Plunging Gas Prices Fuel Sharp Rise in Truck, SUV Sales

[SUBMAN1]

Seems to me that Toyota, and not GM, may be the soon to be bankrupt if this keeps up.

http://www.dailytech.com/Plunging+Gas+Prices+Fuel+Sharp+Rise+in+Truck+SUV+S ales/article13792.htm

-S

[longam]

Considering Ford rules in the truck market, the others will have to find something that works for them. Toyota is late to begin with coming into the large truck market and Chevy just went ugly for so long nobody wanted them.

[Zachstar]

Yes they will rise for about 5 mins until gas goes back up.

Toyota will be fine.

[A Very Super Market]

The short-sightedness of consumers astounds me.

[Monica Lewinsky]

I have a full fledged pick 'em truck [4x4 and stuff]. I just ride out the gas wars per gallon. Doing o.k. right now.

My favorite thing to do is to pull behind a foreign piece of crap car and shine my lights in his/her mirrors - all of them and blind the jerk or jerk'ess from a height 3-4 feet above where they are at a stop light.

My thrill is seeing their hands trying to block the light from my truck.

Much fun! :)

and ....... the jerk that cut me off a mile or a half mile ago can not do a thing about it.

Another favorite thing to do is ... these scum bags trying to pass from the right lane or right shoulder, I take my truck, straddle the right lane, and run them off into the ditch on the road. With our winter conditions here, have put 7-8 into the ditch and needing a tow. Much fun. Does not cost me a dime and has no effect on my safety.

Large MASS under a controlled condition is a good thing now and then.

[fatty]

"I enjoy blinding other drivers with my lights and forcing them off the road." Yeah... you're safe to be around! :up:

[longam]

The short-sightedness of consumers astounds me.

Its OK really, the BS bailout will allow them to re-tool for the hybrid line of SUV's and Trucks.

Heck, today the retail stores are jumping in the game with the hand out, it was a bad holiday sales they say.

:roll:

[SUBMAN1]

Considering Ford rules in the truck market, the others will have to find something that works for them. Toyota is late to begin with coming into the large truck market and Chevy just went ugly for so long nobody wanted them.

Ford sells the best selling F150, but overall, I think GM outsells them if I'm not mistaken.

Besides, GM has become a bank, so I guess they can get all the bailout money they want now.

-S

[longam]

Considering Ford rules in the truck market, the others will have to find something that works for them. Toyota is late to begin with coming into the large truck market and Chevy just went ugly for so long nobody wanted them.
Ford sells the best selling F150, but overall, I think GM outsells them if I'm not mistaken.

Besides, GM has become a bank, so I guess they can get all the bailout money they want now.

-S

Where do you live.....

[SUBMAN1]

Found it:

Ford Motor Company
Total Light Trucks 81,047

General Motors Corp.
Total Light Trucks 94,483

So GM is still the #1 truck seller, though Ford is not far behind. Those are 2008 number so far.

Total can be found here:
http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html?mod=topnav_2_3000

-S

PS. What is interesting is actually how far off sales are this year. The numbers are way down!

PPS. I thought Toyota outsold GM the last couple years? Not so I guess!

[Aramike]

The short-sightedness of consumers astounds me.I don't see it as short-sighted. I believe that this entire economic mess was caused by an overvaluing of the world economy. The world wanted to believe it was rich, then suddenly it found that resources didn't quite add up to the value it hoped for.

I think that we're looking at the mechanism of a self-correcting economy. The world is in a defacto fiat golden age - money no longer equals a tangible resource. In the US, this means that there will be just as much bread to feed the masses tomorrow as there is today. The amount of dollars around to purchase said bread is what will change, but the market will adjust to accomodate the basic need for the bread.

[Diopos]

Time to start blowing air into the next bubble...:hmm:
The bubble has bursted. Long live the bubble!
:damn:

[subchaser12]

I have a full fledged pick 'em truck [4x4 and stuff]. I just ride out the gas wars per gallon. Doing o.k. right now.

My favorite thing to do is to pull behind a foreign piece of crap car and shine my lights in his/her mirrors - all of them and blind the jerk or jerk'ess from a height 3-4 feet above where they are at a stop light.

My thrill is seeing their hands trying to block the light from my truck.

Much fun! :)

and ....... the jerk that cut me off a mile or a half mile ago can not do a thing about it.

Another favorite thing to do is ... these scum bags trying to pass from the right lane or right shoulder, I take my truck, straddle the right lane, and run them off into the ditch on the road. With our winter conditions here, have put 7-8 into the ditch and needing a tow. Much fun. Does not cost me a dime and has no effect on my safety.

Large MASS under a controlled condition is a good thing now and then.

Where do you live? It's deinately not New England, I know what would happen to you and your truck if you tried that here.

[XabbaRus]

I have a full fledged pick 'em truck [4x4 and stuff]. I just ride out the gas wars per gallon. Doing o.k. right now.

My favorite thing to do is to pull behind a foreign piece of crap car and shine my lights in his/her mirrors - all of them and blind the jerk or jerk'ess from a height 3-4 feet above where they are at a stop light.

My thrill is seeing their hands trying to block the light from my truck.

Much fun! :)

and ....... the jerk that cut me off a mile or a half mile ago can not do a thing about it.

Another favorite thing to do is ... these scum bags trying to pass from the right lane or right shoulder, I take my truck, straddle the right lane, and run them off into the ditch on the road. With our winter conditions here, have put 7-8 into the ditch and needing a tow. Much fun. Does not cost me a dime and has no effect on my safety.

Large MASS under a controlled condition is a good thing now and then.

First to respond to this post. As one of the said drivers who gets plenty of jerks in the UK sitting right on my tail with the lights on if you did that to me, well I won't say as I don't want to get barred but lets say I'm surprised it hasn't already happened. Even if you are joking I don't find it funny.

Crappy foreign cars - Isn't that why the US auto industry is in the state it is in due to "crappy foreign cars". I've lived in the US and driven in a fair number of detroit cars and I'm sorry to say but they just don't match up to the Japanese and European standards.
Foreign crappy cars are

1. More reliable,
2. More fuel efficient,
3. Better quality - see number 1

Sure I like the Mustangs and the Corvettes, but they tested them on Top Gear and when stacked up againsts equivalent european rivals they got whacked each time. Also if I want a sports car I want something that goes fast and can turn the corner.

The Mustand I know STILL has a live rear axle. I think the new vette might but not sure.

As for the F-150, Jeremy Clarkson tested that. First impressions he liked it. Big noisy engine, muscular looks. But then what let him down - rubbish brakes, loose steering, tacky interior.

[UnderseaLcpl]

I have a full fledged pick 'em truck [4x4 and stuff]. I just ride out the gas wars per gallon. Doing o.k. right now.

My favorite thing to do is to pull behind a foreign piece of crap car and shine my lights in his/her mirrors - all of them and blind the jerk or jerk'ess from a height 3-4 feet above where they are at a stop light.

My thrill is seeing their hands trying to block the light from my truck.

Much fun! :)

and ....... the jerk that cut me off a mile or a half mile ago can not do a thing about it.

Another favorite thing to do is ... these scum bags trying to pass from the right lane or right shoulder, I take my truck, straddle the right lane, and run them off into the ditch on the road. With our winter conditions here, have put 7-8 into the ditch and needing a tow. Much fun. Does not cost me a dime and has no effect on my safety.

Large MASS under a controlled condition is a good thing now and then.

As much as I love pickem'up trucks, and conservative fellows, I would shoot you if you did that to me.

I don't pass on the right, or on the shoulder, except for when I was on my motorcycle. Even then, I only do so when the shoulder is too narrow for automobiles. Occasionally I drove between the lanes, as well. What? Everyone else has a giant fat-ass car so I have to wait? I'm not in anyone's way or anything right? As long as they bother to use turn indicators there is no chance I'll hit them either.
Lots of people conside motorcyclists to be a$$holes because we don't wait in traffic as long. Would you?

Also, I drive an 04' Kia Spectra. I don't do it because I hate big cars or American vehicles or conservatives or anything like that. I drive it because it's cheap, I currently live in a suburban area, and I don't like to waste money. When it was practicable, I had a Dogde Ram 2500 diesel. Now it isn't practicable, so I sold it.
I would have bought an American car, but they were not as cost-efficient.

Being in Texas, I see plenty of trucks on the roadways. I'm not some jerk who would pass on the right or the shoulder, (except in the aforementioned circumstances, on the bike) would you blind me with your lights?

Instead of antagonizing drivers that you don't know, you should probably focus on making sure that you drive safely and don't impede traffic flow, just out of common courtesy.

On the other hand, if someone were to change lanes into you, feel free to run them off the road.:D

[SUBMAN1]

...Sure I like the Mustangs and the Corvettes, but they tested them on Top Gear and when stacked up againsts equivalent european rivals they got whacked each time. Also if I want a sports car I want something that goes fast and can turn the corner.

The Mustand I know STILL has a live rear axle. I think the new vette might but not sure....
You must not have been watching in the last couple years. The Vette has smacked down all European cars costing 2x to 3x as much. The 500+ HP Mustang can also do it on a budget! :D

Mr. Clarkston actually bought the ZR-1 Vette if I am not mistaken he liked it so much.

-S

PS. A Transcript. Notice what they say last - Right, make no mistake. What we have here is one of the truly great supercars. Bragging rights ahoy: the ZR1 currently holds the production car record for the Nürburgring.

I feel like I've been tipped off the top of the Cresta Run. On rollerblades. And I'm blindfolded. Holy cow, this is scary. To clarify the situation, let's look at the issues.

One: the track I'm on, which is full of closing-radius sphincter-tightening corners, treacherous cambers, conniving double-apex curves and, most of all, blind traps that jump up at you from behind crests.

Issue two, the car. In the Corvette ZR1, we've got 638bhp, in a machine that weighs just 1,518kg fully fuelled and optioned. That's Enzo Ferrari territory.

I don't know the car, and I don't know the track. That combination is so intimidating, I feel like I've about 1,500bhp under my toe.

My first tickle had the rear tyres spinning up in second gear, in a straight line, with the ESP and traction control fully on.

"Oh, it'll do that," chief engineer Tadge Jeuchter told me later, showing only a slightly evil grin. It cuts in only when the car gets properly sideways. And that's in full-nanny mode: after that, there's a 'competitive driving' mode (I'll not deploy that, because I'm not competitive). And then an 'off' mode. If I used that too soon in the learning curve, I would indeed be off.

I'm not saying the ZR1 is dangerous. Far from it. After a few laps, I feel more comfortable. Comfortable? Hmmm, maybe not. Lightning-bolt alert, doing what I can to stay with a car that'll do 0-60 in 3.4 seconds, top out at 205mph and corner at 1g-plus.

More than that, it's gradually apparent that the handling is pretty damned sublime. That, and the brakes, and the grip.

Right, make no mistake. What we have here is one of the truly great supercars. Bragging rights ahoy: the ZR1 currently holds the production car record for the Nürburgring.

[SUBMAN1]

Figured I'd put up a picture too - http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2008/09/stories/03/1.html

-S

PS. The envy of the Europeans!

http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2008/09/stories/03/images/2/large.jpg

http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2008/09/stories/03/images/1/large.jpg

http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2008/09/stories/03/images/3/large.jpg

http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2008/09/stories/03/images/5/large.jpg

[XabbaRus]

Developed by the Japanese if I'm not mistaken? The engine anyway.

I'll give you the Vette, but the Mustang....even the Shelby 500 didn't come up with 500 HP.

I still like them though don't get me wrong....

[Rockstar]

DRIVE IT LIKE YA STOLE IT.

Heartbeat of America baby. _/|_/|_/|__

[XabbaRus]

OK my mistake, looks like the Corvette engine is a GM one. I remember the Top Gear one now but I'm sure he mentioned some of the stuff was derived from a japanese sports car. The tech anyway.

Still I wouldn't say no to ZR1

[conus00]

I have a full fledged pick 'em truck [4x4 and stuff]. I just ride out the gas wars per gallon. Doing o.k. right now.

My favorite thing to do is to pull behind a foreign piece of crap car and shine my lights in his/her mirrors - all of them and blind the jerk or jerk'ess from a height 3-4 feet above where they are at a stop light.

My thrill is seeing their hands trying to block the light from my truck.

Much fun! :)

and ....... the jerk that cut me off a mile or a half mile ago can not do a thing about it.

Another favorite thing to do is ... these scum bags trying to pass from the right lane or right shoulder, I take my truck, straddle the right lane, and run them off into the ditch on the road. With our winter conditions here, have put 7-8 into the ditch and needing a tow. Much fun. Does not cost me a dime and has no effect on my safety.

Large MASS under a controlled condition is a good thing now and then.
Do you realize how ridiculous you sound? People like you should have their DLs suspended for the rest of their lives. I can't even believe that you wrote all this. I wonder if anybody gets killed on the road as a result of your actions how you are gonna live with that. I am never harsh in my reactions to stupid posts here on subsim but unless you are JOKING (and I don't consider this to be funny) I have an advice for you: GROW UP!!!!

[SUBMAN1]

OK my mistake, looks like the Corvette engine is a GM one. I remember the Top Gear one now but I'm sure he mentioned some of the stuff was derived from a japanese sports car. The tech anyway.

Still I wouldn't say no to ZR1
Where did you hear that? Its pure GM product! No Japanese at all.

The gauges, the seats, the entire interior, the suspension, the engine - all 100% American. I think my father in law (ex GM Exec) would probably want to gouge your eyes out about now! :D

-S

[SUBMAN1]

Now this is interesting:

Adjustable suspension

The ZR1 comes with GM's Magnetic Selective Ride Control (MSRC) suspension system. The MSRC shocks are automatically adjusted based on driving conditions and vehicle dynamics (cornering, braking, etc) for optimal handling. The system is adjusted every milisecond to provide sharp handling during spirited driving, and a smooth ride while cruising.

While the ZR1 is overall a more aggressive sports car than the Z06, it is actually less harsh over bumps, thanks to the MSRC technology. 'The damping control of MSRC allowed for front and rear springs that have a slightly lower rate than the Z06, which enhances the car's ride quality,' said Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer.

[Frame57]

I built up a 455 engine to harness about 650 HP. Now I have a Pontiac 400 I am building. Sold the 455 motor and my friends all told me how no one wants to buy a gas hog of a motor like that in this economy. It sold in about an hour of posting it...I laughed all the way to the bank. I still like the old school stuff because i can work on it, but these new vettes are tempting....:yep:

[Zachstar]

Oil is rising again. Up by 6 percent just today.

Wonder what these idiots will do once gas is back to 3 dollars? Cry for bailouts?

[SUBMAN1]

I built up a 455 engine to harness about 650 HP. Now I have a Pontiac 400 I am building. Sold the 455 motor and my friends all told me how no one wants to buy a gas hog of a motor like that in this economy. It sold in about an hour of posting it...I laughed all the way to the bank. I still like the old school stuff because i can work on it, but these new vettes are tempting....:yep:

You did the right thing. By the way, the type of people looking for this type of product usually don't have an issue when it comes to money. They have plenty of it.

Keep up the good work. This is a hobby that shouldn't die, and can always make you a tidy profit! :D :up:

-S

[Zachstar]

Oil continues to rise. If anyone is still buying an SUV they are beyond stupid.

The middle east is warming up for next year. They will get their 100 dollar oil EASILY and a repeat of last year is possible.

[Frame57]

I built up a 455 engine to harness about 650 HP. Now I have a Pontiac 400 I am building. Sold the 455 motor and my friends all told me how no one wants to buy a gas hog of a motor like that in this economy. It sold in about an hour of posting it...I laughed all the way to the bank. I still like the old school stuff because i can work on it, but these new vettes are tempting....:yep:

You did the right thing. By the way, the type of people looking for this type of product usually don't have an issue when it comes to money. They have plenty of it.

Keep up the good work. This is a hobby that shouldn't die, and can always make you a tidy profit! :D :up:

-SIt will be in a Pontiac Catalina with a charcoal gray metallic paint job. Should have it all done by late spring. If I can figure out how to post stuff here i will send pics.:D

[SUBMAN1]

I built up a 455 engine to harness about 650 HP. Now I have a Pontiac 400 I am building. Sold the 455 motor and my friends all told me how no one wants to buy a gas hog of a motor like that in this economy. It sold in about an hour of posting it...I laughed all the way to the bank. I still like the old school stuff because i can work on it, but these new vettes are tempting....:yep:
You did the right thing. By the way, the type of people looking for this type of product usually don't have an issue when it comes to money. They have plenty of it.

Keep up the good work. This is a hobby that shouldn't die, and can always make you a tidy profit! :D :up:

-SIt will be in a Pontiac Catalina with a charcoal gray metallic paint job. Should have it all done by late spring. If I can figure out how to post stuff here i will send pics.:D


I agree with you on the new stuff. It is impossible to work on. I think they do that on purpose as a payoff to the dealerships so that you can't take your car to a normal shop anymore.

An example, on my 9-3 Aero - to find a battery for it, forget it! i eventually found one that I could make fit for half the price of the SAAB battery, and within 10 CCA of the original too. Why the hell do they make me take it to the SAAb dealership for everything? Even the oil filter requires a special tool just to remove or put back on. Good thing I have finially got a hold of the shop manuals. Bad thing is, a lot of the fixes for things in this manual requires the simple replacement of a part - $$$$. WTH??? That is why they make them all computerized. Replacement instead of fixing. Now that is wasteful!

I could go on all day on this, but yes, keep those older things still running! I suspect one day they may become more valuable than anyting else on the road.

-S

[Frame57]

I built up a 455 engine to harness about 650 HP. Now I have a Pontiac 400 I am building. Sold the 455 motor and my friends all told me how no one wants to buy a gas hog of a motor like that in this economy. It sold in about an hour of posting it...I laughed all the way to the bank. I still like the old school stuff because i can work on it, but these new vettes are tempting....:yep:
You did the right thing. By the way, the type of people looking for this type of product usually don't have an issue when it comes to money. They have plenty of it.

Keep up the good work. This is a hobby that shouldn't die, and can always make you a tidy profit! :D :up:

-SIt will be in a Pontiac Catalina with a charcoal gray metallic paint job. Should have it all done by late spring. If I can figure out how to post stuff here i will send pics.:D


I agree with you on the new stuff. It is impossible to work on. I think they do that on purpose as a payoff to the dealerships so that you can't take your car to a normal shop anymore.

An example, on my 9-3 Aero - to find a battery for it, forget it! i eventually found one that I could make fit for half the price of the SAAB battery, and within 10 CCA of the original too. Why the hell do they make me take it to the SAAb dealership for everything? Even the oil filter requires a special tool just to remove or put back on. Good thing I have finially got a hold of the shop manuals. Bad thing is, a lot of the fixes for things in this manual requires the simple replacement of a part - $$$$. WTH??? That is why they make them all computerized. Replacement instead of fixing. Now that is wasteful!

I could go on all day on this, but yes, keep those older things still running! I suspect one day they may become more valuable than anyting else on the road.

-SNo doubt! I saw a 1970 GTX in showroom condition going for 100K. A 68 GTO for about 60K. Yeah they are going up...