$36.46

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> In Cali the price has been stuck at $2.xx for quite awhile (topping $3
> these days), and $40 fillups for the 21 gallon '70 Cougar are old hat.
> But until this Spring I had always driven the Coug or my kids' '65 289
> Mustang fb whenever I had an out of town appointment. Even though I
> got reimbursed at $0.375 per mile (now it's $0.405) and that was more
> than enough to cover the 12 mpg of either one of these old heaps, I
> guess it just sunk in that I was still paying a $20/day premium to
> drive them compared to the 37-40 mpg I get with an '01 Echo. So I
> quit. Since I already take the bus or the subway to the office
> ($28/day parking will do that to you), the old heaps just don't get
> much use anymore.
>
> 180 Out

I always forget about parking.

I have a 30-minute, 15-mile commute, a straight shot. I work in a business
complex (a "campus") with lots of green spaces and more free parking than
we'll ever need.

Gotta love the outer burbs.

To and from work, I like the back roads. Avoids the major snarls and adds a
couple of miles, so it probably costs me $4.00 each way (gas only). At
lunch, it's one 55mph highway straight home, so one gallon.

I try not to think in these terms, really. But the convertible still doesn't
have overdrive, so it's not highway-friendly. TFrog has that nice 5th gear
that handles 70mph at about 1800rpm, so I prefer that for the commute. But
no matter how conciously I drive the thing, I still can't get anywhere near
20mpg.

And it's been a looooong time since I went out for a romp. Used to be a
weekly thing.

Of course, that might be because I'm old.

dwight

"Joe" > wrote in message
.. .
>
> I got my boss to let me work 3 days a week from home. At the moment,
> I'm actually saving money.

Sure. But you're missing out on the thrill and adventure of rush hour.

Or do you venture out at 5:00 once in a while, just for the thrill?

dwight

dwight wrote:
> "Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Hey Steve, have you looked at the Escape hybrid? It looks interesting.
>>Here's a link:
>>
>>http://www.fordvehicles.com/escapehybrid/home/
>
>
> The Hybrid would be a fair replacement for my wife's current Escape, since
> it's mostly used as a commuter and some very light hauling. But that I4
> engine putting out 133hp and torque at only 124... might not do what Steve
> needs it to do.

It's definitely not a tow vehicle but it does get incredible mileage for
an SUV. The gas engine is supplemented by the electric motor under high
load situations so it performs very similar to the V-6 version. It
mainly gets its efficiency in city driving by shutting the engine off
when the car stops. The electric motor/generator then starts the engine
when needed. The generator also converts brake energy to electricity
which is stored in the NiMh battery. I would definitely want to get the
extended warranty on it though because I bet paying for a repair on that
drive train would be expensive.

dwight wrote:
><snip>
> The question is, are gas prices going to continue upward or will we return
> to those halcyon days of $1.87/gallon? How you predict the future is going
> to determine, in large part, what you end up with.

I was watching an interview with an economics expert yesterday and he
said that what we are seeing now with gas/oil prices happens about every
20 years. The last time was the mid 1980s which was brought on by
OPEC's actions in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He said that during
the early 1980s ajdustments were made to increase capacity in the
refining industry to meet demand and once that is done (it takes years)
the market price falls and stabilizes. We then live off of the excess
capacity that created for the next 20 years or so. According to him the
bad news is that prices won't reduce for another 2-3 years but
eventually they will go down and stay there for quite awhile. He said
that the supply of crude oil isn't as much the problem as refining
capacity but the higher prices will bring more suppliers of crude oil to
the market.

IMO, what the government should do is require the oil companies to keep
their refining capacity a certain percentage above our demand level.
Then make them keep a certain supply on hand to buffer the peaks and
valleys of the market. At least this would be a good use of some of
those record profits they are raking in.

Even with the current high gasoline prices they still aren't equal to
past price spikes when inflation is considered.

> dwight wrote:

> How has the gas price increases affected your own driving, folks?

I now try to keep it under 80 mph on the highway and my 0-60 takeoffs
above 6 seconds. ;-) Actually, I'm about the same as you Dwight. No
change. I drive about the same as I have always driven -- I've always
tried to lump short hops together, but if I want to go somewhere or
squeeze the throttle I just do it. The only change I see is
mpg would now be a consideration on my next vehicle purchase.

Patrick
'93 Cobra (sucking down a gallon every 19 miles)

AGuyNamedSteve wrote:

> Unfortunately the G35 coupe requires premium fuel... that may have to
> get axed. The V8 4Runner only gets a little better mileage than the
> Ranger... may have to change that plan.

I am reading about more and more drivers going to the regular over
premium despite manufacturer recomendation. I've even read and been told
by factory trained mechanics who say to do it. On that note I ran
regular in my Murano after the 4th tank and never had a change in power
or milage from the premium. This leads me to believe that the Nissan 3.5
will run just fine on regular gasoline. Of course there's as much
controversy about octane rating as there is about oil viscosity.

--

"Gullible is a misdemeanor - stupid is a felony...
clueless gets you committed..." - JG

Scott Van Nest wrote:
> Hey Steve-
>
> I had been looking at all those Jag adds on the net. started looking at
> comperable $30k sport Lux cars. and damn if they all don't want 91 fuel.
> I will likely be in the market for one of these sometime next year. But do
> any of them not require 91? I had read on one of the Jag forums that people
> are running 87 regardless. Have you ever heard of such a thing? running 87
> octane when the manufactures says 91?
> But anyways, my options are a really tricked out F150 or a sport Lux.
> hmmm
>
> Scott

Yup, that seems to be everywhere. Lots of people are doing it on
Freshalloy.com which is the largest of the Nissan and Infiniti forums,
and caused me to try it in my Murano.

--

"Gullible is a misdemeanor - stupid is a felony...
clueless gets you committed..." - JG

Michael Johnson, PE wrote:
> Hey Steve, have you looked at the Escape hybrid? It looks interesting.
> Here's a link:
>
> http://www.fordvehicles.com/escapehybrid/home/
>

Whos ad showed the 268 (?) horse power hybrid SUV passing the dork
in the Mustang vert?

--

"Gullible is a misdemeanor - stupid is a felony...
clueless gets you committed..." - JG

WindsorFox[SS] wrote:
> Michael Johnson, PE wrote:
>
>> Hey Steve, have you looked at the Escape hybrid? It looks
>> interesting. Here's a link:
>>
>> http://www.fordvehicles.com/escapehybrid/home/
>>
>
> Whos ad showed the 268 (?) horse power hybrid SUV passing the dork
> in the Mustang vert?

I guess I missed that add.

Michael,

I saw the Escape Hybrid for the first time several years ago (back when
it was going to be a 2003 release). A friend and I got to preview a
bunch of the new trucks/SUV's at Seattle International Raceway's parking
lot. It was an invitation event. He actually was considering it as a
replacement for the family Saturn, when the time came. It never
happened for him now that it is here. I had an Escape V6 in Hawaii a
couple of years ago. It was a great rental car for The Big Island. But
I wouldn't want one of my own. I would rather not get one of the "mini"
SUV's anyhow.

I also don't need super high mpg, just something that has a low in the
low 20's and can see around 30. My Ranger just got about 15.25 on my
last tankful. I do drive it short distances to and from the park n ride
lot, which hurts it a little.

I have had two For Ranger trucks give me bad experiences, plus an
Explorer Sport with a problem too. I just can't see going back at this
point. I still think my new engine has a problem. But if there aren't
any codes, there isn't any problem...

It's unfortunate, but that's where I am with the (new) Fords at this
point. I'd still love to have 5.0 notch commuter though.

Steve
72 Skylark Custom455

Michael Johnson, PE wrote:
> Hey Steve, have you looked at the Escape hybrid? It looks interesting.
> Here's a link:
>
> http://www.fordvehicles.com/escapehybrid/home/
>
> AGuyNamedSteve wrote:
>
>> I've been riding the bus for quite some time now - since before it was
>> even $1.75/gallon. With my Ranger, my last fillup was $45, but I only
>> fill up a few times/month with my regular driving.
>>
>> However, I'm getting closer to replacing the Ranger. If it hadn't
>> been for the $5000 engine replacement, it'd be paid off and gone. My
>> original plan was to have an SUV and a coupe for my wife and I. I was
>> thinking Toyota 4Runner with the V8 engine - could actually use it to
>> trailer the Buick if I were to do that in the future, and an Infiniti
>> G35 coupe.
>>
>> Unfortunately the G35 coupe requires premium fuel... that may have to
>> get axed. The V8 4Runner only gets a little better mileage than the
>> Ranger... may have to change that plan.
>>
>> Right now I'm sort of in limbo. I do know that we don't like having
>> to have other people drive when we go out with them (currently have my
>> Ranger and wife's 95 Civic). I've considered cars like the Audi A4
>> 3.2 AWD, BMW 330xi (2005 they stopped making it with the body change),
>> Acura TL, and a variety of others. Personally I'd like AWD for this
>> if I don't end up with an SUV.
>>
>> There isn't one American car that really interests me, for my
>> practical purposes. It's a sad truth, and I've really tried to find one.
>>
>> So the gas prices are affecting potential replacement vehicle choices.
>> We'll see what happens.
>>
>> Steve
>> 72 Skylark Custom455
>>
>> dwight wrote:
>>
>>> Stopped to gas up this morning, and 87 was going for $2.659 (I know
>>> it's higher in some areas). The Sunoco was selling its Ultra94 for
>>> only two cents more, so I chipped in another 26 cents for that.
>>>
>>> Still, $36.46 is my new record for a tankful of gas. (It really
>>> wasn't that long ago... I remember breaking the $20.00 barrier for
>>> the first time.)
>>>
>>> What's really amazing to me is my own reaction. I just shrug, fill
>>> up, and continue to drive the same way I always do.
>>>
>>> If my tires were suddenly $250 apiece, I'd probably take it a little
>>> easier on start-ups and turns. If my brakes became $1,000 jobs, I'd
>>> be doing a lot more coasting. But seeing gas nearly double in price
>>> in a very short time hasn't affected my driving or slowed me down.
>>>
>>> Is it because the price comes in little bumps two and three times a
>>> week?
>>>
>>> How has the gas price increases affected your own driving, folks?
>>>
>>> dwight
>>>
>>>