Should a patriot drive a gas hog?

By David Crary

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Which is more patriotic: Buying an American automaker’s sport utility vehicle, or driving a smaller, more fuel-efficient car?

Motorists are getting contradictory messages as the war on terrorism reshapes the homefront debate over energy policy.

Sales of gas-guzzling pickups and sport utility vehicles have surged lately, with carmakers offering interest-free deals and encouraging consumers to "keep America rolling," as the General Motors slogan goes. But conservation advocates are telling Americans that the best way to keep the nation secure is to use less gasoline.

"If you notice these days, the bigger the SUV, the bigger the flag," said David Nemtzow, president of the Washington-based Alliance to Save Energy. "I don’t doubt the patriotism of the drivers, but couldn’t they show their patriotism a little better by putting their flags on a smaller car?"

America’s ties to the Arab world have been under scrutiny since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, prompting urgent calls for the U.S. to reduce its dependence on oil imports.

The Bush administration says this can be accomplished by producing more energy in the United States, including drilling in the now-protected Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Environmentalists argue the best course of action would be to promote fuel conservation and energy efficiency.

"People don’t want to be told that if they drive a big, heavy, fuel-inefficient car, they’re being unpatriotic," said Jim DiPeso, spokesman for Republicans for Environmental Protection. "We need the political leaders to stand up and say that efficiency and conservation are good for America."

The auto industry says it is working hard to develop more fuel-efficient vehicles, but it opposes any mandatory toughening of federal standards. For now, plunging gasoline prices have deflated consumer interest in efficient cars.

"Fuel economy is on the list of what consumers are looking for, but not necessarily on the top of the list," said Gloria Bergquist, spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. "They’re still looking for vehicles that meet their needs."

Auto sales slumped briefly after the Sept. 11 attacks, but soared a record 26.4 percent last month compared to October 2000, thanks mainly to zero-interest financing deals. GM’s truck sales jumped 47 percent; Chrysler’s Jeep Liberty, Ford’s F-series pickup trucks and Ford’s Explorer SUV all set sales records.

Dana Mantilia, general manager of the Hammonasset Ford dealership in Madison, Conn., said SUVs have been big sellers in recent weeks.

"If someone was going to buy a (Lincoln) Navigator before Sept. 11, they wouldn’t say, ‘Let’s not get a Navigator now,’ " Mantilia said. "These are families that have kids, that take their kids’ friends with them. We haven’t seen any cutting back."

Yet Bergquist acknowledged that SUVs have become symbols of gas-guzzling. "They’re a vehicle you either love or hate," she said.

The United States consumes far more oil than any country in the world, and relies on imports for more than half its needs. More than 10 million barrels a day comes from abroad; almost one-fourth is from the politically volatile Persian Gulf.

In August, the House of Representatives rejected a proposal to toughen fuel-efficiency standards for SUVs. In the latest federal ratings, SUVs, vans and pickup trucks average 17.9 miles per gallon, while cars average 23.9 mpg.

Conservation groups say that increasing fuel economy to 40 mpg by 2012 would produce oil savings far larger than the reserves in the Alaska wildlife refuge. They note that Japanese manufacturers already have extremely fuel-efficient cars on the market, the Honda Insight with 64 mpg and Toyota Prius with 48 mpg.

But these so-called hybrid cars, powered by conventional gasoline yet able to draw on electric motors, have yet to show potential as big sellers.

Nemtzow believes most Americans — because fuel prices have dropped — aren’t focusing on energy issues.

"Americans should display their patriotism in the form of using less imported oil, but they don’t," he said. "The auto companies should step forward and display some leadership. I don’t expect them to — I hope I’ll be proven wrong."