Giving the SUV a Break - Sort of...

The Sport Utility Vehicle, or SUV, has been getting a bad rap for awhile now. I should know, I’m one of the people that has been giving the SUV a bad rap.

I get especially cranky when I see a Hummer parked on our street here in San Francisco, its over-sized frame barely able to fit into a single parking space. And in a town where parking spaces are a rare commodity (for those that own cars, ahem…), I automatically wonder what is lacking in the owners life to feel the need to drive something like a hummer in a vain attempt to make up for it.

Yes, I’m a real curmudgeon when it comes to Hummers and, to a lesser extent, “normal” SUV’s.

But in terms of gas mileage, they aren’t the only ones that guzzle the petrol.

As Amy Stodghill reports in GreenOptions.com, the finger-wagging should go to light trucks, mini-vans, and the kind of car we used to call “dad” cars; your full-sized sedans and such. These vehicles don’t get any better, and sometimes worse, mileage than my old nemesis the SUV. (In the interest of accuracy and full-disclosure, if you check out Amy's post at Green Options.com, make sure to read the comments. Many people had problems with Amy's presentation of the specific numbers concerning gas mileage.)

Now, for all you SUV, light truck, mini-van, and Delta-88 owners out there, I’m sure you’ve got a good reason for owning a large vehicle. That’s fine. I understand. There are legitimate uses for larger vehicles. It’s not as if you’re driving your Hummer a few miles across town to park it in the company parking lot for eight hours instead of taking the bus.

Here in the states there is plenty of blame to shift up the chain to congress and the president, who has thus far refused to enforce fuel efficiency standards that make any sense. It’s as if they ignore the public good in favor of doing the bidding of car manufacturers – and that just couldn’t be, could it?

More Information:
Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Estimates by Make and Model

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Giving the SUV a Break - Sort of...

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