[fabsroman]

Skeeter,

You are right about needing a bigger vehicle once our family gets bigger, but there are ways around that too. The bigger vehicle doesn't always have to be the one being used. I find it kind of moronic that people buy a $50,000 SUV and have no other car to use other than the SUV. So, they commute in the SUV too. Their gas bill is insane. Then, they wonder why their SUV has 150,000 miles on it in 6 years and they have to buy a new one. I'm willing to bet that most of those SUV's I see in rush hour are headed to work, and not to drop off 3 kids at school or soccer practice. Even if you have 3 kids, why can't you drive a car to drop them off? I'm also willing to bet that those SUV's are not headed on vacation every morning packed full of stuff.

My wife and I have talked about getting an SUV down the road, but way down the road. Right now, I have the Taurus that can fit two baby seats in the back, it has a decent size trunk, and I have a storage container on the top. That should get us along just fine for several more years. Then, there is the F-350 crew cab that can be used when we really need it. I don't see another SUV or large truck purchase any time in the next 5 years.

My parents had 5 kids and somehow, we managed in a little FIAT hatchback from 1976 to 1980, and then they bought the Ford Fairmont, which wasn't a large station wagon by any means. Finally, in 1987, when I was 16 years old, my dad finally got a full size Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser station wagon.

Then, with family size being what it is today (i.e., 2 kids), how many people really NEED that SUV?

The conservatives complain about gas like the democrats complain about health care. Then, we buy SUV's, eat trans fat, smoke, and drink and get mad at the government when they cannot help us out of our situation. Don't even get me started on us Americans and TV.