digg

Join DiggAbout

Discover and share the best of the web!
Learn more about Digg by taking the tour.

See the original image at gas2.org

You think Electric Cars are Expensive? Try Fords $100K F-250

gas2.org — The NYTimes reported last week that if you account for total ownership of a full-sized truck, including insurance, interest, repairs, taxes, and gasoline, a big vehicle like Ford ’s F-250 will now set you back $100,000 in the first five years of ownership. Five years is the average amount of time an owner keeps one of these trucks.

Bury
show profanity settings
expand all
  • gwaggy12, on 06/09/2008, -20/+24totally worth it.
    • uhhNo, on 06/10/2008, -7/+32driving a big truck doesn't make your penis bigger.
      • Dylson, on 06/10/2008, -4/+5I beg to differ....
      • killerbob2323, on 06/10/2008, -4/+2It seemed to work for me.
      • norman619, on 06/10/2008, -7/+4I'm guessing you come up short in the penis department and you are stuck driving a vehicle you hate based on your obvious penis AND vehicle envy. I use my big truck for what is was intended. I use to to haul stuff. You do realize that trucks are WORK vehicles right? I have a regular car to get around in.
        • peestandingup, on 06/10/2008, -0/+6I have no doubt thats what you use it for. But, I'd like to see the numbers on however many of these types of big trucks are in existence, how many are REALLY being used frequently for work/hauling big loads.
        • KaJuN4, on 06/10/2008, -0/+6The VAST majority of pickup trucks I see driving around have absolutely nothing in the beds. Do people really need to drive their F-350 Quad Cabs to Walmart?
        • csw1342, on 06/10/2008, -0/+4How else are you supposed to get 57 cases of Sams Club cola back to the trailer?
      • Tishiablo, on 06/10/2008, -2/+16I drive a small car to compensate for my huge penis...
        • vuke69, on 06/10/2008, -0/+11Pfft... I walk.

          It's amazing how fast you can cover ground when you have three legs.
    • whatever01, on 06/10/2008, -0/+3How many disabled vets does it end up costing?
  • claybodie, on 06/09/2008, -6/+25Personally, if I'm going to pay $100,000 I'd prefer a Tesla Roadster. Then again, I don't haul a boat around...
    • norman619, on 06/10/2008, -5/+11LOL!!! That 100k is not the cost of buying it idiot. It's the TOTAL cost of ownership. The Tesla is goign to run you more than that to actually own it and not leave it sitting in your garage. My god man, THINK!
      • AngelBunny, on 06/10/2008, -6/+2yah gotta add taxes and then the expensive of electricity and ... it shouldn't be much more.
    • norman619, on 06/10/2008, -10/+3LOL!!! That 100k for the truck is the cost of OWNERSHIP not the sticker price. That Tesla will run you much more than 100K to actually own if you plan on actually using it instead of litting it sit in your garage. My god man, THINK!
    • cowisgood, on 06/10/2008, -0/+4RTFA?
  • dougvfr750, on 06/09/2008, -5/+63It's hard to haul 4 x 8 sheets of plywood with a Smart Car
    • wonderchemist, on 06/10/2008, -1/+39Depends on how often you need to haul them.

      Every Week: Yah, get a truck
      Once A Year: Nah, rent a truck.
    • shadowmoose, on 06/10/2008, -0/+31My employer regularly hauls 5+ tons of roofing debris and materials around with his full sized Dodge. He is one of the few people I know that actually need a large truck.
      • Brian48216, on 06/10/2008, -2/+22I can definitely sympathize with those who actually need big assed trucks. It's really the people that commute to their daily desk jobs in their truck that makes them feel manlier that I have no sympathy over.
    • warlax27, on 06/10/2008, -10/+1Who needs a truck, I just make my wife figure it out....WITHOUT a car!
    • wolvin, on 06/10/2008, -1/+4These truck have there place.
      I just don't think Dorthy the soccer mom needs one just to be "safer" that is the same as using a tourniquet for a paper cut.
      Ford has finally made plans to shift production away from these vehicles, wish they were good corporate neighbors and made this move before there was an issue with gas it is not like no one has mentioned this gas thing before last weekend.
    • apeweek, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Okay, I bought a used electric car from eBay for $2000, and I can indeed haul plywood around in it.

      Picture of it on this page: http://evalbum.com/775
  • Guvante, on 06/09/2008, -3/+25Blog that barely adds anything to the actual content referenced (Simply goes on for two paragraphs about crappy sales), making a poor comparison of value, sure electricity is much cheaper than gas, but all other parts of the given TCO of 100k would actually be even more expensive than with the truck. (More interest, expensive insurance due to high cost to replace, etc.)

    Seems pretty bleh too me *shrug*
  • Moderneco, on 06/10/2008, -9/+1Maybe this will push the truck industry into making more "eco" cars, sooner then later...
    • norman619, on 06/10/2008, -1/+7Maybe one day you will pull your head out of your ass and realize a truck is a WORK vehicle and your "eco" car is simply used to get you around town. Apple and oranges. One day I hope you will grow up and understand this. I'd love to see you try to haul stuff in your "eco" car.
      • FairDinkumMate, on 06/10/2008, -2/+2FTA - "Until May, full-sized trucks accounted for 13% of the US vehicle market".

        There must be a lot that need to haul stuff in the US - 1 in 8!!!
      • kinseyincanada, on 06/10/2008, -2/+1and maybe you'll realize that when people talk negatively about a truck they are not talking about people who use it to haul stuff for their job, that is what they were created for, they tal about the soccer moms you get them to feel safer so they are the 'big' car on the road.
      • norman619, on 06/10/2008, -0/+3Can either of you idiots please tell me why you feel it's your place to tell others how to spend their money and what they can drive? Go buy your eco death trap and leave the rest of the people free to buy whatever vehicle they can afford. Last I checked this is a free country. Oh yes I forget it's cool to talk ***** about people who can buy things you can't. Both you guys need to grow the ***** up and get over your envy which is what this is.
  • WordsnCollision, on 06/10/2008, -6/+16Just rename it the F-100K and show some honesty.
    • norman619, on 06/10/2008, -1/+6Nice little lemming. You bought the misleading BS in this article. EVERYTHING you buy actually costs more to own than what you initially paid to purchase it in the store. You would be surprised at the true cost of owning ANY vehicle. Now follow the other lemmings over that cliff over there.
  • redcolumbine, on 06/10/2008, -19/+3Ever wonder why truck rhymes with yuck? (or "good luck, schmuck")
  • chrisinsocalif, on 06/10/2008, -2/+2I have a truck in my driveway for my manliness but then its offset by me eco friendly geek mobile. Gas prices are killing me!
  • Mahoney07, on 06/10/2008, -0/+28I'm sure insurance for a Tesla Roadster is much more expensive than F-250 insurance.
    • s1mph0ny, on 06/10/2008, -5/+3Not necessarily, large vehicles like the f-250 are capable of producing a lot more damage in a wreck.
      • sapo916, on 06/10/2008, -2/+5Thats not what insurance rates are based on...
        • Abomonog, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2He's right. Insurance is based totally on body styles and trim designation (SRT, SXT, RT, SE).

          That F-250 carries the same basic motor as the Mustang but costs less to insure because it's got a pickup body on the frame.

          The best comparison are the DeVilles VS. the tuner cars.

          Today's high end Caddies come with 450 hp right off the show room floor and are capable of reaching 170 MPH with only the removal of the restrictor plate for a modification whereas most of the Japanese racers run about 290 hp off the lot and might hit 140 or 150 before you start throwing in the major modifications. (Stage 2 turbo, 6 spd tranny, and such).

          Yet that Caddy's insurance is less than half of say an Eclipse simply because of the luxury body style.

          The three best stealth racers currently out there are:

          1: The Caddilac Sadan Deville Le (fully decked out) Its 450 HP motor simply dusts most stock Japanese RT models.

          2: The (04' design) Dodge Neon RT. Yes, overall it's a piece of crap, it looks like it was designed by Roger Rabbit, but officially it and the Viper and Nissan's Skyline are the three fastest robot-built cars on the planet. I'm not sure I agree with that "officiality" (a word for Colbert) but dodge tossing in that twin turbo Mitsubishi did indeed create a car that will give you gravity grin. It will at least keep up with a '92 Eclipse RT and that's certainly no small feat.

          3: Dodge 1500 Super Custom. It's not advertised and you gotta order in advance, but if you plunk down about 80 grand you can get a Dodge 1500 with a Viper drive train in it. I've never driven one and the dealership I worked at only had one outfitted the entire time I was there (about 2 yrs.) but word on the street is that you now need 6 bags of cement in the back to plant its ass on the ground instead of the traditional two.


          Robot built= Assembly line production model. Not to be confused with exotics. Those cars are either hand built or use human based assembly line techniques whereas nearly all American and Japanese models are built on totally automated assembly lines with human intervention only when needed.

          For insurance purposes the Neon RT is a sports car but the 1500 and DeVille are not.

          Sorry about the blabbing. Must be stoned on the Colombian coffee I;m drinking.
    • breezytrees, on 06/10/2008, -1/+5Yup. The insurance for my chrysler crossfire (2door sports car coupe) costs more than twice as much as the insurance for my full size 1500 dodge ram did. Both vehicles were relatively new, had the exact same street value, and similar mileage.
      • ICSU, on 06/10/2008, -6/+4chrysler crossfire and dodge ram?
        You must have extremely small dick.
  • deff, on 06/10/2008, -8/+11Until you can reliably tow a boat, carry lumber, or tow a large trailer with an electric vehicle, this point will be moot.
  • bownasterm, on 06/10/2008, -10/+4Who cares, if you can afford it then go for it thats my opinion. Im saving up to get a Dodge truck personally, but this is a bad ass truck to say the least.
  • seastobble, on 06/10/2008, -9/+12i have one and can say it's worth every ***** penny; love it.
  • elmontsmilitia, on 06/10/2008, -9/+1who the hell judges cost over a 5 year span??
    • AngelBunny, on 06/10/2008, -0/+3i do. value over price is the best way to buy things imho.
    • mangosinslo, on 06/10/2008, -0/+4smart people?
    • Marshalrusty, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2People who are smart enough to get fixed mortgages and keep their house when circumstances change. See where I'm going with this?
  • patpl22391, on 06/10/2008, -2/+2I love trucks. If I didn't sit in traffic for two hours a day, I possibly could be able to afford one!
  • enantiodromia, on 06/10/2008, -0/+21You aren't going to convince truck people they don't need a truck, even if they don't need the truck, dig?
    • mangosinslo, on 06/10/2008, -0/+3gas prices are going to do the convincing, assuming they haven't already.
      • breezytrees, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2true. Just sold my 1500 dodge ram for a car that gets 4 times the gas mileage. 7mpg just hurt too much. God i loved that truck and everything I used it for. :-(

        I basically stopped all outdoor activities... no more camping... no more mountain biking... wow, this is depressing...
        • headband, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Double-Back-Two-Bike-Tr ...

          camping shouldn't be much harder either, if people can bring all the gear they need on their back they can easily fit it in a car
        • whatever01, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2FFS - get a set of panniers and go touring. Always seemed the height of silliness to drive your bike to the start of a ride so you can get away from it all.
      • MutatedNantuko, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1If you look at Craigslists all over America, the autos are all trucks/SUVs/mobile homes.
  • willrs, on 06/10/2008, -0/+11Well, I guess this is bad news to the people who drive their children three blocks to and from school in one of these things, in Southern California.
  • HubbertWins, on 06/10/2008, -2/+53Yea, except 90% of the people that buy them aren't hauling around anything bigger than their ass.
    • breezytrees, on 06/10/2008, -6/+1u know this how?
      • Marshalrusty, on 06/10/2008, -0/+4Go to a parking lot of a software company and count the trucks that return there on a daily basis. Most of them have never hauled anything at all.
      • spoonchucks, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Because your mom drives one.
    • whatever01, on 06/10/2008, -0/+3'cept maybe their wives ass. /sarcasm
    • prleet, on 06/10/2008, -2/+4Just to add to that ass: Recently I and my white american redneck friend went to DC-North East part of it, its hot and humid and we come across this store for a drink, not much a grocery store but still. So, standing in line and in front of me is this dark-skinned lady, with another teen girl(has cell phone..making calls), who had two carts of groceries and I assure you that none of the items in there were vegies, but meat/dairy, mostly burgers and like 10+ packs of hotdogs. Again to clarify, this is not Giant, Magruder's or Safeway, etc and the first thing I thought of is that this individual is going to pay with foodstamp and then the next thing I thought of this lady is sick to even buy these kind of junk food beacuse she was away too big/fat/godzilla--, the kid is about the same, but the woman too have a cell phone and she must have a car to carry all these groceries. Sure enough, when its time to pay, she uses foodstamp. Finally, I pay for my pepsi and walk out the store and outside she putting groceries in a SUV. I started laughing seeing the irony in everything and I ask my room mate, "wtf?." Whats wrong with this picture? He replies, "work harder, millions on welfare depends on you." I asked him later, does the government even check who they give foodstamps out to anymore.....
      ps
      I seen quite a few incidents like this but the lady here was away too fat, so she does need a suv to move her fat ass around
  • AngelBunny, on 06/10/2008, -1/+8doesn't owning a truck mean you are telling the world that you are a blue collar worker?
    • datastorageguy, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2Not if you are from Texas. Millionaires drive trucks.
      • AngelBunny, on 06/18/2008, -0/+1no wonder why the rest of the country makes jokes about texans. lol, such morons.
  • cerealjynx, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2I don't give a *****, tell me what is affordable instead.
  • Philophobic, on 06/10/2008, -5/+3I'll give Digg 10 more minutes until some idiot claims this is liberally biased because it doesn't support idiocy.
  • cowisgood, on 06/10/2008, -1/+5Title = fail
  • DannoSpeaks, on 06/10/2008, -4/+15Wow. First, this cost estimate could be applied to any vehicle, so every large truck will run you this much. Over 5 years, as the article conveniently omits, a $100K vehicle such as the tesla will run you double the insurance of a large truck, due the to high repair costs, unknown failure rates and overall luxury of the vehicle. Also, there is the expense of electricity to charge it, maintenance costs (which will run more than standard cars and trucks, assuming the fail rate is on par with todays vehicles) and taxes.
    • Abomonog, on 06/10/2008, -1/+3As a general rule electric motors will out last an IC engine easily with less than half the maintenance. When was the last time you changed the oil on your vacuum cleaner? A typical vacuum motor lasts 20 years or more. Why not a cars electric motor? Electrical motors are much simpler than an engine, have much less moving parts, and are virtually maintenance free. Electricity is also much cheaper than gasoline. You can charge a Roadster for a buck or two at most. $2 dollars is a lot of electricity if you really think about it and even 10 dollars for a charge is still a hell of a lot cheaper than $80 for a tank of gas.


      Other than the suspension there isn't going to be all that much to repair on it. If a motor burns out you replace it. That may cost 3 grand but you'll most likely have gone 70 k+ miles in the car. Big deal. Since the brakes will now be electrically assisted you'll be buying less pads and rotors too. Batteries are your only big worry. Everything else is solid-state.

      You know what? I'm a mechanic and I'll tell you this. Cars like the Roadster are going to put a huge amount of us out of work. The fail rate is most likely to be far better than todays cars if they're built right.
    • apeweek, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Sorry, but you are totally misinformed.

      I own a used electric vehicle, and the insurance on that car is *lower* than my two gas vehicles.

      Repair costs are also far lower. Electric motors don't need regular maintenance at all. In fact, it's 27 years old and still has all the original motor parts.

      Electricity is also far cheaper than gas (something like 1 cent/mile versus 20 cents/mile.)

      And taxes? Guess what, I don't pay gasoline tax at all!
  • blankman, on 06/10/2008, -1/+9I seriously doubt the majority of F-250 owners really pay $100,000 in 5 years unless they get it repaired at the dealership every month. Besides, I rarely see the F-250 outside of either a construction site, or on the road with landscaper graphics. Most people who need a pickup for everyday use get smaller ones, like the F-150, or the even smaller Tacoma. These "regular" pickups will cost the same for maintenance and all other fields mentioned as any car, with the exception of gas of course. The Tacoma actually gets pretty good gas mileage for a pickup at 17 city 22 highway, and being a Toyota has very low maintenance costs.
    • winmywii, on 06/10/2008, -1/+2"The Tacoma actually gets pretty good gas mileage for a pickup at 17 city 22 highway, and being a Toyota has very low maintenance costs."

      People automatically assume that if it is a truck or suv that it gets horrid gas mileage. The same people wouldn't even think twice if they saw a Pontiac GTO pass them for example (or any smaller car that gets ***** mileage).
      • headband, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2my dad just bought a Nissan rogue and he gets better mileage than he did in his Plymouth breeze
        • s1mph0ny, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Too bad he still doesn't have any taste.
      • blankman, on 06/10/2008, -0/+117/22 is good gas mileage FOR A PICKUP which is what I said. Many people need pickups and can't drive around Accords and Priuses around. I mean even the 2008 Honda Accord only gets 22 City, 31 highway. And look at the gas mileage for many large or mid size cars and you'll likely see cars that do a lot worse than the Tacoma in the City. Your main gas sacrifice is highway driving because of the aerodynamics.

        So unless you do a ton of highway driving, the Tacoma is pretty comparable to many cars. It is worth it for anyone who needs a truck.
    • AndreiOttawa, on 06/10/2008, -1/+1Still, if Tacoma is considered a low-mileage vehicle for a daily commute, gas prices are not high enough.
  • DannoSpeaks, on 06/10/2008, -7/+2Wow. First, this cost estimate could be applied to any vehicle, so every large truck will run you this much. Over 5 years, as the article conveniently omits, a $100K vehicle such as the tesla will run you double the insurance of a large truck, due the to high repair costs, unknown failure rates and overall luxury of the vehicle. Also, there is the expense of electricity to charge it, maintenance costs (which will run more than standard cars and trucks, assuming the fail rate is on par with todays vehicles) and taxes.
  • topace3000, on 06/10/2008, -2/+9Nice misleading title, douchebag. It would be nice to get some honesty around here occasionally.
  • verbose, on 06/10/2008, -1/+4That cinches it, I'm spending the next five years on the couch.
  • scarecrow2k6, on 06/10/2008, -0/+0Yeah at last ! Now I can show everyone how ultra cool I am and everyone will be blinded with the bright light of its awsomeness...btw I live in Texas..
  • Austinh57, on 06/10/2008, -1/+5My father owns a small construction business that requires big trucks....unfortunately we just have to pay the price.
  • gALEXy, on 06/10/2008, -3/+3I think a lot of you are missing the point. The author here isn't trying to say that the tesla is better than the f-250, or somehow a good alternative, they really don't compare. He's not trying to say these trucks are evil either. The whole idea of the article is just to reach out to people who are considering purchasing a large truck - not out of necessity and say "hey, did you know that large trucks are generally pretty expensive to maintain? Maybe you should consider a smaller, more efficient alternative, if thats an option." Nothing more.
  • breezytrees, on 06/10/2008, -2/+15This article and the accompanying new york times article is so full of fail. While I fully recognize the cost of gas guzzlers. I just sold my 1500 dodge truck. It was nowhere near the cost this article has stipulated.

    I drove my dodge truck for 4 years and spent $18,000 in the beginning, $2000 on maintenance, and $2334.5 on fuel, $5000 on insurance for a total of roughly +9,334.5. Far from the +$50,000 estimate NYT has stipulated.

    Also nevermind that the insurance of my new smaller more economical car (gets 4 times the gas mileage of my truck) cost more than twice as much... due to the fact that: its **smaller**... and thus not as safe...

    Also... my new **smaller** fuel efficient car is foreign, and repair bills are thus 4-5 times as much. My windshield cost me 900 dollars. On my truck it costed me 150. My brakes cost me 1200 to replace. On my truck they costed me 250.

    This is a perfect a terrible article, driven by emotion, and not rational thought. New york times, shame on you. Blog: well eh... no excuse necessary. I regularly expect ***** articles from blogspam.
    • breezytrees, on 06/10/2008, -4/+5Grammar-wise, that was the worst piece of digg comment I have ever written. Please feel free to digg me down.
      • Phate8263, on 06/10/2008, -1/+4you haven't been on dig long then...
    • gALEXy, on 06/10/2008, -0/+0What kind of car did you get exactly? I just looked up the prices of a few windshields, even a new windshield for a 2008 7 series bmw can be done for under $600. At the moment im not convinced your two vehicles are in the same price range. I don't know any more about cars than the next guy though, so someone tell me I'm wrong please.
      • breezytrees, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Chrysler Crossfire. I just checked prices online. I don't think you can base anything off them. My moms lexus windshield apparently cost $274 flat online, yet she's replaced it for $800 every spring for the past 4 years. My trucks windshield apparently costs 275 online, yet i replaced it for $150 twice during the time I owned it. Imo, the average consumer doesn't buy windshields or autoparts for that matter online, but from the local dealers and the suppliers that supply them...

        My car's windshield prices vary from 275 up to 400, whether that means 150 or 800 remains to be seen. I'm guessing latter since my windshield, like my car, is "made in germany." My car is a sl-class mercedes with a chrysler badge. Likewise, it has sl-class maintenance costs.
        • thugok, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Honest question here. Where the hell does your family live that they replace windshields so often? In my 15+ years of driving and owning cars I have replaced 1.
        • breezytrees, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Utah. Pebbles litter the roads around here up in the mountains. Crazy temperature fluctuations don't help either.

          Also, it doesn't help that something about the shape of a lexus rx-330/350/400h just seems to lift rocks off the ground and plant them right in your windshield.
    • gimpbully, on 06/10/2008, -0/+4-fuel prices have gone up since you've sold your truck
      -bigger does not equate to enhanced safety
      -where are you getting your insurance figures? that's a completely un-citable statement
      -you got ripped off by a windshield sales guy
      -you got ripped off by a mechanic
      • breezytrees, on 06/10/2008, -0/+3-sold my truck 8 days ago.

        - Once you are in an accident, you have a much higher chance of surviving if you are in a huge vehicle. True, smaller cars are better able to avoid an accident in the first place, but that survivability depends entirely on the drivers ability. E.G. Good drivers are theoretically safer in a smaller cars, bad drivers are not. For accidents involving the average driver, or accidents that are unavoidable (which even the best driver cannot avoid), a bigger heavier, modern car made from a unibody construction or a truck on a truck frame is always going to be the safer car.

        -I get my figures from my insurance bill. My truck and my car had the exact same street value. I am a 22 year old male and thus have the highest chance to get in an accident. I fall into the "terrible driver" bracket and thus am safer in a full-size heavy truck than a small little 2 door 3000 pound coupe. Hence, I pay more insurance in the small vehicle that accelerates slow as molasses (slow as my truck), and that out-handles a porsche, stops just as fast, and like a porsche, gets absolutely critically destroyed in any form of collision.

        -$800 is a common figure to pay on many luxury foreign vehicles.

        -the cost of JUST my brake rotors alone (excluding installation) is $840. Replacing your rotors and calipers is standard maintenance procedure at 50k miles for most cars. calipers+rotors+installation=$1200.
      • gimpbully, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1Commonly the shock from a rigid frame, like those used in most large trucks, will be more to your detriment than a body that is designed to absorb the shock like common cars. This is one of the common misconceptions of large vehicles.

        you said luxury, specifically... you're comparing apples to oranges. That will specifically effect your windshield, insurance and brake maintenance.

        Brake rotors on any common car (foreign or otherwise) are *not* $840. hell, I got my entire brake assembly re-done for less than $500 on a 2003 passat
    • al3efroman, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2Fuel prices from the past four years are simply not relevant. Prices have gone up well over 25% in the last year alone.

      Your insurance price is more influenced by the frequency of claims (accident or otherwise) for that model and driver demographic than the overall safety. Regardless of the dubiousness of your claim, your weight to driver skill ratio math ignores far more of the insurance equation than it addresses.

      That windshield price is simply ridiculous, regardless of your location or your humble opinion. Surely you recognize that either your number is inaccurate or you need to have a stern talk to your glass company rep. Also, you don't have comprehensive insurance on your brand Crossfire and need to pay out of pocket for windshields?

      The NYT numbers do seem a tad high, but you have them beat for hyperbole, hands down.
  • KaJuN4, on 06/10/2008, -3/+7Every trip I take, no matter how short, I can expect to be tailgated, cut-off, pulled out in front of, and/or nearly run off the road by a pickup truck. It's good to know those drivers are having to pay a lot for the traffic laws to seemingly not apply to them. I wouldn't mind so much if the trucks were being used to haul or tow stuff but 95% of them have absolutely nothing in their beds. I probably carry more on my motorcycle than some people do with their trucks.
    • AndreiOttawa, on 06/10/2008, -0/+5From my observation, most of the time pickup trucks are used to carry rednecks with small penises. And you know it's true, especially when you see a pair of rubber balls hanging in the rear of the truck.
  • Papajohn56, on 06/10/2008, -1/+5BLOG SPAM. Why not just link to the NYT outright
  • acatzr800, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2Especially considering the premium that smaller cars are going for (10k for a 100k mi '01 Accord?) and the huge discounts at which SUVs and trucks are being sold (close to $8k depending on the model), now is actually the time to get a big vehicle.

    People have gone so crazy about this gas issue, that between trade-in markdown and new vehicle markup, they're losing/paying an extra $13,000. Consider the cost of domestic vs foreign repairs, insurance costs, etc, round that up to an extra 15-16k, and that'll buy a heck of a lot of gas. And then you remember that your new car requires gas too...
    • RizzoFrank, on 06/10/2008, -0/+0The time to get a large vehicle is when it hits $8/gal. Then people will be giving away their trucks for next to nothing.
    • smoger, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1lol, ok, you go buy a large vehicle. your payments may be financed, but your gasoline isn't.. good luck.

      i'll driving around in my heated leather, climate controlled mini laughing everytime i drive by you :)
  • smoger, on 06/10/2008, -0/+6dumb. the percentage of F-250 owners who don't *need* them is negligible. doing this comparison on something like an Excursion would hold a lot more water.

    people buy F-250's to haul *****, work, etc. People buy Titans, Excursions, etc to be assholes.
  • Dorian822, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1So for the first time they make an electric car that looks like a typical vehicle, and instead of making it affordable they price it out of the sky? Wow, and Ford wonders why they're brand name is worthless. Way to not only shoot yourself in the foot, but also in the head.
  • kurtwinter, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1Do you need a truck for work? Fine. Do you want a truck to commute to your office job and feel compensated when people see you in a 8mpg large vehicle? DIAF. Supply and Demand. Learn it. The rest of us have to live with it.
  • malevalent, on 06/10/2008, -1/+1Fixed Or Repaired Daily
  • TheMachine1, on 06/10/2008, -0/+2The same economics apply to lower cost vehicles and lower income jobs. Your working a large percent of time just to own and operate the vehicle.
  • 1729, on 06/10/2008, -0/+115000mi/yr = $30000/yr in gas? At $4/gal that would be 2mpg. NY Times fails math, or maybe I just don't hang out with truck drivers that cruise around town redlining in first gear.
  • stareD, on 06/10/2008, -0/+0hmmm, PIECE OF CRAP!
  • Alenzia, on 06/10/2008, -0/+0The article makes a good point, but it ignores the repairs/charging/etc. costs for the electric car, which probably would still make it more expensive than the Ford. I'm all for developing the technology though - with the advances already made, it is very likely that it will be cheaper to own an electric soon.
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.