Why Small Cars Are a Smart Buy

Hydrogen Vehicles

This is an area of great interest to me, though I have not heard much about if of late. Hydrogen vehicles use a fuel cell to obtain energy, similar to what was developed for space flight by NASA.

The fuel cell strips electrons from Hydrogen, thereby harnessing energy. The byproducts are water and heat. This solves a lot of problems if it becomes available in mass.

Last I heard, General Motors, who was behind on Hybrid technology, sought to get ahead of the Japanese auto makers by taking the lead with hydrogen technology. Supossedly, GM is supposed to have several hydrogen vehicle models available for purchase in 2010. They have already given several hydrogen Sierra pickup trucks to the military that are supposedly being tested.

Think about the possibilities. If oil became obsolete, or if at least demand for it was significantly diminished, the Middle East loses its leverage and its power. The Saudi's fear this, and that is why I believe you will see oil prices coming back down. There are already reports today of the Prince of Saudia Arabia announcing that their country will increase oil production by 200,000 - 500,000 barrels a day (depending upon whose report is accurate). Rest assured that in every election in the future, we will be talking about the same issue we have discussed for the past several elections....reducing our dependence on foreign oil. It is insincere (politician speak), and that is why we are fed up with our politicians. All they do is talk. They never follow through.

I have done some reading on what has been driving up oil prices. There is a general consensus that oil, which apparently is purchased on speculation, has been the major culprit. The price increases are not justified, and the increased prices are not supply related. The world is not running out of oil, and it won't happen in our lifetime. I would suggest that one not get too caught up in the panic and paranoia that currently exists. For many it probably does not make sense to get rid of your current vehicle for a hybrid. The loss that one might incur by the trade-in of the old vehicle, combined with the high price (spiked by high demand) for economy cars will probably not be offset by the savings at the pump.

Scott of TX @ Jun 15, 2008 18:52:30 PM

Downsizing or buying a smaller sized vehicle is not really a solution to solving gas consumption. To begin with, government has to address the issues first before any car manufacturer can. Issues like mandatory speed limit on roads for example. Bring it back down to 55 mph and people will tend to consume less gas.If you look at your speedometer,you will notice that you have a speed limit of 120 mph. Ask yourself, do you really need all that speed?The highest speed limit on our interstates is probably 75mph and on only a few of them. Most are between 55 and 65mph. Which means that we don't really need all that additional horsepower which actually consumes more gas.What the gov. should do is require these auto manufacturers to install a speed limiter on every vehicle at 75 mph. Secondly, all these added amenities and security items on a vehicle adds so much weight that a vehicle would require more horsepower that it need be to pull its weight from a dead stop.Slow down and there will be less accidents thereby eliminating the need for airbags etc.. which offers a false sense of security anyway.Ban all cellphones when driving,they are usually the cause of the drivers inattentiveness on the road. Next is require car companies to install 6 speed transmissions on all vehicles.Vehicles will tend to run more efficient on lower rpms.Notice that if your vehicle is running below 2000 rpm you tend to achieve 35 to 40% more mileage on the average especially on the interstate. In the 50's and 60's we had three speeds and graduated to 4 speed automatics and 5 speed manuals. We have been stuck there ever since and really paid no attention to it because gas was cheap. Next is stop manufacturing AWD and 4WD.Vehicles tend to waste more gas on this particular feature.The only people that need them are ranchers,farmers and folks that live in the sierras. Most of us live in concrete jungles anyway. The closest you could come to an off road is when you run over your flower bed. All these is simple physics,(lower resistance and less weight ) combined with the government using its brains once in a while and not just giving in to what their lobbyist wants, in order to get elected.

chona ramos of IL @ Jun 15, 2008 18:00:00 PM

large cars and global warming

global warming is something none of us are able to control.the BIBLE book of Revelations states that in the end times the oceans and rivers will dry up.thus causing world wide draught and famine.if all water supplies dry up then this is caused by extreme heat and evaporation.and nothing we do or dont do can change bible proficy.if we all secome to the governing control of fuel pricing and down size our automobiles to something that will kill us in a chain-reaction accident,this is not smart. I looked at a SMART car and the thought of being hit buy a 80,000 pound tractor trailer is frightening.I would not put my loved ones in this kind of potential danger.we do not need smaller cars unless we let the big rigs have their own trucker only roadways. I think that intown vehicles should be like electric golf carts where as we plug them in as we work and go shopping,and park at home.if you want to go long distances you can travel by a larger car or suv.if we all drove golf carts we would not get injured as badly in an accident.you can govern the cart to go a safe speed not over 40 mph.we do not have a gas shortage,we are paying for the war effort and paying for peace and homeland security.we have enough resources in our own country to keep us going for a long time.wake up fellow AMERICANS.and let GOD.

william kirkland of FL @ Jun 15, 2008 17:49:47 PM

RJ of KY,

I love your state (by the way). However, your simplistic explanation of safety is incorrect. It would be nice, if as you assume, you as a driver controlled all of the factors involved in an accident. The truth is, you do not.

Consider for a moment, when the other driver is DWI or DUI, which is, unfortunately, too common. In such cases, you have little to no control. This is a fact. Even if you are a highly skilled driver, great driving reflexes are not always enough.

Scott of TX @ Jun 15, 2008 17:28:24 PM

Why buy a SUV?

Rigen of CO,

I have to respectfully disagree with you. I just bought a pair of Ram 1500 "Hemi" trucks. I got them cheap (thanks to gas paranoia), in the mid-teens on price, and they are still under factory warranty. They ride like Cadillac's. My wife and I are very impressed at the way these trucks suspensions soak up the imperfections in the road. A vehicle's weight has a lot to do with the quality of the ride. That is physics, so heavy vehicles (with the exception of a suspension that was designed for towing extremely heavy loads) will almost always ride better. Room? There is no comparison. I am 6'3" and 260 lbs. I am not fat, I'm just big. I have never been comfortable in a small car. For a smaller person, room is less important.

Let's talk safety. I am a police officer, and have taken a lot of police accident reports. Rollovers, as a percentage of vehicle accidents, are very small. In comparing an SUV to a small car, there is no comparison. That is the honest truth. If you are going to get "T-boned" in an accident, would you rather take the impact upon your upper torso (small car) or upon say your ankles or knees (SUV). This is a legimate question, because trucks and SUV's almost always sit substantially higher. My trucks have no after-market lift, and I almost always have to look down at a small car that is running beside me. I have personally witnessed many lives that I believe were saved because of the protection aforded by being higher. I have witnessed broken ankles or lower legs that might have been blunt trauma to a driver's vitals (heart, lungs, liver, kidney's, etc.) had the driver been in a small car. Finally talk to an insurance man. I have. My agent told me that the reason "liability only" on my truck costs nearly as much as "full collision coverage" is because when a truck collides with a smaller car, and it is the truck driver's fault, the damage to the small car is usually devastatingly expensive. Small cars don't hold up well in accidents, while the trucks damage is often minor. This is consistent with what I have observed in most accidents I have handled. A month ago, I responded to an accident involving a GMC truck and a KIA. The KIA driver suffered massive internal injuries and died. The GMC truck driver suffered broken legs and lived.

I think we have to remember that with vehicles, as with just about anything, there are compromises involved. No one product excels in every area. There are always trade-offs and compromises. This is not the first gas crunch we have been through. Last crisis, people went to smaller vehicles for a while, then went back to their large vehicles when fuel prices dropped. Why? Because while high gas mileage is great, there are trade-offs. These include comfort, ride, safety, etc. Had it not been so, people would have stayed with their smaller vehicles. Every silver lining has a touch of gray.

Scott of TX @ Jun 15, 2008 17:14:57 PM

V6 and small cars

I traded in my 97 Oldsmobile Aurora it had a 'Northstar V8' engine,smooth and fast 250hp loved it but it began to have problems and would just stop on me, The dealer couldn't find the problem. So I traded it in on a V6 Ford Fivehundred awd limited 2006.Love it don't have to use super unlead gas In the Ford like I had to for the Olds.Im getting 21.7 miles to the gallon on the "Ford" but, the Olds got 22 mpg and it was a V8.If it gets worse well I want a VW GTI 1.8t its fast and has 180hp I can deal with that,if a car has under 160hp,I don't want to buy it..besides I just live an exit down from my job so Im in no hurry to get another car.

Justin Sanderson of OH @ Jun 15, 2008 16:51:37 PM

If you can't feed em (or afford gas) don't breed em!!

Yea children take up space and money. Nobody on here wants you to have less children than you feel you need. JUST STOP COMPLAINING! Lots of kids means lots of everything....gas, diapers, food and headaches. I agree that some people need bigger vehicles and thats your problem.

Safety means a well maintained vehicle driven at or below speed limits by a rational driver.....when you crash because you were changing your dvd player, you got what you deserve!! Pay attention to the road and be ready to avoid the idiots out there that think they are being transported in their "living room" and you'll be fine.

Once again 2006 Toyota Rav4 4cyl. 28 in town 35 highway cost 19k new and no trouble at all with 50k on it now.

RJ of KY @ Jun 15, 2008 16:49:16 PM

Good small American car

I bought a new Ford Focus in '06, put over 25,000 miles on it, and it has been a gem. The car is fully loaded, has 16 inch wheels, and is a blast to drive; plenty of power, is fast on the expressway, and has very comfortable seats. It has side airbags, anitlock breaks, and is highy rated in crash tests. I get about 35 mpg on the highway and about 24 mpg in stop-and-go driving.

So even if you drive very long distances (I live in Pa, and Pa is a BIG state), the car is nice to live with. I bought this car for $17,000.

There are very good American cars out there if you want to buy American and union. My only criticism is how long it took Ford to discover that it actually makes a good small car. I have had no problems with it.

I use only the best fuel, and cost me about $35 to fill up. That will last, at least, 250-300 miles.

Even if we drill our own oil, we will have to face this problem. It's not wise for a country to use up all of its natural resources. There is a huge world demand, besides, so even if we do drill, oil will be more expensive. China's and India's demands for oil are going up by double digits, I believe. We will also risk ruining our national parks and environment.

Tom J of PA @ Jun 15, 2008 16:45:58 PM