Consumers say FU to SUVs

Is there Anything we would not stoop to?

By Pixel at October 5, 2005 at 4:46 am. Filed in advocacy, world

This makes me happy in the pants:

Sales of the perennial best-selling SUV, the Ford Explorer, dropped by 58% compared with September 2004. Its larger kin, the Ford Expedition, which gets 14 mpg in city driving, saw sales drop 61%. Ford stopped producing its even larger SUV, the Excursion, last month.
GM’s full-size SUVs, due to be replaced with more fuel-efficient models next year, fell 56%. Sales of its Hummer H2– so heavy it doesn’t fall under the EPA’s fuel-mileage ratings system — were off by 31%, but the brand’s smaller new SUV, the H3, is off to a brisk start. It’s rated at 16 mpg in city driving.
Toyota moved 46% fewer of its immense Sequoia sport-utilities, rated at 15 mpg city, and sales of its smaller SUVs were off sharply as well. Sales of Honda’s largest SUV, the Pilot, fell 26%. Nissan sold 20% fewer of its 13-mpg Armadas.

The fact that this is a question makes me suicidal in the pants:

Whether the September sales shift represents a sea change in consumer habits is still unknown. While Toyota, Honda and Ford are selling every hybrid-electric vehicle they can make, sales of full-size SUVs still dwarf that output.

And this makes me want to cry and kill some kittens (no sick internet referrence intended)… in the pants:

A September survey by AARP found 47% of the members it surveyed cutting back on travel and 39 percent visiting family and friends less often. Thirteen percent of the respondents even said they were offsetting high gasoline prices by eating less, and a like number were cutting back on medical care and prescriptions.

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Once again you’ve spoken my mind. Are you like telepathic or something? Or do you have a satelite uplink into my brain? Are you working with the communists? Damn you, damn you all.

Aeger thought on Wednesday, 5 October, 2005 #
usa

My parents were trying to sell their Ford Expedition a month ago and weren’t able to get much. Hopefully people will buy more hybrids. I think the toyota prius is actually pretty nice myself.

Delta thwacks on Saturday, 8 October, 2005 #
usa