Foo - "Cheap and Ugly" making a come back?

Maybe at 66 mpg it would! (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6108035313121951069&q=Subaru+of+America+66+mpg+Look+Cheap+%26+Ugly&ei=VE56SPP0DpzaqALM4KCTCw&hl=en)

What if it only cost $1,297? (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3696353614268686980&q=Subaru+of+America+First+US+Market+Commercials&ei=0096SP7wMZCMrQLyvOjICA&hl=en) (and you didn't mind your legs being the first line of defense in an accident)

What I find ironic about people buying small cars is the fact there is one small issue:

As gas prices skyrocket, cities, counties, states, and the US Federal government won't be able to maintain roads as well as they need to, so the small car with three inches of clearance will be blowing out its oil pan when potholes and dips form in winter, and the money for filling them in isn't there.

oh, cars... I thought you were talking about something else :innocent:

What is up with the way the narrator says Sue Bah Roo?

ha, that was pretty hilarious- passed it round the office for an afternoon treat.

ha, that was pretty hilarious- passed it round the office for an afternoon treat.

artifice, you make me feel so cheap and ugly! :cry: :cry: :cry:




Not that there's anything wrong with that... :innocent:

360? that was before Subaru decided to go all 4wd. You'd really be doing 360s driving that car a bit too hard :D

Cheap and ugly has been around for quite some time.

http://www.mustangspecs.com/carpics/76hatchback.jpg

Those remind me of the old SNL "Adobe" car commercial. It was the "sassy new import from Mexico" that was made from adobe. In the event of a fender bender, you could just push it back in to shape. Unfortunately I couldn't find a video clip, but I think their slogan was, "You could buy a car for cheaper than $179, but we wouldn't recommend it."

"And all kinds of people are driving SuBARus...including some very groovy chicks!" :thumb:

"If you're young where it counts*, the SuBARu Sport is a grabber; it delivers 360 economy, and grand prix excitement."

"SuBARu is what's happening. Don't let it pass you by!"

Subaru FTW!


* http://smilieshq.com/smilies/confused0003.gif I like to think I'm still young in all the right places.

artifice, you make me feel so cheap and ugly!
awww you like it! :)

awww you like it! :)

ssshhh, you said that would be our little secret!

Hey, I know at least a few groovy chicks who drive Subarus. :D

I want one! Heck! 66 mpg? I don't think anything besides a scooter can beat that right now. My first car was a hand-me-down Subaru, and it met my needs.

Funny how they pronounced the word "Subaru."

It gets me to thinking, if they could get great gas mileage like that way back then, why can't they get it now? I'm thinking that more consuming vehicles have been sold to an ever-more-consuming American public, which generally thinks that spending more = good. (Where's the caveman icon/smiley, when I need him?)

What is up with the way the narrator says Sue Bah Roo?

yeah- its annoying

What I find ironic about people buying small cars is the fact there is one small issue:

As gas prices skyrocket, cities, counties, states, and the US Federal government won't be able to maintain roads as well as they need to, so the small car with three inches of clearance will be blowing out its oil pan when potholes and dips form in winter, and the money for filling them in isn't there.

Ah, but also... When people start transitioning to smaller vehicles, roads will not degrade as quickly. I saw a study once that stated that road damage occurs as function of vehicle weight raised to the 5th power. I.e. tractor trailors account for almost all of the damage to a road. And a 6000 lb vehicle causes 32 times the damage as a 3000 lb vehicle.

Did anyone else read the title and think this thread was about them? just me? really? okay. I'm cool with that.

I want one! Heck! 66 mpg? I don't think anything besides a scooter can beat that right now. My first car was a hand-me-down Subaru, and it met my needs.

Funny how they pronounced the word "Subaru."

It gets me to thinking, if they could get great gas mileage like that way back then, why can't they get it now? I'm thinking that more consuming vehicles have been sold to an ever-more-consuming American public, which generally thinks that spending more = good. (Where's the caveman icon/smiley, when I need him?)

The reason cars can't get that kind of mileage now is... weight. It takes more energy to get heavy vehicles moving. Simple physics. That Subaru probably weighs less than 2000 lbs. I had an 84 Honda CRX that was rated for 67 mpg highway, and it weighed 1800 lbs. Nobody wants a small, lighweight car, so none of the mfrs are building them. That may change, but the many years of cheap gas has driven demand for larger vehicles, so of course all the mfrs have developed large vehicles. It will take a while to develop a new fleet of small, fuel-efficient vehicles.

Ah, but also... When people start transitioning to smaller vehicles, roads will not degrade as quickly. I saw a study once that stated that road damage occurs as function of vehicle weight raised to the 5th power. I.e. tractor trailors account for almost all of the damage to a road. And a 6000 lb vehicle causes 32 times the damage as a 3000 lb vehicle.

Except the big rigs aren't going away, so the roads will deteriorate just as fast.

Do they even make those anymore? That's clearly from the 60's. (I admit I didn't watch the whole thing. Got bored. Watching the "sport" model swerving all over and off the road on those skinny tires gave me a sick feeling, and what was with that drag race sequence. Looked like from 0 to 25 mph in 10 seconds).

What is up with the way the narrator says Sue Bah Roo?

Wait... you mean that isn't how you say it? :bang:





lol j/k

What I find ironic about people buying small cars is the fact there is one small issue:

As gas prices skyrocket, cities, counties, states, and the US Federal government won't be able to maintain roads as well as they need to, so the small car with three inches of clearance will be blowing out its oil pan when potholes and dips form in winter, and the money for filling them in isn't there.The weight of the cars and specifically trucks with 60psi+ tyres is what causes potholes to begin with. This puts A LOT of pressure on any spot on the road and it causes the pavement to actually bend slightly. Then cracks develop and it's through these cracks that water seeps. The water washes away the dirt underneath the road. Eventually there's a hole underneath the pavement. More heavy cars and trucks rolling over that spot eventually caves in the pavement into the hole... a pothole.

That's why a lot of residential roads with thin asphalt has signs that prohibit vehicles over a certain weight, typically 5000lbs+. And I've had cars with 3" of ground-clearance for years. You learn, like how bikers learn to prevent flats, to drive around things that can damage your vehicle.