May want to keep that gas-guzzler……..

[Evil Chocula]

Originally Posted by CPATCRASH

bet is gas will be back to $3.50 to $3.75 by September/October.

I like you. I'm thinking October/November though.

[CPATCRASH]

Originally Posted by Evil Chocula

I like you. I'm thinking October/November though.

starting to affect trucking companies. Also independent drivers. Wait until they have had enough and stop rolling. Prices will be forced down.

[Evil Chocula]

Originally Posted by CPATCRASH

starting to affect trucking companies. Also independent drivers. Wait until they have had enough and stop rolling. Prices will be forced down.

Personally, I'm hoping for increased regulation of the commodities market.

[DeeZee]

[quote=L8 APEKS;326559]That depends on your car and your situation.

My Jeep gets ~10 mpg. If I spent ~1,000 on something like a 1988 VW GTI, which would get around ~27 mpg, it would pay for itself pretty quickly.

@ 500 miles/month, and 4.70/gal, I spend $235/month on gas in the Jeep.

In that VW, I'd spend $87/month on gas.

With a difference of $148/month, the VW would be in the clear in less than 7 months.

The people I know who are getting more fuel-efficient vehicles aren't going out and spending $25k on new cars. Naturally, that would take years to break even. People I know want more immediate relief. They are buying cheap used cars to commute with and keeping their other cars for weekends, etc.



That is why I said "I explained to my wife that for us it just didn’t make sense"

Be careful getting an old VW and better put away some $$$ for repairs.

"The people I know who are getting more fuel-efficient vehicles aren't going out and spending $25k on new cars."

Correct but many folks are short sited and getting new expensive cars.....like getting ripped off and buying hybrids.

[DeeZee]

[quote=kbteachme;326557]I was getting my haircut the other day and this guy next to me was going off on his new Smart vehicle. He said he had to wait for 3 months to get it. Of course, he paid MSRP+, but is the price of saving gas really going to offset the price tag. I would be worried about the crash factor safety as well. Are these really the cars that the powers to be really want us to drive? Pretty soon we will see more golf carts on our roads just like in Palm Springs/Palm Desert. The dealers are happy because they just tell the customer that the gas prices are going up and you should buy this now to start saving gas money. What a crappy way to sell a car. I guess it makes ignorant people happy.



and this guy next to me

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by Evil Chocula

Personally, I'm hoping for increased regulation of the commodities market.

Yeah, regulation always works.

Originally Posted by superwow

Not only are gas-guzzlers expensive on pocketbooks, they also could be unnecessarily taxing on the environment (global warming)

You probably aren't aware of the increased costs to the environment of the full life cycle of the Prius, including manufacturing and recycling. Otherwise, you'll note that these two factors considerably increase the lifetime energy costs of a Prius.

Originally Posted by Rascal

If the end result is to have the most amount of cash in your pocket, it doesn't always make sense to buy a 23k Prius when you can get a a 12k Kia. The fuel economy benefit isn't always enough to outweigh the benefit of a cheaply priced car.

Do the math.

Sometimes it's worth spending a little more to ensure you'll arrive at your destination. Tell me how great that warranty is when you're on the 15 to Vegas when your cheap car dies.

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by cryan

If you can do it financially, it's worth feeling a little better about how much fuel the guzzler is guzzling. Putting it in numbers, there are over 5.2 million registered vehicles in LA County alone. If 5.2 millon vehicles all of the sudden drove a vehicle that gets 40 mpg, compared to say, 20 mpg, the reduction in consumption is astonishing.

But being realistic, if everyone were to sell 5.2 million vehicles and buy 5.2 million vehicles, there would be a huge energy requirement not only to manufacture those 5.2 million new vehicles, but also a huge energy requirement to recycle or dispose of the 5.2 million old vehicles. Remember, if you're concerned about the environment, you have to look at the whole picture from manufacturing to salvage - as they say, from dust to dust.

[Rkoa63]

Originally Posted by L8 APEKS

It's funny how we're forced into submission with the gas prices. They go up enough (say they go up 30%) for us to start going crazy, then finally they go down 15% and we're "happy" that gas is "cheap".

Then they go up another 30%, we get pissed, they ride it as long as they can...and the prices come down 15% to quiet us down again.

Anyone notice a pattern here? The prices are STILL skyrocketing, and will NEVER come "down." They will only go up.

This is exactly what I was explaining to my girlfriend last week. They've got us so use to seeing $4.00 + a gallon now, that as soon as the price drops to $3.50 people will be back to the dealerships buying those SUV's and full-size trucks. A little more then a year ago prices were below $3.00 and people were up in arms when the price crept above that; so suddenly $3.50 is ok? I'm sure as soon as gas hits $5+, we will all be rejoicing to pay that measley $4.50 a gallon at the pumps.

[chongoblanco]

just like BIZ sang "YOU GOT WHAT WE NEED"

I was talking to this guy who works for BP petroleum and supposedly his buddy sits in on the board meetings, and was told that there is no oil shortage!

The oil companies are selling oil at 120$ a barrel and right know it cost them less than 10 bucks a barrel to produce. They are bery happy right now.

Also its an election year the whole whose going to save us thing is happining.

After the first month of gas prices being raised americans drove over 200 to 300 million less miles a day!
{nice calculations they give use} gas still rises.

we will still continue to suffer as long as we live in a oil based economy, the shipping industry is the 2nd largest industry in the world, goverment being first.

Everything we touch is deliverd by, truck, train, and ship which all run on diesel, which is more expensive than gas right know, but is still cheaper and easier to refine than gasoline even with the new ultra low sulfer diesel, but thats the main excuse they need bump up the price.

all I can say is keep ridding and carpool!

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by chongoblanco

Everything we touch is deliverd by, truck, train, and ship which all run on diesel, which is more expensive than gas right know, but is still cheaper and easier to refine than gasoline even with the new ultra low sulfer diesel, but thats the main excuse they need bump up the price.

If I recall correctly, yes, the actual refining process to create diesel costs less, but the raw oil requirements is higher for diesel because diesel has an higher energy level (BTU) than gasoline. When the cost of oil is below a certain threshold, the cost of diesel at the pumps should be lower, but when the cost of oil exceeds the tipping point, it is normal for it to be higher.

[Evil Chocula]

Originally Posted by 2wheel_lee

Yeah, regulation always works.



You probably aren't aware of the increased costs to the environment of the full life cycle of the Prius, including manufacturing and recycling. Otherwise, you'll note that these two factors considerably increase the lifetime energy costs of a Prius.



Sometimes it's worth spending a little more to ensure you'll arrive at your destination. Tell me how great that warranty is when you're on the 15 to Vegas when your cheap car dies.

Yeah, regulation of the financial markets clearly does work.

the Fed, FINRA, NASD, SEC, are all regulating the markets and making sure you're not getting ripped off.

You clearly need to turn off Hannity and Colmes for awhile.

Originally Posted by 2wheel_lee

If I recall correctly, yes, the actual refining process to create diesel costs less, but the raw oil requirements is higher for diesel because diesel has an higher energy level (BTU) than gasoline. When the cost of oil is below a certain threshold, the cost of diesel at the pumps should be lower, but when the cost of oil exceeds the tipping point, it is normal for it to be higher.

Wow, you're an expert on bikes, the financial markets and deisel refining? Is there anything you don't know?

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by Evil Chocula

You clearly need to turn off Hannity and Colmes for awhile.

If that's a talk radio show, I don't listen to any of them.

[Evil Chocula]

Originally Posted by 2wheel_lee

If that's a talk radio show, I don't listen to any of them.

Sweet.

[DeeZee]

Originally Posted by 2wheel_lee

If I recall correctly, yes, the actual refining process to create diesel costs less, but the raw oil requirements is higher for diesel because diesel has an higher energy level (BTU) than gasoline. When the cost of oil is below a certain threshold, the cost of diesel at the pumps should be lower, but when the cost of oil exceeds the tipping point, it is normal for it to be higher.

If I recall correctly, yes, the actual refining process to create diesel costs less, but the raw oil requirements is higher for diesel because diesel has an higher energy level (BTU) than gasoline.

if this it true. Me thinks (non E-Expert here) that the air quality regulations have made diesel go through the roof. Diesel at one point was 20% less than gasoline now it is 20% more

[pastamon]

You people are deluded.

The Prius is NOTHING MORE than a redirecting of ecological harms.

How exactly is electricity made?

But hey, buy a Prius, slap on an Obama '08 sticker, and you've saved the world. It's just that easy.

Especially in Southern California, where people struggle to identify themselves with external signals.

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by DeeZee

if this it true. Me thinks (non E-Expert here) that the air quality regulations have made diesel go through the roof. Diesel at one point was 20% less than gasoline now it is 20% more

That is correct too. Some of the processes to make "clean diesel" have jacked up the costs as well.

Just the same, to meet the emissions requirements, the fuel economy of diesel engines has gone down. Lower emissions resulted in more fuel used (this is comparing similar diesel engines over the last 10 or so years). Although it seems obvious to most that lower emissions is more desirable, but we pay for it.

Oh, Evil, I drive a diesel-powered truck.

[speckledtrout]

Originally Posted by pastamon

But hey, buy a Prius, slap on an Obama '08 sticker, and you've saved the world. It's just that easy.

I'd still rather do that than buy a Hummer, slap on a McCain sticker and screw the world.

[DeeZee]

Originally Posted by speckledtrout

I'd still rather do that than buy a Hummer, slap on a McCain sticker and screw the world.

and gas would be a buck a gallon

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h...m8SIQD91JTOR00