Kill the infidel!! Err, I mean, the SUV-drivers!!

[HoreTore]

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0810/p01s01-woeu.html

It's not supposed to be fun to drive an SUV in London anymore... And I can certainly agree with this. Who would drive an SUV in a big city like London anyway?

[Lemur]

I saw more Hummers and Suburbans in New York City than here in the sticks. Seems country people, who have to drive long distances, don't want 10 mpg vehicles that often.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Huzzah! Social engineering strikes again! You will feel as the state dictates.

CR

[PanzerJaeger]

Now people will have to suffer financially due to a politician who has jumped on the bandwagon of the latest environmental fad.. the funny thing is real impact SUVs have on both carbon emissions and oil usage(minimal at best) - and how many cars get terrible gas milage! Lets tax Farraris into extinction next!

[AntiochusIII]

Now people will have to suffer financially due to a politician who has jumped on the bandwagon of the latest environmental fad.. the funny thing is real impact SUVs have on both carbon emissions and oil usage(minimal at best) - and how many cars get terrible gas milage! Lets tax Farraris into extinction next!

Because everybody and their soccer moms have Ferrari's.

You know as well as I do rich people (you know, really rich people. The type to have Ferrari's) are a privileged class.

Me, I just want the damn things off the street because they're obstructing my view. lol

Governments use the power to tax as a regulatory tool all the time. Tobacco industry anyone?

[ajaxfetish]

I agree with the lead time issue. It's not fair to start taxing people at such high rates for something they never knew would be a problem. Give them a year or two to plan for a new car and make a smaller purchase next time.

Ajax

[CrossLOPER]

Now people will have to suffer financially due to a politician who has jumped on the bandwagon of the latest environmental fad.. the funny thing is real impact SUVs have on both carbon emissions and oil usage(minimal at best) - and how many cars get terrible gas milage! Lets tax Farraris into extinction next!

People who have bought a Ferrari obviously have too much money anyway.

[PanzerJaeger]

Well, Farraris were just the first thing that came to my mind. There are plenty of more normal cars on the market with deceptively high gas milage compared to SUVs.

The price of oil already killed the SUV craze a few years ago, this tax just makes life harder on people who already own them and will have for resale value now while they are desperately trying to dump their SUV before these taxes are put in place.

[Tribesman]

Now people will have to suffer financially due to a politician who has jumped on the bandwagon of the latest environmental fad.. the funny thing is real impact SUVs have on both carbon emissions and oil usage(minimal at best) - and how many cars get terrible gas milage! Lets tax Farraris into extinction next!

Since the variable charges are being based on the variable VED which are already based on emmissions for cars as well as SUVs it appears that point is irrelevant . In case you don't get it that mens cars with bad efficiency get charged the same as SUVs with bad efficiency .

I am surprised that more central Londoners havn't bought Taxi licences to get round the charge .

[Mikeus Caesar]

I completely support trying to kill off SUV's through high taxes - not because of the damage they do to the environment (i couldn't care less for the environment) but because of just how stupid they are - when you live in a city like London, with good public transport and fairly small distances to cover, do you really need an absurdly huge vehicle that takes up most of the road to ferry your precious darlings about? Especially a vehicle so big that it guarantees a fatility to any pedestrians it hits, which in London is very dangerous on account of all the pedestrians.

The stupid things make even less sense up here in Yorkshire - if one of those juggernauts is cruising down a country lane and then encounters traffic coming the other way, it's typically the smaller cars that will have to reverse down the entire lane, on account of the fact that the people who usually drive SUV's are typically aggressive, mindless jackasses with no thought for anyone but themselves.

[HoreTore]

PJ, as tribesey said, the tax is on engine size. Put a small 1,6l engine in your SUV, and everything is fine....

[Ronin]

The price of oil already killed the SUV craze a few years ago,

it did?

*looks around*

doesn´t look like it to me.

I hate SUVs....I say we hunt these people down.....

[Husar]

Am I the only one who thinks that SUVs look pretty cool?

[HoreTore]

Am I the only one who thinks that SUVs look pretty cool?

You can't seriously say that you think they look cooler than the other cars you can get in that price range.

Like a Porsche or an Alfa Romeo... Heck, even the Nissan 200SX is way cooler.

[PanzerJaeger]

First SUVs because they're wasteful and unnecessary.... then what? Who needs a BMW with their big engines? Who needs an Aston Martin!?

This is the future, and its not pretty!!!



In all seriousness, cars have always been an avenue of personal expression, and it seems lately there is more of a war on cars than carbon. Read the autoblogs, unnecessary regulations are ripping the heart out of the industry. Some crazy EU poli recently wanted to cap horsepower in the name of the environment..

[Don Corleone]

I'm curious how much Japanese auto manufacturers are paying to the Ken Livingstones of the world (and their campaign funds). It's clear (to me) that this push is being driven by auto manufacturers that want to be able to get a higher margin on crap cars like the Yaris.

[Tribesman]

In all seriousness, cars have always been an avenue of personal expression

Only by people with little personality , hence the well known term "penis extension" .

[Husar]

Only by people with little personality , hence the well known term "penis extension" .

And yes, I'd prefer a Hummer over a Porsche, I mean the hummer can drive over the Porsche, it has more seats, more room, can drive on bad roads without needing repair and can transport a lot more stuff. You try buying some shelves at ikea using a Porsche.

edit: the women should also love it because it shows you're prepared for lots of kids.

[PanzerJaeger]

Only by people with little personality , hence the well known term "penis extension" .

Don't worry, you'll be able to afford a nice car some day.

[Tribesman]

Don't worry, you'll be able to afford a nice car some day.

Yes Panzer
And there was me thinking of wasting my money on some more houses instead , but hey thanks for your worthless advice
What I really want is a car like the richest man in Galway complete with baling twine reinforcement , super rust effect and coathanger arial .

[Bob the Insane]

Living in the US at the moment I started to understand the SUV... One vehicle you can load the whole family and their luggage in and drive a long distance (like 12 hours plus, not even possible back in the UK) in relative comfort across a variety of road types (and road quality)...

But taken out of this setting it quickly starts looking a bit silly. I live and work in Baltimore and seeing someone try to manuevor their Hummer or Expedition or extended pickup into a parking garage is just plain funny...

However the targeting of the SUV is in-appropriate I think. We should be targeting any large vehicles in city environments, which includes the bigger people carriers (caravans in US). I mean look at the Honda Odyssey, not an SUV but that thing is huge!

Personally I have an old Jeep Cherokee. It's easy to drive, the 4WD is useful in winter, it can go anywhere their is a road or track (it is stock, no mods). I take great pains to explain that it is both shorter and narrower than a Ford Focus so works well in the city...

[PanzerJaeger]

Yes Panzer
And there was me thinking of wasting my money on some more houses instead , but hey thanks for your worthless advice
What I really want is a car like the richest man in Galway complete with baling twine reinforcement , super rust effect and coathanger arial .

Riiiight tribesy, you buy those houses. Remember 4 houses plus another gets you a hotel, and updating Boardwalk isn't worth it.

Labeling all of us who enjoy driving dynamics and performance as needing an ego boost makes you look slightly jealous and/or poor.

[Bob the Insane]

There are two reasons to like nice cars... One is to show off and the other is to drive it... I love driving, I always have, ever since I got my license I was the driver not the passenger...

I look at a ferrari and I don't think, "wow, sexy, can't wait for people to see me in this", I do think "wow, I bet that is going to be fantastic to drive"...

[PanzerJaeger]

There are two reasons to like nice cars... One is to show off and the other is to drive it... I love driving, I always have, ever since I got my license I was the driver not the passenger...

I look at a ferrari and I don't think, "wow, sexy, can't wait for people to see me in this", I do think "wow, I bet that is going to be fantastic to drive"...

Exactly...

Im telling you, SUV's first, sports cars next... they want us all driving around in soulless appliances.

[HoreTore]

Labeling all of us who enjoy driving dynamics and performance as needing an ego boost makes you look slightly jealous and/or poor.

Performance. And you said you wanted an SUV...?

You can get a lot of cars with both great performance and low emissions. Just stay clear of the american ones, and you're mostly good.

And for that BMW, as far as I know, every model they make comes with different engine sizes. So you can still drive the coolest looking(not saying much though, BMW is crap) BMW, just pick the cheaper engines.

And if you can't get any performance with a 2l engine, you should whack your car producers for being incompetent. I had an old Audi 80 with a 1.8l engine with 160-ish hp, weighing under 900kg. That's more than enough pull. And certainly more than most, if not all, SUV's around.

I won't classify those enjoying a good, fun engine as people needing an ego boost, but I will most certainly label those driving around in an SUV when they're living in a city as such. And I can't see how that would make me look poor either, because it's not about the money, it's about choices. Look at the price of an SUV. Now take a look around and see what else you get for the same money. I'll happily label the guy who still goes for the SUV an idiot.

[Ser Clegane]

I guess generally referring to large/expensive cars as "penis extensions" and generally assuming that people who oppose fuel gorgeing cars are just "jealous" or "poor" rank pretty much on the same level of childishness.

If you like a big, expensive car - that's pretty much your business. Some people simply have fun driving powerful cars (I personally don't), some have fun doing sports etc. - no reason to generally insult either IMHO (BTW, driving a small car can also be a way of "personal expresson" some people just have fun driving a beetle or a 2CV).
If you have to pay higher taxes or have other increasing expenses for driving a car that uses more fuel, pollutes more and/or tends to clog the crowded streets of a city more than a small car - tough luck. Of course you have the right to complain, but calling it entirely unreasonable or unfair is quite a stretch.

Driving smaller care also does not necessarily have something to do with not being able to afford one. Personally I have no fun driving a car and rather see it as a tool to get from A to B - if I had a larger family to drive around I would probably buy a larger car, but currently we are "dinks" and I rather spend my money on other things.

[PanzerJaeger]

Performance. And you said you wanted an SUV...?

I dont want an SUV, Im just saying people should be able to buy what they want and not have to face completely outrageous taxes like this. Ive driven Range Rovers which are fun and all, but I'm a car guy now.. actually in an S4 now. Audi's are great cars, did you like yours?

[Tribesman]

Riiiight tribesy, you buy those houses. Remember 4 houses plus another gets you a hotel

Well that would be a bit silly Panzer , the tax concessions on hotels ran out at the start of the year , only a muppet would want to invest in one now .
Oh I get it , you were trying to be funny ...oh well it looks like you need more practice .

[HoreTore]

I dont want an SUV, Im just saying people should be able to buy what they want and not have to face completely outrageous taxes like this.

If you drive a big car in a cramped city, you should pay for your behaviour. Same goes for driving a car who eats gas. Oil is running out, if you use many times what you need, you should be penalized.

Ive driven Range Rovers which are fun and all, but I'm a car guy now.. actually in an S4 now. Audi's are great cars, did you like yours?

I liked mine 'till my wheel fell off on the highway...
Don't like the new Audi's(95+) though, they're basically an aluminium box with little of interest inside. I'd much rather drive an Alfa for the same price.

Heck, I'm not even sure I'd trade my 626 for one of them.

[English assassin]

Im just saying people should be able to buy what they want

Why? Why should people be able to buy what they want? Why should I have to put up with wannabe bad boys and yummy mummies blocking up the freaking roads and turning right without checking their mirrors? Why, in fact, should I be reminded that I walk this earth with the sort of dribbling moron who buys a 60K range Rover sport to use in central london? What about MY rights?

You want performance and self expression? Buy a motorbike.