how many cars are on the road?
 

hey everyone-

i'm writing an environmental impact research paper and i need to find a reputable webpage that lists the number of cars on the road in the united states.. it'd be good if there are a few years listed so i can compare.. apparantly the nation's avg. fuel economy has gone up by about 8mpg over the past 20 years. i want to see if the number of cars on the road has effectively cancelled that out or not..

anyone with some leads?

-adam

Mine is on the road.

At least one.

Well, my neighbour has one too.

So two.


The reason why the MPG went up is because we have bigger engines and SUVs on the road for no reason.

Most (if not all) full size cars come with a v6 and 3.5L engines. Do we need them? No but it seems like a big _____ fight to me.

L

Wouldn't that make the MPG go DOWN?

I gotta admit I'm a little tired of all this SUV bashing. I've had two Explorers, and appreciated every second of being able to carry family, luggage, bags of mulch, ski gear, furniture, bikes, dogs, family and luggage and ski gear and dogs, lumber, wheelbarrows, barbecue grills, plants, tools, etc., and tow trailers, cars, motorcycles, and espresso carts (don't ask).

Not everybody buys an SUV as a lifestyle statement, and some SUVs actually get used as trucks AND cars. Try putting seven people (or even five) comfortably in a Legacy.

Just had to get that off my chest. Thanks for listening. :rolleyes:

I'm done.

An SUV is too small for all that stuff. I miss my full size VAN. :}

Hi Adam,

I think the only way you will get an accurate number of cars on the road would be to contact the licensing agencies for the various states. Than again that will tell you the number of cars on the road but not if the car sits in a garage all year long except when goes an SVX meet. :-))

Do you want to just know about cars and not trucks and buses?

It may be a better approach to find out how many gallons of fuel for motor vechicles is sold each year. That's the info you really want. How many gallons do we burn each year? Cause after it's all burned it turns into heat and pollution.

Right on! Yes, the way I understand that is that the fuel economy going up means the average vehicle gets more mpg now than 20 years ago. Think about it, 20 years ago was 1983 and full size cars back then had V8's in them, if not crappy V6's that got really poor gas mileage compared to today's engines I'm sure. Yeah, there are a lot of SUV's used as status symbols or whatever, especially around here, but there are a lot of people that use them too. And some of us even need pickup trucks. :eek:

Remember kids, we all drive a big heavy luxury coupe with a powerful engine and no better fuel economy than any of those new V6 full size sedans, with a lot less practicality (thinking passenger and cargo room). Face it, the SVX may not be viewed by the world as it anymore, but it is still all about excess, luxury, and performance, not practicality and economy.

You all know I love this car, I'm just a realist and think we need to knock ourselves a couple steps down the pedestal once in a while.

Adam,
This place has WORLD population www.ott.doe.gov.

How many SUV owners actually haul people and load? I used to drive a Mitsubishi Pajero (Montero) here when I was in Middle East. Great car for the climate and location.

Tell me how many people actually use the car for it's purpose? I love SUVs. But look at most of them, they are only carrying one person. How is that for a nice usage of natural resources? 15 mpg for one person.

I actually want my hands on a Toyota LandCruiser one of these days. Or a Hummer version 1 when I can afford it although hummer is not really a SUV.

In NJ I think most people drive them for protection in an accident and as a status symbol.

we live at the end of a dirt road on top of a huge hill in southwestern new hampshire. we have a log cabin in the woods which is about 3/4 of a mile up a heavily wooded, rocky road on a steep grade. my father runs a secondhand shop, so he spends a lot of time driving to other people's houses to pick up couches, television sets, etc. if they're unable to drive them to the store.

he drives a nissan pathfinder but he'd rather be driving an Audi Allroad or similarly beefy AWD station wagon. IMHO, a wagon will accomplish the same things as an SUV but do so with better fuel economy, a lower center of gravity and less bulk. If you really need the extra space afforded by a tall SUV, buy a trailer..

-adam

I wouldn't bash an SUV or it's owner unless the owner will never ever use the full capability of the SUV (like commuting 15 mins to work every day).

Didn't we already have this thread before?

My favorite is the story of an SUV stuck at the bottom of an icy hill because the driver didn't know how to engage 4wd!!

<<Steve stick fingers in ears.>>

La, la, la, la.
Whistle, whistle.
LAAA, LAAAA, LAAAAA!
I'M NOT LISTENING!
:eek: :D ;) :D