Is there a demand in the US for vehicles which ..

[ZettaQuattro]

.. consume about 30 Liters / 100 km (sorry, I don´t know the US-Calculation) ??

A friend of mine who lives in Cracow/Poland bought a new Infinity QX with the 5.6-liter V8 engine and told me yesterday on the phone that the fuel-consumption is the worst he ever had in his vehicles. The owner of the gas-station became his best friend in last weeks

My questions are:

- Do the people in the US doesn´t care about the fuel?

- Or does Infinity not care about it?

- Do the people still buy vehicles like this after the nightmare-prices after katrina?

I hope you guys don´t misunderstand me, I´m always in love with the USA but sometimes I don´t understand things like this with my small European brain

[BMW X5]

well the hummers drink gas like water and people still buy them, here in the US i think its more of a i see i like i buy and worry about problems later. 30liters is about 8gallons, and 100km is about 62miles which is roughly 8miles to the gallon which really does suck but being that its a 5.6 v8 its not unheard of. my 4.4 does about 15 in the city so if you do the math its all just about right yet we all drive 4.4 and 4.8, gas is cheaper here than it is in europe but still no picnic hope this answers your question

[B&DCalgary]

On a world scale the U.S. has the lowest gas prices on the planet, the lowest tax rates and the best tax breaks of any industrialized country. So in a nutshell, fuel consumption isn't as important as it is everywhere else, and horsepower is king. It's the only market where you hear the majority of the consumer base clamouring for bigger engines and more horsepower (thus the demise of the 2.5L X3 in the U.S. market when in comparison it's the biggest seller elsewhere).

Where I live (Calgary, Canada) you can't spit without hitting an X5, but they are almost all the 3.0L variety. I've only ever seen one 4.8 on the road and very few 4.4 or 4.6's.

As an American who lives in Canada, I've seen both sides of this issue (and I sure miss my low gas prices and low taxes).

[BMW X5]

Originally Posted by B&DCalgary

On a world scale the U.S. has the lowest gas prices on the planet, the lowest tax rates and the best tax breaks of any industrialized country. So in a nutshell, fuel consumption isn't as important as it is everywhere else, and horsepower is king. It's the only market where you hear the majority of the consumer base clamouring for bigger engines and more horsepower (thus the demise of the 2.5L X3 in the U.S. market when in comparison it's the biggest seller elsewhere).

Where I live (Calgary, Canada) you can't spit without hitting an X5, but they are almost all the 3.0L variety. I've only ever seen one 4.8 on the road and very few 4.4 or 4.6's.

As an American who lives in Canada, I've seen both sides of this issue (and I sure miss my low gas prices and low taxes).

hence infinity doesnt care its a shame but its what the people ask for bigger engines more horsepower and dumb ass people who dont even know how to appreciate vehicles like that sorta pisses me off

[alpac]

Originally Posted by ZettaQuattro

.. consume about 30 Liters / 100 km (sorry, I don´t know the US-Calculation) ??

A friend of mine who lives in Cracow/Poland bought a new Infinity QX with the 5.6-liter V8 engine and told me yesterday on the phone that the fuel-consumption is the worst he ever had in his vehicles. The owner of the gas-station became his best friend in last weeks

My questions are:

- Do the people in the US doesn´t care about the fuel?

- Or does Infinity not care about it?

- Do the people still buy vehicles like this after the nightmare-prices after katrina?

I hope you guys don´t misunderstand me, I´m always in love with the USA but sometimes I don´t understand things like this with my small European brain

When I was still leaving in France back 7 years ago I used to drive a 2.2l Renault Safrane and used to care about gas price. Now I am in the US driving a X5 4.4l which uses twice more gas but I am spending about twice less on gas than I used to. That explains why people over here are less concerned about gas price. Every time I go back to Europe I am impressed though by the fuel consuption/performance ratio of the latest diesel engine. The BMW X5 diesel is a good example

[motordavid]

Imo, most of us Colonists "care"...but, the cost of gasoline, heat, etc. is a price that has crept up on us over the years. Even a jolt like post-Katrina was absorbed to some degree in the actual price decline of recent weeks. In the case of gasoline, most of us in most states, enjoy a reasonable tax per gallon; thus, sub 2 buck a gal "Regular" is easy to find for many of us. And, 2.25/gal for Premium feels "ok" after 3.50 for Regular a month ago. Not that any of that is good, but we feel better about it, mentally.

The real underlying cost is the eventual price increases that will be passed through due to the transporting of goods, raw material chemical stocks derived from petroleum, (like nearly Everything we consume), fuel costs to produce raw stocks and refined goods, etc., etc.

For Mr&MrsJoeSixPack, that potential 500 buck/month heating bill is a poke in the eye...for the upper middle class and higher, it is a lil'bump in the billfold, for the time being. It, the cost increases, are not going to go away, however.

No lectures here...it is freaking America, and some or many of the pop. choose to drive, consume and spend as we wish. We, the US, are the oil consuming gluttons of this planet. Conservation, alternate energy, more friendly production and refining issues, etc., are topics for another thread.
My 2Cts...
BR,md

[ZettaQuattro]

You guys are great ! I didn´t expect infomative answers like this

I don´t know if I can say it like this (sorry for my bad English ) but your opinions "broad my horizon" and I am very happy to learn about the view on things like "gas-consuption" of other cultures!

X5world rulez