Now that we have these groups destroying millions of dollars of SUVs in their view that it will protect the environment and so on, I would like to give my own view why economy cars aren't exactly the best choice.
In my view in basically all comes down to SAFETY.
If you take these compact cars and these Hybrid gas and electric run cars that get very high gas mileage from 30-60mpg, the design of these cars are so compact that there is literally only a couple of feet of protection at the front and rear from the passengers. Some of these compact cars you will notice that there is only a few inches between the rear of the car and the back seat. If another car would to accidently rear end one of these cars with even moderate force, the rear passengers would have barely no "metal" or car frame to protect them resulting in serious injury or death.
Larger mid-size cars up to SUVs have more frame in the front and rear to give some more protection from front and rear collisions. Sport cars even have longer front ends and back ends that compact cars and would be safer to be in if a collision would occur.
Now I'm not saying if your budget and taste is for a gas saving compact car that you shouldn't have one. I just want to say that my number one preference in a car IS NOT gas mileage, but I look at how much car body will protect me in case of an accident, then I would consider that a larger car is more practical for cargo and passengers. I drive a Jeep Cherokee at this time. Before that, I drove mid-size sport cars such as the Camaro and Grand Prix. All which I felt safe in next to one of these compact cars.
I wouldn't choose any car that got something like 8mpg, but an average of 16mpg, which I would consider a good price of fuel use and cost for my personal safety and the safety of my passengers.
If anyone wants to save the environment, they should look at offices and printing companies that waste hundreds of pounds of paper per day, destroying the rain forest, over-copying on their printing presses and Xerox machines and don't even bothering recycling. Along with the hundreds of pounds of junk mail that I receive in my mail box. I'm a single guy and some idiots just caused the death of a tree to mail me and other guys coupons for women's products and other products that we won't even use.
Just an opinion of mine. Not to be intended to start a flame war with compact car drivers and fuel saving conscious people here.
[b]ArmaLiter[/b]