nfb: Mark my words.....

[Jeff_in_Atl]

And let's not forget those numbers you quoted Jeff ($300/yr) are over and above a regular Prius, which is already fuel efficient, and not over and above a regular car that might get half of what a regular Prius gets. If you trade in a $20,000 car or small SUV that gets a combined 20 mpg for a $20,000 Prius or Civic Hybrid, and then spend 3,000 modding it to get~80 mpg, you're going to use just 1/4 the gas of your previous car. If you figure about 1,000 miles a month of driving (which is about average) that original car would use 50 gallons of gas, which is $125 worth of gas at $2.50/gallon. The 80 mpg Civic/Prius would use just 12.5 gallons of gas in that same month, or $31.25 worth. That's a difference of 93.75/month, or $1125 every year! It begins to make financial sense then. That's assuming you're not paying anything to finance the vehicle because of the trade-in. Even buying the vehicle outright becomes attractive, assuming you're keeping the car several years. Even without the financial factor, you're saving 450 gallons of gas and pollutants a year!

All 3 of my cars combined wouldn't equal $20,000 so I have to add that to the mix just to get the gas mileage. All 3 of my cars are paid for.

[Joe 1320]

All 3 of my cars are paid for.

And that is a huge savings. Just the interest on a $20K car loan more than makes up for the fuel used. Before someone pipes up with "I have a 0% loan", that means nothing. You paid for it somewhere, most likely from a rebate that was applied to financing rather than paid to you or deducted from the retail sales price. There is no such thing as a free lunch, it is paid for somewhere.

[Z Ya Later]

And that is a huge savings. Just the interest on a $20K car loan more than makes up for the fuel used. Before someone pipes up with "I have a 0% loan", that means nothing. You paid for it somewhere, most likely from a rebate that was applied to financing rather than paid to you or deducted from the retail sales price. There is no such thing as a free lunch, it is paid for somewhere.

I have a 0% loan...cause they were all bought outright or given to me lol

[Joe 1320]

It just happen to remember posting this thread, I thought I would kick it back to the top.

[Steel2686]

It just happen to remember posting this thread, I thought I would kick it back to the top.

Strange how relavent this has become nearly three years later.

[TraceZ]

I filled up the Vette yesterday. $4.02 / gallon for 93 octane.

[raroZ28]

I agree with wolfman. People will keep driving them. Same with me and my camaro. Think 15 MPG is going to stop me from driving it?

I was hoping that people would stop driving those things. Maybe then there would be less demand for fuel, and prices would drop. Hopefully a lot of people go the hybrid/nuclear/hydrogen route.

I stand by this statement.

I still drive the same amount, gas is just costing me twice as much now.

[Joe 1320]

And my prediction unfolds.............

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25679520

"DETROIT - General Motors Corp said on Tuesday it would cut white-collar employment costs by 20 percent, sell up to $4 billion of assets, and borrow at least $2 billion in a bid to bolster its liquidity by $15 billion through 2009.

GM also said it would suspend its common stock dividend in a restructuring driven by high fuel prices, a shift away from trucks and SUVs, and the lowest U.S. industrywide auto sales in a decade."

[markd79ta]

And my prediction unfolds.............

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25679520

"DETROIT - General Motors Corp said on Tuesday it would cut white-collar employment costs by 20 percent, sell up to $4 billion of assets, and borrow at least $2 billion in a bid to bolster its liquidity by $15 billion through 2009.

GM also said it would suspend its common stock dividend in a restructuring driven by high fuel prices, a shift away from trucks and SUVs, and the lowest U.S. industrywide auto sales in a decade."

My Yukon sits at home most of the time. I need it in the winter and family trips, but I leave it at home as much as possible. My wife and I are trying to car pool as much as possible. The Yukon is the last full-size SUV I will own...I am glad I don't have a lot of money in it! There is no way I would buy one new; we won't be able to give these away for peanuts.

I paid $1,600 for Big Blue. New paint, new interior, 1990 front clip and engine, heavy 3/4 ton, tow and stabilizer package, etc. ....stold the thing! Total of $2000 invested and it is lifted with 35" pro comps.

[BrdWAtti2d]

And 3 years from now after gas prices have stabilized from this round of hikes, SUV sales will reach all time highs, people never learn. It's all happened before.

[Black97]

Yes it's getting ridiculous. Another week or two with rising prices and I can't fill up the Grand Cherokee anymore at the pump using my bank card. They have a $100 limit.

I'll have to do 2 transactions to fill her up.

Attach a couple of funnies I had for a while now. I like the last one.

[markd79ta]

And 3 years from now after gas prices have stabilized from this round of hikes, SUV sales will reach all time highs, people never learn. It's all happened before.

The new CAFE standards will drastically change the SUV. Getting the SUV up to the high 20s mpg is going to be a challenge. I have no doubt there will be sales, but the vehicles will be a lot different then what they are today.

[Rhode Island Red]

I think things are gonna get worse.

High Gas Prices = SUV age comes to an end
High housing prices & people abandoning them = Mortgage crisis (banks go out of business)
High food prices = less money (if any) towards anything else, starvation in 3rd world countries, famine.


all this stuff is seemingly leading to something nasty if things don't turn around. The high gas prices were only a start, mark my words.

[3800_Firebird]

If I recall, there is a reason why SUV's are made as heavy as they are: the gas guzzler tax. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't there a threshold that virtually all large SUV's are over that excludes them from the gas guzzler tax?

Now imagine if the SUV's of today were replaced by lighter weight SUV's, what would the result be? Higher fuel efficiency due to less weight.

What also grinds me is that we must have more fuel efficient vehicles but also safer. The easiest way to make a vehicle more fuel efficient is to make it lighter, but a lighter vehicle is generally less safe against a heavier one.

Demo derbies prove that point everytime. Which car usually wins? More often than not the heavier one. It can at the same time inflict more potential damage and absorb more.

But hey, I am not an expert at safety or fuel efficiency. I just drive as defensively and efficiently as I can.

BTW, nice prediction Joe!

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

I like my little SUV Honda CRV which I bought in 99. It gets maybe 28 mpg on the interstate and averages pretty high like 25 or so mixed driving. Goes really good in the snow and can carry an engine in the back but can't tow anything really. It is kind of wimpy but works well enough for a DD. Interestingly enoiugh my Corvette displays an average mpg of 20.8 and I have yet to verify that with receipts and odometer, but it does pretty darn good. My TA is pretty bad, but Oh well...

Part of the whole problem with oil is that it is being traded as a commodity by several people before it gets to its destination - each person selling it for more than he paid - that is really mucking things up and causing high prices. Governments are making a percentage in taxes from the gas so they are going to be reluctant to help... They love their windfall no doubt.