<< RULES OBEYED ~ MAIN ~ JAIL THIS ISLAMOPHOBE >>
TUNDRA SURGING
Australians are buying cars - especially big, powerful cars - in record numbers. Similar deal in the US:
Thought sales of big, expensive SUVs and pickups were on life support? It would seem that reports of their death have been greatly exaggerated as sales for some of the largest, thirstiest luxury models, including the Cadillac Escalade ESV, Mercedes-Benz GL, and Toyota Tundra have shown a surprising resurgence ...
In fact, sales of most big, luxury sport-utility vehicles are up this year, like the Range Rover, along with several large (and expensive) SUVs from nonluxury brands, like the Chevrolet Suburban.
As the song went, back in the day: “I don’t know what the world may need, but a V8 engine’s a good start for me.”
UPDATE. “Well I’m doing my bit,” writes Sensible Swim. “A family member was about to make the rash decision of purchasing a new V6 ML Merc SUV. I talked sense into him just in time. He’s now getting the 382 horsepower V8 version.”
I’m sure Katie Couric is feeling the pinch at the pump, though.
More like, feeling a pinch in the rump, Dave. Or maybe a punch in the head.
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2007 12 29 at 12:52 PM • permalinkCorrect me if I’m mistaken, but I’m rather certain the Toyota Tundra is not a “big luxury Sport Utility”, but a mere pickup truck.
(Of course, ALL new pickups are “luxury” compared to 20 years ago…)Posted by Spiny Norman on 2007 12 29 at 01:07 PM • permalinkWhen they make a SUV flex-fuel vehicle that will run on whale blubber, I’ll buy one.
Posted by Mystery Meat on 2007 12 29 at 01:16 PM • permalinkssssshhhh… hear that? Those distant screams, punctuated by sharp popping sounds?
Liberal heads exploding. Gotta love it.
Posted by Steve Skubinna on 2007 12 29 at 01:28 PM • permalinkI’ve been visiting the in-laws in suburban Chicago. Nice, middle-class neighborhood. There are enough Christmas lights (still on, mind you) to light the runways at O’Hare for the next decade or so.
I’ll believe people are worried about the economy when I see the Christmas lights fail to suck up terawatts of power during the Christmas season (which appears around here to run from just after Thanksgiving to Russian New Year’s Day [Jan 13th] at least).
Seriously, folks are burning serious amounts of Gaia-rapping elctrical power (well, quite a lot of it here comes from nukes, but . . .) just to light up ginormous Christmas decorations. Some of those setups must equal or exceed their normal light/heat bills.
Posted by JorgXMcKie on 2007 12 29 at 01:48 PM • permalink#2 That will be in a long time. Then we can synthesize gasoline from oil shale and coal. By which time, in a couple of hundred years, we’ll probably have come up with a new fuel source.
Otherwise we’re all doomed, DOOMED I TELL YOU, DOOMED.
(Runs around in circles waving arms in the air)
Posted by Wimpy Canadian on 2007 12 29 at 02:39 PM • permalink#9 Steve Skubinna
ssssshhhh… hear that? Those distant screams, punctuated by sharp popping sounds?
Liberal heads exploding. Gotta love it.
::pop::
Damnit! There goes another one! Who’s gonna claen up this mess?!?
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2007 12 29 at 04:03 PM • permalinkMy goddess-pounding, earth-banging, gas-guzzling babes.
Posted by rightwingprof on 2007 12 29 at 04:25 PM • permalinkThere is one small error in the ‘big, powerful cars’ link. The V8 in the VE Commodore range is not 5.7 litres. It’s 5.967 litres (= 364 cubic Seppo inches).
I’ve enjoyed mine for 6 months now and have no trouble paying for the fuel at $1.30/L. I’ve just stopped Mrs Skeeter from buying bottled water at $5/L and she has gone back to drinking tap water at $0/L.
The one disappointment with the car is that it’s not all that good at Gaia-raping. On a recent trip from SEQ to Sydney’s Blue Mountains, it burnt a piffling 10.8 L/100km (21.8 Seppo mpg) for the whole trip.
Big engines are not the gas-guzzlers that the moonbats claim them to be.And there isn’t a thing the KRudd Government will do about it. Big Australian cars are made by big Australian unionists who contribute a slice of their pay to the Labor coffers via union dues.
Haven’t bought an Australian made car since 1982 - it leaked like a sieve, just like three previous Australian-made cars.
#16 Contrail: You might like to give Australian-made cars another try — they have improved considerably over recent years. I have been happy with consecutive Subarus for ten years but am very pleased with the build of the VE Calais V. Without doubt the best car I have ever owned and no sign of leaks.
My 1994 Commodore is still rain-proof but I must admit that the 1984 Holden one-tonner leaks a bit around the windscreen. It drips on the passenger’s foot so it’s no real worry to me.#7 my brother has the misfortune to work for a NSW City Council as a building inspector. As his work requires a lot of driving, he has a vehicle as part of his salary package, although he does have to pay $85 p/w for the vehicle. Previously it has been a 4wd dual cab with canopy. But now they are planning on going down to a corolla or some such. The headline reason is AGW (love to see how the corolla will fare on the back paddock driveways behind Nimbin) but apprently a major reason is because the current crop of dual cabs look too flash for a council vehicle.
#17
It drips on the passenger’s foot so it’s no real worry to me.
Would that be like water torture to the passenger? Cruel and unusual I say!
I have had two Japanese made cars, Daihatsus. First was a dream. Second had a problem with the front end… something wasn’t right with it steering wise. My last and current car is a Toyota made in Aus. mechanically it’s been great, but the body work was shoddy.
My Dad used to admire the Japanese made Toyotas for their workmanship, they were always perfectly aligned and no panels stood proud. Mum and Dad had several Toyotas over the years.By the way, kudos for the vintage Cracker. I liked them a lot better in the old days when they were less serious. Now I think I need to listen to Dr. Bernice.
Posted by Steve Skubinna on 2007 12 29 at 08:32 PM • permalink$1.30/L
Yow! Gas here yesterday was $3.009 a gallon.
Posted by rightwingprof on 2007 12 30 at 06:38 AM • permalink
Page 1 of 1 pages
Members:
Login | Register
| Member List
...as people realize that the difference between $1.50/gal and $3.00/gal still isn’t that big a bite out of the family budget, especially if you cut back on a couple cups of Starbucks. And, they were expecting to pay $1200 for that new bigscreen TV, but discovered they were down to $899. Oh, yeah, and they realized that gas cost wasn’t that big a factor when they were able to pop $35,000 for a new car.
I’m sure Katie Couric is feeling the pinch at the pump, though.