Gas prices

[Chain Gang]

Looks like gas prices are shooting up again.$3.45 in central Louisiana today and predictions of over $5 per gal this summer.I know you folks in Europe have suffered with high gas prices for ever.I don't work anymore and live less than a mile from a Walmart supper store and all the fast food places so I I will survive.I use my motorcycle when I can as it gets about 40 mpg and my truck gets about 17mpg.
How does the high gas prices affect you and do you change your driving habits?

[Syph007]

When gas prices spiked a few years back I got a motorcycle too.  Best MPG you can get... course up here in Canada I can't ride all year around like folks can in the south, but I get lots in when I can.  I figure its lengthened the life of my car as well, since I put less miles on it.

[derekmac]

If I am figuring right, gas here is now just over $5.00 a gallon.  I don't have to drive far for work, but my wife does, so she has a diesel Jetta.  It saves us about $30 a week for fuel compared to our van.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

[Ashley]

Well its $3.85 here in West Virginia.

Sent from Ash forum mobile

[jan.]

In the Netherlands it is €1.80 a liter, that's $ 9 a gallon

[Ashley]

In the Netherlands it is €1.80 a liter, that's $ 9 a gallon

But they say we have a surplus of it so why do americas prices keep rising. Also why are we selling it overseas when we need it.

Sent from Ash forum mobile

[captain spaulding]

Around my parts its already back up to $4.05 for 87.  I think 91 is $4.20.   

[ironraven]

Jumped almost ten cents since monday around here.

I can respect materials and transport costs. But you don't line your pocket by gouging your customers, unless they are addicts at your mercy.

Oh. Yeah. Well... darn.

[stressmaster5000]

Well, here in the Dallas Ft.Worth Area its around $3.79 per gal and steadily rising. Supposed to be $4.00 per gal before Labor Day, and higher after that.

I live in a sprawled out area where a car is a must. Commute trips are 50 miles round trip but with the traffic its seems more like 100. There is no bus service near me. The new train they finally got put in to connect with the Dallas rail system has no stops in my town or any towns very close to me because the idiots on the city council boards vetoed the cost to put in a station. If I wanted to catch the rail system I would have to drive at least 7 miles one way to the nearest station. 

I am going to get a horse!

[Grant Lamontagne]

I pay some of the highest prices in Canada for gas, and they make the smurf right down the road from me.  Seriously, there are several refineries in town, so you think with the lack of transport charges we'd be a bit better off.

Nope.

Def

[mvyrmnd]

Quit yer whining.

At $4 a gallon, you're paying what we know as $1 per litre (taking into account the current USD/AUD exchange rate)

I just payed $1.46 a litre for fuel...

[Grant Lamontagne]

Quit yer whining.

At $4 a gallon, you're paying what we know as $1 per litre (taking into account the current USD/AUD exchange rate)

I just payed $1.46 a litre for fuel...

I think it's $1.35/L or so here.

Def

[Carlos]

Prices here goes like this:
* Gasoline 95 octanes €1.714 per liter -- $2.3/L -- 8.7$ per gallon
* Gasoline 98 octanes €1.859 per liter -- $2.5/L -- 9.4$ per gallon
* Diesel €1.539 per liter -- $2.1/L -- 7.8$ per gallon

How does the high gas prices affect you and do you change your driving habits?

Fuel prices always have been high around, but they have more than doubled in the last 10 years. This added with the economic recession we're having, tax raises, salary cuts and growing unemployment (~14% on official figures) is putting a lot of stress on anything related with vehicles. Just an examples: car sales went down 47,4% on Jan 2012 regarding previous year and gasoline had a drop of about 10%.

[jerseydevil]

The gas station at the end of my street is at $3.40 right now, but I have seen a couple cents lower around.  I'm kinda lucky in a way though, the local train station is two blocks away, and I actually work two blocks from the next station down the line.  I usually take the train to work, just easier. $50 a month for unlimited round trips back and forth is not a bad deal, and NJ Transit is one of the largest commuter railroads in the country.  As gas has gone up I've found myself taking the train more and more all over the place.

[captain spaulding]

Prices here goes like this:
* Gasoline 95 octanes €1.714 per liter -- $2.3/L -- 8.7$ per gallon
* Gasoline 98 octanes €1.859 per liter -- $2.5/L -- 9.4$ per gallon
* Diesel €1.539 per liter -- $2.1/L -- 7.8$ per gallon

How does the high gas prices affect you and do you change your driving habits?

Fuel prices always have been high around, but they have more than doubled in the last 10 years. This added with the economic recession we're having, tax raises, salary cuts and growing unemployment (~14% on official figures) is putting a lot of stress on anything related with vehicles. Just an examples: car sales went down 47,4% on Jan 2012 regarding previous year and gasoline had a drop of about 10%.

$9.4 a gallon.      I would honestly quit driving.

I can respect materials and transport costs. But you don't line your pocket by gouging your customers.

I COMPLETELY AGREE!!!!!!!!!

[dks]

Around 1.4 Euro per litre here for diesel and petrol
20 years ago it was 0.10 Euro (equivalent)..
4 years ago it was 0.50 euro...

I am allways surprised by the need to drive totally uneconomical cars in the US, with 5L V8 engines producing the same power as a modern 2L engine..
The prices of petrol are cheap, but not THAT cheap in the states..

[AimlessWanderer]

1.35/l (GBP)
1.59/l (EUR)
2.12/l (USD)

... then I got a little confused as I forgot that a UK gallon is more than a US gallon  ...

8.02 USD per US gallon
9.63 USD per UK gallon

All the above is for "95"

It amuses me  when I hear of people who go out of their way round here to hunt down the cheapest petrol station. When I hear people comparing them to a tenth of a penny I just  If you put £50.00 in your tank here, that's 37 litres. If you hunt down a petrol station that is a whopping 1.5p cheaper a few miles away - you'll save £0.55 ... probably less than what it will cost to go the extra distance for the cheaper price. If you go the extra distance for the cheaper price running on vapours left over from the last filling and fill your tank to the brim to make the journey "worthwhile", you'll be driving round for the next 100 - 150 miles carrying more weight in your car than necessary, increasing your fuel consumption over that period and again negating the potential saving.

Needle goes down ... I put petrol in

[Grant Lamontagne]

I can respect materials and transport costs. But you don't line your pocket by gouging your customers.

I COMPLETELY AGREE!!!!!!!!!

I disagree- apparently people do line their pockets by gouging customers.

Def

[Pacu]

I think in my lifetime our petrol based civilization/economy will crash and burn....prob sooner than later.

Either we adapt and overcome...or ?

Best to stock up on beans and bullets.

[enki_ck]

I wanted too start this topic on monday, when our prices went up again. It's now $8.08 per US gallon for the 95 (lowest grade you can buy in Europe). And it will only go up. If the EU bans imports from Iran, it will skyrocket.

[mvyrmnd]

I think in my lifetime our petrol based civilization/economy will crash and burn....prob sooner than later.

Either we adapt and overcome...or ?

Best to stock up on beans and bullets.

We will adapt. Yes, some big companies will fall, because they're too big and slow and stupid and desperate to hang on to their profits to see the writing on the wall.

Ford, GM, Toyota and all of the other car makers will go the way of Kodak because they moved too slowly.

They have the power to relieve the stress on our lives caused by oil prices.

You have the power to not buy a vehicle that requires oil to run and force them to change.

But everyone keeps doing what they've been doing, hoping something will change for them. (I'm as guilty of this as anyone else)

[ironraven]

I disagree- apparently people do line their pockets by gouging customers.

Def

Point- allow me to add something that I thought was implied. Honorable people don't line gouge their customers.

And one year I'll stop thinking that honor should count for something.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I agree, but I am starting to think that "honor" is what poor people say they have since they don't have lots of money.   

Def

[dks]

I agree, but I am starting to think that "honor" is what poor people say they have since they don't have lots of money.   

Def

reminds me of the "rich people are not happy" generalisation poor people use to feel better...

[Whoey]

Around 1.4 Euro per litre here for diesel and petrol
20 years ago it was 0.10 Euro (equivalent)..
4 years ago it was 0.50 euro...

I am allways surprised by the need to drive totally uneconomical cars in the US, with 5L V8 engines producing the same power as a modern 2L engine..
The prices of petrol are cheap, but not THAT cheap in the states..

As a Canadian who lives in Spain, I totally agree... I watch Top Gear (UK) a lot, and they're always slagging off the Americans for having 5L, 6L or more litre engines in their cars while over here in Europe they're pulling the same horsepower out of a 2L. It's also amusing how they criticize the suspension and handling of American cars over here on European roads. There are exceptions in supercars, but hell, if you can afford a $200 000+ car, the price of fuel is hardly a concern. In a big way I think it's time for gas prices in the US to hit 9$ a gallon... maybe then some tough decisions will be made about the auto industry.

[turnsouth]

I am allways surprised by the need to drive totally uneconomical cars in the US, with 5L V8 engines producing the same power as a modern 2L engine..
The prices of petrol are cheap, but not THAT cheap in the states..

You mean they can really get 412 horsepower and 390 lb-ft (528nm) of torque out of a 2 liter engine?



26 mpg (11 kpl) too

[dks]

I am allways surprised by the need to drive totally uneconomical cars in the US, with 5L V8 engines producing the same power as a modern 2L engine..
The prices of petrol are cheap, but not THAT cheap in the states..

You mean they can really get 412 horsepower and 390 lb-ft (528nm) of torque out of a 2 liter engine?

26 mpg (11 kpl) too

Around 250 to 320 if you look at some 2L sports cars (e.g subaru impreza http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_Impreza_WRX_STI) , though not most normal cars (about 150-200 e.g honda Accord for normal saloon cars.. 1.6L can produce that too when turbocharged). They can also keep going without problems for a bit as well (and turn  ) unlikel some US cars, named after horses  which are really special editions, not everyday use cars for the common people.

e.g a porsche 911, with really good build quality:
The 997 GT2 has a twin-turbocharged 3.6-litre 6-cylinder engine, which generates 523 hp (390 kWat 6500 rpm. The GT2 accelerates in 3.6 seconds to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) and in 7.4 seconds to 100 mph (161 km/h) and has a maximum top speed of 204 mph (328 km/h). This makes it the first street-legal 911 to exceed 200 mph (322 km/h), with the exception of the 1998 911 GT1 road car (which is sometimes not considered a true 911 due to its mid-mounted engine). The Porsche 997 GT2 also has a curb weight of 3,175 lb (1,440 kg), 505 lb·ft (685 N·m) of torque from 2200 to 4500 rpm, and a 6-speed manual gearbox.


The question is  how many normal US cars actually produce that in a usefull form, and what engines they use.

also from:
http://www.carbibles.com/nannycars.html
(actually that is a very usefull site by the way!)

Written a few years back, before the huge problems for the big 3 US makers started (remember that..)and the people woke up and realised there were better cars out there.:

Huge engines, terrible performance, appalling gas mileage.
 The door swings both ways though, and it seems to hit the designers and the enginemakers on the arse either way. Look at the current Ford Mustang. Fantastic car to look at. Guzzles fuel like it is water and can't drive in anything other than a straight line. So close, yet so far.
It never ceases to amaze me how the US car manufacturers are able to build such massive engines with such little power and performance, and such high fuel consumption figures. I think they must have some of the smartest minds in the country working for them, because you really have to be trying hard to make that combination. I mean large engines typically have large power. Not in the US. Large engines tend to be fuel efficient. Not in the US.
A colleague of mine recently bought his wife an Audi TT. This has a 1.8 litre engine in it which is turbocharged. He could not believe the power and handling of it compared to his US-built FordChevyGMC. Then the gas-mileage. How could it have so much power and consume so little fuel?

When I tackle people about this particular question, the inevitable answer is "American cars, engines and transmissions are designed for comfort, not performance."
How can you have a sense of comfort when you drive a car that has a 6-litre V8 engine it, that has such a remote feel to the accelerator that you have to concentrate to tell if the engine is actually on and doing anything?
If I stomp on the accelerator of my Subaru Impreza 2.5RS, it takes off like its arse is on fire. If I do the same thing in my friend's 2004 Chevy Impala, a vehicle with twice as many cylinders and three times the capacity, it growls and has a lovely throaty sound, but accelerates like the Queen Mary (whilst no doubt guzzling 6 times as much fuel).

The suspension on these vehicles is boaty and remote. The steering is so overpowered that you actually have to steer many American cars in a straight line. Let go of the wheel and the car will start to meander all over the road, eventually ending up on its roof no doubt as the power steering efficiently tries to make a 90 degree turn at 70mph.

Things looked up with the Cadillac Catera a few years back. The marketing blitz was "The Caddy That Zigs". I drove one. It had the handling of a 1970's European car, yet it was cutting-edge by American standards.
How is it possible with so many imported German, Swedish and Japanese cars, that the US manufacturers can still get away with these sorts of boaty, lousy, wallowy fuel-thirsty vehicles? It's not like the public are uneducated. The aforementioned imports have seen to that.

[Grant Lamontagne]

For the most part I agree with the above, except this part:

When I tackle people about this particular question, the inevitable answer is "American cars, engines and transmissions are designed for comfort, not performance."
How can you have a sense of comfort when you drive a car that has a 6-litre V8 engine it, that has such a remote feel to the accelerator that you have to concentrate to tell if the engine is actually on and doing anything?

It's general comfort, not driving comfort- there's a distinction to make there.  The cars are designed to be comfortable like a Lazy Boy recliner that is comfortable to sit in, not the kind of comfort that makes you feel as if you are at one with the car.  This means insulating the driver from as much as possible like engine vibrations, road imperfections and as much inertia as possible.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

I agree, but I am starting to think that "honor" is what poor people say they have since they don't have lots of money.   

Def

reminds me of the "rich people are not happy" generalisation poor people use to feel better...

On behalf of the Mythbusters, I'm willing to test this one out.  All I need is a few million dollars....

Def

[dks]

I agree, but I am starting to think that "honor" is what poor people say they have since they don't have lots of money.   

Def

reminds me of the "rich people are not happy" generalisation poor people use to feel better...

On behalf of the Mythbusters, I'm willing to test this one out.  All I need is a few million dollars....

Def

Didn't you have this Forum valued some time ago..?