If commenting on the extravagant fuel consumption of a vehicle during a time of fuel scarcity is a "snide observation(s) that carr(ies) obvious political baggage" then pray tell me WHAT would be acceptable to you? Total, intimidated silence?

Of course I'm not demanding silence. But when someone says something on the subject, it doesn't seem to me to be a hostile act to point out exactly why things are the way they are, rather than letting the assumption lie there that the people driving these cars are simply wasteful and/or ignorant. Why are you asking ME to be silent?

When I was a kid, and we bought a car big enough for our family, it would never have occurred to my Dad in a million years to buy a 4WD (back then, these were mostly Jeeps) or a van (back then vans were used to deliver stuff.)

As I documented in my other post, you are looking at the end result of another of many attempts at social engineering, and like so many attempts to shove the average American into the properly-shaped slot, it backfired.

They don't make Eurovans any more. They were mostly underpowered, and VW didn't market them well. I own three cars: a 93 Eurovan, a 91 Chevy Lumina (car, not van), and a new Honda Pilot. If I had to buy another car, I don't know what it would be. I would buy a hybrid if it gave me what I wanted, and so would many other people.