Frankly, I don’t give a shit. Yes, I’d like to preserve Mother Earth as much as the next guy, but not enough to put myself into a roller skate and hop on the freeway. That definitely isn’t my bag, baby.
I like four-wheel drives and old American iron. I have owned several older V8 cars and trucks throughout the years. I had a ¾ ton Chevy truck that got 8 mpg, and I drove that thing everywhere. Would I like 35 mpg? Absolutely. But again, not enough to drive an egg 70 mph on the freeway. You couldn’t pay me to get into one of those things, even for a trip around the block. “Smart Car” my ass.
The Prius may be environmentally friendly and ‘cute’, but it isn’t receiving any thumbs-up signs at the stoplights. If it does, they are likely from other Prius owners who feel the need to connect with other sheep. I’m sorry. People. People with like interests. That’s what I meant to say.
I realize that not everyone is a car enthusiast, and some people just want something that gets them from location to location in a reasonable manner. I like 300 horsepower and a lot of room, myself, but each to his own. When I stomp on the gas, I want the vehicle to accelerate. If I hear the RPMs rise but my speed doesn’t change, I had better be towing something up a grade. Period.
Life is too short, in my opinion, to risk your life for a few miles more per gallon. SUVs, old cars and trucks, and motor homes are expensive to own and might not be environmentally sound, but they’ll save your life in an accident. That’s all this author needs for an easy decision.
I’ll always drive big vehicles with big V8 engines. That’s just the way it goes. I demand power and style from my rides. There is nothing inherently wrong with a Toyota sedan, they just aren’t for me. If my ’68 Plymouth ever tangles with one, I have a good guess at which car will receive more damage. Just sayin’.
The POS Chevy mentioned earlier:
Lots and lots of great memories with that rig.
3 comments:
I do like cars as much as the next person, but my decisions have always been about affordability and availability. I'm a practical girl, but if I had my choice with no financial constraints, I'd pick steel over fiberglass any day.
I am all for economical cars, I own a fairly economical car (30mpg and it gets me around and up hills just fine thank you), and it is the only way I can afford to drive around really. Now this does not exclude me from liking/wanting older/bigger/more powerful cars but they are not practicable for me to own.
What I do not agree with is any car to be so out of tune that it pollutes needlessly. I hate seeing junkers out and about spewing smoke and leaking oil. Keeping people driving a properly maintained vehicle is way more important than trying to get everyone to drive a hybrid in my book. Not to mention it is cheaper to maintain a vehicle than it is to replace it ever couple years because you didn't.
I agree in some ways with Dan, but I must bring up the fact that people do not usually choose to drive a smoking, running like shit, pile of crap. Usually they are smoking down the road because they either don't have tools, don't know shit about fixing cars, or don't have the money for a mechanic.
I recently heard a statistic, "In a collision, for every 45lbs heavier your car is than the other, you have a 10% higher chance of survival than the other driver." I believe that makes "smart cars" actually retarded. Like we used to say when we were kids, at your funeral, no one is going to say "but he got great milage!"
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