Geo Trackers

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Anybody miss these, or am I on an island with this one? I thought it was cool to see so many out on the roads in the 90's, and in such a wide assortment of colors. Guessing the next color of Tracker allowed for some decent entertainment while driving on the turnpike.

 

[ratking17]

One of the ugliest cars ever. Have been replaced by Kia souls

 

[pittchagg]

The universe is crying out for small, weird cars. Car manufacturers’ insistence on pumping out nothing but 4,000 pound Kindergartener Killers with no other options needs to end.

My buddy had an Eagle Summit wagon in high school. Great little car - an ultra weird car. It rocked.

 

[tps48]

One of the ugliest cars ever. Have been replaced by Kia souls

One dog for another.

 

[ratking17]

Dodge rabbits were pretty strange back in the day

 

[Pitt2009]

One of the ugliest cars ever. Have been replaced by Kia souls

But they made some great commercials…

 

[ratking17]

But they made some great commercials…

100000 agree

 

[WillyDavis33]

Anybody miss these, or am I on an island with this one? I thought it was cool to see so many out on the roads in the 90's, and in such a wide assortment of colors. Guessing the next color of Tracker allowed for some decent entertainment while driving on the turnpike.

Behind the Pacer and Pinto the most unsafe car to ride in

 

[HailtoPitt]

The universe is crying out for small, weird cars. Car manufacturers’ insistence on pumping out nothing but 4,000 pound Kindergartener Killers with no other options needs to end.

My buddy had an Eagle Summit wagon in high school. Great little car - an ultra weird car. It rocked.

100%

I would have bought a Suzuki SX4 Crossover, but they stopped selling them in the US.

It's almost like an arms race. If a bunch of people on the road have these behemoth cars, the it's makes people feel less safe without one.

 

[thebadby2]

100%

I would have bought a Suzuki SX4 Crossover, but they stopped selling them in the US.

It's almost like an arms race. If a bunch of people on the road have these behemoth cars, the it's makes people feel less safe without one.

And you are less safe without one. Considerably less safe. That’s an empirically-established fact.

 

[HailtoPitt]

And you are less safe without one. Considerably less safe. That’s an empirically-established fact.

Exactly, so I might as well get one of those giant monstrosities as well. Sad.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

The universe is crying out for small, weird cars. Car manufacturers’ insistence on pumping out nothing but 4,000 pound Kindergartener Killers with no other options needs to end.

My buddy had an Eagle Summit wagon in high school. Great little car - an ultra weird car. It rocked.

Google China’s newest car

 

[RaleighPittFan]

Dodge rabbits were pretty strange back in the day

Volkswagen?

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Volkswagen?

You'd think someone from western PA would know that Volkswagon made the Rabbit, considering they actually built many of them in New Stanton.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Behind the Pacer and Pinto the most unsafe car to ride in

Saw a crash test thing online recently and it appeared that the New Ford Broncos fold like an accordion and appear to be a death trap.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Anybody miss these, or am I on an island with this one? I thought it was cool to see so many out on the roads in the 90's, and in such a wide assortment of colors. Guessing the next color of Tracker allowed for some decent entertainment while driving on the turnpike.

Clicked into this thread thinking that it would about betting on sports from your phone in states where it’s illegal

 

[zookeeper2000]

Yes, when I was young I always thought I wanted a yellow geo tracker when I was old enough to drive.

Not sure what I was thinking but thought they were awesome back then.

 

[WillyDavis33]

Saw a crash test thing online recently and it appeared that the New Ford Broncos fold like an accordion and appear to be a death trap.

Hence:



Found
On
Road
Dead

 

[Dan1911]

The Lexus UX is the new Geo Tracker except it’s expensive. Just as ugly, though.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Yes, when I was young I always thought I wanted a yellow geo tracker when I was old enough to drive.

Not sure what I was thinking but thought they were awesome back then.

Amen. When I was young I wanted my mom to do two things:

1) Get a unique-colored Geo Tracker

2) Smoke more Marlboro Lights, so I could get the inflatable kayak from the rewards catalog

 

[Farnox]

Saw a crash test thing online recently and it appeared that the New Ford Broncos fold like an accordion and appear to be a death trap.

How about a smart car ? I would hate to be in a serious in one of those.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

How about a smart car ? I would hate to be in a serious in one of those.

I saw one of those drive past while I was walking the dogs. I'm glad it didn't hit us; I would have probably gotten stuck with a huge repair bill for totaling it.

(That kind of comes across as a wannabe hard-ass bro joke, but you get it!)

 

[lilspainishflea]

100%

I would have bought a Suzuki SX4 Crossover, but they stopped selling them in the US.

It's almost like an arms race. If a bunch of people on the road have these behemoth cars, the it's makes people feel less safe without one.

I've seen many people online openly saying that they are buying big SUVs because they feel like they'd be in a physical/mechanical disadvantage in a crash with one. It is absolutely an arms race. And if we had a real regulatory function, we'd have way fewer of these massive death machines on the road.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

I've seen many people online openly saying that they are buying big SUVs because they feel like they'd be in a physical/mechanical disadvantage in a crash with one. It is absolutely an arms race. And if we had a real regulatory function, we'd have way fewer of these massive death machines on the road.

At the risk of sounding absolutely childish, I've never understood why vehicles aren't made to be more akin to bumper cars (or at least a lot safer under some more realistic regulatory guidelines). If it's science preventing it, I get it. But if it's strictly economic, that kind of sucks.

 

[Upg bobcat]

Volkswagen?

It's an interesting debate. Is the world a better place with cars that are larger and much heavier, with computer systems inside, power steering/doors/locks, etc. but at the same time making cars much less affordable?

 

[Jeffburgh]

I prefer an suv simply because you step up to get in and step down to get out vs the opposite for a car.

We are moving toward more moderate winters, but also like AWD capabilities for snow and sleet.

Have a smaller SUV, a Mazda CX-5, love it.

 

[lilspainishflea]

At the risk of sounding absolutely childish, I've never understood why vehicles aren't made to be more akin to bumper cars (or at least a lot safer under some more realistic regulatory guidelines). If it's science preventing it, I get it. But if it's strictly economic, that kind of sucks.

Vehicles are extremely safe compared to history. But they're not as safe as they could be. Our fatality rate per 1 billion kilometers driven is more than 2x Australia and about 50% more than Canada. It's that's in part because we just have much larger vehicles. The larger the vehicle, the more mass in a crash, the larger the blind spots, the longer it takes to make them stop. All of these lead to more and deadlier crashes.

And larger vehicles just cost more to own, both in the purchase price and over the lifetime (e.g., they go thru tires faster, cost more to insure, cost more to fuel, etc.). It's a terrible result for everyone, but people have convinced themselves that they need these huge cars to be safe (if you're a woman) or to be manly if you're a guy. We'd all be much safer and richer with slightly more normal sized vehicles, especially kids and pedestrians.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Vehicles are extremely safe compared to history. But they're not as safe as they could be. Our fatality rate per 1 billion kilometers driven is more than 2x Australia and about 50% more than Canada. It's that's in part because we just have much larger vehicles. The larger the vehicle, the more mass in a crash, the larger the blind spots, the longer it takes to make them stop. All of these lead to more and deadlier crashes.

And larger vehicles just cost more to own, both in the purchase price and over the lifetime (e.g., they go thru tires faster, cost more to insure, cost more to fuel, etc.). It's a terrible result for everyone, but people have convinced themselves that they need these huge cars to be safe (if you're a woman) or to be manly if you're a guy. We'd all be much safer and richer with slightly more normal sized vehicles, especially kids and pedestrians.

I don't think it's quite that gender reductive, ha. I see a lot of Karens who like to rule the road in their big SUVs, and I see plenty of men galivanting about in their Urkel mobiles.

But yes, particularly in the age of cell phones and short attention spans, I do wish there were limitations/modifications made to vehicles. Would be a pain in the ass to pick a starting point, though, because it's not like we could recall everything that is already on the road. Kind of sucks, but it feels like too many cats are out of the bag.

 

[lilspainishflea]

Kind of sucks, but it feels like too many cats are out of the bag.

That's the thing about problems. They won't get better if you give up.

 

[thebadby2]

Vehicles are extremely safe compared to history. But they're not as safe as they could be. Our fatality rate per 1 billion kilometers driven is more than 2x Australia and about 50% more than Canada. It's that's in part because we just have much larger vehicles. The larger the vehicle, the more mass in a crash, the larger the blind spots, the longer it takes to make them stop. All of these lead to more and deadlier crashes.

And larger vehicles just cost more to own, both in the purchase price and over the lifetime (e.g., they go thru tires faster, cost more to insure, cost more to fuel, etc.). It's a terrible result for everyone, but people have convinced themselves that they need these huge cars to be safe (if you're a woman) or to be manly if you're a guy. We'd all be much safer and richer with slightly more normal sized vehicles, especially kids and pedestrians.

Some of you may not have kids. It’s not just about personal safety and machismo. You are completely disregarding the lifestyle/utility reasons for owning a full size SUV or pickup. With our kids and lifestyle we utilize the full capacity of our Expedition nearly every day. My wife would love to drive something smaller and will once our oldest can drive. But for now, and for the past several years, we need every cubic inch of the thing.

 

[Upg bobcat]

Some of you may not have kids. It’s not just about personal safety and machismo. You are completely disregarding the lifestyle/utility reasons for owning a full size SUV or pickup. With our kids and lifestyle we utilize the full capacity of our Expedition nearly every day. My wife would love to drive something smaller and will once our oldest can drive. But for now, and for the past several years, we need every cubic inch of the thing.

A minivan would do just as well as your Expedition, and with better fuel efficiency, is better for the environment. But the Expedition is way cooler and macho in the eyes of society because it would annihilate a motorcycle, or Smart Car, or pretty much every vehicle on the road, if it got into an accident.

 

[thebadby2]

A minivan would do just as well as your Expedition, and with better fuel efficiency, is better for the environment. But the Expedition is way cooler and macho in the eyes of society because it would annihilate a motorcycle, or Smart Car, or pretty much every vehicle on the road, if it got into an accident.

We had 2 minivans. The first one was terrible to the point of being unsafe in even light snow on the road. The second one was an all
wheel drive Toyota Sienna. We had a harrowing experience at night on the way to our northern MI ski cabin where despite AWD and good all-season tires the Sienna couldn’t keep traction on a typical snowy stretch of freeway. We didn’t just feel unsafe, we truly were not safe- a very scary situation on a stretch of road with no exits, no turnouts and no clear shoulder to pull off. We make that trip all the time which is why we opted for the AWD van in the first place. Lake effect Snowstorms pop up unexpectedly all the time up there. When the Sienna lease expired, we chose a vehicle that would do far better in those types of conditions. And it has, it’s been the best and safest family hauler we’ve ever owned by far. We can also tow with it which fits our lifestyle as well.

Any minivan or any other mid sized car would annihilate a motorcycle, Smart Car, etc. Those are unsafe on any roads under any circumstances.

As far as macho, this is my wife’s vehicle and she chose it herself. When we got to the cabin that one scary night she said “I’m done with minivans, I’m getting an SUV.”

Lastly, I see the causes and effects of motor vehicle collisions every day in my line of work. 30 years in that world has shaped my viewpoints on what types of vehicles we will entrust the safety of our kids to.

It’s easy for people to be preachy and high minded about this kind of stuff when they don’t consider any perspective but their own, which is often pretty myopic.

 

[Pitt1975]

I had a Gremlin when I was at Pitt. You talk about a Sh!tbox….YOI…

 

[4Mark_Marty]

Anybody miss these, or am I on an island with this one? I thought it was cool to see so many out on the roads in the 90's, and in such a wide assortment of colors. Guessing the next color of Tracker allowed for some decent entertainment while driving on the turnpike.

No. My brother and cousin died in one of those in ‘93. Horrible design.

 

[Upg bobcat]

We had 2 minivans. The first one was terrible to the point of being unsafe in even light snow on the road. The second one was an all
wheel drive Toyota Sienna. We had a harrowing experience at night on the way to our northern MI ski cabin where despite AWD and good all-season tires the Sienna couldn’t keep traction on a typical snowy stretch of freeway. We didn’t just feel unsafe, we truly were not safe- a very scary situation on a stretch of road with no exits, no turnouts and no clear shoulder to pull off. We make that trip all the time which is why we opted for the AWD van in the first place. Lake effect Snowstorms pop up unexpectedly all the time up there. When the Sienna lease expired, we chose a vehicle that would do far better in those types of conditions. And it has, it’s been the best and safest family hauler we’ve ever owned by far. We can also tow with it which fits our lifestyle as well.

Any minivan or any other mid sized car would annihilate a motorcycle, Smart Car, etc. Those are unsafe on any roads under any circumstances.

As far as macho, this is my wife’s vehicle and she chose it herself. When we got to the cabin that one scary night she said “I’m done with minivans, I’m getting an SUV.”

Lastly, I see the causes and effects of motor vehicle collisions every day in my line of work. 30 years in that world has shaped my viewpoints on what types of vehicles we will entrust the safety of our kids to.

It’s easy for people to be preachy and high minded about this kind of stuff when they don’t consider any perspective but their own, which is often pretty myopic.

I'm not sure whose perspective other than your own you are considering. With respect to my perspective, my family of 4 only owns a single mid-sized SUV so my perspective is going to be different than most everyone here. I know two families that own AWD Siennas, one that lives in Pittsburgh and one that lives in further northeast. One swears by the the winter tires for wintry conditions. They say those have performed excellent in comparison to all seasons. And both families rave about the fuel efficiency.

 

[FreeportPanther]

Behind the Pacer and Pinto the most unsafe car to ride in

The Chevy Corvair says hold my beer.

Unsafe at any speed. Flipped for no apparent reason.
Made Ralph Nader a household name for calling GM out.

 

[lilspainishflea]

Some of you may not have kids. It’s not just about personal safety and machismo. You are completely disregarding the lifestyle/utility reasons for owning a full size SUV or pickup. With our kids and lifestyle we utilize the full capacity of our Expedition nearly every day. My wife would love to drive something smaller and will once our oldest can drive. But for now, and for the past several years, we need every cubic inch of the thing.

I have two kids and own a Honda Odyssey. It has 96% of the same interior volume as the Expedition but it's only 96% as big. So they're basically equivalent in what they offer.

The Odyssey is also 18% lighter (means it stops more quickly), gets 11-18% better gas mileage and it's 40% cheaper out the door.

There's not really a question in my mind which is safer vehicle or the better value for the money. And for the rare instance when you literally can't live without that extra 4% of room, you can get a roof rack or rent a trailer. You'll probably save yourself $50,000 cost of ownership.

 

[Pitt_Boss]

I like the Hyundai that is like an el Camino, I think it’s called a Santa Cruz. I mean I would never buy one, but I like seeing them on the road.

 

[Harlo4PITT]

Moving out of a SUV and into a wagon. Decision was based on wanting to try something different and have grown tired of washing and detailing the SUV.

 

[steelcurtain55.]

Some of you may not have kids. It’s not just about personal safety and machismo. You are completely disregarding the lifestyle/utility reasons for owning a full size SUV or pickup. With our kids and lifestyle we utilize the full capacity of our Expedition nearly every day. My wife would love to drive something smaller and will once our oldest can drive. But for now, and for the past several years, we need every cubic inch of the thing.

This is the truth.

I have 2 sons who are big boys. 16 year old is 6'4 240 and the 14 year old is 6'1 270. I have Ram 1500 crew cab and it was great when they were like 10 but it's a bitch to travel with both of them in it and this is a full size truck.