SOUND OFF: How Much Is Too Much For Gas?

Current prices are too much.

Heck they have been too much since that wonderful time during 1996 when for one brief moment I saw gas prices at $.75 down in N.C.

Welll, Gas Prices Won't Matter when there is no gas left!

gas wont run out for another 50 yrs. or so, unless we dont drill the oil rich alaska or utah areas. i think its utah, might be colorado, but anyway u get the point. meanwhile, we should develope alternative power, like hydrogen or whatever...

We are in no danger at all of running out of crude oil. People in the west pay little attention to newspapers such as the Arab News. In 1990, as reported by that publication, Saudi Arabia discovered a field so vast it was conservatively estimated that by itself, it could supply the world's needs for petroleum for 250 years (at the rates used at that time). And it said there was more where that came from. Scientists have also reported there are vast untapped crude oil deposits underneath the oceans. The world is highly unlikely to run out of dino juice.
I don't know why people have not noticed, but the price of gas has risen with the increased use of petroleum by the Chinese. Their usage has grown exponentially, while few new refineries have been built. It is a factor, basically, of supply and demand. And with the oil companies making more money than they literally can count, they're obviously in no hurry to build more refineries to rectify the situation.

Yes but the COST of GETTING the last of the oil out of the ground rises in proportion to the amount of energy it takes to EXTRACT the last of the oil.

In the mean time the number of people who are competing to BUY the oil rises.

So what happens when there are lots of buyers and not enough oil for all???

This problem is serious, and a change is needed and soon. really already not cars should being produced that do not get at LEAST 30 mpg, and in 5 years that should be 45 mpg! We have a problem! Its not the environment its the world population AND the shortage of oil!

We're at $4.00 a gallon right now, and it's killing me. When I purchased my 335i last April, it was $45.00 to fill her up.

Now it's $60.00 !!!

Can't imagine how those who drive Escalades & Hummers feel right now. No matter how rich you are, spending $100.00 for a tank of gas must really suck.

Our Pilot runs $70 a tank on regular and my A4 is $53 on premium.

And how many miles does the Pilot go on a tank and how many on the A4?

001

I get about 300 miles a tank in city driving and 400+ on the highway, which considering the performance of the 335i, Im amazed the mileage is that good.

But of course, it HAS to have Premium, no exceptions.

I went from a maxima to a G35 and I think 300 on a tank is poor. $1.50/ gallon would be acceptable to me. Anything over that is expensive. And $1.50 is for premium!

If you can't afford the gas, why did you buy a 335i?
Answer: poser

He got it LAST April. Gas was a lot cheaper then. Duh!

Yeah, I'm so rich that I love paying a lot for gas. What kind of moron are you?

I have no problem filling the 335i, it just sucks that it costs so much more than it used too.

Call me a poser all you want, you're the only idiot I know who doesn't think rising gas prices are a problem,

EL34 lives in the OC... APPARENTLY.

PS. bulldogz, what kind of bulldog do you have? Catahoula, Olde English, American, British, ??

You're referring to the Audi, right?

I want to know what the Pilot gets as well...bet it's miserable

Every Pilot owner I know is lucky to get 17mpg.

001

You are still a poser, if gas prices are "killing" you, maybe you should be driving something within your means, more fuel efficient and not a >$45K V6 car so that the fillups won't "kill" you.

Paople who can shell out 45K for a car usually don't give a sh!t about gas prices. I don't. ;->

What does EI34 stand for? Employment insurance, 34 years old?

PS, the 335i isn't a V6, it is an I-6 bi-turbo.

If you are well-off and know money, odds are, you count every penny, because counting every penny got you wealthy... not spending through the nose. Who doesn't want to have more money in their bank account?

001 - Pilot runs 400 miles on a tank @ ~17 mpg, The A4 avgs 380 miles regularly @ 28.3 mpg by the on board computer.

"Paople who can shell out 45K for a car usually don't give a sh!t about gas prices. I don't. ;->

Well I do. I'm glad you can just throw away your money, but most of us in the real world can't.

You have a Pilot and an A4 but all you talk about is BMW vs. Lexus.

Anyway, the prices suck, however, I use to drive 20,000 miles a year and now I'm barely hitting 10,000 - so, technically, I spending less in the end. That's how I sleep at night.

001 - Pilot runs 400 miles on a tank @ ~17 mpg, The A4 avgs 380 miles regularly @ 28.3 mpg by the on board computer.

Ok, you bit.

If I'm not mistaken, it requires PREMIUM fuel as well for like 250hp?

So anyone driving a Pilot could be driving the new Tahoe which is 4000 times nicer getting 15mpg on regular gas which if you do the math becomes MORE economical than a Pilot....

;)

Gotcha!!!!

EI34 you are a moron. Rich people stay rich by investing money, not crapping it out the tailpipe of a car. I am sure Chip is saying it sucks now that it is $20 more a fill up compared to the $40 or so it was before. I have a 335i as well and let me tell you, I have the money to afford it and more, but I still hate paying more for gas when Exxon/Mobile was in Forbes magazine as 2nd most profitable company in the US at $6 BILLION in profits.

Um Agent001, i doubt the cost of ownership for a pilot is anywhere near as much as it is for a Pilot. Kepp in mind, when I worked for gm a couple of years ago, the transmission would go on a huge amount of Tohoes just around the time the warranty expired. Then the loyal idiots would come back out and buy another one. One was shocked that it happened to them twice at around 38k miles.

Sorry, the cost of ownership of the tahoe higher than the pilot.

Chip

I also own a 335i and i used to be averaging 18 mpg in the city when pushing the car very hard. When driving normaly, i would get 22 in the city, easy. You should install a Procede from Vishnu. I have Version 1 and while driving normal in town, i am seeing a 3mpg gallong improvement, under normal driving conditions. Granted under very hard accelration im seeing a 2mpg penalty, but thats a small price to pay for an extra 70hp and 100 lb feet of torque.

I would dispute that

I had an 03 tahoe that had 70k miles when I sold it and it was never in the shop once.

The new one is even more bulletproof.

001

Yeah, and my Seven series is pushing mid $90's. If I were you I'd actually be pretty satisfied...

I think chip makes a very very important point inadvertently (or possibly by design) that it sucks to pay $100.00 at the pump. Namely, because for most plastic users that's the card limit for the pump. Need more gas...? too bad! Swipe your card again and you get the frustrating "Unable to authorize, see cashier" message (dont ask me how I know). Most Americans dont know about their gas pump limits yet, but they will...

YOU WISH! hahahah I WISH!

dont we all?

All I can say to that, saving the environment starts with each individual. IMO, it is dispicable that the environment is used as a political tool.

Sorry, but I can't take you seriously if you like Osama and Al Gore.

^^
Both are complete morons.

What, you like "point-point, clap-clap" PMS Hillary??!?!?!

Who could like that cow?!

coprius - My 2nd grader wrote a book report on Al Gore's book. That may give an indication to the level it was written to.

They like Old man McCain you idiot. Wonder if he will live through a 4 yr term. These BMW and Lexus fans are idiot republicans

I don't like Hillary or McCain. They're both idiot Democrats.

What's really funny is that you think the environment is the problem when it's our dependency on the middle east for oil that's screwing our country.

Barack is a lawyer, not a leader.

Hillary is a communist.

McCain is all that's left to choose from.

M35MT, I agree... but I'm not an American so I couldn't vote for McCain anyways. Hey, is mother is 96 years old. I think he will last the next 4 years!

Not only is Barack not a leader, he's a Muslim Extremist,just like his step-grandparents, step-dad, and step-brother. AND he has ties to terrorist groups! How is he still running?! Not to mention he's a racist and an elitist. Sorry guys, I know this is a car forum. I just hate Osama so much. Hillary's a delight next to him (and that's REALLY saying something, there).

A Muslim extremist??

And I dislike all the candidates, but luckily I'm not American so I won't have to listen to whoever's in power All though of course they will make international decisions...
I don't want Hillary the most though, Obama will be ok, but he seems like a bit of a showman (like our last Prime Minister in Britain, Tony Blair). McCain is just old...75? He was born in the 30's! He's not going to have a modern attitude.

Al Gore says in his book!!!! Al Gore and his book can kiss my ass. Don't every come on a car guys site and quote Al Gore......

lexusis350, when you say things like "Obama is a Muslim extremist" it makes me lose any shred of respect for you. How stupid, not to mention childish.

Prove that he's not. He grew up around it so therefore he grew up around those beliefs and ideas. We can do better than Obama and his anti-American wife.

What extremism??? If you're a Muslim it doesn't make you an extremist!

"Prove that he's not."

WOW! I certainly hope that you have more basis for your claim than to ask everyone else to prove a universal negative. It's simply incredible how baseless some people are.

Again Liberalism is a mental disorder. By the way I thought this was a car talk site

Al Gore? I really hope you are kidding us! If you believe anything that power hungry hypocrite says than you need to take a good look at you're life. I am sorry but Al Gore could care les about the environment or you (unless you're family?) the only reason he has even brought about this global warming science fiction story is to have fame, power and money. He is a socialist with a socialist’s agenda. Yes we should do all that we can to not pollute and I would be the first one to demand drastic measures if global warming was a real threat. If you investigate this you will find that the most respected, most credible scientists are still not sure if there is any global warming and the ones that are leaning towards that warm side are not sure if its man made. If they can not decide then I am definitely not going to listen to what Gore has to say about it.
By the way I think $2.00 a gallon is the max.

I could not agree with you any more. Well said.

If you hate the price of gas. We got something called a JOB!

I don't think that gas should cost more than $2.50/gal., but since it's already $1+ more than that, I guess I'm wrong.

No. They wouldn't do that to us? But the government is there to help us.

[/sarcasm]

crap that was for bulldogz's post.

PS, here in Canada, we get hit with considerably higher gas prices $1.26/litre is the highest in Winnipeg. The lowest is $1.22/litre. Premium is $1.37/litre. This converts to $5.04, $4.88, and $5.48 respectively...

You think YOU got it bad!!! :S

No, I don't think I have it bad. I can get gas for $3.34 at the cheapest here. It's still expensive, but it's pretty low compared to some placed.

Typo, places.

I can't wait to see what people will start doing when our gas is on par with Europe's prices. $7 - $8 / gallon anyone?

Those prices are only high because of heavy taxes. They'd be the same as the U.S. if they didn't have to pay tax on it.

With the current dollar-Euro exchange rate it's almost at $10.00 per gallon in Germany.....

My fiance pays about $70 to fillup her Jeep Liberty, but she will never get rid of that thing, she loves it too much, and doesn't drive a heck of a lot.

I own a Toyota Matrix and right now I have hit the $40 for a fillup mark. That is about 10-10.5 gallons from the light on. I kinda shop for a few cents here and there. But we both use Stop n Shop gas with 5 cents off and another 20 cents off if you buy 50 dollars or more in groceries. Works for her pretty well.

I budget $120 for gas every two weeks from my pay. It makes a dent, I don't spend as much when I go out, I haven't bought many new clothes recently, and eating out is not a regularity anymore. I still go to bars, but I know the bartenders and such so we don't pay as much for drinks. I did cut back on drinking though cause even that is suffering.

About $55-63 (63 on a total empty) for my 04' Corolla. Same gas tank as your Matrix (50 Litres).

The last time I checked gas was still cheaper than water and olive oil (both of which are renewable resources). Oil/gas takes forever to be created and once its used its gone. Look nobody likes paying more for gas but it is still cheaper in North America then it is in certain parts of Europe and Africa. The prices have had a huge on consumer car purchases in the past that is why most of the vehicles in europe are smaller and more effecient... its now our turn.

Brain... is... exploding..... argggg. No.... small.... cars...

Seriously though, where is my Akbash going to go?

He is 70 lbs and is only 6 months old... lol...

I'd love a GTi, but he wouldn't fit in that thing, especially not full-grown.

Oil is a renewable resource. You just have to wait a couple thousand years for it ;)

Hyundai:
You said Akbash -- you mean Anatolian Shepherd Dog?
Mine is about 160 pounds.

Yes, a GTI is too small.
Get the new Jetta TDI wagon coming out later this year.
6-speed DSG, 50+ MPG and it will blow the doors off most (common) cars on the road!

LOL!! Somebody else who believes that an Akbash is an Anatolian? I agree! White Anatolians (Akbash) can throw "Kanglas" or pinto Anatolians. Not many Kangal afficianados will admit this. Hell, even the head of the university in Turkey that is paid for by the government of Turkey to research and breed these Kangals says that there is no relation between Kangals and Akbash.

The name Akbash was a way for David Nelson to make money in North America.

What colour is your Anatolian?

Of course, Buran is white, and has COARSE fur. Have you seen coarse coated Kangals? I have... and of course, they can throw perfect pups. A Kangal breeder will claim that a coarse coat is not a real Kangal, but when they find out that so many of their purebred Kangals came from "Anatolians" they flip their lids!

This is a very informative site: http://www.anatolianworld.com/akbash.html

PS: Yes, a Jetta TDI wagon is a good choice.

I will probably have the Corolla sold in a year and look for something more accomodating for my big puppy... he is now 75 lbs and just turned 6 months/2weeks. I can put my thumbs together and touch both middle-fingers around his waist (if that makes any sense.. I'm just describing his skininess).

How old is your Anatolian?

DieselRules:

You have probably read this then, from the anatolianworld.com website: "DIFFERENT BREEDS

A major bone of contention between the ASDC and the AKDC has been in connection with colour. The AKDC has argued that the breed is always fawn with a black mask. The ASDC has argued the breed can be any colour from white through parti-colour to all shades of fawn. This was the original sticking point and it is note that all the genetical advice sought has tended to favour the view that any colour is feasible.



DR. M.B. WILLIS"

How big was your Anatolian at 6 months? Sometimes I think Buran is small because his chest is huge, but legs not caught up yet (24" at whithers). A Kangal on one of the Kangal websites I've visited has a 6 month male at 28" tall at withers.

Buran looks just like this, except of course, with a more youthful face! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:DSC00515.JPG

Well, to take that a step further, I'd charge as much as it takes in order for people to DEMAND change. As it stands now, SUV's are dwindling in demand but you hear most people gripe about gas prices rather than the efficiency of what's available. People are complaining about oil companies' record profits, yet we don't demand alternative fuel supplies that make sense. We're screwing ourselves over with the price of gas simply because we dwell on what's going wrong instead of figuring out how to be more economically and environmentally responsible.

Let's say that the cost of transportation to and from work should be about 3-5% of one's gross income. Taking a salary range of that of the lower middle class and the mean salary, that equates to roughly $12-1500. If vehicles are supposed to average 35 mpg and people have an average of 30 miles of commuting each day, that places a gallon of gas at about $5-7.

3-5% is pretty high though. But the idea behind my logic here is that if you want to spend less, get a vehicle that gets better than 35mpg or live closer than 15 miles from your workplace.

My Armada just cost me 89 to fill up on Super. Unfortunately, it gets better gas mileage on Super then it does on Regular.

When I first purchased my SUV in 2003, it was $38.00 to fill it with Regular. Now, it was $82.00 for Regular !!!! And I am happy to get 250 miles out of it !!!! And that's just a Ford Explorer V8 !!!

But if it makes anyone feel any better, Racing gas is almost 6 bucks a gallon !!!!
Guess the car is staying in the garage this season :(

Wife paid nearly $75 to fill up the X5 yesterday, with a quarter of a tank left. I pay almost that much for the S4.

A 335xi is looking pretty great right now.

Wow $75 for the S4 too? I filled up this morning for $55 at $3.79/gal I think.

I think the FCX Clarity is looking pretty good now.

No, more like $65-70 for the S4. All I really do on weekdays is stop-and-go traffic, though.

And, I can't exactly go to my Honda dealer to pick up an FCX, seeing as I don't live in CA.

Why the hell did they do that? Why can't anyone, anywhere get one?

I agree. But I watched Jay Leno test drive the FCX Clarity and hydrogen is the same price as gas! It's got a smaller tank, so it's cheaper, but still!

I have a 2004 Kia Optima it cost me $60.03 to fill up It's a 14gal tank ,
I am working to go to work I can't afforded to pay all my bills i have to pay each one not the full amount so i keep getting late fees..... SO DON'T EVEN TALK TO ME ABOUT $4.00gal IS TO MUCH BECAUSE I'M RELAY FEELING IT

Maybe you should ask EI34 for a loan. Apparently he loves to give money away!

Honestly, that really bothers me when I hear that. No one should have to choose between paying for gas or paying for bills. Although, Europeans may pay much more for gas, they have many transportation choices (bus, rail, walking, etc.) and many engine choices (e.g., highly efficient diesels) that in the US we do not. Also, many American cities lack sufficient transportation services (like LA) to truely offset the rise in gas. So, many Americans do not have a choice, but they have to drive to work. IMHO, I think the increase in gas prices in the US has a much greater negative impact on Americans' economic health than say the high gas prices paid by Europeans does on them.

The reason why we rely on gas so much is because of the rise of the automobile in North America meant greater sprawling of the cities which we now have today. Suburbs emerged in what, the 30s?, and so because of that, we have greater distances to travel and now, freeways. In Europe, many cities (maybe not London) had been developed before the rise of the automobile. Instanbul is a great example of this. Many cities were built in North America (before they were the kind of cities we see today which could not possibly be commuted with a horse and buggy) AFTER the automobile became popular and electric rail and trollies were slowly phased out..

END RANT.

I think London was developed long before the age of the automobile. Ever heard of Londinium??? Roman London? The Tudor bits too, and the Georgian townhouses...all before cars.
Much of London was built during the age of the train when the Tube was first built, so train transport is rather good. But when cars were developed, they had to carve up loads of houses to build the trunk roads, like the A4 or A40, both of which are bordered by houses, and go all the way into the heart of London. Of course the most outer suburbs are a bit more spread out, but there is generally some form of train or Tube within reach.

Rupert, I realize that London is 2000 year old city. That is why I listed it as an exception, apart from Istanbul. There are many suberbs in London, correct? That is how it is different from a place like Istanbul, where there isn't a huge sprawl and the population is livving in the "city", not suburban areas.

LA is hell for that... and so is my city, Winnipeg. S-P-R-A-W-L!

The AutoSpies.com long term review 2008 BMW X5 4.8 is getting around 15.6 on premium fuel...cost me $86.32 on the last fillup!



001

Forgot to mention, city miles to empty on fill up is 360 and on a highway trip 420 with the X5 4.8.

001

there goes my plan to purchase the x6.

I agree Gas/oil is too high but at the same time gold, copper, platimun, etc are all too high also. These are commodity traded. If the cost was based on how much it took to get it out of the ground, ship, truck or pipeline it to a refinery and then to your local gas station. But at the same time, when you include inflation, gas is as cheap today as it was in the 1970's. People look at 2 numbers $0.25 which I remember in the 1970's to today's $4. Can you buy anything today for the same price you paid in the 1970's?

Oh yeah,,,I remember when it finally hit .30 cents,,,man people were pretty mad about that...

It's important to note that median household income in '71 was $9,028 and average gas price was $0.36 . If you compare gas to income, considering the median household income today is somewhere around $48k, gas should be about $1.90 but we're seeing prices of about $4.00. So speaking to the afford-ability of gas, prices have effectively doubled since the good old days.

"at the same time gold, copper, platimun, etc are all too high also."

If you think Metals are high now, wait till they start cranking hybrid production (or any other electric cars).
The prices will skyrocket.
That will drive the hybrid/electric car prices even higher still!

If Toyota announces an increase in hybrid production, immediately buy stocks in mining companies.

DieselRules, thanks for the tip! I will take that to heart.

I just paid 3.90 for regular in Westchester NY, its already over 4 in Greenwhich and some other areas. I just don't go past $55 anymore, it is what it is. Im too embarassed to even say what th gas mileage is on my CTS.

Its not even that I cannot afford it, its just that as an American we should not pay this much. Oil is our game and we are getting played.

Its time our politicians increased supply and stregthen the dollar.

C'mon, tell us what the CTS is getting!

I'll guess 14MPG.

Am I right?

And is it the NEW or old CTS?

001

Yes, I agree. Our government supports a weak dollar but I think it's gone far enough and I still want to buy a C63....

LOL, Actually Its 15.5 miles a gallon. Good thing I didn't put any money down on that one. I know some chick, who actually got down to 11.5 with hers.

It cost me $80 to fill my Range Rover Sport.
I also bought a 2008 smart car on impulse. It gets 47 mpg (from the two fill ups).
Guess what. I sold the smart car 2 months later for profit. It wasn't worth it. I'd be saving $80-120 a month on gas driving a smart car vs my Rover. I picked the rover.

If gas is going to cost you $15 to $30 more for fill up, you shouldn't be complaining. If you are complaining, you were in way over your head in the first place. Basically, those who are complaining are probably living paycheck to paycheck; over extending themselves.

I'll be fine when it hits $5 premium. My boilover point will be $8 a gallon. Then, I'll get an Aptera or a Tesla.

You bring up an excellent point.

Sooner or later my readers might see the TRUE genius in the BMW 135i and 335i 6-Speed manual.

Name another car on earth where you can have 23 city, 28 highway, get 300+ HP and 0-60 numbers under 5 seconds starting just under 39k?

001

With those, drivers get their cake and eat it too.

001

BTW, I actually looked into getting the Tesla, and if I can remember right, you would recieve your car in 1.5 years if you order right now. By that time, gas will be 6-7+ dollars a gallon sir.

I guess with the 50yrs or so of reserves left in the world the cartels will try their best to maximize profits.

Come on Honda, roll out those FCX asap!

SAN FRANCISCO, April 30 (Reuters) - Murphy Oil Corp MUR,
an oil producer and refiner, on Wednesday said its first-quarter
profit more than tripled, fueled by record crude oil prices.
Profit in the quarter was $409 million, or $2.14 per diluted
share, up from $110.6 million, or 58 cents per diluted share, in
the year-ago quarter.
Revenue nearly doubled to $6.5 billion from $3.43 billion.
(Reporting by Duncan Martell, editing by Phil Berlowitz)
((duncan.martell@thomsonreuters.com; Tel +1 415 677-2536))
Keywords: MURPHY/RESULTS

It costs me $60 or so to fill up my 335i and around $38 to fill up my other halfs VW Rabbit. I am really wishing we could get some diesels here in the US. I know it costs more, but at least they get a lot more mpg on highway and all, the new Jetta coming out is said to get around 60 highway, 40's in city. That would be great!

You have to get off an AOL email address

004 and myself have been trying to email you but aol bounces them back

Get a gmail address!

001

The diesels are coming, from VW, Audi, BMW as well as small American pickups.
Why do they still gouge for Diesel in the US?
In Canada, Diesel is roughly on par with Regular, and that's at Chevron, Shell, Esso, etc...... the same companies.

Americans!
Stop complaining about the price of gas!
It is over 8 dollars per gallon in Britain now! It's awful!
It really has got to the point where I say "No, I won't drive, it costs too much".

Britain is also small enough you can walk everywhere. My parents live 20 miles away from the nearest grocery store for crying out loud! We can't live like Europeans when our country is the size of your entire continent. Different country, different circumstances.

I reckon most of the people on this site live in a city, so walking or cycling is a viable option. If you go to the countryside in Britain you can be miles from a shop too, Britain isn't that small.
I live in London so my view is obviously different (my nearest shops are a 2 minute walk, nearest train station 10 min walk, nearest tube a 10 min walk, and once I'm on the tube it's 20 mins to the centre of London), but a car is not always the necessity some people make out. There are other options.

Here in New York State, people are reluctant to trade their SUVs in, because of the Nearly 10% sales Tax on new car purchases.
$3,500 in Sales tax buys more than a year’s worth of gas.
So let’s get real people. We pay New York State 38 cents tax on every gallon we buy, and the Feds get 18 cents.
Hillary has done nothing to help struggling families in New York State with these high taxes. Property taxes o a modest single family home in Upstate New York is $7,000 to $10,000 per year.
I know the Chinese worker is not strapped with these kinds of cost liabilities. This is how they can work for less.
You can’t get the American worker to work for 50 cents per hour, unless you bring the cost of everything down.
In response to public outcry, New York State lawmakers are thinking of suspending the New York State Tax on gasoline for a few months, but the counties are shooting it down, as they believe the schools will suffer.

Hey, the local TV station is telling people to car pool and use public transit.
There is only one problem.
General Motors convinced my city to tear up the rail road track 50 years ago. They sold the steel rails off to Japan for scrap. So I can’t take the train, because there is no train. The last train run was in 1960.
So I guess the car is my only choice. No one takes the bus either because it goes through high-crime areas of the city.

How old were you in 1960? 50? Is this John McCain?

Well, just saying “I won’t drive” is not the answer.
Some of us work in Sales. Say this to your boss, and he will tell you, no car, no job, hit the road because you’re fired.
American Capitalism runs on oil. End of story.

It's true. That's why I think we need to drill for oil in the US until we can change that. The price of oil would go down and we could sell excess oil to other countries and boost the economy. The problem is: you've got tree huggers won't let us. But I think it's the perfect solution while hydrogen-powered transportation is developed.

Agent001 -The AutoSpies.com long term review 2008 BMW X5 4.8 is getting around 15.6 on premium fuel...cost me $86.32 on the last fillup!
Wow! Even my Lincoln Town Car gets 23 Miles per Gallon. That’s the sensible 2-wheel drive for ya! I have no reason to change my current solution.

Hard to believe that would be city mileage on a bloated Town Car...Drivers report to me it's a 15 mpg city car17 highway.

001

can't you get real fuel economy in a manual tranny? it doesn't seem like a problem for those who are in europe like rupert here. after all I'm hearing in tvs and newspapers about how you should get better fuel mileage like maintaining your car, not driving fast, etc. but out of all that, not one of them mentioned about getting better mileage on a stick. I'm suprised at that. and since I've prefered stick since the moment I could drive, people would rather get on their damn blackberry or w/e to txt their friends and make unwanting calls. when your driving, your driving, not fidgeting with your phone, eating, w/e. I'd rather see people being open to drive manuals than having people whine and moan about the pain at the pump.

In Vancouver, B.C. today I paid the equivalent of 4.57 U.S. dollars per US gallon.

Manual Gearboxes...
I have said for years, that the big 3 should switch to Diesel Engines, 2 wheel drive, and 6 speed sticks with 2 speed rear ends. Low gear and High. Low gear for city, High gear rear end for Highway.
Unfortunately, Everyone today expects their car to have 4 wheel drive, afraid they might spin out of control in the snow.

We were far better prepared for the Oil Crisis during the70s Carter administration. People switched to manual gearboxes overnight. People bought mini pickups with 4 and 6 cylinder engines.
My friends parents bout an Isuzu Mini Pickup, with a 4 cylinder diesel and a 5 speed stick with overdrive. It got a whopping 50 miles per gallon with the bed loaded with a quarter ton of stuff.
They liked it so much, they decided to buy another one. Unfortunately the dealers had to turn customers away, because New York State banned them and made them unregister able. Even other states joined in and no one could buy one.
Sounds to me like the big 3 lobbied Washington in the early 80s to get rid of them as these efficient vehicles were considered “UNFAIR COMPETITION”
Now, everyone is promoting Fuel efficiency again.

What ever it is right now and 50 cents lower than that is still too much.

An Opportunity for Hillary to prove herself:
Instead of suspending the 38 cent per Gallon New York State Tax. I’d rather see Hillary take a bolder step and allow working families to write off the family car purchase off your federal income tax, if you buy an American Car. This will help families hedge against the $3,000 to $4,000 Sales Tax in New York State on new Autos.

If gas hits 5.00, I'll start commuting with my carbon fiber racing machine...the one that says TREK on the side.

I think Americans need to face a reality that we may need to go back to the horse and buggy some day.
Remember the old horse-drawn water pumpers the old time fireman used? They were like 12 Horse power because they had a team of 12 horses pulling it around. So first responders would still have the fastest buggies in town.

you probably remember first hand...

I bet you remember 1st hand...

looking at world prices for gas lately , It seems countries are paying what the market will bear . China for one is at 1.50/gal . Germany is about twice what the US is . But, Remember they have alot more taxes on their fuel than others . anyone care to chime in ????/

Not that we shouldn't worry about the price o gas, but the price increase of we put in our tanks is a small fraction of the overall impact the higher prices have on the economy. Anything you buy, from groceries to shoes has to be delivered by a truck, so it's a chain reaction. I'd be happy if gas station product were the only thing going up. Anyway, when it comes to gas prices, Americans are still lucky vs. Europeans... imagine $8/gallon there!

Hmmmm... gas will have to cost about $10 a gallon for me to stop driving, but that is only because my car can go 400 miles on an 11 gallon tank.

Efficient Ideas from Ford
Looks like Ford is taking steps to save us. They are planning to build the 2009 SUVs and trucks with the new 4.4 Liter Turbo Diesel. If they took it a step further and allow people to choose 2-wheel drive and a manual transmission, these vehicles would become even more efficient.

http://www.motortrend.com/future/spied_vehicles/112_0804_lincoln_navigator_diesel_spied

Kirk Kerkorian just bought a huge stake in Ford due to his renewed confidence in the product line. It caused Ford Stock to rise 9%.
Excerpt:
Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian, making another attempt to shape the U.S. automotive industry, disclosed Monday that he had acquired a 4.7 percent stake in Ford Motor Co.

I have a Tahoe and an is300 both cars are paid for and cost around $80 a piece per week to fill up. As long as I don't have an interest to change cars as both run well and have had no major issues (Yes the Tahoe has been very reliable and has 112k on the clock) I don't find $4+ gas a problem.

I haven't posted before but enjoy the commentary and have to say in response to a discussion above that anyone who drives a 335 BMW or similar prestige vehicle and has a problem with the current gas prices have some screwed up priorities. If you "really" have the cash current gas prices aren't an issue and are comparatively cheap compared to my home country of England.

Welcome to the fray, mate!

001

It's not that the prices are killing me and my priorities are not "messed up" as you say... I am just mad that we get no explanation as to why gas prices are going up, especially when Exxon/Mobil is seeing record profits, more profits than they have EVER had before. Just seems all a bit fishy to me. And also in England, people there make a higher minimum wage than folks in the US do and I am sure as it all becomes relevant to the country they live in.... gas there seems high to us, but is not as high to them. If gas goes up, so be it, but my gripe is not what I put or pay for in my tank, my gripe is that this has a horrible effect on an economy that is not set up to handle this. So many Americans depend on the car because our country put no emphasis on public transportation and let our train tracks go to hell over the years. While other countries in Europe offer magnetic train service and all, Americans only have the car to rely on for the most part. So it hurts our country when gas goes up. That is why I am mad at the prices, since there is not a shortage of oil....why is it continuing to rise? I feel sorry for those people who live check to check and have no choice but to drive because they live in Nebraska or some state that the car is your only way around. These hard working Americans are feeling it.... our stores are feeling it, prices on everything are feeling it.... it is a dominio effect. So yes, while I may have to put an extra $20 of gas in my 335i sedan, that does not mean it is alright. My grandfather was a rich man. He was a vice CEO of a major airlines from it's inception until 1987 and he drove a VW Beetle for years. People there laughed at him wondering why someone who did so well drove a Beetle....he said it got him from point A to B. Now later in his life he drove excellent cars and had a collector car or 2. When he passed away he had a fortune of around $200M. and he worried about every penny.
I guess my point is all because you have money to spend, does not mean you want to spend it frivolously. And with no explanation as to why gas prices (especially diesel) has gone up, it just makes me angry.

I'm also British but I live in the US. Petrol over there is about $8 per US gallon most of it taxes. But, bad though it is, healthcare is free.

Swings and roundabouts matey.

Your health care is not free,,,It is paid from the incredible taxes that you pay from your monthly pay check,,,

I do a lot of interstate driving. Unfortunately I’ve seen a number of accidents where the occupants inside of cars didn’t make it. Almost always, these accidents were small cars. Many people don’t realize that trucks today are hauling 50,000 to 70,000 lbs. A small econo-box has no chance against these kinds of forces.
I have also found that the insurance is a lot cheaper on full size vehicles, primarily due to the Triple 5-Star ratings (Front, Side & Roll-over impact) This equates to an enormous savings in states like New York. These savings dwarf the price of Gasoline.

Here,here!!!

eastern european countries average 24,000.00 euro per year?? Now that is a crock of shit, the average worker makes between 150. and 200.euro per month!!

I wish I could buy a Diesel Wagon or large Diesel Sedan, but know one mainstream makes one. If you have the money, I think you can buy one from Mercedes. If only New York State would lift the ban on Diesel cars.
A wagon does make more sense these days, but gasoline engines are an obsolete idea. Same reason why very few boats are made with gas engines anymore.

boaters have it figured out ... all larger ones are diesel.
Truckers haven't seen a gas-powered semi for decades.
Ford reported that F-350 (1-ton) trucks sales are mostly diesel years ago, and diesel sales continue to rise.
its only cars where people haven't figured it out.

Here in BC, VW sells more diesel than gas cars when they are available. The new Jetta with 140 HP TDI (237 pounds torque) will sell like crazy. And its 50-state legal!

It's madness I tell ya! Really there is nothing we can do about it. We Americans complain when the rest of the world is paying twice as much. On the other hand, i feel eveyones pain. I have a Ford Explorer Sport Trac takes $81.23 on 22.5 gallon fuel tank @ $3.61/gal. Thank God I'm averaging about 17.5mpg which is a cruising range of about 394 miles. Hey at least I'm not my dad which it takes him $120 to fill up his Expedition EL which holds a massive 33.5 gallons but has a much wider cruising range of about 515 miles @ 15.4mpg. I'm not about to give up my truck for a car b/c I love it way too much. I'll just deal w/the prices and do less leisure driving. Tip for everyone, avoid waiting till your on E to fill up, will cost less if u fill up at like a 1/4 tank.

American should be legislating that no car may be sold that does not get at LEAST 30 miles to the gallon. America is a key user and a key reason for the price hike! There is no reason on earth you need to drive such shocking gas guzzlers!

Its worse when it comes to fuel economy over here. Most of the time you r just in stop n go traffic and the hills dnt help either! The trip computer in the fusion measures 12MPG instead of what we r supposed to be getting which is 21mpg!All thanks to the traffic! Imagine the ppl with the huge SUVs must be getting like 5mpg! It costs around $65 to fill up the fusion it used to be $40 or so.. We have the V6 version.

I wont even BEGIN to tell what my 300C (with "so-called" D.O.D. is getting).

(such a crock of sh*t but I guess its the way I gun it at the light...)

You americans shouldn't whine. I filled my car up for 75,- euros yesterday, was about 50 litres.

American's are whining because the average American's income per household member (including all working and non-working members above the age of 14) was $26,036 in 2006 or 16,724 Euros. So when people who have to fill up there car or truck and it has risen 50% from the year before, it does hurt them.

26000 dollars? That is low - I had no idea it was like that. E.U. wide (including Poland, Bulgaria and all the poor Eastern European countries) is around 24000 Euros (37000 dollars), and I know in Britain it's about 25000 Pounds, which is just under 50000 dollars. But while you earn less in the States, stuff is cheaper. 25000 pounds isn't enough to live well on over here, and it would be very difficult to buy a house or even a very small flat.

yeah, but that isn't your take home pay after taxes. Europeans mostly pay 35 to over 50% is taken out for taxes.So if you are paid 2,500.00 euros a month you may have a take home pay of just over 1,200.00 euros.

The tax rate is not 35-50%. Maybe in total, including all sales tax, petrol taxes, car tax etc, but income tax isn't that high, unless you earn (In Britain at least) over 80000-ish dollars, above which it's 40%. Below that it's 22%, and below a few thousand pounds (5 maybe)there's no tax.

I'm not American, but the fuel prices effect everyone. In St. Maarten the Frenchside have a lot of stores facing bankruptcy because of the fuels effect on the US$ and their economy. Most people would rather spend their Euros on the Dutchside where it is definitely cheaper, but it is affecting everyone here and people arent even changing their driving habits.

WOW, what a bastard who ever wrote that article. For each car owner paying $600/month on gass is not alot? I'm sure who ever wrote the article is one big filthy oil stock holder that cares NOTHING about the nation.

Truly how sad to see such people showing no respect nor care for the nation. Anyone that thinks this way is shamless.

The oil companies are really scamming everyone with impunity. They refused to build new refineries to process more crude oil in order to keep the gas prices hight. China will continue to demand more oil but it is also drilling more oil & building refineries. The high gas price problem is created mostly by US oil companies.

Funny, I got deboosted for telling the truth.

Sorry guys, I stick by what I said,

if you are complaining about gas when you have a car that cost more than $35K, you were probably over extended in the first place. Too many people bite more than they can chew. This is why we are in a housing bubble. Everyone is trying to catch up with the jones and nobody seems to live within their means anymore. $4-$5 gas is not that bad. I just filled up $ 70 today. A year ago, it would have been $55. What is the freaking difference?

look on the bright side! traffic volume is inversely proportional to the price of gas!

currently, federal tax on a gallon of gas is $0.158. CA charges a state tax of $0.18. local sales tax in my area is 8.25%, so assuming $4 gas that would be another $0.27. total tax is $0.61 per gallon.

btw, there is absolutely nothing wrong with trying to live a high standard of life. you only live once!

I paid $4.09/gallon this morning (Carlsbad, CA).

I thought that was too much.

My son commutes to work daily in my old '98 VW Beetle TDI.

The TDI gets filled up 8 times a year (every 6 weeks) whether it needs it or not.

Other than oil-changes, consumables (4 sets of tires, 2 batteries, 1 set of brake pads) the car has needed 2 timing belts, with some oil seals changed with the last belt.
Total repairs (including timing belts) under $3500- in 10 years and 220,000 kms.
The car looks like new inside and out, and could easily last him another 20+ years.

PS: The prices on used Diesel cars are going up.
The 10-year old TDI was worth less than $7k a year ago.
Now its worth over $10k

Same with old Benz diesels too.

Many people call American Cars Dinosaurs or land yachts, yet I see the Asian cars getting bigger and bigger every year. Is this because car owners still strive for more space? The Lexus flagship (LS460) is a huge vehicle now, bigger than many Full-size American cars. Even the Accord and Forester are bigger this year. Toyota highlander is big 4x4 too. How good are these vehicles on gas?

My gas saving plans is to bank on the next Ford F150 and the 4.4L Diesel engine.
Ordering the vehicle with 2 wheel drive as opposed to 4 wheel drive greatly increases the fuel efficiency as well. This is why I have always bought 2 wheel-drive in the past.
Going with Manual Transmission would save even more.
When winter comes, I can just put the snow tires on, which provides more than enough traction.