Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
I don't think that's quite the root of the problem. I mean, why doesn't this sense of entitlement translate into a lot more people wanting "the old two-seater": updated versions of classic British sports cars? (And, of course, open roads to drive them on.) That'd be a lot more like freedom to me.
Instead, we get these oversized behemoths driving in mostly straight lines on divided highways, and "safety" being a big selling point. Seems to me there's a lot of fear & sense of inadequacy buried in there not too far below the entitlement.
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You might be more accurate, but I still see the Chevy Chase 'Vacation' as a rite of passage, which is why we're scared to death of a vehicle with a limited range of 40 miles, even though we rarely go further. I also know that in my 20s I racked up 400,000 miles exploring all points west of the Colorado state line in a dizzying array of criss-cross patterns. I agree that fear is a primary driver right now, but it's funny how folks still don't look at the actual data. Some of the smaller cars have been outperforming the big SUVs for safety for years because they don't roll over (one of the deadliest kinds of crashes).
In any case, I'm not sure if our sense of entitlement to cheap gas will ever go away or even if prices rise we'll suddenly change our collective way of thinking. Nothing will be overnight, but I do like seeing trends like the original post brought up. When the dollars at the new car lots tilt hard enough on the side of economy, we'll start seeing the mpgs all of us envy in the European car markets.