Truck buyers shouldn't feel like eco-pariahs just because they want to use huge trucks as commuter cars or SUVs as grocery-getters. An unknown writer on Commercial Auto Dealers' GMC Truck Dealer blog wants you to know that hybrids aren't "really that much better for us than trucks." He/she warns you hybrids make you drowsy because "with their quiet motors and lack of exhaust noise, you can't hardly [sic] tell the car is on" which "could be a problem for people who want to drive at night or even during the day after a long shift at work." And if the risk of pandemic narcolepsy isn't enough to scare Prius owners back into a professional-grade Sierra 3500 Dually, "the electricity that the car uses to operate the vehicle isn't good for our health either." So while hybrid drivers are microwaving their tender parts, you can "just smile and walk away secure in the fact that you won't be subject to the same potentially harmful electromagnetic fields that they encounter every day." The anonymous writer concludes "if you want that large truck or SUV, don't hesitate to visit your local GMC truck dealer." And don't worry about $4/gallon gasoline. After all, what's a $136 fill-up compared to the peace of mind that hearing your engine and exhaust noise can bring?
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How ’bout that.
Dually noted.
He left out the part about how you’re big ass truck can turn that Prius into a lead acid fire without so much as a scratch.
“Lucy, you got some ‘splainin’ to do…!”
How are GM going to explain this totally IDIOTIC (and false) statement about “electromagnetic radiation” from (let’s be honest) the Prius, when their own Volt is going to be a hybrid with an even bigger battery and presumably, even MORE voltage and amperage in order to make it a 40 mile electric-only (or maybe 30 miles or maybe 20)?
These people are imbeciles who can’t think past the end of their ….. never mind, this is a family friendly website.
How is it that my radio in my Prius works just fine, by the way, if I’m being irradiated by electromagnetic radiation?
Not to mention my cell phone, and my son’s mp3 player.
A blinding bit of PR by GM… hard to imagine why they’re not selling lots of trucks when you see the genius marketing techniques they’re utilising…
Try hauling a load of stone or wood in the eco friendly ride, or pulling a boat.
I do like the noise from these behemoths, I hear them coming when I am riding my bicycle about a 1/2 mile away. The other rides sneak right up on you.
menno,
Exactly.
If somebody’s going to go down that road then they should be more concerned about residual alpha waves left over from the minds of the guys in the picture here…
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gm-stock-hits-26-year-low-headed-lower/
Wow, that post sure makes me want to run out and buy a GMC truck for my all my driving needs. But then logic kicks in and says otherwise. Maybe GM as a company needs some logic injections or something. I like my current situation. I have a small, efficient car that I fill once a month, and I either rent or borrow a truck if I really need one. I think a lot more people will be doing the same, which is probably why GM felt the need to create that post. What a pathetic excuse for a car company.
driving course
A blinding bit of PR by GM…
Actually we can’t blame GM for this one (not directly, anyway). If you click the GMC link in the article, it takes you to a site for a GMC dealer in Conshohocken, PA which looks like a post-party frathouse project.
driving course :
A blinding bit of PR by GM…
somehow I don’t think Lankford Buick-Pontiac-GMC is an official mouthpiece for GM.
Fear and junk science being used to help sell vehicles no one** wants in light of $4.00+ regular gas? NO WAY!
**I guess if you’re a contractor or someone with a genuine need then now is probably a great time to buy. Once inventories have adjusted to the new reality the deals will probably become a bit more sparse.
“what’s a $136 fill-up compared to the peace of mind that hearing your engine and exhaust noise can bring?”
finally someone around here is talking some sense.
of course, if i’m wasting money fueling a V8, it’s for fun, not a lame commuter truck.
Wheeled past the local Chebby stealer this AM in my Prius (it’s a very very slight downhill grade on the way to work right there, so I was getting about 70-99 mpg at the time per the computer read-out)…
Glanced and noticed a brand-spanking new black full sized Chevy Silverado pickemup truuuuuck for under $14,000.
Considering the amount of steel, iron and spittle holding the thing together, and considering the price of commodities and energy right now, I’d have to guess that it took $18,000 to build the thing.
How can they justify continued over-production of these things and then selling them at a loss?!
Finally something to give all those eco nazis from comments in previous news items what for. Take that you clean air lovin’, tree huggin’ commies.
Pretty silly. Still, those who need Trucks and SUV’s shoulnt feel bad about buying one. If you can stomach the gas prices, and have a legitimate use, go for it.
With regard to the electromagnetic field thing; I am no scientist and I am not really afraid to drive a hybrid, but I dont want to buy a home directly under high tension power lines either. So who knows, maybe this guy will look like a genius 20 years down the road when Prius owners start dropping.
“Once inventories have adjusted to the new reality the deals will probably become a bit more sparse.”
Way back when before folks bought trucks because they thought it was cool. Trucks were 10% of the vehicles sold in the US. Last few years it has been 50%.
Looks like it will be about 2013 before they can burn off the current inventories.
I believe the writer recently appeared on “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader”. He also got smoked.
It’s a great feeling seeing those mini cars scatter when they look staight out their windows and see nothing but lug nuts. The true definition of fear.
They actually think that I should move for them!!
Obviously no idea of the mass I can bring them!!
Then where do they go when they have to move out of their house because of the foreclosure?
U-Haul! For a TRUCK!!
gawdodirt :
Are you suggesting that owning a fullsize truck 100% of the time is smart because when you need to move you won’t need to rent one?
BTW, where I live it’s the folks who bought the trucks for general commuting/get-the-kids-to-school use that are in foreclosure. At least based on your comment they were smart to buy the trucks.
The constant droning of road, wind, or engine noise makes me very sleepy. The more quiet a car is, the better it is for long-distance driving.
The best long-distance car I have ever owned was a Toyota Camry – it was quite and smooth and easy to drive for long distances. On one trip, I covered 3600 miles in four days of driving and never got drowsy.
Since electricity is so dangerous in cars, does the Sierra use a hand crank to start the engine?
I bet Larry The Cable Guy inspired this “blogger”… Getrdoooone!
Bob Lutz Award nomination anyone?
Using that logic, the Tahoe Hybrid must be a real ‘nad cooker.
Welcome to the USA, early 21st century edition. There is a fraction of our society (and I won't speculate how big that fraction is) that in all matters political, economic, and scientific, ignorant and misinformed people are exploiting other ignorant and misinformed people. To me, eco-nazi or tree hugging commie is the highest compliment. I stand pro-life, that is, preserving the earth's biosphere such that it can continue to support higher life forms like humans. Ecological collapse is not an impossibility.
How can they justify continued over-production of these things and then selling them at a loss?!
At this point, its a matter of sunk costs.
Try hauling a load of stone or wood in the eco friendly ride, or pulling a boat.
On the rare occasions when I might need to do so, Home Despot – 19.95 per hour for a pretty good sized truck.
If I need a truck, it’s only a momentary need, and I would go to U-haul or Home Depot and rent one, since it’s just too much like mooching to borrow another guy’s pickup.
A lot of guys around here must feel the same way, except they are the guy WITH the trucks. Popular bumper sticker: “NO, you CAN’T borrow my truck for hauling.”
How can you have a discussion with someone who has never had the need of a truck? If you don’t own other things like a travel trailer, camper, boat or ATV’s, then go away to your art festival and sip wine. I , and many others, preferto be outdoors with my family.
Do you guys actually think you can rent a truck to tow a boat?. Call for a quote or insurance.
I have a beater VW that get equal mileage to a Prius. Does that make me cool too?
gawdodirt: heard of a tent? Lots of outdoor lovers use them, and no truck is required to haul them. Car-topper canoes are a pretty popular boating option, too.
Lack of truck = wine-drinking, outdoor hating, anti-family, art afficionado is about the lamest argument I’ve ever seen on this or any other forum.
But you’re partly right, renting a truck is not always a replacement for owning. For most of us (us anti-family types without boats, I suppose) it is.
How are GM going to explain this totally IDIOTIC (and false) statement about “electromagnetic radiation” from (let’s be honest) the Prius, when their own Volt is going to be a hybrid with an even bigger battery and presumably, even MORE voltage and amperage in order to make it a 40 mile electric-only (or maybe 30 miles or maybe 20)?
GM doesn’t have to….not when that argument came from hybrid owners themselves.
Remember this article?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/automobiles/27EMF.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Besides, they don’t have to worry about that bridge unless until they cross it.
menno
Popular bumper sticker: “NO, you CAN’T borrow my truck for hauling.”
Put that on your Prius.
gawdodirt :
Do you guys actually think you can rent a truck to tow a boat?. Call for a quote or insurance.
I don’t think anyone really has a problem with people buying trucks when they *need* them.
BTW, I use a tent when I camp. If you’re bringing along a camper or trailer then it really seems like you’d rather be indoors when you take your family to the outdoors…(that’s fine and all but doesn’t reinforce the rough outdoor image you’re insinuating)
You can’t rent a truck for towing, period. Not even U-Haul allows their pickup trucks to be used for towing. The smallest vehicle you can use for towing is their 14-foot box truck.
quasimondo :
Enterprise says you can.
http://www.enterprisetrucks.com/truckDetailsPickup.html
U-Haul’s pickup truck instructions include the option of towing your own trailer:
http://www.uhaul.com/guide/index.aspx?equipment=truck-pickup
Those are commercial trucks and will only be rented out to businesses, not individuals.
And trust me, U-Haul will not let you use their pickup truck for towing. I tried when I had to haul a car from Maryland to New York. They wouldn’t let me use anything smaller than a 14-footer.
The U-Haul site doesn’t make that distinction. My experience with then personally varies from place to place.
Boo-hoo, I “need” my giant gas guzzler because I “need” to haul my other gas guzzler to the lake and fill that lake with empty beer cans and spilt diesel.
Last time I went camping we took four people and our tents and stuff in a Prius (granted, none of us are large people). It handled the dirt paths alright, even if it wasn’t ideal.
I tow a one-ton travel trailer over Colorado passes with a Subaru Forester. How does that work? Very well, thanks. But at 18 mpg, I can barely afford to do that anymore. Remind me again, why do I need a truck right now?
Who actually needs, as opposed to “wants”, a truck? In particular, who requires a “full-size” pick-up for anything other than a machismo massage?
Admittedly, there are legitimate users but your normal shmo (like me) living in the burbs (like almost everybody else) does NOT need a truck, SUV, 4×4 or SAV. BTW, please can we leave Maslow out of the discussion, as his theories are discredited.
Who ‘needs’ a sports car? For that matter, who ‘needs’ anything bigger than a Smart microcar? Who ‘needs’ anything larger than a studio apartment? Who ‘needs’ excess energy consumed by appliances, televisions, computers, and stereos?
Since when did we get into the act of trying to dictate the purchasing preferences of your neighbors?
Oh right, how selfish of me to want to enjoy my money. But then again, who ‘needs’ to have so much money in their bank account?
He’s right you know – all those radiated fields in the electric drive section of hybrid cars can be quite damaging.
I took a test drive in a Prius last month. The first that that happened when I started to drive the car was “Ow, my sperm!” and I grabbed my crotch. Funny, after about 10 minutes it stop hurting. True story.