Reply #52: There is no gas price ... [View All]

[KneelBeforeZod]

There is no gas price at which it will make economic sense to drive 6 or 7 people in two separate cars (including payments, maintenance, etc. for TWO cars), at 40 mpg each (coming to 20 mpg total, as each car will be burning gas separately - thus 40 mi. per 2 gallons) rather than all 7 in one SUV at 20ish mpg (and one payment, maintence cost, etc).

Simple economics ... you burn about the same amount of gas in one 8-seat SUV as you would with two four-seat compact cars -- but with half the overhead. Just doesn't make economic sense ... doesn't make sense at $2.00/ gallon -- doesn't make sense at $4.00/ gallon -- doesn't make sense at $8.00/ gallon.

Regardless of what some progressives would prefer, there are scenarios where a large car is economically justified without regard to gas prices. A large family living in a spread-out city (where automotive travel is a necessity of life) is one of those scenarios.

Z