Quote:
Originally Posted by slowmover
I’d argue it makes sense when the vehicle in question makes sense. A sedan of sufficient size (Charger/300). They at least are amenable to FE concious Driving. A pickup is only such when bed fully loaded (fulfilling its purpose).
Specifying the vehicle to the job puts MPG barely into the top five. It’s the type, then reliability and longevity. Brand differences are where MPG pops up. After drivetrain.
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A sedan of sufficient size for what? Winning the arms race for biggest/heaviest vehicle? You can get a fairly recent model Rolls Royce which weighs in at a very safe 6000lbs for less than most Ford Rangers are going for these days, and it should easily wreck any other car on the road in case of a serious accident.
In all seriousness, most people in the US use their primary vehicle for hauling a single person back and forth to work 15-20 miles each way, twice per day, and to carry a few bags of groceries, an occasional trip with 3-4 people to the local mall or theater, and a very occasional trip to visit relatives to eat turkey or exchange colorfully wrapped boxes. It's a minority of people who need anything more than the space to carry home that new grill, above ground pool or 60" TV they buy at Lowes/Walmart once per year. If truck/SUV ownership reflected truck/SUV need, it would likely be <10%.
As an anecdote, my neighbor was asking about my Insight. I've gutted the back so it has around (what I'd estimate) 40 cubic feet of cargo space. He commented that while the reliability and fuel economy sound nice, it probably wouldn't work for him because it wouldn't be able to hold all of his dirty laundry he drives around with every day.
