How high can gas go?

[ArmchairAthlete]

Originally posted by: irishScott

Originally posted by: ArmchairAthlete
Just ride a bike and live close to everything you need.

Ever try to carry a family's worth of groceries on a bike? And I'm just talking bare necessities here, no huge soda containers, no 24 packs of Deer Park. Just cereal, produce, milk, orange juice and meat. I'd have to make about 20 trips for mine.

http://picasaweb.google.com/an...to#5096459435457810562

Add a backpack to something like that and it's doable.

Then again, I don't buy groceries for a family and won't anytime soon. It might mean smaller/more frequent trips too. And the way products are shrinking in lieu of raising prices maybe that would make sense, lol. Another option is eating out.

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: BigDH01
Why do I need to grow land? There are plenty of 10 story apartment and condo buildings in my future downtown. Those buildings can grow up and not out.

I think in the distant future, you'll see a lot more buildings represent something like the Hancock Building. You can live in the upper floors, work in the middle floors, and shop on the ground floors. There's even a Best Buy going in. Imagine only having to take an elevator to Best Buy.

I'm moving to an apartment building in a downtown area. This building is connected to nearly all the other downtown buildings via a skywalk. This means, at night, I can walk from my apartment to go buy grocery items, alcohol, whatever, without ever stepping foot outside or getting into a car. I'm also connected to the civic center so I never have to get into a car and deal with traffic when I want to go see a basketball or hockey game. I also live next to the center of nightlife so I never have to get into a car to go to the bar or clubs. Not to mention the many restaurants well within walking distance. There's a gym attached to the skywalk, and an indoor hot tub, sauna, and small fitness center in the basement. I may not have a yard, but I live about 2 blocks from a river and corresponding parks. Plenty of green space.

As populations continue to increase and supplies of traditional energy sources continue to decrease, more people will *want* to live in conditions like this. My fiance and I currently have two cars, and now we can eliminate one as I will no longer have to drive. This saves me gas money, insurance, registration, and maintenance (I already own the car, so no car payment). Living in communal conditions also makes it more affordable to implement green energy technologies. The investment can be shared by all parties and makes use of economy of scale. I see more people seeking out these conditions in the future until the price of energy decreases and/or the cost of turning one's home green with geo and solar technology drops.

Of course, suburbanization also becomes economically unfeasible as the value of crops continue to increase. In the past, creating giant new housing additions was relatively cheap and just required buying up largely flat farmland. Now that corn stands at over $6/bushel, this farmland is no longer cheap to buy. Sprawl can't go on forever, and that population has to go somewhere. I say up.

And the place you are envisioning is not what most people will be stuck in. They won't be in some beautiful, futuristic, Utopian society. And what about playing with fireworks? Or a game of tag? How about building a tree house? What about blasting your stereo? What about a sun tan? What about fresh air? Right now I spend my afternoons sitting outside in a hammock, can you do that on your skywalk? I can open my sliding door and let my dogs run free.

How about you realize not everyone wants to live like you?

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: ArmchairAthlete
Just ride a bike and live close to everything you need.

Do you know how absurd that sounds? It's not a reasonable suggestion at all.

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: ArmchairAthlete
Just ride a bike and live close to everything you need.

Do you know how absurd that sounds? It's not a reasonable suggestion at all.

Read the edits, I do know that it would take an enormous rearrangement of where we live and where we work in most places. And how streets are set up. So yea, not happening any time soon.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: ArmchairAthlete

Originally posted by: irishScott

Originally posted by: ArmchairAthlete
Just ride a bike and live close to everything you need.

Ever try to carry a family's worth of groceries on a bike? And I'm just talking bare necessities here, no huge soda containers, no 24 packs of Deer Park. Just cereal, produce, milk, orange juice and meat. I'd have to make about 20 trips for mine.

http://picasaweb.google.com/an...to#5096459435457810562

Add a backpack to something like that and it's doable.

Then again, I don't buy groceries for a family and won't anytime soon. It might mean smaller/more frequent trips too. And the way products are shrinking in lieu of raising prices maybe that would make sense, lol. Another option is eating out.

shit i was useing that i would be going every day and sometimes twice a day.


edit: not to mention its 16 miles each way to the closest store. then i have to figure out what to do with my 2 kids (no way they could do it).

 

[IGBT]

..get used to it. liberals say it's good for you to feel financial pain. they've only just begun. All your currencies are belong to liberals.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo

Originally posted by: TallBill
Car companies need to stop selling 30 mpg cars as "high fuel efficiency" when they have the technology for 70+ And consumers need to learn to buy a smaller car.

could not agree more.
i see Chevy? commercials on tv, we have 8 models that get 30 mpg or more!
30 mpg is not good u morons. i had a mid 90's civic that got 40 mpg.

By today's standards, 30 mpg is competitive. Sure, it doesnt compare to earlier automobiles gas mileage, like your older civic, but cars today are much bigger than they were in the 80's and 90's. And they keep getting bigger every year.

From a quick google search, a 1995 2 door Civic weighed 2231 lbs and today's 2008 civic weighs 2875 lbs.

most of that weight gain is unnecessary fluff. it's stupid how manufacturers are just making cars bigger and bigger every generation, just because the competition is doing it. a civic today is larger than an accord from the early 90's. ridiculous.

my civic had good crash ratings, front/pass airbags, reliable, A/C, radio, LEV and excellent gas mileage.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo

Originally posted by: TallBill
Car companies need to stop selling 30 mpg cars as "high fuel efficiency" when they have the technology for 70+ And consumers need to learn to buy a smaller car.

could not agree more.
i see Chevy? commercials on tv, we have 8 models that get 30 mpg or more!
30 mpg is not good u morons. i had a mid 90's civic that got 40 mpg.

By today's standards, 30 mpg is competitive. Sure, it doesnt compare to earlier automobiles gas mileage, like your older civic, but cars today are much bigger than they were in the 80's and 90's. And they keep getting bigger every year.

From a quick google search, a 1995 2 door Civic weighed 2231 lbs and today's 2008 civic weighs 2875 lbs.

most of that weight gain is unnecessary fluff. it's stupid how manufacturers are just making cars bigger and bigger every generation, just because the competition is doing it. a civic today is larger than an accord from the early 90's. ridiculous.

my civic had good crash ratings, front/pass airbags, reliable, A/C, radio, LEV and excellent gas mileage.

yeap true.

look at the BMW mini. itis a safe car and not large at all.

my wife drives a 2007 (2006? hmm) ford escort. she wants a newer car and we looked at the civic. i was suprised how big it was.

we are thinking between the civic and the Focus (only because we can get the ford cheap (know the owner of a ford dealership))

 

[Juddog]

Originally posted by: IGBT
..get used to it. liberals say it's good for you to feel financial pain. they've only just begun. All your currencies are belong to liberals.

Wow what an idiotic statement. How much do you get paid to schill?

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo

Originally posted by: TallBill
Car companies need to stop selling 30 mpg cars as "high fuel efficiency" when they have the technology for 70+ And consumers need to learn to buy a smaller car.

could not agree more.
i see Chevy? commercials on tv, we have 8 models that get 30 mpg or more!
30 mpg is not good u morons. i had a mid 90's civic that got 40 mpg.

By today's standards, 30 mpg is competitive. Sure, it doesnt compare to earlier automobiles gas mileage, like your older civic, but cars today are much bigger than they were in the 80's and 90's. And they keep getting bigger every year.

From a quick google search, a 1995 2 door Civic weighed 2231 lbs and today's 2008 civic weighs 2875 lbs.

most of that weight gain is unnecessary fluff. it's stupid how manufacturers are just making cars bigger and bigger every generation, just because the competition is doing it. a civic today is larger than an accord from the early 90's. ridiculous.

my civic had good crash ratings, front/pass airbags, reliable, A/C, radio, LEV and excellent gas mileage.

I remember seeing a very old Accord on the road a few weeks ago. It looked smaller than a Honda Fit. There was an article that was explaining reasons why Cars are becoming larger and larger, and they mentioned that it's because humans are getting larger; I'm not sure what I think about that.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: jpeyton
How high can Exxon's record breaking profits go?

The answer to both questions go hand-in-hand.

this is what makes me insane.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: Auryg

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal
If the gas does go up to $4.00 a gallon, I'm riding a bicycle to work permanently. No way in hell I'm paying $50.00 to fill up my Jetta. That'll be $200 a month just in gas.

Lol I pay $350 a month to fill up my SUV
now probably $400

I can't comprehend why anyone would own a vehicle that costs that much to operate. Why not use public transportation or ride a bike?

City mentality. A very good portion of the United States lives either in a somewhat rural area or in a sprawling city. We're not addicted to cars; we need them, unless we're all going to pack up our bags and move.

ed zachary.

i have a truck (used for work), so i need it to go to job sites. i also have 3 kids i drop off at school every morning. not much chance at making them ride bikes for 14 miles to school. buses may be an option, but the extra 2 hours to get across town would suck as much as the gas prices. i get mileage from work for the work travel, but its slowly becoming just gas money. last time i checked it was around 89% fuel cost and 11% maint and they pay the govt mileage rate. wjile i would LOVE to see prices go down, im kind of stuck either way... they got me by the short n curlies so far until there is a good replacement for gas in my truck.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: ctark

Originally posted by: jpeyton
How high can Exxon's record breaking profits go?

The answer to both questions go hand-in-hand.

The same profit margin along with increased demand equals increased profit. I hear this argument so much and its one thats not really valid.

how is that so? why would demand increase? people still drive the same amount to work and back, and if like me, drive way less for fun (trips, sightseeing whatever) when the price is high. seems to me demand would be lower, while that profit margin stayed the same and profits creeped up there. if its bogus, how do you explain the record profits of these gas companies?

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: waggy
yeap true.

look at the BMW mini. itis a safe car and not large at all.

my wife drives a 2007 (2006? hmm) ford escort. she wants a newer car and we looked at the civic. i was suprised how big it was.

we are thinking between the civic and the Focus (only because we can get the ford cheap (know the owner of a ford dealership))

I dunno, I was looking at a Mini yesterday and the backseat just looks like a deathtrap waiting to happen. The seats are right up against the back hatch. I could see passengers getting creamed if a Mini gets rear-ended.

Now, that's just my personal observation. I don't know how well the Mini tested in rear-end crash tests. But, seeing the back seat right up against the rear hatch instinctively suggests to me that the back seat is potentially unsafe. I would have to have some space between the backseat and the rear before I put my kids back there.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: waggy
yeap true.

look at the BMW mini. itis a safe car and not large at all.

my wife drives a 2007 (2006? hmm) ford escort. she wants a newer car and we looked at the civic. i was suprised how big it was.

we are thinking between the civic and the Focus (only because we can get the ford cheap (know the owner of a ford dealership))

I dunno, I was looking at a Mini yesterday and the backseat just looks like a deathtrap waiting to happen. The seats are right up against the back hatch. I could see passengers getting creamed if a Mini gets rear-ended.

Now, that's just my personal observation. I don't know how well the Mini tested in rear-end crash tests. But, seeing the back seat right up against the rear hatch instinctively suggests to me that the back seat is potentially unsafe. I would have to have some space between the backseat and the rear before I put my kids back there.

My Mazda5 is the same way with the third row. If you are in that seat the rear hatch is about 6" from your head. If anything more than a scooter slammed into you at speeds more than a crawl I don't want to see the outcome. It works fine in a pinch when you need room for 6, but no way would I ever want to put my kid(s) in that seat all the time.

 

[BigDH01]

Originally posted by: skace

Originally posted by: BigDH01
Why do I need to grow land? There are plenty of 10 story apartment and condo buildings in my future downtown. Those buildings can grow up and not out.

I think in the distant future, you'll see a lot more buildings represent something like the Hancock Building. You can live in the upper floors, work in the middle floors, and shop on the ground floors. There's even a Best Buy going in. Imagine only having to take an elevator to Best Buy.

I'm moving to an apartment building in a downtown area. This building is connected to nearly all the other downtown buildings via a skywalk. This means, at night, I can walk from my apartment to go buy grocery items, alcohol, whatever, without ever stepping foot outside or getting into a car. I'm also connected to the civic center so I never have to get into a car and deal with traffic when I want to go see a basketball or hockey game. I also live next to the center of nightlife so I never have to get into a car to go to the bar or clubs. Not to mention the many restaurants well within walking distance. There's a gym attached to the skywalk, and an indoor hot tub, sauna, and small fitness center in the basement. I may not have a yard, but I live about 2 blocks from a river and corresponding parks. Plenty of green space.

As populations continue to increase and supplies of traditional energy sources continue to decrease, more people will *want* to live in conditions like this. My fiance and I currently have two cars, and now we can eliminate one as I will no longer have to drive. This saves me gas money, insurance, registration, and maintenance (I already own the car, so no car payment). Living in communal conditions also makes it more affordable to implement green energy technologies. The investment can be shared by all parties and makes use of economy of scale. I see more people seeking out these conditions in the future until the price of energy decreases and/or the cost of turning one's home green with geo and solar technology drops.

Of course, suburbanization also becomes economically unfeasible as the value of crops continue to increase. In the past, creating giant new housing additions was relatively cheap and just required buying up largely flat farmland. Now that corn stands at over $6/bushel, this farmland is no longer cheap to buy. Sprawl can't go on forever, and that population has to go somewhere. I say up.

And the place you are envisioning is not what most people will be stuck in. They won't be in some beautiful, futuristic, Utopian society. And what about playing with fireworks? Or a game of tag? How about building a tree house? What about blasting your stereo? What about a sun tan? What about fresh air? Right now I spend my afternoons sitting outside in a hammock, can you do that on your skywalk? I can open my sliding door and let my dogs run free.

How about you realize not everyone wants to live like you?

And your version of suburbia isn't how many people in suburbia live.

I can watch fireworks from my balcony. There is plenty of greenspace next to my building for tag. There's also a dog sitter down the road as demand for dog care in this urban area has increased. The walls in my building are concrete and sound-proofed. Never hear a sound. I can get a tan on the roof of my building, actually, probably faster than you can on the ground level. Can you walk to see a showing of Wicked? Is there a restaurant in your lobby? This can go on and on.

I understand that not everyone wants to live like me, this is not the point. The point is that not everyone can live like you. As a species, and especially as a country, we need to come to the realization that we need to leave a smaller footprint on the earth. We need to emit less pollution, consume less energy, and generally take up less space. Suburbia is expensive to maintain. You have to drive everywhere, in many cases heat and cool a rather large house, use energy to maintain the lawn, etc, and perhaps most importantly, use water to keep the lawn healthy. This is land that could be used to grow crops so that food remains affordable for an increasing population.

I'm merely stating that with current modes of energy production, your lifestyle is not sustainable for our species as a whole. While not everyone will need to adopt an urban lifestyle, certainly more people will have to. This will coincide with an increase in availability of mass transit and green methods of producing energy. I'm sorry you hate the idea of living an urban life, but humanity can't survive with everyone living in the suburbs.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo

Originally posted by: TallBill
Car companies need to stop selling 30 mpg cars as "high fuel efficiency" when they have the technology for 70+ And consumers need to learn to buy a smaller car.

could not agree more.
i see Chevy? commercials on tv, we have 8 models that get 30 mpg or more!
30 mpg is not good u morons. i had a mid 90's civic that got 40 mpg.

By today's standards, 30 mpg is competitive. Sure, it doesnt compare to earlier automobiles gas mileage, like your older civic, but cars today are much bigger than they were in the 80's and 90's. And they keep getting bigger every year.

From a quick google search, a 1995 2 door Civic weighed 2231 lbs and today's 2008 civic weighs 2875 lbs.

most of that weight gain is unnecessary fluff. it's stupid how manufacturers are just making cars bigger and bigger every generation, just because the competition is doing it. a civic today is larger than an accord from the early 90's. ridiculous.

my civic had good crash ratings, front/pass airbags, reliable, A/C, radio, LEV and excellent gas mileage.

I remember seeing a very old Accord on the road a few weeks ago. It looked smaller than a Honda Fit. There was an article that was explaining reasons why Cars are becoming larger and larger, and they mentioned that it's because humans are getting larger; I'm not sure what I think about that.

maybe indirectly, but that's definitely not the main reason.

my theory is that here in america, we believe bigger is always better... bigger houses, bigger cars, bigger TV's and monitors, etc. basically more bang for the buck is the reasoning.

when toyota for example makes their Camry larger for only a few hundred more than the outgoing model, Accord shoppers will say, "hey, we can get a slightly larger camry for only a few hundred more than the accord. the kids are growing up so more backseat room will be useful down the road. a bigger trunk will help us hold the stroller and more groceries."
toyota will get more shoppers than honda. then honda has no choice but to make their accord larger than the camry, and so on...

that's why the camry is so large today, and the accord is now officially classed as full size.
sigh...

 

[TheAdvocate]

Originally posted by: LegendKiller

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: ctark

Originally posted by: jpeyton
How high can Exxon's record breaking profits go?

The answer to both questions go hand-in-hand.

The same profit margin along with increased demand equals increased profit. I hear this argument so much and its one thats not really valid.

Exxon/Mobil Yearly Profits
2002: $11.5 Billion
2007: $40.6 Billion

So basically you're saying demand has jumped 253% since 2002?

Imagine this....


Exxon gets charged $22.81 (2007 inflation adjusted) for each barrel of oil in 2002.

Magically, that oil goes to $64.92 by 2007.

That means that if they sold the same amount of oil in 2007 as they did in 2002, then their profit would jump massively, right?

Then, since it takes the same manpower to refine and sell that oil, their fixed costs are lower per $ per barrel. If that's true, then the profit margin % would increase somewhat.

Since oil skyrocketed in the later part of 2007, profits would be boosted even more then.

It's not exxon's fault for passing on costs to customers, nor is it their fault for running a correct business.

This is completely incorrect. It's about their gross margins. Revenues minus cost of production. Those numbers went up for several straight quarters (along with consumption). If gross margin increases, then it is more than just passing along costs to the consumers. It's not surprising at all that their gross margin flattened after they came under criticism. As soon as they think they can get away with it, it will go up again.

But that's only half the story, as speculators are using oil futures as a hedge against the weak dollar, much like gold is traditionally used.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: ctark

Originally posted by: jpeyton
How high can Exxon's record breaking profits go?

The answer to both questions go hand-in-hand.

The same profit margin along with increased demand equals increased profit. I hear this argument so much and its one thats not really valid.

how is that so? why would demand increase? people still drive the same amount to work and back, and if like me, drive way less for fun (trips, sightseeing whatever) when the price is high. seems to me demand would be lower, while that profit margin stayed the same and profits creeped up there. if its bogus, how do you explain the record profits of these gas companies?

More people are driving.

Demand for oil in China and India also took off like a rocket in the last few years.

One other thing to consider is that while Exxon made more profits, they also paid $100 billion in taxes and royalties ($30 billion in taxes alone).

 

[Juddog]

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo

Originally posted by: TallBill
Car companies need to stop selling 30 mpg cars as "high fuel efficiency" when they have the technology for 70+ And consumers need to learn to buy a smaller car.

could not agree more.
i see Chevy? commercials on tv, we have 8 models that get 30 mpg or more!
30 mpg is not good u morons. i had a mid 90's civic that got 40 mpg.

By today's standards, 30 mpg is competitive. Sure, it doesnt compare to earlier automobiles gas mileage, like your older civic, but cars today are much bigger than they were in the 80's and 90's. And they keep getting bigger every year.

From a quick google search, a 1995 2 door Civic weighed 2231 lbs and today's 2008 civic weighs 2875 lbs.

most of that weight gain is unnecessary fluff. it's stupid how manufacturers are just making cars bigger and bigger every generation, just because the competition is doing it. a civic today is larger than an accord from the early 90's. ridiculous.

my civic had good crash ratings, front/pass airbags, reliable, A/C, radio, LEV and excellent gas mileage.

I remember seeing a very old Accord on the road a few weeks ago. It looked smaller than a Honda Fit. There was an article that was explaining reasons why Cars are becoming larger and larger, and they mentioned that it's because humans are getting larger; I'm not sure what I think about that.

maybe indirectly, but that's definitely not the main reason.

my theory is that here in america, we believe bigger is always better... bigger houses, bigger cars, bigger TV's and monitors, etc. basically more bang for the buck is the reasoning.

when toyota for example makes their Camry larger for only a few hundred more than the outgoing model, Accord shoppers will say, "hey, we can get a slightly larger camry for only a few hundred more than the accord. the kids are growing up so more backseat room will be useful down the road. a bigger trunk will help us hold the stroller and more groceries."
toyota will get more shoppers than honda. then honda has no choice but to make their accord larger than the camry, and so on...

that's why the camry is so large today, and the accord is now officially classed as full size.
sigh...

^^ Co-signed. Growth cannot continue forever, it's a flawed model. Many people in the area where I live are afraid to get small cars due to all the idiot SUV drivers out there who boss their way around on the road (to clarify: in no way am I saying all SUV drivers are idiots, I'm merely referring to the people who get a big car and act like just because they have a big car they can boss other people around on the roads and highways). There are gas cars in production in many countries which get 40+ mpg, without being a hybrid, just simply by being smaller and more efficient.

Likewise I would love to ride a bike to work every day but the roads are not typically allocated extra width or areas for bicycles. Were the roads and drivers more friendly towards bicyclers then I would have no problem biking to work on days where the weather is right. Perhaps being hit by a car while bicycling and having my leg broken and my knee ligaments torn has colored my view of bicycle safety (I was hit by some old guy that didn't know WTF he was doing and spent years rehabilitating myself so that I could walk again, I still have severe permanent damage to my knee from the incident).

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: Auryg

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal
If the gas does go up to $4.00 a gallon, I'm riding a bicycle to work permanently. No way in hell I'm paying $50.00 to fill up my Jetta. That'll be $200 a month just in gas.

Lol I pay $350 a month to fill up my SUV
now probably $400

I can't comprehend why anyone would own a vehicle that costs that much to operate. Why not use public transportation or ride a bike?

City mentality. A very good portion of the United States lives either in a somewhat rural area or in a sprawling city. We're not addicted to cars; we need them, unless we're all going to pack up our bags and move.

ed zachary.

i have a truck (used for work), so i need it to go to job sites. i also have 3 kids i drop off at school every morning. not much chance at making them ride bikes for 14 miles to school. buses may be an option, but the extra 2 hours to get across town would suck as much as the gas prices. i get mileage from work for the work travel, but its slowly becoming just gas money. last time i checked it was around 89% fuel cost and 11% maint and they pay the govt mileage rate. wjile i would LOVE to see prices go down, im kind of stuck either way... they got me by the short n curlies so far until there is a good replacement for gas in my truck.

Part of the problem is all the people who own and drive SUVs and trucks on a daily basis who really don't need them. Imagine if those people switched to more fuel efficient cars or carpooled. There are 4 women who work here and all live in the same general area about 40 miles from here and they've put together a carpool. Each of them drives 1 week out of the month so basically they cut their fuel consumption by 75%. That equates to roughly $300/each saved per month just by car pooling (I know at least 2 of these women drive fullsize SUVs).

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: Auryg

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal
If the gas does go up to $4.00 a gallon, I'm riding a bicycle to work permanently. No way in hell I'm paying $50.00 to fill up my Jetta. That'll be $200 a month just in gas.

Lol I pay $350 a month to fill up my SUV
now probably $400

I can't comprehend why anyone would own a vehicle that costs that much to operate. Why not use public transportation or ride a bike?

City mentality. A very good portion of the United States lives either in a somewhat rural area or in a sprawling city. We're not addicted to cars; we need them, unless we're all going to pack up our bags and move.

ed zachary.

i have a truck (used for work), so i need it to go to job sites. i also have 3 kids i drop off at school every morning. not much chance at making them ride bikes for 14 miles to school. buses may be an option, but the extra 2 hours to get across town would suck as much as the gas prices. i get mileage from work for the work travel, but its slowly becoming just gas money. last time i checked it was around 89% fuel cost and 11% maint and they pay the govt mileage rate. wjile i would LOVE to see prices go down, im kind of stuck either way... they got me by the short n curlies so far until there is a good replacement for gas in my truck.

Part of the problem is all the people who own and drive SUVs and trucks on a daily basis who really don't need them. Imagine if those people switched to more fuel efficient cars or carpooled. There are 4 women who work here and all live in the same general area about 40 miles from here and they've put together a carpool. Each of them drives 1 week out of the month so basically they cut their fuel consumption by 75%. That equates to roughly $300/each saved per month just by car pooling (I know at least 2 of these women drive fullsize SUVs).

Why do they even own SUV's? I take it that each of them is married with 4+ kids

 

[BigDH01]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: Auryg

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal
If the gas does go up to $4.00 a gallon, I'm riding a bicycle to work permanently. No way in hell I'm paying $50.00 to fill up my Jetta. That'll be $200 a month just in gas.

Lol I pay $350 a month to fill up my SUV
now probably $400

I can't comprehend why anyone would own a vehicle that costs that much to operate. Why not use public transportation or ride a bike?

City mentality. A very good portion of the United States lives either in a somewhat rural area or in a sprawling city. We're not addicted to cars; we need them, unless we're all going to pack up our bags and move.

ed zachary.

i have a truck (used for work), so i need it to go to job sites. i also have 3 kids i drop off at school every morning. not much chance at making them ride bikes for 14 miles to school. buses may be an option, but the extra 2 hours to get across town would suck as much as the gas prices. i get mileage from work for the work travel, but its slowly becoming just gas money. last time i checked it was around 89% fuel cost and 11% maint and they pay the govt mileage rate. wjile i would LOVE to see prices go down, im kind of stuck either way... they got me by the short n curlies so far until there is a good replacement for gas in my truck.

Part of the problem is all the people who own and drive SUVs and trucks on a daily basis who really don't need them. Imagine if those people switched to more fuel efficient cars or carpooled. There are 4 women who work here and all live in the same general area about 40 miles from here and they've put together a carpool. Each of them drives 1 week out of the month so basically they cut their fuel consumption by 75%. That equates to roughly $300/each saved per month just by car pooling (I know at least 2 of these women drive fullsize SUVs).

And along with decreased cost comes decreased pollution and decreased consumption. Decreased pollution means cleaner air and decreased consumption should ease the price of fuel, thereby reducing transportation costs for goods and lowering consumer prices. Basically, carpooling not only benefits those directly involved but society as a whole.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: Auryg

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal
If the gas does go up to $4.00 a gallon, I'm riding a bicycle to work permanently. No way in hell I'm paying $50.00 to fill up my Jetta. That'll be $200 a month just in gas.

Lol I pay $350 a month to fill up my SUV
now probably $400

I can't comprehend why anyone would own a vehicle that costs that much to operate. Why not use public transportation or ride a bike?

City mentality. A very good portion of the United States lives either in a somewhat rural area or in a sprawling city. We're not addicted to cars; we need them, unless we're all going to pack up our bags and move.

ed zachary.

i have a truck (used for work), so i need it to go to job sites. i also have 3 kids i drop off at school every morning. not much chance at making them ride bikes for 14 miles to school. buses may be an option, but the extra 2 hours to get across town would suck as much as the gas prices. i get mileage from work for the work travel, but its slowly becoming just gas money. last time i checked it was around 89% fuel cost and 11% maint and they pay the govt mileage rate. wjile i would LOVE to see prices go down, im kind of stuck either way... they got me by the short n curlies so far until there is a good replacement for gas in my truck.

Part of the problem is all the people who own and drive SUVs and trucks on a daily basis who really don't need them. Imagine if those people switched to more fuel efficient cars or carpooled. There are 4 women who work here and all live in the same general area about 40 miles from here and they've put together a carpool. Each of them drives 1 week out of the month so basically they cut their fuel consumption by 75%. That equates to roughly $300/each saved per month just by car pooling (I know at least 2 of these women drive fullsize SUVs).

Why do they even own SUV's? I take it that each of them is married with 4+ kids

No! One of them doesn't even have ANY children and she's the one driving a Ford Expedition!!!

This isn't the exception either...it's the norm.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: Auryg

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal
If the gas does go up to $4.00 a gallon, I'm riding a bicycle to work permanently. No way in hell I'm paying $50.00 to fill up my Jetta. That'll be $200 a month just in gas.

Lol I pay $350 a month to fill up my SUV
now probably $400

I can't comprehend why anyone would own a vehicle that costs that much to operate. Why not use public transportation or ride a bike?

City mentality. A very good portion of the United States lives either in a somewhat rural area or in a sprawling city. We're not addicted to cars; we need them, unless we're all going to pack up our bags and move.

ed zachary.

i have a truck (used for work), so i need it to go to job sites. i also have 3 kids i drop off at school every morning. not much chance at making them ride bikes for 14 miles to school. buses may be an option, but the extra 2 hours to get across town would suck as much as the gas prices. i get mileage from work for the work travel, but its slowly becoming just gas money. last time i checked it was around 89% fuel cost and 11% maint and they pay the govt mileage rate. wjile i would LOVE to see prices go down, im kind of stuck either way... they got me by the short n curlies so far until there is a good replacement for gas in my truck.

Part of the problem is all the people who own and drive SUVs and trucks on a daily basis who really don't need them. Imagine if those people switched to more fuel efficient cars or carpooled. There are 4 women who work here and all live in the same general area about 40 miles from here and they've put together a carpool. Each of them drives 1 week out of the month so basically they cut their fuel consumption by 75%. That equates to roughly $300/each saved per month just by car pooling (I know at least 2 of these women drive fullsize SUVs).

Another point to mention is that SUV alternatives (the minivan) is not considered cool. Im not sure about Minivan mileage, but I would assume that they get better mpg than the average SUV. AWD isnt an issue either because Minivans now have them as an option. It's really just the "cool" appeal and people dont want to be seen driving a minivan.