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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Wow there's a lot of whining here.
Why my family and dog got around in a 2 seater going on 12 hour monthly trips in 5 ft of snow towing a trailer! And let me tell you about school... I walked uphill both ways in snowbanks taller than I was! Did I fail in my "Look at me!" argument?
Oh, and AWD does not equal an SUV. My Audi has quattro and it's far from an SUV.
Anyway, the guy bought an SUV and it doesn't sound like he uses it a lot. I mean, maybe he should've bought a cheaper mtn bike and donated the money saved to Green Peace or whatever too.
...the fine art of packing a car?
My father and his ilk made packing a car for a one week ski trip or trip to the cottage an art form. For them, I think it was a competition. A test of their manliness. A throwdown.
It took a few hours and required careful planning. It required using every inch of available space, and all the while, Mom was covertly adding to the agreed upon heap in the driveway. If it was a ski trip, the cargo carried:
- 2 adults and 3 children
- a large metal cooler full of food
- a large pot full of frozen chili
- 5 pair of skis, poles and ski boots.
- Winter wear and sleeping/lounging clothing for 5
- assorted other clothing for 5
- pillows
- groceries for a week
- several tupperware containers of homebaked treats
- snacks for the 7 hour trip
- a kitchen sink or anything else that would fit if Mom felt we would need it.
- and probably there was a 40 of scotch slipped in there somewhere.
At a certain point in the process, we were required to get in the car so he could strategically pack us in with everything that didn't fit in the car. (don't even think about going to the bathroom) The closer he got to completion, the louder and more colourful was the stream of expletives that left his mouth. We didn't need airbags back then, we couldn't move if we had to. Got rearended in a snowstorm once and the metal cooler and all the other crap in the trunk literally saved our lives.
When we arrived, the car literally exploded open, but on the way back, he did it all over again.
Two kids and some groceries requires an SUV?
Bullshit...learn to pack like a man.
It looks like a biggest vehicle for the least dollar to me - but Mitsubishi vehicles are not the most reliable out there - the pecking order for Japanese vehicles is: Toyota, Honda, Subaru (1st tier), Madza, Nissan (2nd tier) & Mitisubshi, Suzuki (3rd tier). You are going to pay for this decision in extra weird breakdown repairs, in say, 6-8 years, not to mention the steep markdown in value.
I would've paid extra to get the Honda CR-V (3k more, but worth every dime), or a Madza 5 - the coolest minivan out there - based upon the Madza 3, which is a great (and fun) car.
And, you didn't get a SUV (which have truck frames) - or even a crossover (car comfort & design over a tough uni-frame) - you got a station wagon - big tires & shocks over a Lancer uni-frame.
Yeesh - at least be honest in your title. Maybe you should have asked the readers for their experiences before buying - it could have been a contest of sorts.
...are all you need to get around in the snow. After the last "storm of the century" my little snow tire equiped sedan blasted by a number intrepid SUVs that were nose first in the ditch. I live in Canada, in the country, and I have never felt the need to indulge in an SUV.
They aren't safer and they aren't better in the snow and they are useless on ice.
And it was anything but lame, it was a really comfortable, spacious, smooth ride, and had a ton of neat bells and whistles, and it got good mileage.
You know what's lame? After hundreds of years trying to get through the Northwest passage by breaking the ice up, it turns out all we had to do is heat up the planet.
That's right, the Northwest passage is now open, probably open for business pretty soon. Grats on your purchase.
By the way, "Snow" is a lame, lame excuse for an SUV. I live in the snowbelt and drive an Aveo.
Heard of a shovel? They have zero emissions.
Your local tire dealer may also be able to acquaint you with snow tires and chains, interesting inventions that are more effective at gaining traction on snow than large tire diameter and SUV mass, which you may find do not help you much when you lose traction.
I am greatly amused by all this. Your car choice determines next to nothing regarding the future of this planet. And a Mitsubishi? I'd rather cruise around in a big old Econoline van purely for the camp factor; a Mitsubishi SUV is about as bland and invisible vehicle as you can find. And go figure, my dumb little Scion tc has more cabin space than the Infiniti "crossover" FX35, something you just have to see to believe.
Yay Mark - congratulations on your new car/SUV/whatever! Screw the hippies here who piss and moan about it.
I love the outrage expressed in these letters. Faux-enviros and greenies comparing their "green" cred and dictating which type of vehicle the rest of us needs. Nice.
There should probably be a law dictating exactly what kind of vehicle is appropriate for what type of lifestyle: single, no kids - ride a bike. Childless Couples - tandem bicycle. Couples with 1 kid - tandem with a child seat (in winter climate you are permitted a child seat with a heated cover, but only if it is hand made with natural materials by Native Americans who make a fair wage). Couples with 2 kids are permitted to purchase 1 motorized vehicle per 10 years, provided it leaves zero carbon footprint and is made of 90% biodegradable materials.
Fair enough, greenies?
I drive an SUV, not a big one, but it still gets shitty mileage - about 16MPG. I rarely drive off road. I work at home so I don't even commute. I have 1 kid and 1 dog. Sometimes they even both ride in the truck with me, but not that often. Mostly I drive about 2 miles to the grocery store where I get my stuff in plastic bags (I eat meat, too - the horror!), but sometimes I save them an reuse them for other things like picking up dogshit. I voted for Obama, I don't want to see the Earth burn, glaciers melt, or polar bears floating around on ice floes. But I like my little SUV and I really don't care what you think about it or me.
I might like it more if it got better mileage, but not so much that I would trade it in for a shitty little pseudo-hybrid. The additional cost of a hybrid engine, when available, usually takes years to recoup in terms of the gas $$ saved, so they are not truly economical yet as far as I'm concerned.
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Salon headlines in your mailbox
