What you DON’T wanna be driving today

Thu, Jun 21, 2007

Peak Oil


Why is Ford still making these dinosaurs? I’ll let you answer that.

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9 Responses to “What you DON’T wanna be driving today”

  1. bryce Says:

    Because people buy them?

    By the way, that thing is likely a diesel, so you should tag it as diesel instead of gasoline ;)

    Reply

  2. Anonymous Says:

    Because the world needs really powerful trucks with a lot of cargo room. Fuel economy isn’t the place for the truck market.

    Reply

  3. Dave Says:

    Yea, what Bryce said, because people will buy them. Don’t blame Ford, blame the North American culture. It stands to reason that trucks like that are built when we live in a society that deems it perfectly normal and acceptable to ride a $25,000.00 – $30,000.00 1600cc motorcycle 5 minutes for a cup of $5.00 coffee.

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  4. Anonymous Says:

    guess when they get that big, we talk about gallons per mile instead of miles per gallon!

    Reply

  5. Jay Says:

    “Why is Ford still making these dinosaurs?”

    Bush’s plan to stimulate the economy, that started in ’03. It included……..

    Maximum federal tax deduction for a vehicle weighing over 6000 lbs.= $100,000

    Reply

  6. GenWaylaid Says:

    It appears Andre the Giant’s ride has arrived, fourteen years too late.

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  7. Steve Says:

    jay… i hate that

    Reply

  8. Jay Says:

    You can still get a $4000 tax credit for buying an electric or hybrid car, though. It’s not $100,000, but it’s something.

    Just goes to show that the biggest problem with our system is that public servants dont really serve the public.

    (I’m talking about politicians here.)

    Reply

  9. Anonymous Says:

    Here is a novel thought to ponder. Although having one of these beasts in a city is, for the most part ridiculous, out in the sticks these are actually very valuable work trucks.

    If you are pulling a big trailer with 6 horses in it and have Mom an Dad an the kids and Gramma all goin down the highway together, the stock version of this truck makes absolute, perfect sense.

    Or lets say you run a welding company or a racing team and you replace that bed with a utility bed and your welding equipment and pull large trailers. Once again, heavy frame, giant brakes, safer towing, legitimate choice.

    Let’s also point out that ford doesn’t sell the jacked up in the air promotional monster tire truck in that picture. Very very few highly customized trucks like that ever make it off of showroom floors.

    I actually drive a GMC truck which is slightly larger than that one. No special license. Basically the biggest moving van you can get with the box removed and a wooden deck. Right now it sits in the driveway with about 7 thousand pounds on it. Two tractor engines, and all sorts of large steel sawmill parts. I can put two small cars on it if I want.

    The truck in the picture could be set up the same way. Longer frame and a flatbed. It is not uncommon to see tow trucks and service trucks built out of that truck.

    There is not an economy car or mini pickup on the market which is going to do that kind of work and once you leave the city there is plenty of demand for it.

    In my house, when the truck isn’t required, we drive a Honda CRV or a motorcycle.

    So stop bashing large vehicles and blaming your problems on us legitimate owners and instead focus your efforts on using some of your own time on getting car companies to go back to offering us those electric cars again and make them affordable by mass producing them.

    My now rural life could easily fit in an electric car and I know my old life back in the city could as well.

    Even so, my life here in the farmlands, which keep Americans eating, requires that I have access to large trucks, tractors and tow vehicles I can transport a 4 person family and relatives and friends in while pulling large trailers.

    Once again, I admit single women living in the city who are buying Humvee/suburbans and never even come close to maxing out it’s GVW are silly in my opinion.

    But complaining and laying blame on us legitimate large truck users or the people who manufacture them is completely worthless effort. You gain nothing out of these kinds of complaints except feeling like you have a good reason to do some complaining. Just a different kind of pollution and wasted resources.

    Instead the effort should be spent not on reiterating the same blame laying, propaganda problem mantra over and over but instead offering solutions which are viable. Cuz I’ll guarantee you right now that makin trucks go away is NOT a viable solution. Getting single, fashion minded, no passenger drivers who don’t carry large loads to feel cool packing the streets with electric cars is.

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Leave a Reply to bryce