Saving fuel? BAH!

[RedScare]

CDeb, I am quite sure that speeds on the open road haven't dropped much, if any. I can only comment on that 40 mile stretch between Houston and Conroe. Watching the news at 5 am, they always put up the Houston Transtar map and note the average speeds on the area highways. The last couple of days, they mostly said 69 mph, a 1 mph reduction from a few weeks ago. So, at least according to Transtar, they haven't slowed up much, if at all.

Beware the dangers of anecdotal evidence!

Nice job on the mileage, BTW. I'm still stuck around 19.

[TJones]

Well, I can testify that I have slowed from 80mph to 70mph, and though it feels like I am crawling, it only added about 5 minutes to my drive time. The gas savings are definately showing. About 24MPG in the 24V Taurus.

[BryanS]

I am noticing that I have to weave among slow(er) cars on the freeway, much more frequently, as I continue to keep the speedometer indicator straight up at 80 mph, as I have done, forever. If you see this old beat up gold-looking Toyota with an ever-so slight film of oil (and dirt) stuck to it, with a mismatched, slightly misaligned headlight - that is me. PLEASE MOVE.

EDIT: Getting 30 mpg.

[TJones]

I am noticing that I have to weave among slow(er) cars on the freeway, much more frequently, as I continue to keep the speedometer indicator straight up at 80 mph, as I have done, forever. If you see this old beat up gold-looking Toyota with an ever-so slight film of oil (and dirt) stuck to it, with a mismatched, slightly misaligned headlight - that is me. PLEASE MOVE.

EDIT: Getting 30 mpg.

Is it a Toyota Corolla ? Resembles a beater, with some poorly tinted windows ?

[N Judah]

I am noticing that I have to weave among slow(er) cars on the freeway, much more frequently, as I continue to keep the speedometer indicator straight up at 80 mph, as I have done, forever. If you see this old beat up gold-looking Toyota with an ever-so slight film of oil (and dirt) stuck to it, with a mismatched, slightly misaligned headlight - that is me. PLEASE MOVE.

EDIT: Getting 30 mpg.

No weaving allowed. Get in the left lane and hope for the best. If it's too clogged, that means the freeway as a whole is jammed, so everyone must still slow down along with the flow of traffic. All apologies, and I hope you arrive at the congestion/bottleneck sooner than everyone else.

[20thStDad]

Has anyone seen a study or done their own research on one gas versus another? Not only the regular vs premium, but different brands. I realize at some level they sell each other's gas, refineries don't only feed their company's stations, but certain ones have different additives that are supposed to help one way or another. I get gas at Bucee's more often now, and I wonder if that affects anything versus Chevron or whatever. Is grocery store or Sam's club gas crap?

[houstonmacbro]

Has anyone seen a study or done their own research on one gas versus another? Not only the regular vs premium, but different brands. I realize at some level they sell each other's gas, refineries don't only feed their company's stations, but certain ones have different additives that are supposed to help one way or another. I get gas at Bucee's more often now, and I wonder if that affects anything versus Chevron or whatever. Is grocery store or Sam's club gas crap?

I fill up at Sam's weekly or every other week because it's on my way to work and it's cheaper.

Crap? Rubbish!

It runs in my car just like any other gas.

My sister is an analyst at Chevron and because of her insider knowledge (in other words, what they have brainwashed her into believing) she will ONLY put super premium in her car (preferably Chevron) as she swears it burns better and longer.

I have never noticed any difference between any gas brands, but I drive a 4-cylinder Honda Civic with very little horsepower (or octane/horsepower needs) to begin with.

[CDeb]

You will not get better gas milage by using premium over regular. Premium gasoline burns more easily than regular and is meant to reduce knocking in high-performance vehicles. It won't make any difference in a Civic/Camry/Taurus.

And you won't get better milage by using Chevron over Sam's...initially.

But gasoline is just like anything else, you get what you pay for. Over time, the lack of detergent additives in the cheap swill will cause build up of deposits on your intake valves which will hurt engine performance and thus, gas milage. It won't happen after a tank or two, it takes thousands of miles to add up.

Of course, I'm a former Chevron employee, so maybe I'm brainwashed, too. I don't have brand loyalty, but I stay away from the cheap stuff.

[memebag]

Premium gasoline burns more easily than regular and is meant to reduce knocking in high-performance vehicles.

A message from the science police:

High octane gasoline reduces knocking in high compression engines by burning less easily, not more easily. It has a higher activation energy.

[CDeb]

A message from the science police:

High octane gasoline reduces knocking in high compression engines by burning less easily, not more easily. It has a higher activation energy.

DOH! I knew that! Thanks for the correction.

[RedScare]

True about the additives. About the only thing to worry about in off-brand gas is that the gas does not have additives, and if the station is old, the underground tanks may have more water in them. Even this is not a big problem if you do not fill up after the tanker was there, as wataer and gas do not mix.

When gasoline is shipped by pipeline, they send it by alternating the grades. The first or last 1000 feet of a particular grade of gas may be sold to off-brand retailers, since the grades will mix a little bit. Even this is not a problem, as you may get a little higher or lower octane than advertised is all.

FWIW, the additves, such as Techron, are usually sold at auto parts stores, so you can add a bottle every so often to clean your jets without paying extra for premium gasoline.

[BryanS]

Is it a Toyota Corolla ? Resembles a beater, with some poorly tinted windows ?

MR2. Doesn't resemble a beater; IT IS a beater. Unfortunately, I have been unable to poorly tint the windows, as of yet. That would be a nice touch... eventually. Only about 6K more miles, and it makes it to the moon. I will let it rest then.

[missmsry]

Going against the flow here, but my hubby and I are planning to replace our 11-year-old 4-wheel drive with a newer, but used SUV. Of course we use this vehicle for hauling all our camping gear and kayaks. All our vacations are within the U.S. and we haven't flown anywhere in over 7 years. I have saved tons of money by not working outside the home since last November. This allows me to not drive over 30 miles a month. ONce my 10 year old VW Bug with 34,000 miles dies, I will never have another car. I ride my bike or walk to the grocery store, I have the time to check out sales on food, grow vegetables and recycle. And my house is a lot cleaner. I miss my paycheck, but that's about all.

[crunchtastic]

Only about 6K more miles, and it makes it to the moon. I will let it rest then.

and THEN it goes back to the future, right? Can't resist.

Don't know what it is about that model, but that's all I can think when I see one.

[RedScare]

and THEN it goes back to the future, right? Can't resist.

Don't know what it is about that model, but that's all I can think when I see one.

Oh, crunch, you silly goose. MR2 is a Toyota. Back To The Future was a DeLorean.

Now, put down the pipe and go to bed.

[CDeb]

Oh, crunch, you silly goose. MR2 is a Toyota. Back To The Future was a DeLorean.

Red, didn't you know you can get one of these as an aftermarket add-on?

Sadly, I don't think it is available for old MR2's.

And at today's energy prices, that one-point-twenty-one JIGAwatts is a mutha!

[houstonmacbro]

I have saved tons of money by not working outside the home since last November.

You're lucky. Not everyone has the means to do this.

[memebag]

You're lucky. Not everyone has the means to do this.

Yah. I'd lose tons of money if I stopped working outside my home. And I'd get really tired of my home.

[houstonmacbro]

Yah. I'd lose tons of money if I stopped working outside my home. And I'd get really tired of my home.

I know right! I get tired of my home if I have a 3-day weekend.

[Subdude]

Going against the flow here, but my hubby and I are planning to replace our 11-year-old 4-wheel drive with a newer, but used SUV. Of course we use this vehicle for hauling all our camping gear and kayaks. All our vacations are within the U.S. and we haven't flown anywhere in over 7 years. I have saved tons of money by not working outside the home since last November. This allows me to not drive over 30 miles a month. ONce my 10 year old VW Bug with 34,000 miles dies, I will never have another car. I ride my bike or walk to the grocery store, I have the time to check out sales on food, grow vegetables and recycle. And my house is a lot cleaner. I miss my paycheck, but that's about all.

How can you have a 10-year old VW Bug? They stopped selling them in the US in the 1970s.

[RedScare]

How can you have a 10-year old VW Bug? They stopped selling them in the US in the 1970s.

Maybe she got an illegal immigrant from Mexico.

[ricco67]

Maybe she got an illegal immigrant from Mexico.

You mean, smuggle an alien, get a car?

well, that's ONE way to get a car with better milage.

[Guest mpg girl]

Then raise it a little higher, just to be sure. If it is too high then -worst comes to worst- you get extra tax money or maybe even get to make the politically heroic decision to cut the tax. But whatever you do, do it only once so that people don't have to keep making lifestyle adjustments over and over.

Well, this thread caught my attention so I thought I'd join the forum.

A few things that really bother me about the gas price delimna..

We've traditionally been subjected to lower gas prices than other parts of the country I assume due to transporting costs. I have associates in Chicago, Detroit and parts of California that I talk to on a regular basis that claim to be at or below our current gas prices... Doesn't make much sense considering the origination of our fuel.

So many people are trading in suvs and trucks and have haulted buying them, it's really hurting our automotive retail market. Not to mention on trade-in's, we're simply getting killed on our vehicle values. I work alongside of automotive retail and I've had several local dealers tell me that auction prices for trucks and suvs, which drive the market and in-turn determine the current trade-in value we can expect for our vehicles are off by $6,000 to $10,000 right now. I wish people would carefully do the math before they throw away their trucks and automatically assume it's a bad decision to purchase one. If you calculate the annual fuel savings between an economy car and a Chevy Silverado truck (as an example) you're in the ballpark of $1,000 to $1,500 in yearly savings on gas. And... there are a lot of options to make your vehicle run better/get better gas mileage that are available if you do your research.

[musicman]

welcome mpg girl

[Guest mpg girl]

welcome mpg girl

ty

[CDeb]

We've traditionally been subjected to lower gas prices than other parts of the country I assume due to transporting costs. I have associates in Chicago, Detroit and parts of California that I talk to on a regular basis that claim to be at or below our current gas prices... Doesn't make much sense considering the origination of our fuel.

Well, my relatives in Cleveland in Chicago generally report gas prices are about $0.15 to $0.30 higher than in Houston. And by the way, there are several refineries in California, so transportation isn't much of an issue for them, either.

So many people are trading in suvs and trucks and have haulted buying them, it's really hurting our automotive retail market. Not to mention on trade-in's, we're simply getting killed on our vehicle values. I work alongside of automotive retail and I've had several local dealers tell me that auction prices for trucks and suvs, which drive the market and in-turn determine the current trade-in value we can expect for our vehicles are off by $6,000 to $10,000 right now. I wish people would carefully do the math before they throw away their trucks and automatically assume it's a bad decision to purchase one. If you calculate the annual fuel savings between an economy car and a Chevy Silverado truck (as an example) you're in the ballpark of $1,000 to $1,500 in yearly savings on gas. And... there are a lot of options to make your vehicle run better/get better gas mileage that are available if you do your research.

I know RedScare can handle this one pretty well.....

[ricco67]

So many people are trading in suvs and trucks and have haulted buying them, it's really hurting our automotive retail market. Not to mention on trade-in's, we're simply getting killed on our vehicle values. I work alongside of automotive retail and I've had several local dealers tell me that auction prices for trucks and suvs, which drive the market and in-turn determine the current trade-in value we can expect for our vehicles are off by $6,000 to $10,000 right now. I wish people would carefully do the math before they throw away their trucks and automatically assume it's a bad decision to purchase one. If you calculate the annual fuel savings between an economy car and a Chevy Silverado truck (as an example) you're in the ballpark of $1,000 to $1,500 in yearly savings on gas. And... there are a lot of options to make your vehicle run better/get better gas mileage that are available if you do your research.

This is true, I'm seriously pondering whether I want to purchase an SUV on the cheap so that I can "trash" and stuffing bikes and gear in. maybe even "rent out" to friends that may need it, who are now purchasing smaller cars. Of course, I'm still looking at a Smark Car/Civic/Yaris for my daily driving needs.

[CDeb]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iR8_acX...PIrPBgD913S9480

India and Malaysia axe fuel price subsidies.

Could be good news for US drivers.

[RedScare]

Well, this thread caught my attention so I thought I'd join the forum.

A few things that really bother me about the gas price delimna..

We've traditionally been subjected to lower gas prices than other parts of the country I assume due to transporting costs. I have associates in Chicago, Detroit and parts of California that I talk to on a regular basis that claim to be at or below our current gas prices... Doesn't make much sense considering the origination of our fuel.

So many people are trading in suvs and trucks and have haulted buying them, it's really hurting our automotive retail market. Not to mention on trade-in's, we're simply getting killed on our vehicle values. I work alongside of automotive retail and I've had several local dealers tell me that auction prices for trucks and suvs, which drive the market and in-turn determine the current trade-in value we can expect for our vehicles are off by $6,000 to $10,000 right now. I wish people would carefully do the math before they throw away their trucks and automatically assume it's a bad decision to purchase one. If you calculate the annual fuel savings between an economy car and a Chevy Silverado truck (as an example) you're in the ballpark of $1,000 to $1,500 in yearly savings on gas. And... there are a lot of options to make your vehicle run better/get better gas mileage that are available if you do your research.

I think your friends are feeding you a line. Go check out www.gasbuddy.com. Chicago gas is at $4.20 versus $3.82 in Houston. California is also well over $4.00.

As for trading in the behemoth, I agree. Losing 6-10 thousand bucks on your investment PLUS paying at or above sticker on the new fuel efficient vehicle adds up to huge losses. The better route is to drive slower, cut out unnecessary trips, and take the park & ride to work. But, like everything else, these decisions vary from person to person. You have to do your own math. A good way to figure it out is to actually figure out what you are spending. Divide your gas mileage into the price of a gallon of gas to get your cost per mile. Then multiply that times the number of miles you drive per month to get a cost per month. Compare this number to the estimated cost per month of a new fuel efficient vehicle. But, don't stop there. The gas savings will be offset by the loan payment on the new car. This loan payment might include up to $10,000 extra if your current SUV is upside down. If the gas savings per month does not offset the new car payment, it is probably not worth trading in yet.

As auto manufacturers turn out more fuel efficient cars and the trade-in frenzy subsudes on gas guzzlers, the prices will stabilize. By this time next year, the math will be much more favorable.

BTW, last week, I finally got over 20 mpg on my truck....20.33 mpg on a 17 mpg EPA estimate Tundra. I set cruise control on 60-62 mph on the highway. Over the course of a year (25,000 miles), that's a savings of almost $1,100 just by driving the speed limit. And, it's NOT that bad. In the last few weeks, no one tailgates me anymore. The average speed may still be around 70 mph, but the 80 mph drivers have nearly disappeared, and people seem to be more tolerant of slower drivers now. Once gas hits the magic $4.00, I expect it to become even more noticeable.

[20thStDad]

I would think your mileage would improve, although slightly, as it gets hotter (not accounting for a/c usage at least). do you think that has anything to do with it? Wind resistance is slightly less with the less-dense warm air, and O2 levels shouldn't be hurt because there are sensors that keep that where they need to be anyway.

I also think wind itself plays a bigger part that you would think. If I can feel my car being blown around, it definitely affects the power/efficiency I'm getting.