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So last century.
Peter, Peter, Peter... please, you are sounding so last century. It's time to assimilate into the new society and drop that nasty personality defect called "individuality". Our great leaders have grand plans for humanity, but it does require that you bend. Dispense with your culture and memories, turn over a fresh new leaf and rejoice with others that the world can be a better place if only you will stop your petulant confrontations and disagreeable nature. As hard as it might be to believe, many in power do know what's best for you. We have such misery today because people like you have misplaced values and prefer a set of out-dated beliefs that no longer resonate with our new national purpose. Don't fight the movement, but embrace it with the dedication and resolve that our rulers politely, but firmly, expect. Not to get personal. but who are you, really, to question or differ with policy makers that have resources and information beyond your simple imagination to gently guide us into a progressive era of refinement and comfort. Just accept and agree, for once in your life, and stop being so contentious. I love cars as much as the next motorhead, but those that cling to yesterday's sad examples of selfishness, greed and indulgence are a pock on the majority that expect mankind to simmer down and comfortably meld into a strong and unified world order. There is no other way to succeed... or exist. Continue your antiquated rants and tiresome diatribes and you, unfortunately, will be relegated to the netherworld of contemporary society if you aren't there already.
Sincerely, your comrade in jest,
Bill Owen.
Norfolk, Virginia
The Letter Grades could be worse.
What if, instead of getting a letter grade from the EPA, our cars got letter grades from Moody's, or Standard & Poor's?
Yeah. The credit rating on that Charger/Challenger would be sad. We dodged a bullet; at least we can *laugh* at the EPA.
Dave G.
Portland, Oregon
Letter grades?
I will always prefer a car that gets great mileage since I'm cheap. I think however that letter grades should be only on restaurants. As a matter of fact the whole thing makes me want to run out and buy an "F" car. I might have to pencil in 6 more letters after that "F", ending in "YOU".
Tom Pease
Beverly Hills, California
Another McCarthy Commission telling us all how to live? Isn't one of those per lifetime enough?
Does anyone in our federal government understand how to live on a budget? I guess not because no matter what their grading system tells us, the price of fuel is still amongst the lowest costs associated with car ownership. We own three vehicles and when the price of gas went from $2 to $4 a gallon, it added approximately $150 more per month in fuel costs. While one hundred and fifty dollars is nothing to sneeze at, it's a lot less money than buying a new car so no matter what they're trying to sell me on, our budget indicates that keeping our current cars is a lot more thrifty than buying new - no matter what the grade.
Heck, I pay more for car insurance than I do fuel, yet no one in DC seems to be grading the insurance industry on 'value to the consumer'. On second thought, maybe I shouldn't give the new McCarthy Commission anymore targets to go after.
Stu Sidoti
Winchester, Connecticut
The EPA.
As I write this, I'm listening to "Radar Love" by Golden Earring. Great car song to say the least. Anyway, on the proposed EPA rating: I rate it with an "A"...for asinine. You can be sure that when they come out with this stupid new system, I'll buy a car rated D or lower. No wonder Dick Morris predicts the Dems will lose 80 seats this year. Too bad the EPA isn't running for election, they'd be voted out too! Absolutely ridiculous!
Paul McGraw
Long Island, New York
The EPA Grades.
It's all about the least common denominator. And it has become more "least" with each decade. I see it everyday: the people who need a letter grade for fuel economy are better off driving their refrigerator or toaster. Cars are nothing more than appliances to them. Sears would sell more Kenmores if they had wheels on them. The dumbing down of America continues, and it isn't just in the classroom.
GJM
Ossining, New York
More on the EPA labels.
Eric Hoffer said it best in his book "The True Believer" - A man who's business is not worth minding will console himself by trying to mind yours.
And apparently the government is full of such people. Lord help us.
JJS
Orlando, Florida
Labels? We don't need no stinking labels!
Remember a decade or two ago when the self anointed saviors decided that The Consumers would really benefit from incredibly detailed labels on all food products? We used to be fat back then. Now that the Consumers are informed, we make the right decisions. Obesity is a thing of the past. And those needed labels informing Consumers that the top two steps of a ladder are most certainly "NOT A STEP"? Nobody has fallen off a ladder in over 15 years.
Labels work because really smart people design them to inform Consumers, who then make the right choice. Thank God the government employs the smartest people who can protect us.
Jim
Tampa, FL
The EPA Grades.
I can see it now. The next Camry commercial will have a family around the kitchen table determining that gifted and talented little Johnny's A average in high school warrants a new "A-rated" Camry Hybrid for college... Of course he is pissed because his football star little brother is on track to get a new Raptor.
D.W.
Lugoff, South Carolina
Grade this.
Turnabout is fair play... I propose we create a letter grading system for the friggin politicians and bureaucrats. Anytime they speak in public there has to be a placard with their grade on it attached to the podium, if they are on the boob tube it will show up in the corner of the screen, on campaign signage it will be present also. It shall be A (asshat) B (blowhard) C (cornholer) D (dumbass) FI (f-cking incompetent).
MAP
Fenton, Michigan
The Labels.
Perhaps our overlords at the EPA can make these labels easier for we Citizens by using smily, straight-mouth and frowny-face icons to represent the economy and emissions performance of our new vehicles. That way we'd be automatically drawn to the smiley-faced ones!
Yaaaaay!
Sandman
SoCal
Who cares?
I'd be a lot happier if the various auto regulatory agencies would do 2010-era crash testing, instead of leaving it up to the insurance industry. No can do as it upsets the domestics.
At least an MPG figure gives me something to compare with even if it is not totally accurate.
A letter grade for my car ? Who cares ?
Casey Raskob, Esq
Croton on Hudson
New York
Did somebody say "wedge?"
I expect that once the ABCD ratings go into use, there will be an effort to tax cars based on their efficiency rating. American consumers will understand this cost very well, just like the Brits. What I wonder is, will the used car market also be affected?
It's what they in the UK call 'the thin end of the wedge.'
Mike W.
Eastchester, New York
Big Brother, etc.
I find it interesting that Big Brother is willing to provide hard grades on our cars, but is unwilling to provide the same measure for our children as "it could be damaging to their self-esteem." (This way they will feel good about being dumb.)
At the Concours De Elegance, a former auto-exec (GM styling), long in the tooth and in that wonderful time of life when he can say whatever the hell he wants, lamented the decade when the government began to get involved in autos (the 50's). My paraphrase is that they went from styling cars to finding a way to cover the pile of crap in front of the, i.e. plastic bumpers.
I always found the 4.0 crowd boring and lacking common sense in college. Think I will go party with the 2.5 crowd and drive 7.3's
ENB
Rochester, Michigan
Proposed new EPA labels.
Lighten up! The world is *not* gonna end over this. You don't like the label? Ignore it!
KMC
Plymouth, Michigan
Editor-in-Chief's Note: I never said it would, however, I will continue to point out rampant, outrageous stupidity in this business as I see fit, just as I've been doing since June 1, 1999. - PMD
Down with the Green Pitchfork Brigade!
Tomorrow I'm going to load up my Grade "F" '09 6.0L Suburban to 13,500 lbs and tow my '99 5.7L Camaro 850 miles to the SCCA Solo National Championships to celebrate the automobile with 1200 other like-minded Americans because I choose to...you know, to offset a few hybrids out there!
JMK
White Lake, Michigan
He's not afraid of the "truth."
What's so bad about giving consumers more information so they can make an informed choice? I wouldn't be opposed to requiring the info to be on the manufacturer's website as opposed to on the window sticker, but I'd rather know more about the second-most expensive purchase (next to my home) that I'm going to make. I'm not afraid of the truth.
Jim
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
EPA.
Don't forget to figure in the wealth effect when looking at the crap coming out of CARB and the EPA. When you are making a 6 figure gov't salary, and maybe even getting a car as a perk, it's easy to be clueless as to what really drives a families first car selection.
Also, hidden in the fine print is that all of those A+ electric cars are getting a free ride, as no emissions from the generation / transmission of electricity are counted in the development of the vehicles emission. I guess the smiley happy faced electric fairy just flies by and drops electrons into the batteries each night.
GSG
Boston, Massachusetts
He's sorry. We're not.
I'm sorry guys, but I don't get all this hand-wringing over the EPA's letter grades. Those fuel economy numbers have been on the window sticker and nowhere else for the last 35 years. Who keeps their window stickers on the car?
Until the Governmint makes those ratings stick out like a Scarlet Letter, I just refuse to get upset. People who want and need a Suburban are going to keep buying them.Mountains out of molehills...a little perspective, please.
Pete Gallagher
Brooklyn, New York
Labels.
I can see where you get off re: the government knowing what is good automobile-wise.
But I do take issue with your assumption the American car driving public does have more of a clue car-wise. Already forgotten all those geniuses hitting the wrong pedal in their Toyotas?
It's always fun to read the AE and so keep in touch with the follies of American motoring. We do need something like this over here, too.
Jochen Kruse
Birkenau, Germany
One more thing.
You are missing an important issue on the grade. Once government types get started, they cant stop themselves. I am old enough to remember the luxury tax. Our erstwhile geniuses put dozen of boat manufacturers out of business and put thousands of people on the unemployment line with that brilliant move. Of course they ultimately rescinded that so the good Mr. Kerry could buy his 7 million dollar yacht!! You heard it here first. I absolutely guarantee you in fairly short order there will be a cost ( AKA a tax) associated with those grades.
Harvey
Dallas, Texas
Not surprising.
While at a local BMW dealer this last weekend, I noticed the window stickers already have a CO2 rating for each model. I also noticed that a large percentage of the cars had a gas guzzler tax applied to the sticker price. Now for a letter grade.
The big question: will/does any of this really sway buyers to more "green" and efficient vehicles and at what cost are these extra ratings going to add? In the case of the dealer where I was I didn't hear one customer asking about the impact of the cars they were interested in had upon the Earth. Go figure.
Philip Hackett
Los Angeles, California
A set-up?
Could the letter grade be setting us up for some future restrictions? “Only cars with a C or higher can drive today” “only A and B cars are allowed into Yellow Stone” The D and F cars will have the same future as tobacco users, “Yes, it’s legal, and we will tax the hell out of it but don’t think you can just drive it anytime you want.”
R. Doolittle
Orange, Connecticut
GM, sales numbers and brainiacs.
Having just looked at the August sales numbers for GM, I can share a fact that I have been beating like a dead horse. In 2009 when sales were terrible for all brands, GM still sold more Pontiacs in August than they did Buicks and Cadillacs combined in August of 2010. AND.. Pontiac division last August almost matched the volume of GMC for this August as well. Now..tell me....who was the brainiac who thought killing off a better selling brand was a good idea ? I know they will say that Pontiac was not profitable....well gee...maybe they were priced too damned low then. All of the money squandered on the Volt (which will sell tiny volume and lose money ) could have gone to reinvent Pontiac and actually made GM some money and market share gains. GM is like a really stupid dog...barking up the wrong tree. Let's hope this month's CEO can provide a moment of lucidity.
Mike McCollum
Whitmore Lake, Michigan
EPA labels.
Regarding the window sticker 'grades': The stickers themselves, meh. As others have written, the cars have had gas mileage listed on the sticker for quite a while now. People like me are intelligent enough to balance cost of ownership vs. what I'd really like to drive.
No, the worry here is the proverbial "camel's nose in the tent". They've played their hand early by taking the "smart schoolteacher/dumb students" attitude with the listing - as well as guaranteeing the nothing interesting to drive can possibly make an "A". When do the taxes start (and I don't care whether it's Republicans or Democrats in office)? When do we get some other restriction based on, of following, those 'grades'.
And to those who think I'm too paranoid, a last thought: Back in the early 1970's, all the anti-smoking folks were asking for was no smoking on airplanes. That's not too much to ask for, is it? And they said they weren't asking for anything more.
You think the greenies and their bureaucrats are going to be any more reasonable?
Syke
Montpelier, Virginia
Huh?
Will the EPA take into account Advanced Placement (AP) level mileage tests? If that's the case I can tell you the Asian cars will all get an AP adjusted 5.0.
Talk about breaking the curve, huh?
TonyE
Irvine, California
The Grand Plan?
The dumb-dumbs in Washington, DC have been out to get cars for years and this is another stab at it. Drive junky little cars only when you must because you should be on buses or trams taking you to the soccer games so we can all be good world citizens.
Jim Haines
McLean, Virginia
And on a different subject...
Who cares about letter grades for fuel economy, I think it would be much more interesting if you would elaborate on Mr. Akerson!
Thom Taylor
Laguna Niguel, Califronia
A vote for "nanny-ism."
Regarding government intervention in affairs of the auto industry: Given the consequences if the Obama administration had allowed GM and Chrysler to go down the toilet -- and the tsunami-like ripple effects -- it's hard to criticize the actions taken. And it's obvious that the gummint is more than anxious to get out of the car business when the situation permits.
On a more general level -- really, I guess the meat of the Rant -- sorry, but I'm afraid that much of the time we don't DON'T what what's best, nor how to obtain it if we do know. Remember that in the sixties it was government that forced a resistant industry to build cars that provided better protection to occupants in crash situations.
Would the industry have undertaken this on its own? I doubt it. Despite some piecemeal efforts, the industry as a whole gave no sign it was willing to spend serious money on safety until Washington (abetted hugely by the GM-Nader fiasco) took the bit in its teeth. Forty years later, we are all the beneficiaries of that government action.
Call it Nannyism if you like -- and I agree in some cases the term is appropriate, but undoubtedly many of us are around today who might not be had Detroit remained uninterested in building safe cars.
Bob Graham
Massena, New York