From: BillK (bill@wkidston.freeserve.co.uk)
Date: Wed Feb 05 2003 - 12:29:51 MST
That's odd. Javien Forum truncated my last message, but the copy I
sent back to myself was OK.
Anyway, here is the missing bit of my previous message.
---------------------------------
From the US point of view there are many disadvantages to small cars, of
course.
More people die in small cars than in big cars. (Not by being crushed by
SUVs as you might think, but by driving into solid objects). The more
crushable metal surrounding you, the safer you will be. So in USA,
people in SUVs will tend to live longer.
Small engines mean a different style of driving. You tend not to burn
rubber between traffic lights. A small car can cruise at 80 mph on the
freeway, but it will take some 10-20 seconds longer to reach that speed
from a standing start. So in USA, you have to get rid of the 'Dukes of
Hazard' attitude before they will even think about a small car.
Small cars tend to be noisier than big luxury cars. Thick soundproofing
and thick carpets add weight, which small cars don't like. That said, in
normal use, it isn't a problem. Especially if you have your boombox
blasting out heavy metal rock music.
Small cars have no room for a gun rack. So, obviously they are out of
the question for middle America. :-)
To sum up, even if petrol prices in USA double or triple, it will take
years before the American public will want small cars and dealers will
be able to provide them.
Drive carefully, BillK
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