Went 359.8 miles, took 6.4 gallons of gasoline.
(155 miles highway, the rest on country roads and in town)

;^)
Bobbi

That's over 56 mpg. Cool!

My Toyota Corolla does a mere 34 mpg for me ---mostly going 55 mph. Now if only I could get my honey to replace his guzzlin' Jeep...   sigh

Regards,

Susan

Hi Susan,

34 mpg is not bad! You're right, you need to get your husband out of that Jeep. We drove 4 wheel drive cars for 30 years. We had a  Suburban, Land Cruiser, Jeep, Toyota truck , 4Runner, Dodge diesel 3/4T truck, Subaru, and a Ford Explorer and Truck.  We were really hesitant to switch to the smaller Prius as our everyday car - didn't think we could adjust to riding so close to the road. As it turns out, the adjustment was surprisingly easy.

If only this investing stuff was as easy to figure out as the decision about which car to drive.
Bobbi

If only this investing stuff was as easy to figure out as the decision about which car to drive.

Bobbi, you would not say the above if you were married to MY honey. Then again, I am quite happy that Rick leaves the investing part to me. If gas keeps on climbing from here, though, he might just start singing another tune about his mode of transportation, too. We've now switched to a totally cash-only budget. (Previously, we used credit or debit cards for the gas and cash for everything else.)

How are gas prices averaging in your area, Bobbi?

In the worst spots around here, unleaded is around $3.50 a gallon and climbing -- and $3.30 just over the border in Sowega (an affectionate nickname for SW Georgia). Gas prices at stations are changing midday now. If that isn't price-gouging, I'd like to know what IS.

The cost of transportation is really translating to inflation in food prices now, isn't it? Maybe that's why I haven't seen that milk ad lately. You know........ Remember?  It's the one that says Got milk? 

 If they want to air another ad, they should change it to Drink milk?  LOL!

Regards,

Susan

I really wish you guys wouldn't talk dirty.  This board is supposed to be a relatively free of offensive language and I really think you may be violating the terms of useage talking about filling your gas tank and mileage. Used to be able to go out to dinner at a fairly good restaurant for what a tank of gas is currently costing.

I'm seeing many more inexpensive cuts of meat available at the supermarket and better sales on more expensive steaks and roasts - but hurricane season is coming...........

Roberta 

I was all set to buy a hybrid Highlander this year until I saw the price, $40k+. My Tundra only has 60k miles and will last the rest of my life. My Avalon has 90 k and will be up for replacement in about three years. I probably only have one car replacement left in my lifetime budget. I can buy an awful lot of gas, even at $4.00/gal for the vehicle replacement cost.

We just went on a vacation using my truck which gets 18mpg. We take the truck because we frequent off road locations. Thats also why we were looking at a Highlander instead of a Prius or Camry hybrid. The truth is, even at an average of $3.50/gal, our fuel costs were less than either food or lodging.

My plan now is to wait three more years and by then there will probably be a hybrid Avalon. We will probably be done with off road vacations by then, and in normal use, my truck is used so infrequently that it is not a problem.

Ben 

Hi Ben,

I hear you about the price of new cars. Paying an extra 4 - 8 grand to get 15 to 20% better mileage doesn't make much sense.

The way I figure it, when, not if, they start rationing gas (like some stores are doing with rice now).....I'll be really happy with my car.

Susan, stations here are charging between $3.39 and 3.59 per gallon today.
Bobbi

We had a local loging company shut down 9 log trucks tues, laying off all drivers, four saw hands and three loaders just because they were losing money because of diesel. One shift of one of our paper wood plant was laided off because of lack of trees and it goes on down the line. We still have time for a war, but cannot help our own people!

I went back and averaged our gasoline bill for last 12 months and it came out to $177 a month. Is this average for old retired folks?

Like the rest of you I can not see trading a car and making car notes just to get 5 more miles to gal. of gas. Can slow down 5 MPH and get same savings.

Copie

I have an Accord with about 100K miles on it. On the highway it still gets 32-34 mpg, which I'm impressed with. It should last at least a few more years, at which point some plug-in hybrids will hopefully be available.

A car that can manage even 20-40 miles at highway speed on battery alone (with gas engine for longer distances) would be great. That would cut our use of petroleum a lot, and an electric "fill up" is quite a bit less than gasoline (per mile of operation). We still need better batteries to really make this a reality, however.

Duane

Duane,

I read a pretty disappointing article about the upcoming Chey Volt a couple of days ago. The word is that it should be available in 2010; of course all they need to do is develop a battery that will give the car a range of  at least 40 miles and totally redesign the body since the one they're using as a concept car is not at all aerodynamic. I can't believe they're already spending huge amounts of money advertising this vehicle.

Have you read about the work done at MIT to create a battery using viruses  to store power?
Bobbi

[quote user="bobbinm"]Did you read about the research being done to create a battery using a virus to store power?
Bobbi[/quote]

I hadn't heard about that. If you have a link handy, would you mind posting?

It's probably a long way off, but I'd really like to see the country moving away from fossil fuels for ground transportation and stationary power (industrial, residential). I hope the march of innovation and productivity improvement gets us there sooner rather than later. There's a company in San Jose, Nanosolar, that claims it can sell solar PV panels profitably at $1/watt. That's a decent step in the right direction if they can pull it off. (A coal-fired electric plant costs around $2/watt to build. The $1/watt for PV panels doesn't include installation costs, however).

Duane

Here ya go, Duane.

MIT Battery Research 

Bobbi 

There was a terrific program on PBS this week about the car of the future here's a link to it http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/car/program.html

Gas here on Long Island, NY is $3.69-$3.89 and going up daily. 

I'm sorry to say that California has the highest gas prices in the nation, or so "they" say.  Here in SoCal, gas is $4.09 to $4.39 and rising minute by minute. My aunt paid $5.29 for regular gas last week on her way to Santa Rosa.  I think the bay area is recording the highest prices.

We have dragged out our 37 year old sports car which gets about 36mpg.  I'm not feeling really safe driving it too far, however.  The good news is we are retired and don't have to communte, the bad news is we are retired and 3% CDs aren't doing much with this inflation.

I have to say, I'm really worried about our economy and don't see it getting better any time soon.
 

LynnC 

MIT Battery Research [/quote]

Thanks, Bobbi. Pretty interesting stuff.

Duane

Re: To the Big Rigs Problems

1. They do the same as we do in the Limo Business..we just raise the add on srucharge accordingly..the same, I might add as they should to the Airlines..

2. Our Business is Up 8% already this yr ( over 58% since 2003 ) with more getting wealthier and for safety reasons, not to mention the big reason? don't have to fight traffic in their own cars..Which is best for our benefit... more traffic = more use Limo's..

3. In my Little Resort town? We are now allowed to use DOT Approved Elecrtic/Propane Gas Golf type Carts..but with Bumpers/Lights/Side curtains, etc.. They cost from $8-$10,000 with Regular looking( but smaller ) Auto fiberglass bodies..and do upto 45 mph.

Est. mileage? 78 mpg. Just plug it in over nite  and good to go in the am..

Alot safer than riding Bikes and can carry 2 people and with Groceries..

Throw in a Handicapp sign and your good to go

Of course not recommended for On Hwy's or Use in Winter climates.. But your going to see alot of them popping up in California, Fla and other southern states and Up here in Wi. where it's good ot use them 6-8 mos yr...

And why spend $40,000 ( ave $15,000 More) to buy a hybrid when it will take at least 10 yrs to break even! The nybrids in our neighborhod are breaking down after just 2 yrs already! And The Labor and parts rates at $125 hr are outrageous! My neighbors are getting rid of them.. They 4 cycl cars do just as well and cost less per mile and are $15k less on average..

China is comming out with $5k and $10k cars... !  Move over GM/Ford/Toyota!

What's with the new handle?

Susan,

   The chinese are putting 2,000 new cars on the road a day.  Don't worry about your husbands jeep, it's meaningless.

   Wait for rechargeable cars and more nuclear (carbon free) power then make the switch to rechargeable using carbon free power.  Until then we are just kidding ourselves.  You can get out and push and it simply wouldn't matter considering where the rest of the world is heading.


 

Mu Nieghbor brags about her Hybrid getting simalar MPG ( ave 45)

Only one problem?

It cost her another $15,000 on trading in her 2 yr old previous vehicle that ave 28 mpg

( Gettingn +17 mpg more ) if she stays under 25 mph before Gas engine kicks in.

and she only ave 200 miles a week/10,000 mi yr

Now how long do you think it will take for her to just break even on this deal?

( about 7-8 yrs ) and by then? The car will be Junk.or Very High Maintenance bills.

and I had to go jump start her Hybrid SUV this past winter ( 2 x )

And what do you think is giong to happen to all those Batteries when they are no good after 5/10 yrs?

I got a Mercury Sable with a 4 Cycl. engine.. and being a "HiMiler" driver, I ave btwn 40-50 mpg on it. I'm in the Lower % group, while the rest of my local HiMilers ave in the High 70-80 mpgs...

One thing that has Reduced MPG? Mfg. co. going to 16 inch & Wider  tread /More Friction tires.. It was just a Way to Make More $, but reduced MPG on cars by 12%. Remember the days of 14 & 15" wheels and 75 series wide tires.. They worked just as well, just as safe and cost a hell of lot less to replace..( Ave. $60 eac) vs the Ave. of $125 each now..( Our Limo's did just as well on the 15" Wheels vs the newer 17" and cost 50% less to replace and got alot more Mileage out of them as well , ave +30% more )

5/15/2008 - 387 miles, 6.74 gallons of gas.

Limoman, you may want to google the Canadian taxi company owner with a fleet of Toyota Prius's. All with over 300k miles - very little maintenance and has never had to replace a battery pack. In 3 years I've saved more than 1,000 gallons of gasoline.
Bobbi

Here you go Dennis....right up your alley!

I don't care what it cost, because I'm a long-term follower of the investment advice and information available on Morningstar's HandsOn Forum, so I can afford the finer things in life:

Dodge Trucks,
Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, and
Samuel Adams Boston Ale.

Life is good.

Mike