Crazy Gas Prices!

[gellor]

I just got an Acura TL. The damn thing requires Premium unleaded. Its costing me about $60-80/week now in gas!

But when I feel the buttery smooth 270hp power behind the wheel and listen to the cool built in DVD-A system, I quickly forget how reamed I am getting at the pump

Nice car. My boss has one, and its a great ride.

I've got a dodge ram...just filled it up tonight at about $70. Not only does it have a big tank, but it takes mid-grade gas. Ouch.

The wife and I are debating dropping the truck for a small wagon (mazda 3 or audi a3)...but I'll really miss the truck. Without it, I'd have to ask my boss to haul stuff for me.

 

[jaxvon]

I dunno about the Audi. Those things suck gas (the whole AWD and turbo thing). I think if you wanna save gas, get a Honda. My old '91 Civic get 40MPG if I stay off the freeway.

 

[Mr. Lamb Fries]

What's the mileage like on a big SUV? I know a couple of people that drive a Yukon.

ive got a 2002 chevy Suburban Z-71 2500. Its got a 39 1/2 gallon gas tank . In the city I get 9-11 miles to the gallon and about 15 on the highway. the high price of gas has really changed the way I drive...cruze control...no passing...rolling starts...caosting stops...anything I can think of to preserve gas. I know...I know...its my fault and I shouldnt be complaining but It sure is a kick in the bells when I go and fill up! I might get a silly little junker for A-B driving. I think the money I would save on gass would pay for it over time.

If thats all Ive got to Gripe about than I am doing O.K. I feel for the people who lost everything on the gulf coast. Some companies depend on gas and the price greatly effect their budget. those people have a legitamate beef! I have a company that depends on freight delivery. its only a matter of time that this will effect the bottom line. the only way to pay for it is to pass the expense to the clients. SAD BUT TRUE!

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

IIf I had $20,000 to replace it with a hybrid I would. At least my bike is getting close to 50mpg.

I have heard (and not from the conservative side, but from Consumer and car magazines) that for a hybrid to actually pay for itself the gas prices would have to be closer to $6 a gallon.

Which, if things keep going, isn't too far off.

 

[gene]

I have heard (and not from the conservative side, but from Consumer and car magazines) that for a hybrid to actually pay for itself the gas prices would have to be closer to $6 a gallon.

Thats probably accurate given the $4-5k cost adder for the technology and the fact that the battery will need to be replaced 4-5 years later which I believe the cost is passed on to the consumer.

 

[claudermilk]

I'm afraid of going to the station (filled up a few days ago)--and I've been on premium for 10 years. Of course I can now chuckle at all the suckers who bought their "cool" SUVs to commute & go to the grocery store with.

2 Escalades? How many times can you get bent over? IMHO Escalade=Bose

The car mags have basically concluded that right now hybirds are a "feel good" puchase once you look at the true efficiency vs added cost.

 

[JohnA]

I guess I'm a lucky one...I have a Saturn that gets about 24mpg and I only have to go 3 miles to work...so if I just went to work and back I would only use 1 tank of gas per month...not to shabby. Gas price in OH jumped to $3.09 almost everywhere. In the morning it was $2.49 then in the afternoon it was at $3.09...this is getting out of hand!!!

 

[furrycute]

Gas price in NC is up to around $3.19/gallon. Luckily I filled at Costco, at $2.76/gallon. You wouldn't believe the lines in front of Costco. Had to wait 20 minutes to get in line. I even saw a TV cameraman with his video cam taping the whole scene.

 

[Buckle-meister]

I just got an Acura TL. The damn thing requires Premium unleaded. Its costing me about $60-80/week now in gas!

But when I feel the buttery smooth 270hp power behind the wheel and listen to the cool built in DVD-A system, I quickly forget how reamed I am getting at the pump

Gene, I think there's something wrong with your car; the steering wheel's on the wrong side.

Fancy that.

Regards

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

I guess I'm a lucky one...I have a Saturn that gets about 24mpg and I only have to go 3 miles to work...so if I just went to work and back I would only use 1 tank of gas per month...not to shabby. Gas price in OH jumped to $3.09 almost everywhere. In the morning it was $2.49 then in the afternoon it was at $3.09...this is getting out of hand!!!

Geez. Why even bother with a car? 3 miles is walking distance.

 

[Tsunamii]

Thats probably accurate given the $4-5k cost adder for the technology and the fact that the battery will need to be replaced 4-5 years later which I believe the cost is passed on to the consumer.

I hear the same and the Battery is supposed to be very expensive...

Its 3.09 cheaper some places but not by much...

 

[bpape]

Maybe this is finally the wake up call this country needs to reduce it's reliance on personal vehicles in lieu of public transportation and it's reliance on oil as the end all energy solution.

Yes. It will be slow. It will be painful. It's a total change in thinking for the American public.

We have been VERY fortunate for a LOOOONNNGG time with our fuel prices in comparison to the rest of the world. That's why we as a nation have never taken seriously the idea of moving away from oil and toward alternative sources. We've never taken seriously the idea of a Federal program to build a real, usable mass transit system - not just in big cities.

If the government really wants to help us out, they should work with the states to back off some of the fuel taxes (not that it's a great deal of the cost but a decent part anyway) instead of releasing the strategic reserve (which is nothing but a pacifier in reality).

</rant>

 

[j_garcia]

$40 to fill up? What are you driving, a Aveo? Wow, you lucky SOB.

Well, it's only a 16gal tank... Freway miles, I do get about 20mpg though. I only fill up once a week, and I'm not complaining. The fact is, it's still 2x the price of earlier this year.

My old '91 Civic get 40MPG if I stay off the freeway.

On the freeway, you should actually get better mileage over a long distance. There's no way you get 40mpg either. I've owned half a dozen Civics and Integras, including a 90, and they all got about 25mpg, 30 or so on the freeway, but never 40 even when they were new. You'd have to drive 40mph everywhere you went!

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

I have heard (and not from the conservative side, but from Consumer and car magazines) that for a hybrid to actually pay for itself the gas prices would have to be closer to $6 a gallon.

Well we can figure this out with a little math.....

Honda Civic Hybrid 46/51 (combined average 48.5)
Regular Civic 32/38 (combined average 35)

Thats both 4-door models with 5-spd trannys. That equals 13.5 mpg difference.

If you drive 100,000 miles........

regular civic will use 2857.1 gallons of gas
hybrid civic will use 2061.8

A difference of 795.3 gallons. or at lunchtime rates of $3.59/gal. =

$2855.13 in savings every 100,000 miles.

Honda Civic EX (the model with extra features comperable to the Hybrid) $17510
Honda Civic Hybrid $19,900

A diffrence of $2390. With gas at $3.59/gallon a Hybrid would save you $498.13 in the first 100,000 miles. Not a huge sum, but it puts you ahead of the game. The more gas rises, the better-off you are, and if you keep a car for 250,000 miles you're better-off still.

 

[ducker]

always liked my little 98 integra. won't ditch it unless I go hybrid... and as of right now, I'm not ready for that!

 

[Matt34]

I traded in my 3/4ton chevy in this time last year for my Hyundai accent which is getting me between 38-41mpg with most highway driving. 11 gallon tank is now costing me roughly $24 to fill up at under a quarter of a tank.

My wife drives a Nissan Xterra which I'm seriously considering trading in for a wagon(Subaru).

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Do a google on Honda Insights and batteries. The warranty on the batteries extends to 80,000 miles. If your batteries last 80,000 miles, then conk out soon after, you're looking at $5,000 . That really eats away at the mpg savings.

 

[bpape]

And if we purchased as few gas cars as we do hybrids, some of those parts would be $5k too.

If we had hybrids or electrics as the vast majority of our vehicles, economies of scale would reduce the upfront price and the cost of replacment parts - not to mention driving innovation and improvements that would potentially extend the life of the batteries.

 

[furrycute]

Have you ever used computer lithium ion batteries? Those things will last at most a year before they lose about 50% of their capacity.

Batteries don't just suddenly die one day. It'll lose more and more capacity over time, until finally any further loss of battery capacity is unacceptable for the normal operation of the vehicle. So I am guessing that you'll see your gas mileage go down the hill over time.

 

[sploo]

Damn... $2.62 (or $3.29) a gallon. I really feel sorry for you guys.

Here in the UK (by my dodgy math) a gallon will set you back over $6.30!

Having said that, I guess the cost per mile is about the same, as you boys all drive trucks with 6 litre engines (that only knock out 200bhp), and do about 11mpg

Sploo (who is waiting for some redneck to call him a tree-hugging-limey-commie-SOB)