tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post1989693774978933355..comments2024-01-15T12:16:41.302+00:00Comments on HousingPANIC - The Housing Bubble Blog with an Attitude Problem, 2005 - 2008: Are you ready for the Great Oil Bubble Implosion?bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06585266242070350399noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-28083125277815780102008-06-21T13:26:00.000+01:002008-06-21T13:26:00.000+01:00I used to live in a a city, where the land is comp...I used to live in a a city, where the land is completely flat and it never snowed. I moved to rural mountainous area where it snows every year.<BR/><BR/>In that city, at least half the vehicles on the road were SUVs and pickups. Mostly 2WD variety. Status symbols that never touched dirt or a load of manure.<BR/><BR/>Out here, there are lots of economical cars and the trucks you do see are genuine work vehicles that need 4WD, carry manure, firewood, livestock, and that sort of thing.<BR/><BR/>Its the city/suburb folk who think they 'need' a truck because it is 'safer' (check some actual stats on that and get back with me), their image or whatever.<BR/><BR/>Funny how in an area where a 4wd is more useful, I see a lot of FWD cars boogying around in snow with no problem<BR/><BR/>Anyone who says a 2wd SUV is needed for inclement weather is FOS. They are as useless as a lips on a chicken.<BR/><BR/>Foothiller<BR/>Proud owner of a 1982 F100 work truck that only runs when its 8' bed is full of something. Who drives a 60 mpg motorcycle or a 45 mpg car when not hauling anything heavy. Need a truck my assAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-41216275609716836472008-06-19T05:04:00.000+01:002008-06-19T05:04:00.000+01:00Reality,Thanks for the birthday wishes and your re...Reality,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the birthday wishes and your response.<BR/><BR/>Given the cost advantage to these higher effiency cars couldn't someone design a scrubber to remove these NOx emissions? Even if it came through a water based system that is later chemically neutralized?<BR/><BR/>I didn't know that about how many gallons of diesel comes out of a barrel of oil. But then again when oil is fractionally distilled there are many grades of the product so it will produce kerosene, diesel, high volatile gas, etc. So it would only make a big difference if all cars were diesel but you could easily ramp up more diesel engines.<BR/><BR/>Good discussion.<BR/><BR/>-MikeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-11512107959537380072008-06-18T21:42:00.000+01:002008-06-18T21:42:00.000+01:00Mike,Happy Birth Day!530d and 520d are not in the ...Mike,<BR/><BR/>Happy Birth Day!<BR/><BR/>530d and 520d are not in the US because they can not pass the emission test.<BR/><BR/>Mondeo getting better fuel mileage than 520d goes to show that there's really nothing special about BMW's diesel engines.<BR/><BR/>Diesel engines for the US market suffer from two obstacles:<BR/><BR/>(1) emission standards; diesel emission is worse than gasoline with higher NOx output due to higher combustion temperature, the same high combustion temperature that produces better fuel economy<BR/><BR/>(2) Diesel fuel is substantially more expensive than gasoline because a barrel of oil can produce about 23 gallons of gasoline, but only 12 gallons of diesel. There's more use for diesel and kerosene than gasoline; such as heating, electricity generation and jet aircrafts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-18525471560478985312008-06-18T20:30:00.000+01:002008-06-18T20:30:00.000+01:00Houses are assetsOil, gold, corn etc are commoditi...Houses are assets<BR/><BR/>Oil, gold, corn etc are commodities<BR/><BR/>Well gold is money too<BR/><BR/>The point is, there is so much more land to develop for housing. As it vast areas, able to house billions and billions more. <BR/><BR/>However oil, metals, arable land is not.<BR/><BR/>Another counter argument for cyclical crowds is that credit is not money. And credit creation will soon reach Quadrillion dollars (with Q). This has been going on for nearly 30 years.<BR/><BR/>What gives? Do you really think governments will tighten the belt, raise rates etc.<BR/><BR/>Maybe in words and for show.<BR/><BR/>In reality, after brief deflation (read period of drawing weak hands and amassing hard assets) , there will be massive inflation - to the tune of at least 10 years, closer to 20 probably.<BR/><BR/>Yes housing will be reflated, that OC house will be million bucks again. Wage inflation will come back. Gallon of milk will be $20.<BR/><BR/>Sad for savers but true. Governments will not risk their own demise and uprising just to save a few savers, and risk tens of millions lose their homes.<BR/><BR/>If you buy commodities short term (meaning months to a few years again), you will not sleep well at night.<BR/><BR/>But if you're thinking 5 years +, then you will simply preserve your wealth with hard assets.<BR/><BR/>If you want to make a profit, go to work and start making money.<BR/><BR/>Days of easy profits are gone.<BR/><BR/>You will be lucky to preserve purchasing power and what you have.<BR/><BR/>Some people predict gold will pull back. Maybe in short term. But gold is absolutely nothing.<BR/><BR/>Gold is just a barometer of inevitable political moves by central banks, long term. Otherwise, completely useless.<BR/><BR/>Other commodities, such as silver, platinum, oil, corn etc are worth something to us in our daily lives.<BR/><BR/>Recent spikes are more a reflection of coming political (and economical) moves of inflation than anything else.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-24441284669819169982008-06-18T16:07:00.000+01:002008-06-18T16:07:00.000+01:00It's my birthday today... turning 35. I hope to s...It's my birthday today... turning 35. I hope to see the next 35 years! .. and even 35 more years after that, health permitting...<BR/><BR/>Party on HP'ers.<BR/><BR/>-MikeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-77905586782184219342008-06-18T16:04:00.000+01:002008-06-18T16:04:00.000+01:00Keefer,Did you see the start up companies that are...Keefer,<BR/><BR/>Did you see the start up companies that are bio-engineering microbes to produce petroleum:<BR/><BR/>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4133668.ece<BR/><BR/>In a sense all oil reserves we have came from plant matter that was on the earth, in that sense burning these hydrocarbons would make us carbon neutral to what was in the atmosphere when these plants were alive... if we can use plants and microbes to produce oil then we have a renewable closed system. Again we are using the suns power as the source so nothing changes there. The only caveat is that we need to get the ability to convert cellulose based plant matter to petroleum, I'm highly skeptical of using sugar and other foodstuffs to make fuel... too much like the current crisis we are in now.<BR/><BR/>Everyone please sound off on your thoughts here.<BR/><BR/>-MikeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-69271231332638685612008-06-18T15:42:00.000+01:002008-06-18T15:42:00.000+01:00Reality,Regarding your comments about cars in the ...Reality,<BR/><BR/>Regarding your comments about cars in the UK I must correct you. I was in Manchester for business and drove the company BMW 520d (5 speed) to Newcastle and back... the car was phenomenally fast for a diesel- 2nd gear was a scream... I'd say 0-60 in about 8.5 seconds (good enough for me) and I averaged 43 Miles per gallon, not imperial gallons mind you since I paid for fuel in liters and divided by 3.78 to get US Gallons. The math is correct and the cars put what we have in the US to shame, BIG TIME.<BR/><BR/>I rented a Ford Mondeo ... a bloody Ford for crying out loud. It was a diesel 6 speed manual. Heavy car but fairly quick (a bit slower than the BMW but it really had some nice pulling power). I was cruising at 80 MPH in 6th gear with the engine turning 2500 RPM. The car averaged 52 Miles per gallon (again using liters and converting to US gallons). End of story, the US can have these cars now and I'm so surprised there isn't more news on this.<BR/><BR/>-MikeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-58959006252821217272008-06-18T14:52:00.000+01:002008-06-18T14:52:00.000+01:00Realty:Adapting is the key to survival. With 1 lit...Realty:<BR/><BR/>Adapting is the key to survival. With 1 liter of regular unleaded gas costing usd 2.50 i´ve adapted my civic to run both on gas or autogas (liquefied petroleum gas). The result was a 5-10% decrease on power but 60% less on fuel costs (assuming I only run it on autogas). Thats a pretty nice trade off, dont you think? Do you have autogas in the US?<BR/><BR/>PJAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-8930275999947896592008-06-18T14:20:00.000+01:002008-06-18T14:20:00.000+01:00Realty:Its a good thing that all those v6 and v8 a...Realty:<BR/><BR/>Its a good thing that all those v6 and v8 are getting replaced by smaller engines, and that was my point from the start. I know that american car makers are trying to cope with rising gas prices. The Ford Focus has been aroun in europe for years, now available in the US, wich I think it makes sense. Also, Opel (saturn I think inthe US) now offers the Astra model (very popular here) with a 1.6 liter engine. I think that's the easiest way for you to cope with high gas prices, until something better appears.<BR/><BR/>I gave the example of BMW, VW and Audi becuase they are the most known european cars in the US. And they sell you those cars because thats what the american consumer wants, due to the market segment they aim. I don´t think that the american market is a priority for these brands.<BR/>It´s good news that the american public is responding to the oil crisis by rationalzing the use of fuels, switching to less powerful but more energy efficient cars.<BR/><BR/>I think its more important getting form point A to B, safely and cheaply rather than having lots of torque or performance. The faster you go, the more expensive the ride is.<BR/><BR/>In Europe we and car makers have adapted to our reality. We pay huge taxes on fuel wich in turn forced us to rationalize the use of fuels. Therefore, car makers developed more frugal engines. We even have a VW that uses 3 liters of diesel every 50 miles. Thats less than a gallon every 50 miles.<BR/>Also, the Smart Mcc car is an example of a practical city car thats cheap, reliable and economical.<BR/>It's all about keeping an open mind (not believing that the miata and prius aren't real or manly cars) and being able to adapt (as you have been doing for the past 200 and something years).<BR/>It has happened after the 1970's oil crisis and will happen again.<BR/><BR/>Btw, Hondas are very economical cars indeed, and well built. As a Civic owner if he's happy with its fuel economy.:)<BR/>And to someone who said: "People who don't appreciate V6 engines have no business driving. Go take the bus since you know nothing about cars."<BR/><BR/>Well, dont go whining on fuel costs then. And why do I need a V6 if I can´t go over 60 miles per hour? I´ll save a seat on the bus for you when gas prices get to high.<BR/>And btw, Its easy to build a huge engine, but its an art to build a small engine that is as powerful as a v6.<BR/><BR/>My point is not saying that you shouldn´t drive cars with big engines, but to tell you that there are fairly easy ways to save on gas. If you want to drive a large car, fine with me beacuse im not directly affected by riseng gas prices, but the you must be prepared to pay the price.<BR/><BR/>Cheers!<BR/><BR/>PJAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-601972952131430122008-06-18T12:35:00.000+01:002008-06-18T12:35:00.000+01:00I just got back from out west. Spoke to two oil gu...I just got back from out west. Spoke to two oil guys who should know. FWIW, both said there are large, untapped reserves of oil and gas. I'm a peak oiler, and other oil industry people I've spoken with are less optimistic. What they were talking about was shale oil and some resources that have recently been blocked from exploration, but still.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-78810176702225905892008-06-18T03:31:00.000+01:002008-06-18T03:31:00.000+01:00"Just 4 models? "PJ, you are coming across like a ..."Just 4 models? "<BR/><BR/>PJ, you are coming across like a redneck American who thinks Portugese still ride on donkeys for transportation. I gave you a long list of popular 4-cylinder cars in the US; it was by no means a complete list. The top selling car in the US this past month was Civic and Corolla!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-61985363711015605652008-06-18T03:28:00.000+01:002008-06-18T03:28:00.000+01:00PJ,Seeing that you are in Portugal, it's not reall...PJ,<BR/><BR/>Seeing that you are in Portugal, it's not really fair to thrash you on debating cars in America. I have no idea what propaganda is being fed to Europeans nowadays about America, but here's a hint: I4 Camry and Accord outsell their V6 models by about 3:1 in the US. <BR/><BR/>Audi, BMW and MB are the ones peddling only big engines in the US, not the doemstics. Because the Germans are not competitive at the low to mid segments of they market at all. They are barely competitive in the high price range, where there's more money than common sense. Like I mentined before, none of the wagons from Audi, BMW and MB can come close to the fuel efficiencies offered by some of the SUV's offered by the likes Toyota and Honda in the US market. <BR/><BR/>Use in the taxi fleet doesn't mean jack about reliability. Taxis are rolling parts bins that get maintained and repaired regularly. Crown Victoria is not a realible car for consumer by any stretch of imagination . . . however, if you blow a gasket, you can have the engine fixed or replaced this very afternoon, because there are parts all over the place. The same logic holds for those MB taxis in Europe. 1 million miles doesn't mean squat because if you are willing to replace every item in the car and maintain it religiously, any car can run forever, including the original model T. Reliabilty for conumer means reliaibity when only minial attention is given, and no one liter of engine oil every 5000km, either; the VW Rabbit probably has to have oil level check every month, lest oil runs low after a couple thousand kilometers, and the engine self-destructs as a result. That's not reliability.<BR/><BR/>530d is way more polluting than most V8 engines in the US. That's what being illegal due to emission means. Some V8 engines are actually very clean as far as emission is concerned, cleaner than even hybrids. BTW, American V6 engines are also very fuel efficient for their displacement; they are usually lighter than German engines that have smaller displacement.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-78292332915289684392008-06-18T01:31:00.000+01:002008-06-18T01:31:00.000+01:00I used to buy the whole peak oil thing for a while...I used to buy the whole peak oil thing for a while,but I did a lot of research on oil and alternative fuels a came to the conclusion that current oil prices are a huge bubble,nothing more than wall street making back all the money lost in the sub-prime bubble by creating panics in commodities.<BR/><BR/>car makers will be damned if they will let some wall street hack hurt their sales for too long.as a result Toyota is rolling out all electric cars by 2010.<BR/><BR/>a small company in the united states has solved the problem of car batteries being drained too fast when you accelerate too fast thus enabling batteries to get far better millage per charge.<BR/><BR/>and if you don't like electric then you'll love algae diesel. no longer created in ponds which limited production.algae,depending on the system that is used to create it,can produce anywhere from 30,000 to 180,000 gallons of oil per acre per year versus corn which can only produce 18-20 per acre per year.<BR/><BR/>best of all is that most of this new technology is being created right here in the U.S. of A!<BR/><BR/><BR/>$200 a barrel? nah!<BR/>$10 a gallon? never!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-5343039432092860652008-06-18T01:10:00.000+01:002008-06-18T01:10:00.000+01:00Miata = GaymobileMiata = GaymobileAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-53496690549467711872008-06-18T01:09:00.000+01:002008-06-18T01:09:00.000+01:00People who don't appreciate V6 engines have no bus...People who don't appreciate V6 engines have no business driving. Go take the bus since you know nothing about cars.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-20552527734586369302008-06-18T00:48:00.000+01:002008-06-18T00:48:00.000+01:00Meanwhile, Brazil, a third world country, is build...Meanwhile, Brazil, a third world country, is building its 3rd Nuclear Plant, found 2 more oil fields offshore to drill, and began exporting cheap sugar ethanol to Japan.<BR/><BR/>Hey, but gays can get married in California; that's what it matters, right?<BR/><BR/>Our country is doomed!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-77810814008480108002008-06-17T22:56:00.000+01:002008-06-17T22:56:00.000+01:00"And to the guy who asked if American cars exist w..."And to the guy who asked if American cars exist with a 4cyl engine...are you high? Ford Focus. Chevy Malibu. Dodge Caliber. Chevy Aveo. Ring any bells? Really man, try to get out in the real world sometime you'll be amazed what you find."<BR/>===================================<BR/>Just 4 models? Wasn´t the PT cruiser phased out? How many people do you know who drives one of the cars on the list? Whats their weight on total car sales? <BR/>From someone who says that driving a miata or a prius isn´t manly... the miata is a joy to drive (as recognized worldwide) and the prius is confortable and economic. Both of them get you from point a to point b fast and safe.<BR/>There are alternatives, you know? There are cheaper ways of motoring. We have been doing this for years in Europe. The US are worldwide known for their terrible use of energy.(this is not an anti american thing ok? just a fact).<BR/>When things change, we have to change and adapt. Why are you so resistant to the idea of smaller engines? Cheers<BR/><BR/>PJAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-91178725172715955502008-06-17T22:45:00.000+01:002008-06-17T22:45:00.000+01:00Realty:"Chevy Aveo, Colbalt, HHR, MalibuChrysler P...Realty:<BR/><BR/>"Chevy Aveo, Colbalt, HHR, Malibu<BR/>Chrysler PTCruiser, Sebring<BR/>Ford Focus, Escape, Ranger"<BR/>===================================<BR/><BR/>True, but how many of them are ont he roads, compared to how many v6 and v8? (btw, the Caliber in europe has a VW engine).<BR/><BR/>You wish. The engine in the old Crown Vic (no longer available for sale to public) was a OHV V8 that was optimized for ease of maintenance (taxi fleets are rolling parts bins). The one in the HSE is a DOHC V8, completely different engine, about 20 years of difference in terms of automobile engine technology.<BR/><BR/>==================================<BR/><BR/>Still, an oversized engine and although technology made them more efficient, they use up lots of gas. Remebmer, the same technology has made smaller engines more powerful and more eficient.The point of this discussion is finding alternatives to save on gas.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Nonsense. The statement might had some truth to it back in the 80's, compared to the completely atrocious domestics back then. Nowadays, Audi, BMW and Mercedes are butts of jokes in terms of reliatibility. In terms of fuel efficiency, they pay huge fines to EPA every year because their fleets do not meet the fleet fuel average mandate. Just to give you a hint how bad the Germans are, here are their base model mid-size sedans in comparison to the top sellers in the mid-size segment:<BR/><BR/>Audi A6 255hp 18/27mpg<BR/>BMW 528i 230hp 18/27mpg<BR/>MB E350 268hp 17/24mpg<BR/>Toyota CamryV6 268hp 19/28mpg<BR/>Honda AccordV6 268hp 19/29mpg<BR/><BR/>==================================<BR/>Have to disagree on MB, Audi and BMW being rubish. I don´t know what are you getting over there, perhaps they are like mexican and brazilian made VW wich are rolling pieces of crap. Here in portugal, most cabs are Mercedes Benz, chosen for their proven reliability, cheap parts and labour and tank like build. I´ve seen MBs with over one million kms having their engine opened up for the first time. I have a 20 years old VW Golf/Rabbit Cabriolet that runs perfectly. Unfortunatly I don´t know about american made cars because they use up so much gas that they left the market in the 60's over here. Why not an Accord with 1.8 liter engine? I´ve driven some and they are very nice cars.<BR/>Also, the models you list are directed for the american market, but the question remains, why do you need an every day car with over 250 bhp? Why not a smaller engine car (more frugal on gas)? <BR/><BR/>Yes, there is indeed life beyond big block engines . . . however the three German brands sell nothing but big block or turbo charged engines. Turbo charging increase the effective displacement (fuel charge requirement) per stroke by about 40%. American preference for larger displacement also has a lot to do with the way the roads are laid out; we have intersections instead of rotaries; ===================================<BR/><BR/>They sell big block and TC engines because thats what the market demands. They do have other engines. And the market demands that because fuel is dirt cheap over there.<BR/>We have to stop entering rotaries here unless its late at night and theres no traffic (wich tends to be hellish in europe). <BR/><BR/>accelearation from a dead stop without clutch dumping like a crazy boy racer is important.<BR/>==================================<BR/>One of the ways to save fuel is by changing driving habits. Do you really have to fast accelerate? I thought that traffic police over there was pretty srict... And you don´t need to dump the clutch on normal driving. (and as most cars in america are automatic, theres no clutch to be dropped;))<BR/>Oh, and the 320d is a diesel engine. but i bet it pollutes less than a v8;)<BR/><BR/>Nice replies BTW, just trying to help you guys save money on gas. Believe me, over here, we are experts on it;)<BR/><BR/>PJAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-46584239498594958242008-06-17T20:07:00.000+01:002008-06-17T20:07:00.000+01:00oh come on keith. i think most of the demand is re...oh come on keith. i think most of the demand is real. sure there is some speculation. but when you have india, china, and brazil coming on line with economies going like gangbusters, guess what. unless you find more oil, the price will go up. i have never seen the price of gas go down in price more or less. it won't this time. when i was stationed in germany in 1972, the price of a gallon of gas even then was about $3.50 a gallon. so now it is over $4.00/gallon here in the states. there is no question in my mind, that we are headed north, not south my friend. believe that bubble nonsense if you want, but those fairytales of this being a bubble are only believed by those who want to believe in wishful thinking. then someone says. well what about demand destruction? well what about it? listen folks, what happens here really doesn't matter that much anymore. we can stop driving. sure. but the price will not go down. because the same people who own the banking system own the oil companies. they want more per gallon for their gas and they will get it. the only thing that will stop them is a rebellion, plain and simple.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-24761827528189560682008-06-17T18:51:00.000+01:002008-06-17T18:51:00.000+01:00I concur. Any man driving a Prius is not right. Sa...I concur. Any man driving a Prius is not right. Same goes with a Miata.<BR/><BR/>I'm not saying you should drive an F250. But come one people, a fucking Prius? Sure you can do a little better.<BR/><BR/>And to the guy who asked if American cars exist with a 4cyl engine...are you high? Ford Focus. Chevy Malibu. Dodge Caliber. Chevy Aveo. Ring any bells? Really man, try to get out in the real world sometime you'll be amazed what you find.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-64304540167333187482008-06-17T18:45:00.000+01:002008-06-17T18:45:00.000+01:00Look pal, the dot-com bubble was soaring stock pri...Look pal, the dot-com bubble was soaring stock prices for companies that had nothing more then web sites, in some cases. A bubble based on vapor.<BR/><BR/>The housing bubble became a bubble because too many houses got built, and interest rates and lending standards were relaxed too much.<BR/><BR/>Gold, silver and oil are REAL, TANGIBLE THINGS of which there is a LIMITED SUPPLY. Rising prices on these things simply reflects insane inflation that is based on insane money creatio<BR/><BR/>============================<BR/><BR/>Oh a limited supply....like 'they can't build any more land'?<BR/><BR/>MoronAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-9163983261468036432008-06-17T17:58:00.000+01:002008-06-17T17:58:00.000+01:00Gordon Gecko laughing is a$$ off at 99% of America...Gordon Gecko laughing is a$$ off at 99% of Americans. <BR/><BR/>Traders are running America now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-1946388723373939562008-06-17T17:50:00.000+01:002008-06-17T17:50:00.000+01:00Max in Wa,"Seriously, every HS kid needs a low pow...Max in Wa,<BR/><BR/>"Seriously, every HS kid needs a low powered car he can smash into stuff -- you learn stuff and don't do any damage."<BR/><BR/>If that's your ideal world, I'd rather drive a heavy SUV, so those pimply faced idiots can bounce off my car when they are having "more fun than they can shake a stick at."<BR/><BR/>"snow driving does not take a big 4x4. 4wd helps you get going, but it really doesn't save your butt if you take a corner too fast on ice."<BR/><BR/>That must be why AWD cars always win the rally races, despite their extra weight. LOL. AWD helps you up a slippery hill. A good AWD system also helps aportion torque appropriately among wheels so the ones having grip get the power and keep you driving where you are pointed.<BR/><BR/>"That's why so many inexperienced 4x4 drivers end up in the ditch."<BR/><BR/>That's why they need to spend more time with their 4x4's to gain experience; and get a good AWD system, not a crappy one.<BR/><BR/>"What actually makes a difference in winter driving is your tires."<BR/><BR/>That's such a load of tripe. Of course tires matter. However, studded tires are not legal in most states; whereas good snow tires burn up rapidly on dry asphalt and lose their 10% silicate layer thereby cutting their snow bite ability in half. Yes, only the first 3k miles of the top rated dedicated snow tires give you the top rated performance; after that, you are back to the decades-old soft rubber technology. So would you like to switch tires every 3 months in winter?<BR/><BR/>"Now I live in an area with rare snow."<BR/><BR/>Then you are not exactly the authority on snow driving now, are you?<BR/><BR/>"I giggle when I pass SUVs in the ditch."<BR/><BR/>Whereas I have helped out quite a few car drivers who were caught in sudden snow storms.<BR/><BR/>"Besides that, a set of snows on rims costs way less than an SUV and it only takes 30-40 minutes to change them out."<BR/><BR/>AWD options on many light SUV's cost only a couple thousand dollars. Good snow tires are $150 each, and they are only good for 5-10k miles . . . whereas the AWD system lasts the life of the vehicle. Not everyone has a shop jack in the house. The emergency jacks that come with cars are nearly useless; it would take hours just to replace one wheel with those.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-39451578233146616032008-06-17T17:26:00.000+01:002008-06-17T17:26:00.000+01:00PJ,"does any american brand makes 4 cyl. engines?"...PJ,<BR/><BR/>"does any american brand makes 4 cyl. engines?"<BR/><BR/>Yes. <BR/><BR/>Chevy Aveo, Colbalt, HHR, Malibu<BR/>Chrysler PTCruiser, Sebring<BR/>Ford Focus, Escape, Ranger<BR/><BR/>That's just off the top of my head.<BR/> <BR/>"But how can you be educated in this matter when fords taxi cab fleet has a 4.6 V8 engine? The same engine Range Rover used on their most expensive and powerful model, the HSE?"<BR/><BR/>You wish. The engine in the old Crown Vic (no longer available for sale to public) was a OHV V8 that was optimized for ease of maintenance (taxi fleets are rolling parts bins). The one in the HSE is a DOHC V8, completely different engine, about 20 years of difference in terms of automobile engine technology.<BR/><BR/>"Audi, BMW and Mercedes also manufacture some of the most reliable and fuel efficient vehicules."<BR/><BR/>Nonsense. The statement might had some truth to it back in the 80's, compared to the completely atrocious domestics back then. Nowadays, Audi, BMW and Mercedes are butts of jokes in terms of reliatibility. In terms of fuel efficiency, they pay huge fines to EPA every year because their fleets do not meet the fleet fuel average mandate. Just to give you a hint how bad the Germans are, here are their base model mid-size sedans in comparison to the top sellers in the mid-size segment:<BR/><BR/>Audi A6 255hp 18/27mpg<BR/>BMW 528i 230hp 18/27mpg<BR/>MB E350 268hp 17/24mpg<BR/><BR/>Toyota CamryV6 268hp 19/28mpg<BR/>Honda AccordV6 268hp 19/29mpg<BR/><BR/>The I4 and hybrid versions from the Toyota and Honda are even more fuel efficient.<BR/><BR/>"Check out their websites in the UK. A BMW 320 D has over 150 Hp while getting almost 50 mpg."<BR/><BR/>The car is not emission-legal in the US. BTW, those are Imperial Gallons (nearly 20% more than US gallons), and the testing methods are entirely different.<BR/><BR/>"There is life beyond big block engines. And this is not and anti american thing. I just dont understand why on earth do you need v6 and v8 engines to go shopping."<BR/><BR/>Yes, there is indeed life beyond big block engines . . . however the three German brands sell nothing but big block or turbo charged engines. Turbo charging increase the effective displacement (fuel charge requirement) per stroke by about 40%. American preference for larger displacement also has a lot to do with the way the roads are laid out; we have intersections instead of rotaries; accelearation from a dead stop without clutch dumping like a crazy boy racer is important.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-72743373057287366652008-06-17T16:41:00.000+01:002008-06-17T16:41:00.000+01:00Great Oil Bubble Implosion, my ass !!!It is the Gr...Great Oil Bubble Implosion, my ass !!!<BR/><BR/>It is the Great Snapper Turtle coming to roost on the Americano stupid fat-ass head that will be the head turner around here.<BR/><BR/>Crude oil will hit $250 U.S Of Snapper-Turtle Shitty Currency by 2010's. By then, how does the Americano will react to this new ? Perhaps burying their muddle fried-burger brain inside their obese-ass will help for a little while.<BR/><BR/>Thus, I am asking you, Newton and Einstein, here a $69,000 question:<BR/><BR/>Is the obese Americano toasted yet ? And if not, when do you people, Joe and Jane of the SHRUB's Ass-Head Clan, think the Americano will be toasted ? Will they be toasted lightly as a marshmellow over a boy scout camp fire or hotly, juicely as a snapper turtle skewered on a green Chinese bamboo stick from head to ass all sizzling nicely, fat popping, juices dripping over a bed of red hot charcoal fire ?<BR/><BR/>Such is the fate of the fat-ass Americano. What a lowdown shame for such a great nation once !<BR/><BR/>George Washington is feeling real bad right now in his tomb...<BR/><BR/>But hey, SHRUB's lovers, you got what you asked for. Satisfaction guarantee from the land of the SHRUBBY and DICKY !!!AndrewHachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05114474456963405679noreply@blogger.com