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Is a large vehicle worth owning over a small car?
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RussJanuary 31, 2006
I believe it is personal preference, but I speak for me and my family: We all own at least one big vehicle, if not more. I feel we are in America and have the right to own a large vehicle without being taxed or penalized for it.
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Wm A DoidgeJanuary 31, 2006
I need a large vehicle for my business. If I didn’t, I would still drive one. People pay a fortune in life insurance. A full body frame costing an extra $500.00 to $1,000.00 a year is the best insurance you can buy.
If I could assemble a small team of engineers, I could prove to those small car operators that the way they drive is costing a fotune in gas/barrels of oil.
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HarryJanuary 31, 2006
A large vehicle is sometimes justified, but it will be great when the people who use them learn to drive large vehicles. It’s pretty scary to drive down a narrow two-way street and face one of the behemoths straddling the white line. Some people use them as a weapon to make up for their insecurities.
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BOBJanuary 31, 2006
It is ultimately a personal preference. If you can afford to pay to fill up a 21+ gallon tank and then get 10 miles to the gallon, then do your thing. Else get you a smaller car and save the $$ and reap the rewards of descent gas mileage. By the way it does not have to be an econobox my BMW gets 400 miles to the 16gal tank. However, I have found that you will need a large car/truck more than a few times during the year and it is nice to have one around and not have to borrow or rent in crunch time.
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Harry McAJanuary 31, 2006
I need a large vehicle for family and business. Having said that, what is large?
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January 31, 2006
I have a Chevy Avalanche truck. It is a large vehicle but it can become a work truck with no more than a few turned dial locks and a flip-down midgate. I can drive 5 adults in style with the second row having side air bags for safety. I turn it into a work truck for my woodworking needs on the weekends.
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P Vander KraatsJanuary 31, 2006
Large is a matter of what is required. As has been said, many need them for business. If you are really looking for justification for people driving large SUVs, which are (to quote Dave Barry) really just “oversized station wagons that drive across the Wal-Mart parking lot,” then I can see no reason why one would want one. Minivans carry 7 people and can come in AWD versions. I think many who buy these SUV’s buy them for what they say about the owner (be it true or not).
I, personally, drove an F-150 for many years mainly because I frequently hauled things (up to 8 or 10 feet long) and had occasion to haul a horse trailer and car trailer. I only had one vehicle, so I also drove it to work; but to me, it was worth the cost. That said, my next truck will probably be a Ranger / S-10 sized vehicle, but I will miss the full-size truck.
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Fred SanfordJanuary 31, 2006
I have a large vehicle (Nissan Pathfinder) and a small car (Honda Civic). While the Honda Civic is great on gas and is more economical to drive, the Nissan Pathfinder and most other SUVs and large vehicles offer usefulness in carrying cargo or passengers that small cars just can’t.
That usefuleness comes with an extra price, but it is well worth it in my opinion. Besides, this is the U.S. and everyone has the right to own whatever they want as long as they can afford it.
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BrianJanuary 31, 2006
We have two full-size pickups, one full-size van, and a full-size car. We like the feeling of being a little safer then in a small car. Two of the four have 5-star crash ratings and, yes, they are all made in the U.S. Safety, room and convenience are what matter to us.
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ThomasJanuary 31, 2006
It is all a matter of choice and requirment.
I prefer the larger for highway/cross-country driving. -
JamesJanuary 31, 2006
Yes. They are safer, more comfortable, and you can haul stuff.
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SueJanuary 31, 2006
I see so many “large” vehicles with only one or two persons in it and no cargo. Work trucks are a must, but let’s stop the waste.
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Sandra DeeJanuary 31, 2006
I am the owner of a mid-sized SUV and my decision to purchase it was primarily based on comfort for myself and safety for my newborn. Although It may seem at times I spend a little more for fuel, I feel that my little one is more than worth it.
Yes, Yes, and Yes, I feel that larger vehicles are worth it, especially when they satisfy your personal needs.
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DeniseJanuary 31, 2006
When you have three kids and they want to bring a friend along – what else are you supposed to drive?
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ChrisJanuary 31, 2006
Driving a large inneficient vehicle when you don’t need to is wasteful — plain and simple. We have a right to drive whatever we please (and can afford), but don’t we have an obligation to do what’s right?
I have a Mazda that gets nearly 40MPG and a Trooper that gets about 18. They each have appropriate uses — you won’t find me driving the SUV back and forth to work just because “I feel safer” or “it’s more comfortable”…or for some kind of ego boost. It has nothing to do with being an “enviro-whacko” — it’s just common sense.
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ChrisJanuary 31, 2006
I prefer and need it to transport my aged parent and the necessary wheelchair and oxygen.
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SheilaJanuary 31, 2006
We have a small truck and a larger SUV. The truck is to drive to work and back and the SUV is used when we need to go somewhere as a family.
A small vehicle is almost impossible to get in and out of when one is disabled, and it is just more uncomfortable. Our SUV has a 5-star crash test rating. Safer and more comfortable. I should not be penalized for buying a vehicle that meets our needs.
I also tend to drive more carefully in the larger vehicle, while in the smaller one you get a sense of being able to get into and out of small places and therefore drive a little more boldly.
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RichJanuary 31, 2006
I’ve driven [cars of many sizes, from] a 3/4-ton 4-wheel (with snowplow) to a Honda Civic hybrid, and there is a place for everything. But after reading all the above [commenters] who must have them for work (i.e., reap a big tax deductible expense and use it for personal things on the weekend), I wonder just how do those Europeans keep any business going with all those small trucks you see all over their cities?
If any of you know about the Toyota manufacturing system and the concept of “waste” in that context, you might consider that we are “driving” ourselves into cultural obsolescence in many different ways by our insistence on the “right” to own big cars. It may be a “right,” but it is the wrong choice in the long term.
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linda dietrichJanuary 31, 2006
A large vehicle is much safer in a bad crash. I prefer to have a lot of metal around me when I travel.
If you are buying it as a status symbol, then I think it’s a waste.
I loved my little car, but I drove it a lot faster than I do the pickup, for some reason. So, for me, big is probably the safer choice.
Financiallly speaking, small cars are the best way to go, gas prices being what they are. We filled up the truck the other day at Marathon: It cost 68 bucks, and we were on empty.
We also have real estate, and have to be able to transport large purchases of home improvment materials.
We get pretty good mpg on our full-sized Chevy truck.
I say yes, it is worth having the larger vehicle, for me personally.I am concerned about the environment as well, but not at the cost of my safety. When they start running on peanut butter or something, and when it is affordable, I promise that we will buy one.
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January 31, 2006
YES – for ME. But skip all the personal reasons, it is simply an individual matter as to how we spend our discretionary income. As long as we live in a democratic and free society, it is just that – an individual choice. Thank God for that!
So, if we each just mind our own business, the free market will flow in the ultimate correct direction. Forcing personal choice will surely backfire, creating more heat than light, so let it be.
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January 31, 2006
I agree that owning a larger vehicle versus that of a smaller one is one of personal preference. However, one should live within their means; and there are pros and cons to both sizes.
If you are driving a large vehicle because it is “safer” and that you drive “slower”: I’ve seen my fair share of fatal accidents in both.
Further, if you are driving an SUV for the purpose of an extended handbag, and/or dragging the kids around, there are alternative mid-/large-size car options:
Crash Ratings:
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx
There are a few midsize to small cars reported here, surprise.MidSize car:
http://www.automotive.com/new-cars/27/midsize/index.html
There are cars that seat more than four adults.Re: “I loved my little car, but I drove it a lot faster than I do the pickup, for some reason. So, for me, big is probably the safer choice.”
Smaller cars usually have more pick-up than larger ones (and further, their overall weight helps decrease the power need for “pep”).
Personally, I think you should take responsibility for your driving. If owning a larger car for fear of “flipping” is the only reason you drive slower — that’s a shame.
Re: “I am concerned about the environment as well, but not at the cost of my safety.”
Then I thank you for the 60-degree weather we’re experiencing here in NYC.
http://www.gothamist.com/archives/weather/index.php
Not sure about you, but I know the squirrels here are a bit confused. -
S.J. PresasJanuary 31, 2006
I use a truck to haul a camper for hunting and fishing in a mountain area. After going through the engine performance curves, weight, etc., I replaced a small truck (with a 2.8L V6 engine) with a fullsize truck (with a 5.4L V8).
Net result: about the same mileage: 16MPG.
So, what is big?
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LeonardJanuary 31, 2006
I have owned small cars until I drove a van in 1975, and from that experience I never wanted to drive another small car. My 1996 SUV has allowed me haul things that no small would allow. I have also used the SUV in my AC business. Most Americans are big bone and need a large truck, van or suv for hauling, pulling a boat or for their convience.
If we don’t buy America-made auto, trucks or SUV, where will our children work?
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Paul AlexanderJanuary 31, 2006
My wife and I both drive full-size extended-cab pickups. Hardly a day goes by that we don’t use the truck bed(s) for something. The size-safety factor cannot be denied. We both have elderly parents who are easier to transport (and to help) in large vehicles. Each is needed occasionally to pull our horse trailer. Fuel mileage is 18 in the 1994 vehicle and 19 in the 2000. That’s because we purchased them with the small gasoline V8′s instead of the totally unnecessary diesel engines. We drive conservatively and have put over 300,000 on both vehicles combined without a crash. Since I recently retired, I’m considering trading the older one in for something smaller, like an HHR.
Bottom line…I think people should purchase what they NEED and shouldn’t put others down for doing so.
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vJanuary 31, 2006
SPACE – THE FINAL FRONTIER pretty well covers it.
However, there are some power options available (without stepping outside the petrochemical realm) such as diesel, hybrid, and alcohol.
I’m tempted to rant; yet I’ll bite my tongue and say no more.
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DanJanuary 31, 2006
There are several things that are great about larger vechicles. They will usually have more and nicer features, i.e. heated seats, heated mirrors, 6-way power seats, etc. It can also be said that the seats are usually more comfortable on 400- or 500-mile trips. I’ve found that you can see the road better in larger vehicles since most trucks, and SUVs are taller. It only takes one time being crushed in a small Yugo to make you want a larger way to travel. Thanks for letting me on this soap box.
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PeteFebruary 1, 2006
My wife was in two cars that flipped upside down. She is happy to be alive. She wants steel around her. We would rather pay extra for gas and have the knowledge that F=ma still reigns. When a heavy vehicle and a light vehicle collide, the occupants of the heavy one have less chance of whiplash or other injury. To us, the weight of the heavy vehicle becomes pounds of injury prevention, rather than our using a mini and hoping that insurance will pay for accident doctor bills that may or may not return our injured bodies to some semblance of health.
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EvelynFebruary 1, 2006
We own a 1997 F-150 (180,000+ mi.) and a 1990 Tempo (45,000+ mi.).
If we want to just get from point A to point B, we take the smaller vehicle for economy.
However, for longer hauls, we use the F-150 due to comfort and ability to watch the road ahead. The truck is also used for hauling a variety of building materials, etc. We get 15-16 mmpg on the truck and 20-22 mpg on the car. But at 83 and being portly, my husband has a struggle to get in and out of the car. When I had a hip replaced, it was a piece of cake to get into the truck where the car would have been difficult.
Here in the Pacific NW, most of us drive something with 4-wheel drive due to the weather; and the only excess, in my opinion, are the Hummer owners who buy them for status.
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nancyFebruary 1, 2006
After reading some of the previous comments, a couple of things come to mind:
First of all, bigger being safer might just be an illusion, they might want to investigate crash statistics.
Second, the remark of “I’ll buy what I want to because I’m an American and I can” is not what they are going to want to hear from the Chinese when in the year 2020 their daily consumpsion excedes daily production. It is just a bunch of jingoistic claptrap.
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Howard JohnsonFebruary 1, 2006
If you need a large truck or SUV to haul your business gear, so be it.
My business gear fits in a briefcase, and a large truck would be wasteful overkill. So for business trips I drive a hybrid Prius, and getting 42 to 50 MPG really pays off on long trips! The smooth quiet ride helps, too.
By the way, the Prius is bigger and heavier than most people realize. More manuverable, too.
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Ms. ThompsonFebruary 1, 2006
In this day, with fuel costs so high, it is ridiculous to have a gas guzzler unless one absolutely needs it…like my husband who travels extensively for his business lugging along his clothes and toiletries, his business bag, his laptop with bag and printer, boxes of samples etc. He needs his big car to carry all that and to endure the trip in comfort – which cannot be done in a small car.
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RobFebruary 2, 2006
Our driving plan involves a 2001 Mazda Protege (up to 30 in the city, up to 38 Hwy) and a 92 Aerostar van, AWD (much less MPG, half or less).
As a family of 4, the rule is whoever has more distance to travel uses the small car, barring some reason to use the van. Those reasons can be material to be transported or number of people, or road conditions where AWD is helpful. It’s also capable of pulling trailers, though this is only an occasional activity. Interestingly, I prefer the small car for the long road trips as it is less sensitive to highwinds and it is newer and more reliable in addition to the fuel cost benefit.
If I can take 7 in the van with their belongings, I’m still coming out even, or saving over two drivers taking two small cars along.
The van is the big vehicle of the extended family, being used by everyone for building materials, appliances, recycling runs, etc. We use it to take a full load of kids for after-school activities. I can pick up a sheet of drywall by just folding the seats down, and still close the lid. Do this on the way to or from work and it still saves half the cost of the trip (based on half the gas mileage).
So, is it incredibly economical for my wife to use the van for a couple miles to work and back, or to the store? Not especially with regard to fuel mileage. But factor in the cost of ownership of a second small car (payments, insurance, maintenance) and it looks more attractive.
If you have only the small vehicle, delivery of just about everything is available these days. Also, the largest furniture stores and home improvement stores have trucks for rent reasonably, as well.
Since I generally have the small car due to my longer drive, I have learned to really pack it to avoid needing the van. An important factor was folding rear seats with a large opening. I used a bicycle as my test object that had to fit inside the trunk / seat space. Some small cars are very narrow between the strut towers or just the design of the opening behind the seats. I have picked up a staggering load of used folded cardboard boxes from my employer inside the car (used for moving).
Carpooling works best for us getting kids to school but not so well for work.
I also bike to work frequently when weather permits. This gives a double benefit to the driving economy–I am not driving the small car, and my wife is driving the small car instead of the van. She often gets errands done that day increasing the benefit. There are of course other health and exercise benefits not named here.
So if you think economically and plan ahead, you can optimize the economy of whatever choice you have as long as your reasons are not for style, image, or perceived “armor cladding”.
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LeonardFebruary 2, 2006
Is a large vehicle worth owning a small vehicle…Well, great question.
I’m assuming when you say large vehicle you mean SUV verses a small Honda. I think a family with children 9 through 14 would find a large vehicle more functional than the family Honda. But it’s always nice to have that Honda when one or two of you are runing around the City doing quick chores.
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BernieFebruary 8, 2006
I find some comments here pretty funny, particularly those from people who believe they are safer in a large SUV. Guess what? You aren’t. Traffic death stats show you much likelier to die in a rollover accident than drivers of normal cars.
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Phil MeffordFebruary 13, 2006
Does small mean like the VW bugs I drove in the 60′ and 70′s ? Does large mean like my 1 ton flatbed? Yes, there is a difference in fuel use, but also a difference in what they will do.
I currently use a range from a 73 Honda 350 four bike (80 mpg) to move just me to the 95 Turbo Ford F350 (12mpg) which will haul 8000 lbs and pull a 16000 lb trailer. In between there are the 91 S-10 V-6 (21 mpg). and the 91 F 250 (14 mpg).
Each is used to fill the need at hand. Yes I pay out more for tags, and insurance, but I do get a discount on the insurance for mulitple cars and low milage. I also save a bundle on car payments. They are all paid for. For those times when I just want to feel luxury, I keep an old 90 Lincoln Town Car. The whole fleet costs me less than one new anything. There are a lot of choices we can make to fill our wants and needs. For transportation. At the current 2.20 cost of gas I have a monthly bill of about 120 bucks. That moves everything to make my living and maintain myself and property.
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GregFebruary 23, 2006
Frankly, I think vehicle size is really irrelevant. However, staying in denial about global climate change (yes, you GOB’s, it is really happening!) is the critical problem.
Let’s get the technology cranking on this. Isn’t this the USA? Today we are still the most highly sophisticated engineering- and science-based technological culture that has ever existed on Earth. It’s time to “kick butt and take names” as we say here in Chicago, and come up with a solution that doesn’t pit the vehicle size question against our environmental future. This is the attitude we need have, not indulging in boyish games of size vs. utility.
Come on guys…we can do this!
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Yes, a large vehicle is need for my business. The enviro-whackos can go hang themselves if they don’t like it!
Every family needs one large vehicle.
2 large vehicles is excessive and costly.