US Automakers should subsidize rising fuel costs, afterall, it is their fuel guzzlers they marketed heavily?

Question

US Auto makers philosophy was bigger is better.They actually had a great product in the EVO but pulled them all. Instead they continued to create huge wasteful SUV'S AND TRUCKS and tried to make us feel unpatriotic when we purchased fuel efficient imports. Auto makers contributed to this CRISIS, they should help pay for it! Your thoughts?

Answer 1

If Americans demand SUV's, auto makers will manufacture SUV's.  Rising fuel prices has slowed demand for SUV's and trucks so much that many SUV and truck plants are closing down.  GM and Ford have both announced plans for smaller higher efficiency cars.  Blaming a manufacturer for consumer demand is silly.

Answer 2

That is like saying the SPOON made Rosie O'donnel fat; Car manufacture res should be blamed for accidents; Cereal companies should pay fat kids for being fat.

Very Liberal Progressive thought process!

Answer 3

I would put the blame squarely on ourselves & Congress for the fuel crisis.  We bought into the idea that fuel would stay at $2.50/gal or lower.  Now, it is over $4/gal for gas alone.  In addition, we have let the environmentalists take control of the EPA & convince us that alternative sources of energy are the only way to go without using the technologies we have now to survive & let capitalism take its course.  Congress needs to let us drill everywhere possible & fastrack all refinery permits.

The automakers are capitalists.  They will try to sell their most expensive &/or popular models in hopes to sell more of them or draw the customer in.  We just suckered ourselves into the notion that we had to have the SUV & the gas guzzler to look cool. That are my thoughts.

Answer 4

It's like blaming McDonalds for making you fat.

You ate it. It's your fault. You had other choices.

SUV's and trucks have a usefull purpose. Many people in America needs trucks for work.

many families need more passenger room than can fit in a small car.

Automakers are paying the price for not responding to the change in demand. GM, Ford and Chrysler are going broke. More taxes will cripple them and cost more job losses.

Answer 5

they have to make what people want to stay in business.

when they started making smaller more fuel efficient cars about 30 years ago people started buying big pickups & suburban type vehicles instead of cars. thats why the ford F150 has been the best selling American vehicle for 20 years until this year.

now people want smaller more fuel efficient cars, so thats what they'll start building. but it takes a minimum of 3 to 5 years to engineer  new models & get them into production.

Answer 6

My thoughts?   The automakers made what people wanted to buy.

You can not force people to buy death traps that look like a sardin can on wheels.

Please grow up and learn how the world works.

Answer 7

Nobody forced you to buy an SUV during the dotcom boom of the 90s.

Answer 8

That's just stupid.  I suppose they put a gun to your head and forced you to buy the biggest truck with the biggest engine you could find.  Consumers contributed to it by demanding these vehicles.

If by EVO (the EVO is a Mitsubishi and an AWD rally inspired car) you mean EV you are ignoring that Toyota and Honda also followed GM and Ford in making them, quit before them, and also crushed every one they ever made.

Car companies make what people want.  This explains why Toyota and Nissan finally made a full size truck and make truck based SUV's that all guzzle just as much gas as anything the Big 3 make.  Why only punish some companies while letting others get away free for doing the exact same thing?