http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/talkofthetown/26149 Who can afford to drive these gas guzzlers anymore? &quot;Sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks &mdash; symbols of Americans' obsession with horsepower, size, and status &mdash; are falling out of favor as consumers rich and poor encounter sticker shock at the pump, paying upward of $80 to fill gas tanks.&quot; The full story is here. Who can afford to drive these gas guzzlers anymore? &quot;Sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks &mdash; symbols of Americans' obsession with horsepower, size, and status &mdash; are falling out of favor as consumers rich and poor encounter sticker shock at the pump, paying upward of $80 to fill gas tanks.&quot; The full story is here. en-us <p>The end of the ( needlessly, unless status and ego is a need in which case awww shame ) enormous SUV and truck pretty much can't come soon enough.</p> <p>Remember when you didn't have your view of the road ahead blocked by the tailgate of an enormous truck?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/talkofthetown/26149/#c_234573 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/talkofthetown/26149/#c_234573 <p>The end of the ( needlessly, unless status and ego is a need in which case awww shame ) enormous SUV and truck pretty much can't come soon enough.</p> <p>Remember when you didn't have your view of the road ahead blocked by the tailgate of an enormous truck?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Last night my wife and I were discussing selling her 2004 BMW and buying a new one. But a new one is over $50k.</p> <p>Maybe I should get a part time job and become a Saturday afternoon radio talking head. The extra $400 a month would cancel out the payment.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/talkofthetown/26149/#c_234582 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/talkofthetown/26149/#c_234582 <p>Last night my wife and I were discussing selling her 2004 BMW and buying a new one. But a new one is over $50k.</p> <p>Maybe I should get a part time job and become a Saturday afternoon radio talking head. The extra $400 a month would cancel out the payment.</p> <p>Trouble is, these SUV's will be purchased used by the people least likely to be able to afford to operate them.&nbsp; Without decent public transit, there's little option.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/talkofthetown/26149/#c_234583 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/talkofthetown/26149/#c_234583 <p>Trouble is, these SUV's will be purchased used by the people least likely to be able to afford to operate them.&nbsp; Without decent public transit, there's little option.</p> <p>I'm glad mine is paid off. $112 to fill it up every two weeks. It's still cost effective to drive though....payments + fillups on a new hybrid or more fuel effciant van would still cost more per month than feeding what we have. A minivan or anything with batteries would die quickly out where I live. Bad roads, pot holes, washboards, mud holes when it rains, sharp rocks, dust and dirt all can ruin a car long before the thing is paid for. I've had SUV's and pickups long before they were a fad. I'll have one around long after the fad dies too.</p> <p> </p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/talkofthetown/26149/#c_234587 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/talkofthetown/26149/#c_234587 <p>I'm glad mine is paid off. $112 to fill it up every two weeks. It's still cost effective to drive though....payments + fillups on a new hybrid or more fuel effciant van would still cost more per month than feeding what we have. A minivan or anything with batteries would die quickly out where I live. Bad roads, pot holes, washboards, mud holes when it rains, sharp rocks, dust and dirt all can ruin a car long before the thing is paid for. I've had SUV's and pickups long before they were a fad. I'll have one around long after the fad dies too.</p> <p> </p> <p>With my $95 tax incentive rebate, I can now afford a one time fill up in my truck and a 6 pack of beer....</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/talkofthetown/26149/#c_234594 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/talkofthetown/26149/#c_234594 <p>With my $95 tax incentive rebate, I can now afford a one time fill up in my truck and a 6 pack of beer....</p>