Poseur No. 1

Most "findings" won't be ranked here, except this one, which always makes the top of my list:
The hulking SUV. Particularly the one shown below. (One hopeful sign though, is noted at the end of this post.):

2005-2007 Hummer H3 photographed in USA
February 2007
All Rights Released

 The gas-guzzling, pollution-spewing SUV ("sport" utility vehicle). One of the stupidest "inventions" of the 20th century. The majority of these threats-to-normal-sized vehicles trundle around with only one or two occupants, and a "cargo" full of air.  Many of their drivers are merely posing: E.g., To appear "rugged", or to be perched up higher than other vehicles, or just to follow a trend, like the other lemmings.  Perhaps to show of what perceptive geniuses they are to spend $40K-ish for a depreciating asset/tank that helps support hostile countries... and no one can see around. LOL: Go ahead and take the grand-kids for a ride in it; so they'll remember who and what helped turn this planet into Venus for them. (96.5% carbon dioxide atmosphere, etc. Low-MPG 'hybrid' land tanks like this one (link) aren't the answer, either, guzzle-boy.)

As with the land yacht pictured above, most never leave the tarmac. Off-road usually means in the repair shop/body shop, or maybe parked on your raggedy lawn next to the driveway, out of the way of the car that doesn't cost at least a 'U.S. Grant' to fill.

(Old image from Google/LIFE archive)


If your Explorer's Chinese tires haven't yet shredded, four-wheel-drive is way overrated for snow. (Which often turns to ice or slush on roadways, rendering your center-of-gravity-challenged behemoth actually more dangerous than normal-sized cars). Still, Subaru and others, of course, offer four-wheel drive wagons that don't get 12mpg. But the poseur does not find these choices to be sufficiently "cool"....I mean, you don't see "macho" me-firsters driving Subaru's via corporate marketing blather pandered on Fox NFL Sunday. (Or perhaps, "The Biggest Loser"; the perfect show for a few of the pig-mobile set.)
 
BTW, if you're an "individual", it implies that you can think for yourself.

Cheer up: Most other entries here should be less of a "rant". And, "the trend isn't your friend", dinosaur SUV-ers. To me, the big SUV is almost always the ultimate poseur-mobile. (We'll get to suburban pickup trucks soon, though...)  So most of you driving one (by yourself) are probably going to hell for it. But (unfortunately) you're also helping to take your home planet (I assume?) with you....

Hopeful note: At least some people are "getting it", at last: 
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/daily-news/090804-Top-Cash-for-Clunkers-Trade-Ins-and-New-Cars/

(Photos used are considered to be in the public domain.)