New French Leader

Originally Posted by ginjawarrior

i think it is you that has got the rest of the world mixed up. you think we all use public transport and never drive anywhere? that it is purely an american rite of passage getting your first car and driving across the country? that because america is big you need big cars to go with it? that its only you guys who really love to drive?

this egocentricism i see coming from the us makes me LOL

i never said anyone should buy new cars i was amused myself at their lamenting about their foolish decisions with their previous purchases. its americans that have scorned fuel efficiency in the past and even now with your "cute" and "rinky dink" you just carrying on the tradition

go cry me a river...


its not cultural reasons its EGO that stops em selling

i also think it's "cute" that you gloss over the connection between lower gas taxes due lack of public transport infastructure shaping the way americans view driving over several generations, and as such fuel economy cars have not been available in our marketplace until very recently, and as such they are viewed with skepticism. your denial of the culture of driving in america is where this argument stops. clearly you are arguing based on opinion and not fact, so here is some reading for you:

http://www.aaafoundation.org/pdf/MoeckliLee.pdf
Republic of Drivers: A Cultural History of Automobility in America by Cotten Seiler (paperback or e-book)

if you have actual facts to back up your silly position instead of hot air i would be delighted to continue this nonsense. but for now, i will leave you with some words a kindly old holy guy once uttered: "go from the presense of the foolish man when thou percievest not in him the lips of knowledge."

those 3.8 buicks engines are great...i had a 98 lesabre for years...bought it with 85k for 600$ and drove it for 5 years and scrapped it at the yard for 385$ with 188k miles...strong engines...i love buicks, especially the new lucernes ...the government is greedy and corrupt...no cars should be getting this putrid mpg like they do now...california tried to pass a law to force any vehicle in the state to be at a specific mpg by a certain date...not sure the numbers i forgot ...but the fed stepped in as usual and pissed on the states right..cali new law was more stringent than the fed regulations.....they are dragging their feet to delay the inevitable as long as possible....v.w. is a great car also....now my neighbor last winter needed to me to push his 5 series bmw in his driveway....the sharpest car on the street now is the new jag in the light blue color.

Originally Posted by Harrekin

...austerity is NECESSARY and I believe leads to growth...

your beliefs do not mesh with the evidence coming out of europe now or empirical evidence for that matter.

Originally Posted by Harrekin

...putting an unfair burden on the people who make it possible in the first place.

growth in the united states is driven by aggregate demand. it is 2/3 of our economy.

austerity is an effective tax rate increase on the middle class and working poor. austerity takes money out of their pockets.

when this huge segment of the economy is squeezed, they spend less. aggregate demand goes down.

aggregate demand accounts for 2/3 of our economy. when aggregate demand drops, so does our economy.

those on top do not create growth, consumers with money to spend create growth. they benefit from it, and so do those one top.

you are reciting a fox news talking point unknowingly. it is called a different name from wherever you hear it from.

Originally Posted by Total Head

i also think it's "cute" that you gloss over the connection between lower gas taxes due lack of public transport infastructure shaping the way americans view driving over several generations, and as such fuel economy cars have not been available in our marketplace until very recently, and as such they are viewed with skepticism. your denial of the culture of driving in america is where this argument stops. clearly you are arguing based on opinion and not fact, so here is some reading for you:

i think you'll find im denying that america is so different to the rest of the world that it deserves to be classed as a "special case".

lower fuel taxes would affect engine size but that does nothing to explain the scorn people here have shown. to me that boils down to the "bigger is better" attitude. i love how you think "public transport" is the reason for such comments like "cute" and "clown car"

http://www.aaafoundation.org/pdf/MoeckliLee.pdf
Republic of Drivers: A Cultural History of Automobility in America by Cotten Seiler (paperback or e-book)

have you actually read this? or did you just google and post first thing you saw? could you show me the relevant part that sets america aside from rest of the world?

or even just the part where it shows any evidence to support anything you have said?

if you have actual facts to back up your silly position instead of hot air i would be delighted to continue this nonsense.

is it not a fact that the majority of americans in this thread has shown scorn for efficient cars?

but for now, i will leave you with some words a kindly old holy guy once uttered: "go from the presense of the foolish man when thou percievest not in him the lips of knowledge."

ahh the ambiguous and ultimately meaningless "quote"

Originally Posted by kelly4

What size boat can it pull?

lol so every vehicle needs to pull a boat? every american has a boat? and 24 inches of snow on frozen lakes is everyday usage for the everyday american?

Originally Posted by ginjawarrior

lol so every vehicle needs to pull a boat? every american has a boat? and 24 inches of snow on frozen lakes is everyday usage for the everyday american?

I'm gonna go the same route you are, just the opposite direction. So everyone needs to drive a little shit box?
I'm gonna drive whatever truck I want to, no matter what all of Eorope thinks about me.

We had the VW Rabbit over 30 years ago. It got 50 mpg. NOBODY WANTS IT!

Originally Posted by kelly4

I'm gonna go the same route you are, just the opposite direction. So everyone needs to drive a little shit box?
I'm gonna drive whatever truck I want to, no matter what all of Eorope thinks about me.

We had the VW Rabbit over 30 years ago. It got 50 mpg. NOBODY WANTS IT!

would you care to show me where i said anyone should drive a "shit box"?

oh and its "Europe"

Originally Posted by Harrekin

The rest of the world has jeeps for pulling things too, the likes of a Ford F550 is good if that's your personal preference, but it's not necessary, and moaning about the price of gas when you've chosen to drive a big "Penile Compensator" like that is just a girl-like way to cry about the world.

A jeep isn't rated to pull the weight of most campers or boats. I wouldn't be able to pull my fishhouse with it either.

I've also never seen anybody driving an F550 for personal use. Those are very heavy duty WORK trucks, built for towing large weight. But if someone wanted to drive it for personal use, fine.

Also, my '98 Jeep Wrangler, brand new got 17 mpg per gallon. My F150 gets 16. I'll take the truck.