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Automotive News & Views How does gas at $4 and higher impact you?
2183 messages, Last post on Nov 21, 2009 at 5:13 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 02, 2008 8:08 am) Anyone got a better crystal ball? I think that is pretty reasonable. I would rather see it at $2.00 but that may not be reasonable. What I would love to see is some development of synthetic fuel. Something renewable and clean. I would also love to see more EV city cars. easier for me because I don't need a range much more than 60 miles a day. If I could get a EV with a range of 150 miles for less than 24k I would be a happy man.
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Replying to: boaz47 (Nov 02, 2008 9:01 am) Thank you for your well reasoned posts. The issues that scares me here in the Pacific Northwest is how we get around - we have funny geography that limits the ability to make connections east/west and being a one party region we believe bus/light rail is the only solution. Case in point we are thinking of replace a 4 lane floating bridge with a 6 lane job (we have been thinking about this for ~ 20 years). The rub that I see is 6 lanes is not enough and we should build 8 lanes - especially when you factor in that cars are getting more efficient all the time. Who wouldn't drive a Volt back and forth on your own schedule instead of waiting for a train/bus and being subjected to somebody else's schedule - especially when the energy cost per passenger mile of most light rails systems is worse that driving a car. We have a massive ballot measure to build a few more miles of light rail, that would serve an incredible small % of commuters. Curious to see if it fails on Tuesday or not. I do get a chuckle though when I hear that Hugo guy is struggling with Oil being low - uh...what did he expect at a high price that everbody would take it in the shorts to make him happy? He and those fella's from Iran really killed their golden goose. Converting SUV factories to car factories is a major change not easy to undo - that kind of behavior cannot be un done easily - combine that with things like the Volt or that hydrogen car from Honda and it may get to the point where Oil from South America and the Middle east does not matter...I know wishful thinking but the low prices and inability for them to drive short term price via supply must be shocking. I love to see blow hards (HUGO!) fall on their face...
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Replying to: murphydog (Nov 02, 2008 9:34 am) But I agree you need something in the Seattle area like mass transit or alternatives to gas because everyone has so far to drive. With the two bridges across the lake anyone living to the East of the lake couldn’t easily ride a bicycle. I would think EVs would work as long as the wetness wasn’t a factor. But being so close to where Gates grew up I would expect some company in your area might be able to develop a city car we all could afford. Still I am glad I am not facing $4.00 gas right now because I don’t have many reasonable choices to drive something that doesn’t use gas. However I can say I am doing my part. I have more than a 1000 miles on my bicycles since June. Helps to pay for the SUV and Travel trailer when I do haul them out for a trip. But then I only put gas in the Tahoe about once every 6 to 8 weeks. |
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Replying to: boaz47 (Nov 01, 2008 10:38 pm) When I got my license I would have driven an Explorer, but that would have been an older one because I couldn't afford anything newer. I guess in the end everybody just has to shut up and let people make their own decisions. It isn't worth it to tell people how to think. I'm the type of person where you tell me how to think and even if I agree with you I will do the exact opposite just to spite you. It's the same with most people I know.
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Replying to: oldfarmer50 (Nov 02, 2008 3:20 am) With regards to the engine I have the 2.4 with 160hp, it's an 03. Unfortunately with winter on the way the mileage is only going to go down. They don't plow our roads as much as they used to, due to budget cuts and stuff. I haven't souped it up or anything. I guess I should consider myself lucky considering the overall combined EPA rating is 25, so 27 or 28 isn't bad. I've been trying to have a contest with myself to break 30, but it's just difficult and requires a lot more concentration and thinking about what the car is going to do in a given situation. Another problem is that it's an automatic. I can only do so much with it to get it to shift when I want it to. If I had a real 5 speed, and could drive it well, I could easily crack 30 or more, but I don't and I can't.
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Replying to: tankbeans (Nov 02, 2008 12:40 pm) I think the '03 Accord 4-cyl/automatic was EPA rated 24/34, before the EPA changed their numbering scheme in the past year or two. So if you're getting 27-28 mpg in mixed driving, I'd say that's respectable. Now in pure highway driving, you should have no problem getting around 34-35, as long as you're not leadfooting it. I've tried a few times to see how little fuel I can use with my 2000 Intrepid (rated 20/29) and the best I ever got was around 32.5 mpg. Just about pure highway driving, but staying around 55-60 mph for the most part, rarely getting above 65, and little to no a/c use. That was back in June, when fuel prices were sky high, so most people were driving slowly. It was still aggravating though, and I had to really make an effort to keep my speed that low. And it turns out, it really didn't save THAT much gas. I made the same trip in early October, but going a bit faster, averaging 60-65, rarely going over 70. Ended up with something like 31 mpg. Then a week later I made the same trip, but drove more or less normally...65-70, getting up to 80 once or twice where appropriate, and still managed to get 30 mpg. |
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Replying to: tankbeans (Nov 02, 2008 12:34 pm) It is a huge leap in maturity to learn what is and isn’t important. Someone posted early on in one of these forums that you can’t debate the wisdom of owning a vehicle you already have and it does no good to condemn a vehicle you never have had. One of the things you will learn by reading many of these forums is that small car owners that consider themselves enthusiasts tend to “hate” SUVs and their owners. There are even forums dedicated to this principle. I didn’t say all small car owners. It is from some of these owners that we received the rants about how life would be better is fuel cost us as much as it did in Europe. They cheered as the gas prices soared as if it was a God given punishment against SUV owners and light truck owners that would effect them and them alone. You won’t find that kind of vitriol from SUV and light truck owners towards compacts but that is another story. So when prices hit $4.00 you would have thought the golden age had arrived. The same people were overjoyed during the 70s when we had gas lines because they “believed” it was a wake up call and didn’t seem to want to believe it was a contrived shortage any more than they want to believe $4.00 gas was artificial at the time. The best position to take is to consider the vehicle that fits “your” needs best. Don’t worry about the pocket protector radical that lives in down town Manhattan and their choice of a Smart car if you live in the middle of Kansas. Just realize that high fuel prices are not good for your wallet and higher prices will not cause your fuel money to be spent on alternative sources of transportation. If the American consumer is going to get alternative vehicles they will get them because companies decide to make them and offer them and the consumer decides to buy them. We will not get them because we have to pay $4.00 for gas. |
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 02, 2008 8:08 am) The president of Chevron said the same thing. I hope you're both wrong.
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Replying to: oldfarmer50 (Nov 02, 2008 4:34 pm) The president of Chevron said the same thing. I hope you're both wrong. Well e all can hope. 
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Replying to: boaz47 (Nov 02, 2008 8:11 pm)  But I'm still shopping for a higher mpg car than either of the two we have now.... |
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