Vehicle Buying Maximalism

Post by **matthew1** » 28 Dec 2023, 19:31

Yea, cars are almost gone at dealerships. I should rename this term to "Vehicle Buying Maximalism".

Post by **abscate** » 29 Dec 2023, 04:05

Stiff weight taxes would solve this problem.

Post by **volvolugnut** » 29 Dec 2023, 08:08

Taxes do not seem to deter conspicuous consumption, which I believe is a root of large vehicle growth.
volvolugnut

Post by **matthew1** » 29 Dec 2023, 08:20

IMHO taxes should be absolutely linked to vehicle weight, without moronic congressional loopholes to help GM, Ford, and Ram (Stellantis), which were engineered by their lobbyists (read: the usual, normalized practice of bribing congress members).

"But Matt, surely you can't be saying there are unnatural/synthetic financial rewards that sweeten the pot for larger trucks/SUV, thus distorting the natural balance of vehicle-buying economics?!"

: Wink-2925749970.jpg (74.65 KiB) Viewed 332 times

Post by **volvolugnut** » 29 Dec 2023, 08:38

We are starting to sound a lot like old guys sitting around complaining the world is going to hell in an SUV.

volvolugnutr

Post by **matthew1** » 29 Dec 2023, 08:48

I am exactly that.

One thing I should mention about Vehicle Buying Maximalism is that the phenomenon breaks down with families, or single people with more than one vehicle.

In those cases, the corollary

...but the edge use activities within that use case continuum represent less than 1% of actual daily driving tasks

breaks down for obvious reasons, aka sometimes the driver will choose the smaller car to go around in town.

This term is still evolving in my mind.

SOURDOUGHJIM · Post by **SOURDOUGHJIM** » 29 Dec 2023, 09:58

Regarding extra taxation for large vehicles, there is already the Gas Guzzler Tax. Beyond that, if people want these heavier vehicles and can pay the extra cost, they will do it. No different than sin taxes on cigs and liquor. The money that would have been spent in normal economic activity is instead diverted to .gov to fund things of much greater import. Such as research funding to study Russian cats on a treadmill.

Post by **matthew1** » 29 Dec 2023, 10:19

Liquor and cigarettes have a very high correlation with addiction, which tosses out all rational thinking in regards to forking over the money for them. Not so with automobiles, where rationality is much more likely to influence buying choices.

I see and understand your thoughts on where tax money goes. No argument there. I'm just talking about the buying side.

The Gas Guzzler tax was implemented in 1978, but today the chart of MPG vs. tax amount is so outdated that it's not much of a deterrent because of engine tech. The best F150 is .5 MPG from not being on it at all.

As (natural) inflation makes vehicles more expensive over the years, this tax gets smaller both as a percent of the buy, and as real dollars.

https://www.morningstar.com/news/market ... r-tax-work
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/43458.shtml

Post by **BlackBart** » 29 Dec 2023, 10:41

If you drive across places like Wyoming these days, you will be surprised at the number of huge lifted trucks with the worst rolling resistance tires and massive frontal area. The opposite of aero and efficient. They are blowing by at 90mph+, with very aggressive driving. Kind of an in-your-face, I'll-burn-it-if-I-want, Look-at-me attitude.

Post by **abscate** » 31 Dec 2023, 05:45

VBM...acronym for the process of buying a F650 so I can drive to Lowe’s to arrange to have my Sheetrock delivered

Vehicle Buying Maximalism

Re: Car Buying Maximalism