What would it take for you to give up your SUV for a hybrid?

Question

Given the known harm large gas-guzzling SUV's do to the environment, and our dependence on foreign oil, why are so many Americans still driving them? What would it take to convert a big truck/suv driver to a small car, ideally a hybrid, driver?

BTW....the Toyota Highlander hybrid has 3 rows of seating.

Answer 1

safe seating for 3 car seats and 2 adults.

Answer 2

Hybrids are just the latest fad! There is nothing wrong with an SUV if you need one and today's SUV's are getting much better gas mileage. And lets face it, sometimes a little hybrid can't get the job done the way a gas powered car can. Also I'd like to see the look on your face when you have to replace the batteries in your hybrid! In a decade or so we'll be rolling in cars that use hydrogen, GM already has one that works.

Answer 3

I'll give up my SUV when the following happens:

1. The liberal leftist extremists admit publicly that global warming is a myth (THIS is the actual fact).

2. Extremists like clinton and pelosi publicly endorse drilling for oil on US soil where it is now prohibited. This would demonstrate that they care more about humans than caribou (a total reversal from their current position).

3. A hybrid is developed that produces 400 Horsepower in a truck capable of towing 25,000 pounds.

I also have a couple of suggestions for you, as you are such an anti-oil person:

1. Stop eating any and all foods that are transported even a short distance by truck and/or plane (this eliminates grocery stores).

2. Do not use any personal and/or public transportation that utilizes any form of petroleum product.

3. Stop using any and all products that are petroleum products (such as plastics).

These items will demonstrate that you practice what you preach and are not a hypocrite like the rest of the liberal communist extremists.

Answer 4

you can buy SUV hybrids, like Ford Escape Hybrid
Toyota Hilander Hybrid, and others,

But the technology is new and you don't know if you will have to shell out $10,000 to buy new battery pack after the warrantee expires and these Hydrids already cost a lot more than their namesake non hybrid cars.

Also to, If you buy a hybrid and keep it for 8 years, the technology will have changed so much, there will be no trade in /resale value.

I will wait to save the planet at least 10 years, so I don't get left holding the empty bag.

Answer 5

15 miles to the gallon to 80 miles to the gallon. I myself think that anything that takes deisle or gas will be a thing of the past. There is one guy manufaturing cars that get 200 miles per gallion (power equipment), and it does 0-100kph in 3 second Solar technolgy is improving by the minute. In 20 years we will be driving awsome sports car or suvs off solar power, you only need to have an engine (GENERATOR) when you drive long distances.

Answer 6

Truly it would take an SUV Hybrid....or maybe a trade, I need the space for my 4 kids!

Answer 7

$4+ Gas prices and a plague on the domestic auto industry lobby!!

I don't drive and SUV, but I did notice more of them parked on the used car lots when gas went $3+ this past summer. ( The prices conveniently started to come down just ahead of the election) I'd hate the hit to my pocketbook, but it would start to quash these notions of hybrid cars costing more than you'd save in gas. Once more people start to buy them, the prices of hybrids will start to drop once the manufacturers can start to take advantage of the efficiencies of scale. Plus, once there's a bigger market for components such as batteries and other power storage devices, those prices will start to come down and we'll start to see some real innovation in storage technologies away from batteries, that will be more efficient and more reliable.
Electric motors also have much more torque which provide much better acceleration, so you will still have a fun car while using less gas.
Ironically, the japanese auto makers got a jump on the hybrid development because they were afraid of legislation in California that was going to require a certain percentage of hybrid cars in the fleets of any carmaker that wanted to continue selling into that market. This was overturned by the domestic auto industry lobby, which was apparently always their plan of attack since they didn't really progress on any hybrid technologies to speak of. Thankfully, the rest of the world isn't as short-sighted as the auto industry in this country.
Once gas starts to hit $4/gallon, that's going to start to hurt somebody driving an SUV that only gets 11mpg in practice regardless of what the EPA sticker says.
BTW and not to mention any names, but it is also rather short-sighted to think that if you can't completely stop using oil, then there's no point in trying to cut down on oil consumption at all. I don't think any one expects us all to go cold-turkey on oil use, but we need to start moving in the direction of conservation. If you believe that global warming isn't a reality, maybe you should go talk to some of the few people left in New Orleans about what they think, or maybe the victims of the freak tornadoes in Florida this past week. While you're at it maybe you could locate the huge chunk of the Antarctic ice that broke off a few years ago as well as the ice that's disappearing from Greenland. No reputable scientist would attribute global warming to anything other than human intervention, primarily oil consumption. Those who deny that have had a taste of the Kool-Aid just like you.
Furthermore drilling in domestic wildlife reserves isn't going to get you any cheaper gas for your SUV. What will likely happen is that the oil companies will sell it to a foreign country where they can get a better price for it. Oil companies don't care about caribou or humans, oil companies care about money!

Answer 8

I don't drive an SUV... but in order to switch to a hybrid... they need to be more affordable! I can't afford a brand new car.

Answer 9

When you can give me a hybrid that is as capable offroad as my suv.

"There for stupid people" by Gary K wow just wow!! before u call people stupid double check ur post.

Answer 10

I don't have an SUV. There for stupid people. But a hybrid. Not until they can make it look like,sound like, and accelerate like my big block Camaro.