23 MPG Is Progress? Trade In Old Clunker For A New Clunker!
A local couple traded in their 1992 Chevrolet Blazer for a 2009 Honda CR-V. The Honda gets 23 mpg. Sorry folks but you got ripped off. My 1995 Ford Taurus gets 30 mpg. A 14 year-old midsize car gets better milage than a brand new tiny something-or-other compact.
Why is it that we reward stupid behavior? Own a SUV that gets really crappy gas milage and we will reward you no matter it's age or milage. Own an older car that gets good milage and the governments response is: Screw you.
No wonder this country is totally washed up.
Note: Photo has no relation to the story other than the fact the the SUV pictured is a piece of junk and always has been.
First off, ever notice how many of these big gas-guzzlers are owned by so-called young, hip couples who claim they need the room for their families? Yes, the ones with the Obama sticker still in place, SURFRIDER and/or Sierra Club license plate rims. Yes, the same couples who recycle and are "going green" buy these monstrosities in contradiction to their supposed ecological responsibilities. Second, $4500 for a clunker gets a person further into debt because that's maybe a 20% down payment at most, and the car dealers get another cash cow flowing. What happened to getting weaned off of petrochemical-based fuels? I heard that many of these clunkers will go to Mexico and other distressed countries with lower pollution standards. So we'll end up breathing the air pollution from them anyway. Why wasn't the program limited to trading in for non-fossil fuel burners? Whatever happened to investing the billions in mass transit upgrades or installations? All that's happened is another stimulus package for the auto industry, and more suckers lining up to get deeper in debt. Lined up like our downtown gridlock. Speaking of which, when are we going to pass a gridlock ordinance, a hefty $300+ fine for vehicles that can't clear before the signal changes, end up blocking an intersection? Our city never passes ordinances that discourage tourists from abusing the privilege of crawling through our town on a summer afternoon, polluting our air with idling cars, making it impossible for locals to get anywhere. not to mention impossible for emergency vehicles to navigate. Here in Victoria Beach, street parking in the last 3 summers has gone from bad to worse, even on formerly light weekdays. And look at what kind of trucks these beachgoers are driving. A nation of hypocrites. Americans buy cars for status, and most still think bigger is better. Size matters.
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