Americans love gas hogging trucks - sales up 32% in Feb

[taught_me_patience]

while overall car sales were up 27%.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/02/us-auto-sales-idUSTRE7201A420110302

(Reuters) - U.S. auto sales surged by 27 percent in February, exceeding the most bullish analyst forecasts as the lure of discounts from automakers led by General Motors Co outweighed concerns about higher oil prices for car shoppers.

The February sales tally, which represents one of the first snapshots of U.S. consumer demand, was the strongest since August 2009 when the government's "cash for clunkers" credits spurred a short-lived boom at dealerships.

Auto executives attributed the unexpectedly large gains to both the lure of discounts -- including cheap lease deals -- along with improving consumer confidence and easier credit.


Sales of trucks, SUVs and other light trucks were up almost 32 percent in February despite the sharpest spike in gasoline prices at the pump since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

*************
We really have ourselves to blame for surging oil prices.

[Brickbat]

1. 2011 Ford Ranger is rated 22/27, Jeep Patriot at 23/29, Jeep Compass at 23/29.

Granted, the exhaust doesn't smell like unicorn farts like the Prius' does, but there are some pretty respectable mileages out there for trucks and SUVs. Diesel is even better.

[taught_me_patience]

4. Some have gotten better but the #1 auto in america is F-150

a major gas guzzler.

[taught_me_patience]

6. Top pickup truck sales for Feb

Big gas guzzlers.

Rank YTD Sales YTD vs. 2010
Year-Over-Year Monthly Sales Last 12 months

1 Ford F-Series +21.2% February 2011 37,549 Coming Soon
73,355 February 2010 32,895



2 Chevrolet Silverado +40.6% February 2011 31,728 Coming Soon
59,900 February 2010 19,822



3 Ram Trucks +52% February 2011 18,644 Coming Soon
30,841 February 2010 10,267



4 GMC Sierra +64.5% February 2011 11,696 Coming Soon
22,323 February 2010 6,296



5 Toyota Tacoma -0.4% February 2011 7,879 Coming Soon
15,019
February 2010 8,325




6 Toyota Tundra +39.8% February 2011 7,012 Coming Soon
13,099 February 2010 5,468



7 Ford Ranger -15.6% February 2011 3,780 Coming Soon
6,678 February 2010 3,706



8 Nissan Frontier +40.9% February 2011 3,527 Coming Soon
6,323 February 2010 2,532



9 Chevrolet Colorado +51% February 2011 2,606 Coming Soon
4,810 February 2010 1,247



10 Nissan Titan -9.8% February 2011 1,467 Coming Soon
2,898 February 2010 1,721

[ChairmanAgnostic]

13. I got a Ram Quad recently.

It gets 25 on the highway. But I was also hit by a drunk and underwent multiple surgeries as a result. This new truck has side, front and knee protection, and is far safer in any collision than a small car. Another hit like that, I really could not handle.

[NuclearDem]

16. It might seem safer because it's bigger and has some additional safety features

But overall, smaller cars tend to be safer in an average collision. Unitized bodies are usually found on smaller cars, and they're designed to distribute the force of an impact with another car evenly over the whole body, not just caving in at one spot.

I won't disagree with you though, if you use a truck right, it can be one of the safest cars on the road. (Good choice in truck by the way ;) )

[ChairmanAgnostic]

21. between two huge dogs, and my other job,

driving a truck around to and from court is rather fun. The other job? I make huge steel sculpture. And the truck is absolutely necessary.

[NuclearDem]

22. I like having the torque after a shopping spree at the junkyard...

When even my V8 needs a little help pulling away all those parts. :)

[ChairmanAgnostic]

24. ah, a soul brother.

My second anvil came from a junkyard huge I-Beam. I chopped it a bit, built a base for it, and presto, an anvil made from hardened steel, perfect for rough jobs. I considered drilling a hardy hole and shaping a a horn at one end, but I found it to be perfectly useful with an oblong face. The edges are sharp (and useful) the face is large, and it is heavier than it looks.

[NuclearDem]

28. The auto junkers are my favorites

Got an engine from a recycler in Omaha, a 3.9L V6 with 180K that I'm rebuilding to go into my cousin's Dakota when I move back home. Leaf springs definitely earned a break after hauling that thing around.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

62. GM leaf springs are worth their weight in gold

GM consistently used one of the best (and most expensive) tool steels to make their leaf springs.
The funky thing about that steel that GM used is
a) it can be straightened, reshaped, annealed, ground, shaped, then heat treated AGAIN.
b) it is super durable. I mean really durable. Far better than that chromed shit you get these days from China.
c) once heat treated and annealed, you have world class steel for a steel chisel, a marble cutter or shaper, a granite tool, or just about any other hand tool you ever need, including pliers, hammers, screwdrivers.
d) they can be heat treated with treating oil (expensive), or bacon grease (You need to collect a good bit, but tasty and cheap).
e) You don't need some fancy cooling oven to anneal or cool the tool after you are done shaping, treating, and preparing it. A bucket of dry sand is perfect. Just wait a day or so. (By the way, if you don't have a bucket of perfectly dry sand, grab some from any beach, heat any tool steel red hot, then insert into thine bucket. A day later, your sand is perfectly dry.)

[NuclearDem]

66. I've never worked on a GM suspension before

And I suspect that's the reason why: I've never had to. Only suspensions I've needed to treat have been Ford air suspensions and Chrysler/Honda coil springs.

I suspect as my Ram nears 150K I'm going to have to do some work on the rear just because of the regular abuse that I put my leaf springs through. I mean, they're durable, but the bumpy roads, offroad terrain, and the heavy furniture and auto parts that go in the back are taking their toll on the poor thing's suspension.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

70. Sorry, I was unclear. I look at used steel as a source

of raw material, not something to repair and replace.

Sheet steel? Time for some cutting and shaping.
Bar steel? Perfect for support members for an art piece.
GM spring steel? Do I need a new tool, a chisel, a hammer, or a weirdly shaped tool for a project? BINGO!

I truly respect your use, repair, maintenance and improvement, and admire what you do, but I look at steel as a future statue, a work of art that simply needs my forge, my anvil, my plasma cutter, or my MIG, TIG, or stick welder to come alive.

[NuclearDem]

74. Oh, I see where you're going now

You're right, leaf springs are a great source of high-quality steel. It's partly the reason I never throw away any major parts when I do work (unless they would cause an environmental issue--in which case it's straight to recycler with them). On the sad day when Ramy finally breaks down, I'm going to be scavenging her piece by piece for whatever's usable. Even if it's just for a couple bucks from the junkyard.

[nadinbrzezinski]

65. Then you bought it for the right reasons

and not exactly the accident

We still have an 18 year old toyota... and when we change it, we are gonna go for a smaller vehicle. Though it is fun when we go out to play in the snow.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

67. Let's just say the bed and its heavy carrying ability

are not an afterthought, but employed regularly.

On the other hand, three weeks ago, after we received 22 inches of partly cloudy, followed by severe cold, the four wheel drive ability was wonderful. Illinois was scared into doing major snow removal after Mayor Bilandic's unfortunate dismissal in favor of Jany Byrne. And to this day, Cook and the collar counties are pretty good at emergencies. (We don't hold a candle to Montreal, though) But there's a lot of road to plow and 4WD, through ice and 5-22 inches really feels good. I am glad I did not drive LSD that night, although I had the opportunity. Had tickets for shakespeare at Navy Pier, but cancelled, due to weather. Good thing too, since they cancelled the performance.

[Vinee]

2. Ever tried to haul a refrigerator and a clothes dryer in a prius. You can't do it.

my hemi-powered Dodge did it just fine. It hauled about 1000 lbs of wood once too and 800 lbs of concrete. Next summer it will be hauling about a ton of crap out of my barn and to the dump saving me the money I would have to shell out to rent a dumpster. I can't count the number of times that my truck has saved me money in these ways. I'm the first one to get called when a friend needs something hauled too of course. I love it. It's one of the last things I would let go. I need a smaller car or a motorcycle maybe for commuting though, that is for sure.

[nosmokes]

5. No, but the store delivers.

And if you buy those items used like i do, then you borrow a friend's pick-up and give her a nice bottle of wine or something. One thing is for sure, and that is a whole bunch of people are driving way more automobile than they need, wasting their money and everyone's resources.There are plenty of folks that legitimately need a large vehicle, but there are far too many that use a fucking land yacht as a commuter simply because they can.

[NickB79]

7. Most people don't haul large objects on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis

You sound like you have a genuine need for a truck, if you are hauling so much material so often. Having grown up on a farm, we had to use the truck daily to move stuff around too. But for the vast majority of people who live in urban and suburban areas, the rare instances where they need a truck are more than offset by the wasted gas and other expenses.

For example, I bought a riding lawnmower last summer. Since I drive a subcompact car, I just rented a truck from the local Home Depot store. $25 later, I had my mower in the garage and the truck returned to the store. When I had to move from an apartment to a house, I rented a U-Haul truck for $75, and was able to move everything in one shot. Even taking into account rental fees for vehicles, driving my 35-mpg car has still saved me thousands of dollars in fuel, maintainance and insurance fees over driving a 20-mpg truck.

[Vinee]

8. It surely isn't right for everyone. For me, it was worth it though. It is a very liberating vehicle

I certainly don't joyride in it though. It is used to haul shit from point A to point B and it does that weekly, sometimes more often. Once you have one, you find all kinds of opportunities to put it to work. I just love it. I think I'll go wash the road salt off of it now that winter is taking a break. My GF has a Saturn if the gas ever really becomes an issue BTW. Our next car will be a major gas sipper but I won't be getting rid of my truck to buy one.

[Gregorian]

14. People hate me. But they'rre wrong.

This is my monster 4x4 rig. I could buy another vehicle, but I drive approximately one tenth as much as I ride a bicycle. So I drive this thing to the store, all alone. People must wonder what my problem is. Yet I use less gas than most goons who are addicted to their little cars that they drive absolutely all of the time. I see it here. In and out half a dozen times a day. I fill up maybe once every six months.

My only point is really that sometimes things aren't what they seem. I look like a big fat pig. But I'm one of the keenly worried people regarding global warming.

[riderinthestorm]

58. That's my truck. Right down to the dually wheels and the paint job.

Ours is a 2001 though and pulls a gooseneck 4 horse trailer most of the time it's on the road. I'm hoping to get another 2 show seasons out of our truck and then we'll be in the market for a new one. I'm hoping in 2 years there will be a more fuel efficient truck being produced.

Ours gets 9 miles/gal when we're hauling a full load :-(

[tabasco]

23. Bullllllshit.

I've pulled 1000 pounds in a trailer behind my Echo, regularly. Got the landfill receipts to prove it.

I'm sure a Prius could do it too.

[Vinee]

25. Do it regularly and let me know how it works out for you. nt

[tabasco]

29. You have comprehension problems?

I do it regularly.

[NuclearDem]

26. Could, but not a good idea

The Prius would have to keep its gasoline engine on for most of the drive to generate the power to overcome the extra inertia, which would defeat the purpose of driving a Prius in the first place. Small cars just don't generate the torque you need to haul anything larger than a small trailer.

Not saying it's not possible, because you obviously have evidence that it is, but it's just not typically recommended.

[tabasco]

31. I have an Echo, not a Prius.

Th Echo has a good little 4-banger.

I thought the Prius had the same thing when it needed it.

[NuclearDem]

33. I know you do, I was just addressing the Prius you mentioned

It does have a four cylinder as part of the powertrain, but it's designed to help the Prius overcome inertia from a stop or in situations where it needs the extra power. Thing is, the Prius gets a lot of good mileage from its ability to shut off the ICE, and hauling something behind it would force it to use the ICE a lot more than it usually would.

Like I said, it can, but it sorta defeats the purpose of driving a Prius.

[DainBramaged]

30. Good for you, 1000lbs is shit

Try putting a snowplow on that ugly hunk.

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tabasco]

34. LOL!

Try getting 45 mpg with your idiotmobile.

[NuclearDem]

35. Easy guys, easy...

No need for the name-calling or harsh words out of either of you...we're talking about cars. Cars are a happy topic. :)

[DainBramaged]

52. Those of you who look down your nose at the rest of the world because you are so superior in your

little world, are the same people who complain when rocks get thrown at their glass house.

[Vinee]

83. do it in a muddy field or in a couple feet of snow and get back to me.

[Canuckistanian]

45. Then RENT a truck - that's what we do

The VERY FEW TIMES we need the space and carrying capacity of a truck, we rent for a day or two.

Much easier on the environment and cheaper in the long run.

There's no need to OWN a truck unless you're using it's capabilities regularly.

[Vinee]

79. I have a better idea. I'll just throw everything in the back of my own truck and TCB.

no need to own a truck. who the fuck do you think you are? LOL

[Canuckistanian]

80. Well, have fun

:hi:

[NoGOPZone]

49. A minivan is good for that. nt

[Blue-Jay]

69. Don't you have any friends?

I thought everyone knew somebody who owns a beater truck. How often do you haul large appliances?

[corpseratemedia]

3. They must all live in my city, in a nearby suburb,

and drive right behind me, beeping their horn when i don't turn left quick enough because i can't see past the front and backs of other new pick-ups and suvs in my small car. They never realize that.

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. That's about to change -

again.

[Crop Circle]

10. Oil Shock 3.5 will take care of that... n/t

[DainBramaged]

54. No it won't the people who buy those vehicles can AFFORD those vehicles

Gas is $3.15 in my neck of the woods. A Silverado 1500 holds 26 gallons. Gas goes to $4 a gallon, how much more does it cost to fill the tank? $22 more. That's $88 a month they don't spend on coffee, beer, cigarettes, wine, going out to dinner one night a month less.......

[Better Believe It]

11. That's wonderful! I hope sales go up 50%! I might be in the market for one this summer.

A lot of working people need pick-up trucks and like SUV's. I don't have a problem with that.

"We really have ourselves to blame for surging oil prices."

That's total bull shit that echos big oil propaganda.

The oil speculators and big oil are having a grand old time now and you want to let them off the hook!

[taterguy]

19. If the demand for oil plummeted then speculators would get screwed

It's not magical.

They speculate the price will go up.

When it does they profit.

If demand tanks then the speculators take a bath.

Do they contribute to the price going up?

Yes

However, if people were truly upset about speculators they would take more drastic measures to reduce consumption.

Half of car trips are less than two miles.

When that ratio goes down we'll know that people are truly fed up with speculators.

[Better Believe It]

56. They will cut production and increase the price even more! It's all speculation and profit gouging

The price of gas has little or nothing to do with quantity and demand.

[taterguy]

59. So what's stopping us from making them try that?

[Better Believe It]

60. If you don't need gas to get around and oil for heating, nothing.

[taterguy]

61. Do you really need gas for all those trips that are less than two miles?

[Better Believe It]

77. Yes. And not everyone has lost their job. They still have to get to work.

I know.

They should use a bike or roller skates.

Or they could use non-existent rapid transit systems.

[taterguy]

82. That mentality is why speculators usually win

I accept that cars are good for certain things, like when I want to go to the beach or pick up a couple bags of dog food.

That doesn't mean they're the best transportation choice all the time.

Why don't we at least give reduction in consumption a try? Just to see what happens.

If we don't get the results we want we can revert to old way of doing things.

[NuclearDem]

12. There are idiots out there who buy pickups and 4x4 SUVs and just use them as commuters

Then there's the rest of us, who need something to carry car parts, move luggage, need the torque to maneuver through city streets during the worst of Snowpocalypse, and who just like to enjoy a good trip off the beaten path.

I've said this before: I don't mind if people buy pickups and SUVs and use them as they're supposed to be used, but turning Sierras, Rams, Suburbans, and Jeeps into mallcrawlers just gives me a headache.

[Posteritatis]

15. My favorites are still the fake offroaders

When I was doing grad school in Ontario, a neighbor a few houses down had some gigantic land battleship of an SUV, which he'd regularly coat in fake mud to make it look like he took it offroad. It probably didn't leave the city limits the entire year I was in London.

[NuclearDem]

18. I suspect I've seen a few of those in Omaha...

Someone I used to live down the street owned not one, but TWO Hummers, both of them transformed into things that look like they eat VW Beetles and Minis and fart beer.

Given how difficult it is to find legal offroading out here, I'm starting to suspect he either faked that mud, or did it all illegally, neither of which I have any respect for.

[Johonny]

37. yes i love watching go over speed bumps

At 1 mph. Dude your truck drives over logs in commercials.

[NoGOPZone]

50. Furthermore, the genuine off roaders absolutely hate posers. nt

[joe_sixpack]

17. If the sales of those kinds of vehicles

are what lifted American car companies out of financial trouble, then their resurrection is going to be short lived now that gas prices are taking off again.

[GSLevel9]

20. hope they're enjoying $100 fill-ups :D nt

[DainBramaged]

27. Right, like they are going to squeeze their shit in a Yaris

get real. HD trucks were up a HUGE amount and those are for business not driving to the market.

[flvegan]

36. We're to blame for surging oil prices?

News to me.

[taught_me_patience]

38. I guess you don't see the connection between grotesque consumption

of a price-inelastic commodity that is rapidly dwindling and higher prices.

:shrug:

Please educate yourself on economics.

[flvegan]

39. Hmm...

Someone educated on economics would know that market speculation and world events are more to blame than Americans buying inefficient vehicles.

-flvegan
economics major, 1989-1993

Oh, and btw...the Chinese buy more vehicles than we do. So then there's that.

[taught_me_patience]

40. Care to back up your information that its speculation driving up prices?

Sources?

Most of the "speculating" is actually companies using futures to hedge risk.

[flvegan]

42. I like

that you've asked me to back up my information then validated it.

But, hey, you're the economics genius right? The same economics genius that put the fault squarely on us for rising oil prices. Bet you think golf courses are to blame for water shortages, eh?

[taught_me_patience]

46. There is a difference between speculation and hedging

speculation is the practice of attempting to make money on the derivative that is actually traded. Hedging is a practice of reducing risk in another part of a business that is subject to the volatility of the underlying asset of the derivative. They are different.

It's estimated that "speculators" in 2007 controlled the equivalent of approx 170MM barrels of oil... a mere 2 days of supply.

[flvegan]

51. Didn't you

mention oil futures? It's the what, not the why.

[taught_me_patience]

41. Also, everytime there is a supply shock

Prices are going to surge because the demand is so inelastic.

[flvegan]

43. Again, thanks for validating what I posted.

[DainBramaged]

63. Next it will be the fault of cow farts......

:beer:

[DainBramaged]

64. Why was Texas crude discounted last week?

[zen_bohemian]

44. I have an SUV...very handy in the northern plains where we have snow 4 months a year

I have had to pull a couple of prius out of the snow. 4wd is a good thing where I live. My vehicle doesn't get good gas mileage at all, but I drive probably 20 miles a week total. I don't feel bad at all, except for the 400.00 a month payment.

[taught_me_patience]

47. Subaru (or any 4wd car) would probably be just as good.

And save a ton on gas (and save the earth a ton of pollution).

[NuclearDem]

48. If you're a smart driver, sure

But two weeks ago I had an Outback come within inches of my grill guard as it spun out on the ice.

No car is perfect for driving on ice, but something heavy with 4WD or AWD tends to be the best. Smaller cars tend to get stuck in the snow a lot easier than trucks and SUVs do too.

[zen_bohemian]

53. Oh, and I forgot to mention that my husband is 6'6" and is a big guy

we had an escort once, his knees were up against the dashboard on a trip across country....we didn't keep that vehicle long....comfortable riding vs. driving a small economical car also has to come into consideration. When we went vehicle shopping, we looked at a ford hybrid suv, it cost more than our suv. bring the price down to affordable, and our next vehicle will be a hybrid suv, hands down. Maybe by the time this vehicle is FINALLY paid off, we can trade it in on something as big, 4wd, and good on gas, come on, big corporate automakers, you can DO IT!!!! :)

[devilgrrl]

55. Maybe people are buying them to live in them. Cheaper than a house.

eom

[Better Believe It]

57. Working class people. Excellent scapegoats for high gas prices.

Blame it on us and leave big oil alone.

[Statistical]

68. Proof that despite all the whining gas prices aren't high enough.

When gas hits $6 a gallon and stays above that point for an entire year then maybe we will see attitudes change. Till then. "high" gas prices are merely an inconvinience for most not a game changer.

[Sheepshank]

71. Sales are driven by gas prices.

Watch for a flip in March.

[Zanzoobar]

72. Most of our oil is imported

It would stand to reason that those who export their oil to us love our automobiles even more.

[XOKCowboy]

73. Look at a map folks! This is a still a huge rural country!

There are vast areas of this country where a pickup is the most feasible vehicle you can have. Yes there are those who drive huge trucks that will never see any serious dirt but I know literally hundreds of people who use and need their pickups every day.

[krispos42]

75. The issue is functionality vs annual cost.

For a few more dollars a week in gas and another few dollar a week more in loan payments, you can get a vehicle that is vastly more capable.


Ford Fusion, front-wheel-drive, 4-cylinder engine. Mid-size car, seats five.

33mpg highway, 23 mpg city, 26mpg combined, all from the EPA page. Cost to drive 15,000 miles (at $3.50 a gallon) is $2,019.


Ford Explorer, four-wheel-drive, 6-cylinder engine. Mid-sized SUV, seats 5 (optional 3rd-row seating brings it to 7 if at least two of them are children).

23 mpg highway, 17mpg city, 19mpg combined, all from the EPA page. Cost to drive 15,000 miles a year (at $3.50 a gallon) is $2,763.

That's $744 more a year, $2.04 per day. And you get 4WD, more ground clearance, more cargo space, and more towing capacity.


You have to give up a lot of functionality to gain a modest increase in fuel economy, assuming equivalent powertrain technologies. Especially with modern computer-controlled engines.

:shrug:

[NuclearDem]

76. Very true about that last statement

Most of Chrysler's pickups and SUVs (with the notable exception of the Wrangler) have the ability to shut off two or four of their cylinders when the computer determines that they're not necessary. Several GM SUVs have that ability too.

[krispos42]

78. At some point, we'll probably have solenoid-controlled valves.

No more cams, just a solenoid to snap the valves open and closed, with a little return spring to close things up when the car is off or in case a solenoid fails.


In that case, the engine could not just shut down the fuel and spark for half the cylinders, but also keep the valves closed so the air inside acts as a pneumatic spring. With the cylinders not having to lose power sucking in and pumping out air, highway efficiency could get a nice bump.

[JCMach1]

81. Pent-up demand from farms, small businesses, and even big businesses