Is it just me, or is now the best time to get a more FE car?
It must be me, because with gas prices now below $3 a gallon, everyone seems to be tearing around in their SUV again. Wouldn't smart people take this time with gas at a lower price, to find a good fuel efficient vehicle? It seems most must think that gas at $2.50 is gonna be around forever now. Either that, or they're thinking burn it while ya got it. Lets just all close our eyes and pretend that gas will never go up again...
It must be me, because with gas prices now below $3 a gallon, everyone seems to be tearing around in their SUV again. Wouldn't smart people take this time with gas at a lower price, to find a good fuel efficient vehicle? It seems most must think that gas at $2.50 is gonna be around forever now. Either that, or they're thinking burn it while ya got it. Lets just all close our eyes and pretend that gas will never go up again...
If you're willing to pay the fair market price for any item/commodity, why not use it for what you want regardless of the price? Why stop at gasoline when it comes to worrying about the future? Fresh water is a limited resource, why not monitor how much water each person uses to bathe, brush your teeth, etc., and punish or fine the excessive users? Let the economic market run freely, and let consumers purchase and use as they deem necessary.
TrailDust
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2008 Highlander Base 4WD
2002 Avalon XL
1987 Suzuki Samurai 4X4 - Treading where no Jeep can follow....
It must be me, because with gas prices now below $3 a gallon, everyone seems to be tearing around in their SUV again. Wouldn't smart people take this time with gas at a lower price, to find a good fuel efficient vehicle? It seems most must think that gas at $2.50 is gonna be around forever now. Either that, or they're thinking burn it while ya got it. Lets just all close our eyes and pretend that gas will never go up again...
Nope, it's not just you. NOW is the time! I'm looking feverishly for a good used mpg Toyota myself, before gas prices go up and subsequently used economical car prices. The best seems to be the Tercel (we certainly can't afford anything after 1992). I just got a 1980 Toyota 2WD pickup with the 20R 2.2 liter. Now I need to tune it up and do whatever else I can to improve the mileage.
^^ agreed. wished i could have waited to get my new car, but thats the way of things. if people think that gas/oil is here forever and the prices are going to stabilize they're insane.
I've said it a few times already, I'll say it again. People have short memories. Prices will bounce not creep, right back up. Then the complaints will come out again.
And I do agree, if you are willing to pay for it, go right ahead. What I don't like is most folks...won't think things through and will be caught when prices affect their daily life. And at the worse possible times, the market will be against them and they can't get rid or adjust to the new prices.
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**ADAM! A/C button for Gen 5.5 Camry (2005 LE) !! Por favor!
Brake lights aren't broken, I just don't brake.
--Can honestly go to a parts counter and ask for brake shoes for the front brakes.
--Likes long walks on the beach.... once it's lit by a massive bonfire.
^ Or those that say the government should intervene and cap the fuel prices and interfere with the free market when fuel prices start rising. Lets bring back fuel rationing too while we're at it because the cap could limit supply.
People are being conditioned to think that $1.xx / gallon is cheap after having paid some $4.xx during this past year and years prior. I'm surprised that it dropped as much as it did.
One thing that does suck though is that there are now perpetually cars stopped in the bike lane waiting to get into the gas station on my evening commute.
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2007 Camry 2.4L 5M
Last edited by touringcamry; 12-03-2008 at 02:22 PM.
And I do agree, if you are willing to pay for it, go right ahead. What I don't like is most folks...won't think things through and will be caught when prices affect their daily life. And at the worse possible times, the market will be against them and they can't get rid or adjust to the new prices.
I'd only add to your observation that most people seem to fixate on generic "costs" like gasoline, yet when you delve into their personal lives you find that virtually each one blows obscene amounts of money on things they don't really need...even during tough economic times! It's so easy to blame oil companies, etc., for the high cost of gas and how it affects people's wallets, but the real wasted money is on unnecessary items like home theaters and the like.
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2008 Highlander Base 4WD
2002 Avalon XL
1987 Suzuki Samurai 4X4 - Treading where no Jeep can follow....
I'd only add to your observation that most people seem to fixate on generic "costs" like gasoline, yet when you delve into their personal lives you find that virtually each one blows obscene amounts of money on things they don't really need...even during tough economic times! It's so easy to blame oil companies, etc., for the high cost of gas and how it affects people's wallets, but the real wasted money is on unnecessary items like home theaters and the like.
Also things not normally considered like a daily lunch or breakfast at a fast-food place on workdays. A general 5-day week of workdays times an average of 5 dollars per lunch or breakfast comes out to 100 dollars per month. It seems cheap on a daily basis, but multiplied it's a lot. I'm sure there's many more examples.
I'd only add to your observation that most people seem to fixate on generic "costs" like gasoline, yet when you delve into their personal lives you find that virtually each one blows obscene amounts of money on things they don't really need...even during tough economic times! It's so easy to blame oil companies, etc., for the high cost of gas and how it affects people's wallets, but the real wasted money is on unnecessary items like home theaters and the like.
That depends on the person I suppose. I'd rather drive slower and spend the ~$350-700/year in fuel costs I save on whatever hobby I have at the time. I could see if someone's hobby is driving fast or using gas or something w/ the same result, that they wouldn't bother, but otherwise the economics just don't work out unless they're making good money or they like working more than they like driving. For instance going from ~60mph to ~80mph average speed drops my highway mileage from ~32mpg to ~22mpg. At $2/gallon that means it'll take me $3.75 to drive 60miles in an hour at 60mph and $5.46 to drive 60miles in 45 minutes at 80mph. So I'm trading $1.71 to get there 15 minutes earlier, which translates to paying an extra ~$7/hour to drive faster. The savings don't stop there, by driving slower I'm reducing the odds of getting a speeding ticket, which means more cash in my pocket, specifically ~$100/year more compared to my previous habits, which ups the savings to ~$8.60/hour, and the potential for damage to the car and injury to myself should something crappy happen drop since going from 60mph to 80mph nearly doubles my braking distance so I imagine the cost savings could easily be greater than $10/hour, and this hasn't even taken into account vehicle wear, although that would probably add a buck at most. Granted, w/ gas at $2/hour I ain't saving the ~$25+/hour I was w/ gas at $4.50/gallon, but savings like this are worthwhile IMO.
Last edited by thaharlequin; 12-05-2008 at 03:22 AM.
For instance going from ~60mph to ~80mph average speed drops my highway mileage from ~32mpg to ~22mpg.
Just out of curiosity, which vehicle are you describing above? Wow, even my Highlander gets 22MPG at 80MPH, and my Avalon gets 28MPG at 80. Enquiring minds....
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2008 Highlander Base 4WD
2002 Avalon XL
1987 Suzuki Samurai 4X4 - Treading where no Jeep can follow....
My '00 4Runner with the AT tires gets about 19 MPG highway. I went out and bought a more fuel efficient car... an '07 Mustang GT 4.6L V8 that'll smoke the tires. On the highway I get 24-26 MPG at the same speeds that I drive the 4Runner. And since I drive about 2,000 miles/month not including my DD mileage, and since that's at about 1,000 miles per round trip AND that I wanted something I could make time in if I wanted to, that suits me...
Yeah, gas will go back up but at $1.52, I'm enjoying it while I can.
Just out of curiosity, which vehicle are you describing above? Wow, even my Highlander gets 22MPG at 80MPH, and my Avalon gets 28MPG at 80. Enquiring minds....
92 V6 Camry. The 60mph/80mph refers to average speed not instantaneous mileage at that cruising speed since I don't have that info available yet, not that it wouldn't be nice to know.
Last edited by thaharlequin; 12-07-2008 at 04:59 AM.
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Lets just all close our eyes and pretend that gas will never go up again... 
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