| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 3:23:44 AM | with the ever increasing price of fuel...........at what point would you decide enough is enough and sell the car or would you never sell the car no matter how much fuel costs.
Would you use public transport instead. | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 4:28:19 AM | Well I doubt anyone would never sell their car no matter how much fuel costs, if they can't actually afford to run it then there'd be no point in keeping it.
As for public transport, well, there's always more smaller more fuel efficient cars. | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 4:35:49 AM | I have and I did it because of gas prices and the horrible mpg my vehicle was getting. After that I got a really small (purple) Hyundai LOL. My boyfriend hated it so much, he bought me a little sports coupe.
That is the main difference between us. I am economical, without a care to how it looks. He is more about looks, then economically sound.
Best Wishes.
BTW the vehicle I got rid of was a 2002 GMC Envoy. It got 27 mpg average. I bought the Hyundai in 2005, it got 42 mpg, so it was a step down AND up.
For the rest of your question; I would never ever do public transportation. I have, in the city, but I'm telling you it's more hassle than it's worth, and I need to be certain to be where I need to be, ON TIME. | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 4:56:12 AM | where i live, we don't have public transportation. it takes me 45 minutes to get to work, plus i drive over a mountain. i love my jeep grand cherokee because of its safety and visibility. but i do hope to trade it for a subaru, which will get better mileage, while retaining 4-wheel-drive. i hope to move closer to the office in the fall, so i'll need the space in the jeep to move crap. once i move, i can get a smaller vehicle. walking to work will never be an option because i deliver documents all over the county for the firm. they do reimburse me .50/mile which helps.
can anyone think of a better choice than a subaru? i need the fwd, but i also need safety and reliability. | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 5:02:20 AM | | I honestly don't know. Would a Landrover be as fuel efficient as a Subaru, maybe it might be more so? It is British so I guess that automatically makes it more fuel efficient than most American cars/4x4's. | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 5:06:23 AM | Landrovers are quite heavy and I don't think the mpg would be much better.
You can research trucks on the internet, that have 4 wheel drive. I live in a very snowy climate (last week there was still snow on the ground) and would have loved to find such a vehicle. Sadly, I didn't.
I would think a Jeep would be about the best gas saver. They aren't heavy duty, but retain the 4wd. Have you considered front wheel or all wheel drive? All wheel would be more economical and most (like my Envoy) you can switch on when you need it, and switch off when you don't.
BTW standard transmissions rule! Love the stick :) | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 5:23:16 AM |
would think a Jeep would be about the best gas saver. They aren't heavy duty, but retain the 4wd. Have you considered front wheel or all wheel drive? All wheel would be more economical and most (like my Envoy) you can switch on when you need it, and switch off when you don't.
it gets lousy mileage, maybe 14 mpg. and even worse, with that mountain. it doesn't have the option of switching in and out of 4wd. it kicks in automatically. i just had the drive shaft replaced, but i don't expect the mileage to improve. i love having a big, heavy vehicle, but that asset is also its biggest drawback. | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 5:35:45 AM | You have to remember that public transportation in most places is overwhelmingly buses and they need fuel too. The price to ride public transport will undoubtedly rise with the price of that fuel.
Right now, the cost of a ticket simply isn't worthwhile vs. the cost of gas. Why spend $1 for a ticket when the car won't burn $1 gas in getting to work ?
Undoubtedly, we will see more and more people buying small scooters to get around rather than the larger motor cycles.
90 mpg is tempting but I think they are too dangerous for traffic as it is now, at least in larger cities like where I live . | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 6:45:20 AM | Here's the problem... not everyone lives in the big cities, such as Chicago, NY, Los Angelos, Detroit, etc. A large % live in smalltown USA. Public transportation is not an option. The wife might work in the community 10 miles north, while the husband works in the community 10 miles south. So which way do they move to save gas?
Then you got the families with children. How do you get them to the doctor appts when they are sooo sick, contagious, and puking? My mothers neurologist (specialist) is located 30 miles away. A car is necessary to get her back and forth.
I can see where many might PARK their vehicles and find alternatives, but owning a vehicle still offers advantages during necessary times. But I got to admit... not having to pay the car insurance bill, yearly license, maintenance, etc... does have its financial appeal. | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 6:48:59 AM |
i love having a big, heavy vehicle, but that asset is also its biggest drawback.
A Subaru is probably your best option given your needs, and I'm betting in no time you won't miss the heft of the jeep. The one thing you'll notice most is driving from a lower vantage point. I have a lot of friends with Subaru's, and have driven a few of them. Good car for rugged terrain. I don't think you'll find anything else that sure-footed that can match its fuel economy.
I will offer the observation that my Prius performs very well in slick conditions. It doesn't have the clearance a Subaru has, so in deep snow that's a factor, but on ice I'd rather be in my Prius than my Tacoma 4x4. The stability control feature on the Prius will NOT let it spin out. I took it out on an icy parking lot soon after I got it and found it every bit as in control as a Subaru, and more controllable than my truck.
Essentially what the stability control does is somehow sense whether the car is going where you pointed it with the steering wheel. If it isn't, it sends individual signals to each wheel, varying the traction on the front wheels and the braking on all four wheels to get you back in line. In practice it's pretty amazing. Once on a snow covered interstate I was in the passing lane and the snow was covering all of the road markers, so I accidentally strayed too far left into the deep slush left there by the snow plows. As you might expect, I felt a tug as the deep stuff on the left started to slow that side down and try to pull the car off the road to the left, but then the stability control kicked in, beepers went off, lights flashed, and the car calmly pulled back onto the highway. Had I been in my truck ( a '98 without any of that fancy stuff) I'd have been stuck in the median for sure, in spite of my four wheel drive.
Another factor in your advantage with something smaller like the Subaru or Prius is that the lighter weight of those vehicles makes them easier to control when they do start to slip because there is less mass providing less momentum, and they're far less prone to rollover.
Good luck whatever you decide!
Dave | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 8:59:35 AM | | If i did i wouldent have a job.. I drive a pontiac vibe.. I got that when my big truck with the 350 gas suckler dropped a trany at 210 ooo mile.. it was time for a new car.. it get about 37 mpg if i keep my foot out of it. and it's a great car! I drive 30 miles one way with no mass transit going that way.. no i would not sell it then i would be trapped in my home.. ahhhH! | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 11:45:08 AM | To trade cars because increasing price of fuel is not an economical wise move, either if the owned car is paid off or still on payments plan. The savings on gas does not compensate the expensives to cover the replacement's car.
I can't use public transportation, it doesn't fit my needs. | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 12:38:16 PM |
To trade cars because increasing price of fuel is not an economical wise move, either if the owned car is paid off or still on payments plan
I don't know cubanguy.. my big ol V8 would be about 150 a week to run, the vibe.. 60 tops. thats 360 extra a month and below my car payment. but i had no choice in the matter as my truck died and it was not worth putting $2,000 in to a truck with 210, 000 miles on it, as it was starting to nickle and dime me. | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 12:45:57 PM | Only a fool wouldn't consider trading in their fuel hog, if things got really bad.
Kind of reminds of what Bill Cosby said and he got blasted for it. I suppose the truth hurts? But why on earth buy your kids $400 sneakers instead of investing that money on Hooked on Phonics?
Some people just have no sense at all...
I count my blessing as I'm not at a point where I need to sell off any of my vehicles. I use one of the motorcycles (good weather) and a 20 year old beater to get around the most. Strangers look at me at the gas staition like I'm broke... LOL, good at least I know which people are stuck up in my neighborhood. Any real person worth getting to know wouldn't care what I drove!
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 1:41:01 PM |
I love my car and wouldnt want to sell it but if I got rediculously higher than it already is I'd probably get a hybrid car which sucks because those are alot more expensive to buy
Check to see if your state offers any tax incentives for buying a hybrid. Between state and federal incentives at the time, I effectively knocked $4000 off the price of my Prius. And there are used hybrids on the market as well.
From a pure mpg standpoint, you'd probably save some money by just buying a good small car. Like any tool, a hybrid will only perform as well as the person using it. I average 53 mpg in mine, and have had tanks over 70 mpg, but only because I enjoy driving for high mpg when I've got the time. If you just hop in a Prius and drive it the way most people drive most cars, you'll get mpg in the 40's, and there are a lot of other cars out there that can at least come close to that level of performance.
And ANY car can improve its fuel economy if you follow three simple rules:
1) Inflate your tires to the maximum pressure on the sidewall, NOT the recommended pressure in your car's manual.
2) Slow down.
3) Anticipate the need to brake, taking your foot off the gas sooner rather than wasting fuel by racing up to a stop or turn then stomping on the brakes.
Dave | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 3:08:44 PM | I have a small toyota.
No need for me to trade my car... since it gets one of the best milleage in the industry 
Public transportation is good. but don't forget what you might "save" in money (not much really), you lose BIG on the most precious of comodity: TIME.
And you lose so much time, that it winds up costing you more.
So i'll stick with my little bug  | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 3:42:23 PM |
The one thing you'll notice most is driving from a lower vantage point.
that would take some getting used to. i stand 5'1" and the jeep has a seat that raises and lowers, which helps with visibility.
I don't think you'll find anything else that sure-footed that can match its fuel economy.
well, that certainly sounds encouraging. i appreciate you endorsing it.
Essentially what the stability control does is somehow sense whether the car is going where you pointed it with the steering wheel. If it isn't, it sends individual signals to each wheel, varying the traction on the front wheels and the braking on all four wheels to get you back in line. In practice it's pretty amazing. Once on a snow covered interstate I was in the passing lane and the snow was covering all of the road markers, so I accidentally strayed too far left into the deep slush left there by the snow plows. As you might expect, I felt a tug as the deep stuff on the left started to slow that side down and try to pull the car off the road to the left, but then the stability control kicked in, beepers went off, lights flashed, and the car calmly pulled back onto the highway. Had I been in my truck ( a '98 without any of that fancy stuff) I'd have been stuck in the median for sure, in spite of my four wheel drive.
wow! i will definitely do some research into this. thanx! | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 4:26:53 PM | Britain is a much smaller country than the US and Canada yet Britains main roads are often congested, Britain to be fair has , in most major towns and cities a very good public transport system.
It does appear that there are too many cars for the road space in most major UK cities and towns.
i just wondered how many motorists would and at what price would they say enough is enough .
thank you for all your comments | |
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| would you ever sell your car if fuel got TOO expensive...?
Posted: 5/11/2008 9:47:30 PM |
wow! i will definitely do some research into this. thanx!
Prius was one of the first non-luxury cars to incorporate stability control, but I believe a number of cars are available with it now. Every manufacturer calls it by a slightly different name, but the principle is the same.
If you do consider a Prius, unfortunately the seat does not have a vertical adjustment, so that could be an issue for you. I've seen some pretty tiny people driving them, but you'd have to decide for yourself if you're comfortable in it.
It wouldn't surprise me if you end up with a Subaru. But It's worth checking out all the options!
Dave | |
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