fairly large trailers that carry a lot of people.

Oh yea baby. Get that giant Ford SUV and forget the hybrid. We're all gonna get a lot more use out of that Excursion. Believe you me.

[Leanan]

Not to mention they're a lot more comfortable if you have to live in your car...

[Eli]

There is another huge reason for them to declare.

They have huge pension liabilities that they need to get rid of the other thing is they have promised health care for their retired employees which is no killing them as far as costs go. Bankruptcy is the only way they can get out of this mess that or start selling cars again like mad, looks like they are choosing option one.

[johnmarkos]

As the father of a five-and-a-half month old, I have become aware of something that I only had a dim consciousness of before. This is the child safety seat. U.S. law requires that children sit in special seats until . . . well, basically until they're old enough to drive themselves. Our son just grew out of his tiny infant seat so we bought one that will last until he weighs 65 pounds (in my family one generally reaches this landmark around age 11).

So, what's my point? We're having a heck of a time fitting this super-sized child seat into our 2001 Honda Civic, a foor door sedan. Although the name "Honda Civic" conjures up an image of a tiny econobox, anyone who has tried to park this car on a San Francisco street will tell you that it is not a small car. Nonetheless, the seat doesn't fit behind the driver's seat if I have pushed it back far enough to accommodate my legs. Of course, this is fine with me because I don't like to drive anyway. We're not getting a bigger car -- my wife can drive. But I'm only 5'6"! What I'm getting at here is, some SUV buyers may not be thinking, "Oh, I want an SUV because I hate nature and I want to pave the planet." Rather, the impetus to buy an SUV may be a simple car seat.

Another possible source of conservation from an unlikely place: if someone can design a quality child car seat (not just for infants but toddlers, too) that fits into a compact or mid-sized sedan, it could deter some SUV purchases.

[emersonbiggins]

Another victory for government-mandated market/privacy instrusion, this time ostensibly for "the safety of the children." I'm not that old and I remember staring right at a metal dashboard when I was 6 or so.

[Sgs-Cruz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dub_scratch', 'E')verybody thinks that these SUVs & trucks have no usefulness after the oil crash. Au contraire, these vehicles have very good toeing capacity, which means they can haul fairly large trailers that carry a lot of people.

Oh yea baby. Get that giant Ford SUV and forget the hybrid. We're all gonna get a lot more use out of that Excursion. Believe you me.

[strider3700]

Then you are probably looking for a 70's era ford F 250. There are millions of those things kicking around dirt cheap and with a million parts for them.
Everyone thats ever worked on a vehicle can work on one without thinking.
Of course they guzzle gas and are rusting away rather quickly these days.
Post peak give up on the idea that you can drive.

[killJOY]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')hey should name it the EXTINCTION.

[oowolf]

How about...the EXPLETIVE?
http://www.answers.com/topic/expletive

[nero]

I'll back this up, my brother bought an SUV for this exact same reason, so that getting in and out of the car with the baby isn't such a pain.

I bet the car companies just love the new rules about car seats, it's just one more incentive to buy an SUV. I'm not saying the rules are a bad idea, but it would be nice if they designed a car where the standard seats could be replaced with children sized seats, instead of having a child seat placed on top of the current seat and in effect reducing the room in the car. I really wonder what people do who have three small children? Is this another reason why large families are so rare nowadays?

[Andy]

What about a small Minivan? They have better fuel economy than SUVs and have way more interior room. That is no excuse.

[johnmarkos]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Andy', 'W')hat about a small Minivan? They have better fuel economy than SUVs and have way more interior room. That is no excuse.