The entire issue here was what the Pope meant by "greedy consumerism" and how the Earth would be better off if people would think about the harm or benefit that their possible purchases might do to other before they VOLUNTARILY made their choices.
It is not possible to buy a Yugo because the damned things were poorly built, not very safe, and of course, the factory was bombed to smithereens, so comparing Yugos to H3's is is just stupid.
The military Hummer is perhaps an ideal vehicle for the Army, as it will carry many soldiers, it has a durable and relatively economical Diesel engine, and a durable body.
The H3 is a cheapo modified pickup truck that has been uglified to resemble the H1, but it has none of the durability or economical aspects of the H1. The price has been jacked up several thousands of dollars to appease fools that believe that paying more actually always must result in a better product.
Any Volvo wagon would be far safer. Basically, the idea is to appeal to silly fools who believe that ugly and menacing vehicles are actually safe. Consumers Union is a far better source of safety info than the size or ugly factor. The Ford Expedition was rather ugly, enormous, and prone to roll if the tire pressures were too low.
The entire SUV craze began as a marketing ploy by Detroit companies who felt that selling heavier trucks to people who previously bought cars (because trucks did not have such strict cafe or safety standards) could be sold these things at a greater profit than actually developing safer and more economical vehicles as the Japanese and Europeans were selling. There was no clamor for people to make Suburbans more carlike: rather, they did extensive marketing research to determine what could be sold to specific market segments. It is rather like the food industry using more and more hydrogenated transfats and corn sweeteners and advertising these on kiddie TV. The profit went up, but the consumer was deliberately deceived.
A common billboard ad shows a mighty Road Ranger somewhere in the tidal flats between the French coast and Mont-Saint-Michel with the word "Adventure". In reality, the real adventure would be in being swept away when the tide came in (it is an SUV, not a submarine) or explaining to the Gendarmes why and how the moron of a driver attempted to drive it there.
In the places where one can drive on an exposed tidal sand flat, any vehicle will suffice.
It is pretty obvious that not a single North American buyer of this Range Rover will ever actually drive the fool thing to the coast of Europe. It is an unrealistic an ad as one depicting a happy family dining on a rtoasyted bundle of Camel Filter cigarettes for Thanksgiving dinner.
People can buy any Goddamned abortion they wish, at least up to a point. I would be opposed to including propylene glycol in toothpaste
or incorporating sharp, pointy objects on the bumpers or Ben Hur rotating knives on the wheels of vehicles. This is not about people being forced to buy this or that. It is about people being fools.
If women are most of the SUV buyers, one needs to remember that women nearly always know less about cars than men, and will trade in a car that has a failing battery or electric component because they are convinced that it is a 'bad car'. Car salesmen LOVE women, as they can stick them for around $1,000 more on every sale of a $20K vehicle. Some buy cars as though they were fashion accessories
No, I am not saying that women are all stupid about cars. But they are, on average, more ignorant about men. Most could not tell you whether their vehicle has 4, 5, 6, or 8 cylinders, disc or drum brakes, or should use synthetic or petro oil. Or what pressure should be in the tires, how to put air in them, or how to use a simple tire gauge.
But it is nonetheless stupid for most people to buy 4WD SUVs for city commutes. The H3 is just the most obvious of the SUVs marketed for dolts. Probably the older Kia Sportages are more unsafe: I have seen more of them upside down on the side of the road and signs of being rolled in U-Pick junkyards.
By the way, that's how to determine how long cars really last: check the odometers of unwrecked cars in the junkyards. No one rolls an odometer FORWARD. JD Powers surveys only follow the repairs done for one year past the purchase date. That is the survey that the auto companies always quote, and it is basically bogus, unless you are a fool that trades in a new car every single year.
Again, I was referring to the Pope's plea for people to make wise voluntary decisions. I also add that I have a perfect right to suggest that fools that buy behemoth guzzlers for astronomical prices in the light of soaring fuel prices are, in fact, fools.
