there is already a list of what makes a vehicle illegal to drive on the street, why not add weight and fe to them.

R

 

I've been in Houston a few times. People down there are better mannered than in the Dallas area.

 

While we are at it why not ban fast food,alcohol, tobacco, guns, sex except on days off,don't want to get to work late you know. Also going to church too you know more people have been killed,more wars fought over that then anything else! We can ban just about everything hey why not ban vehicles altogether and go back to horse and buggy days! I don't like it that people have large vehicles but some of us USE them, and you are going to take ANOTHER freedom away from me. I think not.Kevin

 

Really?...lol I thought it was the other way around and I really thought Austin would be more Hybrid friendly too.Kevin

 

I could be wrong, but a year ago Dallas was ranked the 4th rudest place to drive in a major US city.

 

Please tell me what an acceptable use of an SUV is. I know here in omaha most are used as single occupant commuters.

maybe people with an actual reason to drive an SUV (which by the way I cant think of any logical reasons) could apply for a special license and license plate allowing them to drive in non suv areas

 

I've got a simplistic solution to this and other issues - ban jerks! (once we define what that is)

A lot of things get abused or used wrongly:

• Cell Phones
• Steriods
• SUVs
• Drining in HOVs

Think it was in a recent www.fortune.com that stated that in 1993, SUVs were 10% of new sales - in 2003 it was 24% of new sales. I have nothing to prove the size of the average SUV has grown, but doubt that would be argued. Just my contention that a lot of people don't really need them. As far as a Hummer goes, the only practical use I can see is on the battlefield.

Many of our laws are the result of abuse or excess.

 

this is from the 2003 nerves of steel survey:

Rudest Drivers
1. New York City
2. Miami
3. Boston
4. Dallas
5. Los Angeles

Most Polite Drivers
1. Charlotte, N.C.
2. Minneapolis-St. Paul
3. Cleveland
4. Seattle
5. Chicago

Kind of interesting, in 2002 the same survey rated Dallas as one of the safest/most polite cities to drive in.

 

Well, if you need 4 wheel drive (say, to get up your 1/2-mile-long, unpaved driveway in a foot of snow, to get to remote areas of your own property or places where you camp, hike or ski, or to get to work over unplowed rural roads), and you want a hybrid vehicle (for low emissions and to support the development of the technology), you have NO CHOICE but to get an SUV - the ONLY 4WD hybrid options are the Escape, Mariner and Highlander. So that's ONE reason to get an SUV. (I'm beginning to sound like a broken record here; Mehitibel might be able to add some other interesting, non-snow-related uses, like traversing the lava roads that lead to some awesome swimming and snorkeling spots on the Big Island!) If Honda would re-issue their 4WD Civic in a Hybrid version, that'd work for at least one of our two vehicles.

I personally don't see the point of the LARGER SUVs; we had 2-door Trackers (back before they got larger and bulbous like the other SUVs) for a long time, and they do a better job of most SUV-type tasks than what passes for an "SUV" today. A jeep Wrangler would do also. A larger SUV won't even FIT in some of the places I've taken my Trackers. However, there are also places where I've been glad to have the POWER of the larger V6 Escape engine (the Hybrid also seems up to the task, though with one exception I haven't done any serious four-wheeling in it *yet*), to get out of tough spots.

Personally, I am annoyed with city-folk who drive SUVs around town, not using the traction, power or hauling capabilities at all, and smogging up the place unnecessarily, as they make a bad name for ALL of us SUV owners. But as others have pointed out, the same could be said of those who drive pick-ups or vans without good reason. I think the higher gas prices will have some effect on this, but it will take a while.

 

As I've said before our hobby is flyball,try getting 2 dogs their crates,luggage, equipment and 2 humans in my HCH, NO WAY.Kevin