You all know about increasing CAFE standards for auto manufacturers and also the boom of light truck and SUV sales in the past years. Big gas engines may go may the wayside. Evidence is being seen all over the place. Ford's work on small diesels for the Explorer and Expy as well as oil refineries contantly working on revised, cleaner burning diesel with virtually no sulphur.

Share some info that might you have on Ford's small diesel plans. And anything else that could be relevant to the demise of big gassers. I hope it doesn't happen but I DO like the idea of diesels becoming cleaner, quieter and more powerful (HP) but not too sure about possibly losing our V10 (or 12's )

What do you all think? Could our big gassers be gone in 10 years or priced beyond our reach? Almost every country has diesels available in their small trucks and SUV's with gassers next to impossible to find. Could we be next???

 

It will all depend on what happens with the oil prices and availability worldwide. I dont think right now that it looks like a big concern but it can change in a hurry. As long as I see the oil man Pres. Bush driving around the ranch in his F250 or 350 (I wonder what engine he is running) I am not too worried about it. I do see that other auto manufacturers are coming out with some huge engines in the next few years. Dodge has the V10 coming in their hot rod truck and I expect to see a V10 in the lightning in the not too distant future. also reading that Lincoln might be coming with a car soon that has a V12. I think with the love affair that us americans have with the big engines it might take a little longer for that to happen. But the development stage is definitely here with the automakers. I for one will be in the market in 2 years for the new 2003 Escape HEV that comes out the end of this year. I can think of no better way to commute to work than in a SUV that gets 40mpg in the city. then I can keep the V10 home, warm and cozy for those special occasions. I would not worry too much about it though just enjoy what we have right now. We are the greatest country in the world. later 95rcobra.

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2002 F250 SD SC SB Lariat V10.
1995 Cobra R model #185.

 

I think if it is a good thing some one will screw it up eventually.

 

i heard the other day that the reason that car manufacturers are saying that you can go longer w/o an oil change is because of the epa. supposedly the epa is saying that there are more vehicles on the road and more people are driving more miles that we are using to much oil for oil changes!


-nathan

 

The CAFE standards first passed in the 70's are what killed the station wagon. The CAFE II standards where killed by the Senate last week, but tufted to the DOT to come up with some sort of new standard in two years. The CAFE II standards purposed by the rich liberal socialist John F. Kerry (D-MA) would have killed the SUV and light truck market. How is a F-350 pulling a trailer going to get 35mpg? A loophole in the current CAFE standards allowed trucks to get lower mileage. Why? Because trucks are work vehicles meant to haul and pull heavy loads. Good luck trying to get your basic Honda Civic to pull a 6,000 Lbs trailer. SUV were first built on truck frames and are considered trucks, under the current standard. But the market seems to be going to more and more plush SUVs. Some of the newer SUV are being built on unit body frames to make them plusher and more car like because this is what the market wants. Of course with unit bodied frames, tow rating are dropping and off road capabilities are less. Besides, how many people take their SUVs off road? Most SUVs are driven by “Soccer Moms” that love the fact that they and their kids are safer in a larger vehicle, and I don’t blame them. The trend seems to be towards trucks doing the pull and heavy hauling and the SUVs filling in the gap that the station wagon once filled. Besides, what is a large family going to do? In the nanny state of California our state government just made a new law requiring you to keep your kids in a child seat until 6 years old or 60 Lbs. The old standard was 4 years or 40 Lbs. So if you have more then two kids, when are you going to put them all? I guess the ones that don't require child seats can go in the trunk of your Honda Civic to make room for the ones that do. California liberals are the biggest anti-SUV crowed on the face of the earth, yet they pass laws basically forcing use to buy one, you gotta to love it. I have no problem with more efficient engines designs. The Triton series of engines are far more efficient compared to the engines they replaced (302, 351 and 460). Smaller, yet more powerful diesels are on the horizon (6.0L Power Stroke may be in the 2003 or 04 line up). But if SUV and trucks are classified in the same class of vehicles then the SUV as we know it will be dead, but the truck may live on. Instead of basing the standard on the GVWR, which it is now, how about basing the standard on the construction of the vehicle? How many unit body trucks have you seen?

Besides, the CAFE standards did not fulfill its original reason for being. When the CAFE standards were first imposed, they were suppose to cut our reliance on over seas oil. At the time we got 30% of our oil from over seas, today that number is over 50%.