[W126 Coupe] 300SE meets Sucky Utility Vehicle (SUV)

[David Fatovic]

I think the best, and I think Dick will back me up on this one is the people who own SUVs and decide that when it snows (it does that here in Colorado) they are the ultimate kings of the road and four wheel drive is their savior.  Of course they don't realize that 4 wheel drive doesn't help you stop!  My father-in-law got plowed into by a trailblazer our last little snow storm.  Totalled his car.  Although I think he would have given Barry Corno a run for his money.  It was a 96 Maxima with 266K miles on the clock!

David

----- Original Message ----
From: Bill Reford <billreford at rogers.com>
To: Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists <mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 6:04:57 PM
Subject: Re: [W126 Coupe] 300SE meets Sucky Utility Vehicle (SUV)


All good points Dick,

We too have urban sprawl in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). Our city has 
grown to be the most spread city in Canada with most of the problems that 
you have outlined.

Because of the size of the GTA people are forced to commute great distances 
if they wish to enjoy an urban lifestyle. I commute 60 km (a 1&1/2 hour 
drive) one way for the privelige of living on a lake. It is common for 
poeple to travel 100 Km in rush hour traffic. There is a commuter train 
leaving my nearest town which could bring me my job in 25 minutes, but bad 
scheduling (no trains midday, if your're ill) prevent it.

In the GTA there are no less than 6 transit systems in business (regional) 
each wanting their own fare. We need the european system here, buy a pass 
and go anywhere.
Our roads are overused and in bad repair and our air is poluted bigtime as 
people don't use the transit systems enough. Something has to be done, but 
there is hope, there are some poeple trying to change things.

Speaking about polution, the Ontario Gov't has recently passed legislation 
that autos from 1988 and older will not need an emissions pass to be 
licenced, The local MB clubs lobbied as did most of the classic and antique 
clubs to achieve this.

Our classics don't come even close to the polution of diesel trucks and 
buses that are not monitered (other than a visual smoke test) which only 
removes a very small portion of the offenders.

Well.....at least our cars are safe for the moment.

Best Regards

Bill


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dick Spellman" <spell.yy at verizon.net>
To: "Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists" <mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 8:01 PM
Subject: Re: [W126 Coupe] 300SE meets Sucky Utility Vehicle (SUV)



> Hi Bill:

>

> In my many trips throughout Canada I've never seen a large population of 

> SUV's.  I think this is due to the substantially greater gas prices in 

> Canada.  Last time I was in Ottawa (great city by the way) a liter of gas 

> was about 60% greater than an equivalent amount in US gallons.  So, I 

> think the fuel prices do aid in curbing the enthusiasm of a would-be 

> purchaser of an SUV in your country.  I think you have the advantage of 

> stopping the onslaught before it reaches critical mass as is the case in 

> the US.  The US is the ONLY country that has taken the SUV to excess by 

> offering tax breaks rather than tax increases.  As I travel here and 

> there, most recently Japan, where I saw not one SUV but, a smaller 

> contained country with great transit systems and most everyone walking 

> here and there after exiting a bus or train system.  In the US we fail to 

> realize just how clean and efficient public transit can be.  We tolerate 

> mediocre service with unreliable time-tables, dirty vehicles, dirty 

> terminals etc.  In Japan by way of example the transit systems are 

> immaculate, very reliable and most importantly affordable.  If you drive a 

> car in Japan you pay a hefty road tax similar to our US tolls but 2 to 3 

> times the cost our daily commutes.  Hence the cities are large, little 

> urban sprawl and public transit is stellar.

>

> In the US traveler's defense, we have a vast piece of land to traverse and 

> a population of 300+ million, we have urban sprawl forcing the car 

> commute, we have this nasty air travel system that seems ever-ready to 

> collapse and provides no quality of service.  So, it is what it is. 

> Probably said too much already so best to leave it alone.  Take care Bill.

>

> Dick

>

> Bill Reford wrote:

>> Hear Hear!!!

>>

>> The same crap goes on up here in Canada. The Ministry of Transport has a 

>> proposal on the table that will subject an average SUV to a $ 4000.00 

>> additional tax (gas guzzling tax) when purchased new. (Good) and a 

>> payment (kickback) to any person who invests in a hybrid (any make)  I 

>> admire your patience, a pity to have one of your classics wounded by a 

>> piece of shit and piloted by an idiot..

>>

>> Bill

>>

>> 1985 500SEC Euro

>> 1984 300D

>> 1988 420SEL

>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dick Spellman" <spell.yy at verizon.net>

>> To: "Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists" <mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com>

>> Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 6:59 PM

>> Subject: [W126 Coupe] 300SE meets Sucky Utility Vehicle (SUV)

>>

>>

>>> Well for those of you that do not know me, I have a particular rant that 

>>> simply stated suggests that this government and US automakers conspired 

>>> to permit the sale of SUV's at a time when they realized they could no 

>>> longer compete with a sedan or other family vehicle made in Japan.  It 

>>> started with the Dodge/Plymouth Caravan which was in my opinion a 

>>> reasonable compromise and natural evolution of the family station wagon. 

>>> The caravan even made a reasonable utility vehicle once absent the rear 

>>> seats.  Gas mileage, visibility and safety were good as well.

>>>

>>> But, today we have nothing but gas guzzling SUV's on the roadways where 

>>> the drivers are forever thinking they are invincible and do more stupid 

>>> SUV tricks than any other motorists on the road.  100's in accidents 

>>> from a single snow event mostly SUV's (snow rare this winter in Btown).

>>>

>>> Now for today's case in point.  Today while stopped at a RED light (a 

>>> long wait I might add) in the left turn lane to enter a MASS highway the 

>>> SUV operator in front of me decides he needs to move to the lanes to my 

>>> right for local traffic and not the highway.  Without so much as a 

>>> glance in his OBSTRUCTED rear view mirror, he throws the sucky utility 

>>> vehicle in reverse and slams into the front of my 300SE Euro sedan.

>>>

>>> I was polite enough given the adrenalin rush from the stupid event 

>>> (that's why they call them accidents I suppose) but, had he been driving 

>>> a sedan or other similar passenger vehicle his glance in the rear view 

>>> ( I won't bother to comment on not checking his side view mirrors) would 

>>> have given him the visual clue that a line of cars was in fact behind 

>>> him!

>>>

>>> Anyway, rental car tomorrow for the rest of my weeks business, then the 

>>> insurance hassle etc.  Just another day in Boston where driving is 

>>> always an experience.

>>>

>>> By the way, last winter it was a city plow truck that drove into the 

>>> trunk of my other MB sedan at yet another red light where traffic was 

>>> clearly stopped.  There's no escaping the madness!

>>>

>>> Dick

>>> rant off and a glass of merlot in hand.  By the way I don't care if you 

>>> own an SUV, it's all a part of the conspiracy and marketing hype that 

>>> says everyone's gotta have one, not much you can do about it.  If I had 

>>> been in a lean, efficient SMART Brabus car it would have been trashed by 

>>> the SUV and I might not be writing this piece at all!  So, no way I'm 

>>> getting a smaller car where the roads are nothing but SUV's.

>>>

>>> The MB Coupes Website!

>>> W126 SEC Mailing List

>>> Postings remain property of MB Coupes, L.L.C.

>>

>> The MB Coupes Website!

>> W126 SEC Mailing List

>> Postings remain property of MB Coupes, L.L.C.

>>

>>

>

>

>

> The MB Coupes Website!

> W126 SEC Mailing List

> Postings remain property of MB Coupes, L.L.C. 


The MB Coupes Website!
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Postings remain property of MB Coupes, L.L.C.