Cant wait to see faces of SUV drivers

Those of us who own real utility vehicles own them for their safety and ability to move large things, including more people than you can stuff into a Geo Metro. We don't really care what kind of mileage they get. If we did, we wouldn't own them. Given that the average Suburban will last 2 or 3 times as long as a subcompact, and cost substantially less to maintain and repair over its life, the cost is just about even per mile, even at $3-gal.

A few examples: 100,000 miles on a set of brakes, then just replace the pads. Try that with a Cavalier. $30 for a water pump and 45 minutes to install it. Or, $900 on a Cavalier 80,000 miles on a set of tires. 20 minutes to change 8 spark plugs. Several hours and much lost blood on the average minivan to change 6. 250,000 mile engine life if the oil is changed religiously. Yeah, I know there's someone out there with 300,000 miles on their Honda, but MOST of them don't last that long. Pretty much ALL truck engines last much longer than little car engines.

Given the amount energy consumed of pollution produced in the PRODUCTION of a new vehicle, the SUVs don't actually pollute much more than compacts because they last twice as long.

I will personally continue to drive my 12-year-old Suburban, even at over $3 a gallon, with a smile on my face, which you won't be able to see because your rear-view mirror shows only my bumper.

Oh, and before you start the middle-east oil dependency lecture, my 2002 Tahoe burns E-85 (thats 85% Ethanol), so it runs on American corn and only burns gasoline at the equivalent of 126 MPG.

Hope you don't get crushed by a real vehicle.