That’s what I meant.
From the article:
"Under Sharia law, which is observed across the vast majority of the Middle East, non-payment of debt is a criminal offence. The UAE has no bankruptcy laws, so there is no protection for those who fail to meet their car repayments, pay off their credit cards or default on their mortgage, even accidentally.
Anyone who fails to make their payments faces imprisonment in the notoriously tough prisons of the United Arab Emirates, and the Sharia-influenced debt offences have even led Interpol to circulate red alerts to capture indebted Europeans attempting to flee the UAE."
Well that would be interesting. It would kinda put a dent in Visa and Mastercharge profits if missing one payment landed you in jail or cost you a hand.
Tough discussion. I see both sides to the union argument.
As far as sedans vs everything else - I really don’t think people want sedans any more. My Buick Lesabre is pretty darn reliable with the 3.8 liter v6, but it would be near worthless if I sold it. Conversely, a 2wd suv of the same vintage and questionable reliability (Jeep Cherokee, for example) would sell quickly. And I admit, I’d trade the frumpy sedan for an suv in a heartbeat. So why any manufacturer would invest much in making sedans is beyond me.
I’m curious how credit cards are profitable in the UAE @bing. Interest on debt is illegal there.
edit. I recall a guest of Jim Cramer commenting on UAE finance and his statement on usury seemed to sound like any interest was usary but obviously I misunderstood. But it’s a shame the US has no enforcement of usury and Mississippi’s 400%+ APR is certainly usury in my book.
I do. I value handling and fuel economy over the advantages SUVs or trucks offer. Not as many want big rides, but there are still enough to keep many builders in business.
I drive one daily because it’s practical and…I already have it. But I don’t think they’re popular for the most part anymore. Otherwise there’d be a wider selection and less crossovers and suv’s
I agree with @jtsanders on the advantages of a conventional car. There is another advantage–a car has a trunk where items can be stowed and are out of sight. Furthermore, on a fast stop, the items won’t come flying into y passenger compartment as they might if they were tossed into the back of an SUV.
I would prefer a sedan if it had a comfortable seating position for me. The last sedan that I drove any distance that fit me was the first generation Ford Fusion. However, I need a minivan and I can’t justify adding another vehicle to hack around town.
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I don’t know. I didn’t write the article. Just found it interesting that you’d go to jail and maybe torture for missing a payment.
And the US use to have debtors prisons. Abolished in the 1800’s/
I got a chuckle on a 2019 Ford review.
So what if the box is tiny. It’s perfect for the 2 items a truck owner hauls.
#1 One tool bought at the home improvement store.
#2 Garbage dumped in the box, while in the home improvement store.
As for objections, I have a canopy on my PU… so a really big trunk. It usually full of dog crates and requires an hour to disassemble. So… I have a trailer to pull behind.
Not the most sensible purchase, but it has room for plywood sheets. The big objection to the small and midsize PUs was the box was too small to carry plywood. Fast forward a decade and they are all too small.
Yeah I just got back from Lowes where I bought some 8 foot lengths of trim to fit in my little Pontiac G6. Simple, lower the rear seat and shove them in and shut the trunk. No problem. Do that with a truck. I’d use the trailer for 4x8 sheets or hauling brush or a load to the dump. Load it up, hook it up, no muss no fuss. A $100,000 would buy 50 to 100 trailers-a whole fleet. Did I miss something? Plus the car will fit in the garage and I can wash it without a step ladder.
Well, this trailer is too heavy for a car. I did have one of the light weights for the Neon, for many years. With a tow capacity of 1500 lbs, it served well as a replacement for our 90’s model Toyota PU.
It wouldn’t be such a problem except the truck makers insist on making huge, mostly useless, trucks. The tailgate is so high on many that it makes sense they have electric tail gates… the bed is chest high. Try getting your dirt bike (or dogs) in one of those. lol
Yeah my neighbor has a ramp for his dogs to get into the truck bed.
My pure bred Heinz weights 50 pounds and if I’m leaving in my truck she can jump over the closed tailgate in hopes she can go for a ride. She’s learned to stay in the grass unless I drop the tailgate or dawdle too long getting in.
Sedans are basically worthless from a financial point of view around here once they get some age on them. A Buick Lesabre with a the 3.8L engine may be a great reliable car but good luck getting anything when you go to sell it. You are right that it is worth more to you to keep it than to try and sell it. The same applies to lots of other cars like a Crown Vic. Some people just look for some older person selling a car like this with low miles for a low price and buy them up because they are good reliable cars for not much money.
I agree that someone will buy something of lesser reliability like a Chrysler/Jeep product for more money rather than an old workhorse like this. Another thing around here is that a 2WD truck is about as good as worthless as well.
There’s still a segment of the population that simply don’t WANT a truck, mini-van, suv or cross-over
Still see plenty of new Corollas and Civics on the road . . .
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Yes, I overstated that a bit. I did say “invest much” in making sedans, I didn’t mean to nix them altogether. And I was speaking more to the domestic brands. Who wants a Chrysler 200 over a Camry or Accord? Very few people probably. Who wants a Ram over a Tundra? Quite a few people apparently. May be due to the price difference. Ram will knock $10k off sticker easily. Toyota, not so much. The point I was trying to make is I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad idea to make what they can sell. Trucks and suv’s Sedans…I’m not sure the Asian brands haven’t just about cornered the market.
Yeah, I guess I’ll keep my sedan until engine or trans failure. The Lesabre is good on gas (decent), comfortable, and reliable. It’s just got a senior citizen vibe about it. Which is ok with me.
My 10 year old daughter kinda hates it though. Her: “Are we taking the truck or mom’s car (Highlander)?” Me: “Nooo, we’re taking the Buuuuiiick. And I may turn the radio to rap music and crack the windows a bit when I drop you off.” Hehehe. Because a middle aged white guy blaring gangsta rap in a senior citizen looking car has got to be embarrassing. For normal people.
Yeah, who would want a puny Tundra that towed a 292,000 pound Space Shuttle? It actually is anemic compared to the EV F150 that recently towed 1.25 million pounds of rail cars. Now that’s impressive.
Oh, I’d take a new Tundra. But they’re pretty pricey and the gas mileage is near the bottom of the class, unless things have changed recently. They need to do some updating. Maybe a different transmission to improve mpg’s…? Something…