Bottom line: they don't deserve to be in business.
Even if Tata's Nano is $5k, I would buy one.
Let me put it this way, if Ford used the same amount of fuel (compared to other vehicle makers' vehicles) as 20 years ago then I don't think they would have lasted through the insane gas prices last summer.
Maybe we should be getting out of cars altogether and invest in the public transport system.
Agreed. We need to start treating cars like other harmful habits, like smoking and gambling, and tax the hell out of them. We also need to eliminate fares on our public transportation systems. (Nobody's going to take the bus a few blocks to the store when it costs $2.25. But I bet they'll take it when they can just get on for free.)
Anyway, I bet that this will not happen in my lifetime.
Would cut the cost of ticketing, speed things up, etc, etc.
There's also considerable discounts. When you pay to get on the bus you get a transfer, which stays valid for a minimum of 90 minutes. Also the bus passes are considerably well priced if you use the bus more than 10 times in a week. So if you're using it to get to and from work and then also to do all your grocery shopping and such, it can get down to as little as $0.50 a trip. Supposedly they're also including tax credits for using it, although they don't seem to want to publish the info on how.
That might be decades instead of years. I am driving a 2000 Buick Centry (on loan while my current car is in the shop) and it's like stepping into a time machine. The feel, controls, interior and style is almost identical to the 1978 Buick Lasabre I learned to drive as a teen.
I'm interested to drive a newer Buick to see if they changed anything for the 2009 model.