I post this only to enlighten slashdotters of other perspectives on the matter of these gas guzzlers, which, in principle I am completely against, but in my own reality I love and cherish. And in order to comprehend the mirth brought into life by such environmentally unfriendly modes of transportation one must grasp how ones native geography influentially sculpts its residences life perspectives.
I am a Montanan (burn slowly in hell Miley Cyrus! (youtube Montana if you want to feel my pain)), which means I come from a state about equal in size to Germany or Japan. For some reason, unlike these other two states, no one lives in MT, maybe its the -20 weather weve been having or the foot of snow we got lost night. None the less, with a population under one million you can imagine how sparsely populated the state is. For me to travel to the next town of more than 10,000 inhabitants involves at least an hour and a half journey, and any others requires at least 3 hours.
So what vehicle to use to traverse the tundra? 4 wheel drive isnt a must, but youre crazy to elect a vehicle without it. There are a handful of great 4x4 sedans that can get me from G-Funk to Boozeman, but the real question is what do I enjoy the most?
SUVs and trucks enable the ability to haul your entertainment with you. Whether it be 10 of you in a suburban drinking and cruising on the back roads or hooking up your snowmobiles for a weekend in the Little Belts with your half ton, you know you can bring enjoyment to nature where you go. Theres nothing I love more in the summer than loading my truck up with a raft, inner tubes, beer, people and tunes chilling on the river for a day. Or bringing my dirt bike up to abandoned logging roads and just cruising through the mountains without another soul on the road.
City dwellers find it illogical and impractical to own these un-economical autos, and I agree, they exemplify, nay, promote American greed and squalor. But I look past this and use them to indulge in, surprisingly, a lifestyle where I take full advantage of nature; even though by doing I help destroy what I love. And in America, I am glad I have the choice to drive what provides me with the most personal satisfaction.
Im sad to see these manufacturers go down