When will you drastically change your driving habits?

[dboat]

With the price of gasoline above $2.50 a gallon, when will you change your driving habits? One of the latest polls that I saw showed that the American public will start to really change their habits at $3.00 per gallon.
Dana

[my2002lightning]

The price is a contributing factor for me - $2.79/gal. for 93 at the Shell down Bethany, today. :mad: These idiot drivers running all around is certainly another - couldn't imagine the L getting banged-up due to their ineptitude.

Keeping miles off the L has always been a factor, even before the gas-hike - 35,5xx on the odo. and thinking about the ESP. Glad we hung onto Elaine's commuter for my 1 hour one-way commutes about DFW.

Here are some stats I grabbed off the 'net for comparative numbers:

Australia AUD$1.27/litre = US$3.71/gal
Holland Euro 1.41/litre = US$6.64/gal
Italy Euro 1.24/litre = US$5.84/gal
Germany Euro 1.24/litre = US$5.84/gal
U.K. 86p/litre = US$5.91/gal
Bora Bora = US$6.50/gal
Tahiti = US $$5.99/gal

Oh, and Caracas, Venezuela...$0.14 US / Gallon while motorists in Norway are paying USD $6.68 per gallon ! :hammer:

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1094136.ece

Evidently, for a gallon of gas:

43% goes to crude-oil suppliers
31% goes to taxes of various forms :cool:
13% goes to refining costs / profits
13% goes to distributing / marketing costs and profits

http://money.howstuffworks.com/gas-price2.htm

I've never regretted taking the L home, though. :)

Ronald

[98Cobra]

I paid $2.75/gal today, so you may wanna inflate those prices a bit :(

[wesman]

I don't care how much it is....still gonna have my fun.

Let's do math...say it goes up another .25 a gallon to $3.00 . I fill up 2-3 times a week between the cars (they all use premium :bs). So, that's $5 per fill up for a 20 gal average. So lets go with the 3 times per week, that's $15 a week or $60 a month. So that's $720 a year.

Honestly $720 a year is not going to make or break me.......the driving habits mean nothing, it's the intangiables that are killing us. If gas goes that high, diesel goes that high. WE all know that means everything goes up from food to materials to steel etc etc etc.

It's just fueling the machine.....just like the forms you have to fill out in triplicate so three people can do a job one person could do.

--wes

[Lyfisin]

Wes, are you saying at $3.00/gallon your costs will go up $720.00 a year or your total fuel costs will be $720.00/year.

If I fill up 15 gallons once a week at $3.00 a gallon, that's $45.00/fillup/week. In 52 weeks, that's $2340.00/yr.

I haven't changed my driving habits when I'm behind the wheel of the L, but I am probably driving the L less often. It's not cause I can't afford the gas. It just irks me it's that high. I know my using less is insignificant in the big world of oil, but I still feel a little better about it.

Brook

[wesman]

Wes, are you saying at $3.00/gallon your costs will go up $720.00 a year or your total fuel costs will be $720.00/year.

If I fill up 15 gallons once a week at $3.00 a gallon, that's $45.00/fillup/week. In 52 weeks, that's $2340.00/yr.

I haven't changed my driving habits when I'm behind the wheel of the L, but I am probably driving the L less often. It's not cause I can't afford the gas. It just irks me it's that high. I know my using less is insignificant in the big world of oil, but I still feel a little better about it.

Brook

That's on top of the average fuel costs. ie, what the price hike is doing to me:throw:

--wes

[skalywags]

I still go to work everyday in the L, and still try to go riding the dirt bike on the weekend. Since I haven't found anything close, I still go to the ones I know. It's not unusual to put 200 - 300 miles on the weekend. Plus at least 5 more gallons for the bike. What hurts me, is the L doesn't like to go under 80 mph

[03LightningRocks]

Wes isn't alone in his thinking. Americans are sucking up gas as quick as it can be refined. We are still buying gas guzzlers and still driving all over hell and back.

I agree that the real hurt comes from the increased costs of shipping goods all over the country. I can tell you that it is beginning to have a serious affect on my companies bottom line. Spending almost one dollar more per gallon of gas compared to just one year ago?

Rocks:mad:

[L8 APEX]

I thought this was along the lines of getting married, having a child, or killing a passenger.:hammer: The Europeans have been paying $5 a gal forever. I hate that my gas bill is more than my truck payment but I can't operate without it we are all hostage to the pump. Today was another 45 gallons and 106.21 bucks:( .

[PUMP]

when I got the L in May 2004, gas was around $1.50. By the end of May it had jumped 25% to around $1.85. If you had asked me then, I would have said that $3.00 would be the killer. After driving the L for 15-months, my answer is; Probably when I run out of cash. :d To me the mod bug costs more than the fuel. :eek2: If I wanted to save bucks, I would be looking for maods that improve economy, instead I,m trying to improve performance at the expense of fuel efficiency. knana

[Avalanche]

I would agree that the fuel cost is going to directly reflect in the everyday items tht we purchase.

I for one drive my L everyday to an from work and that is 100 miles round trip. I have gotten a couple of items to improve my gas mileage and I get between 16 and 18 miles to the gallon right now. I depends on how fast and hard I drive it but still at 16 miles to the gallon I fillup every three days at a tune of 40 to 50 bucks. :crying:

[FRDRCING]

I get around 13 mpg but with my distance to work and back I don't have to fill up but once a week. By the way I spent $48.50 to fill up this morning at Quiktrip.

[Silver_2000]

Highest I paid was $2.75 ( I think ) on my 3500 mile trip

I got over 17.5 mpg a couple times

Doug

[Avalanche]

Well my mother just came back from Burbank last night and she told me that she had to pay 4.00 a gallon at one station outside of Burbank. :flaming:

This was for 87 ocatane to boot.

[PoorSvtman]

I realy dont think that if the gas prices go up more people will drive less.. Hell at work when the prices started to get high we sold more suvs that month than the month before and people are still buying them

[Ivanhoe_Farms]

I realy dont think that if the gas prices go up more people will drive less.. Hell at work when the prices started to get high we sold more suvs that month than the month before and people are still buying them

If you look at the overall cost of vehicle ownership, gas milage is such a small part of the equation. Most of the Ls have enough mods on them to pay for a couple of years of gas at $3.00 per gallon.

If gas mileage is your prime decision maker in a car, get a hybrid, or better yet, an electric vehicle.:bs

[Moonshine]

My personal "line" was when gas hit $2.00 per gallon. Before that I bought at any gas station that was convenient that had what I thought was high quality fuel. Once super unleaded went over $2/gal I started shopping for price, and driving with a lighter foot. As far as how much I drive, I haven't changed my habits, but the vast majority of my driving isn't discretionary.

[03LightningRocks]

Some economy "experts" where discussing gas prices on Fox in the past few days. When questioned about why Americans are still sucking up gas as quick as they can, one of the gurus pointed out that to reach an equal hit with the last crises in the early 80's, gas would have to exceed 3 bucks a gallon. Apparently that would be the price it would take to become the same percentage of income it hit back then.

Thinking about it, I would say this sounds right. Look at what a 2400 square foot home sold for in 1980 and look at what the same new house costs today.
I paid 9 thousand for a 1984 2.3L mustang in 1983 and I was dumb then and paid almost sticker. The lowest end mustang is about twice that now.

Ten bucks an hour in 1980 meant you where in tall cotton. Ten bucks an hour today, means you work for Walmart. In 1982 my ex-wife worked at walmart and made 3-4 bucks an hour. I worked at 7-11 in 1980 for 3.65 an hour. Gas was around 50-60 cents a gallon if memory serves.

Maybe fuel is finally catching up to the rest of the economy:cool: .


anyway...just some late night ramblings

I found this article adjusting the price for inflation. Interesting stuff. Maybe the real crisis is still to come. http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2005/04/gasoline_prices.html

I don't think I would mind if some of the minivan crowd had to give up their SUV's. Having a few less rude yuppies with sherman tanks on the road would be a good thing.

Rocks:ron:

[03LightningRocks]

Another cool link I just found. I seem to live in a real high cost area. It is crazy that Arlington can be that much cheeper than Plano...

http://inflationdata.com/Inflation/Cost_of_Living/Cost_of_Living_Calculator.asp

[L8 APEX]

It has gone up a lot in the last few days! I have seen 93 from 2.65-2.89 locally. Diesel is 2.31-.33 at the truck stops and 2.68 at some small stations. Most of my mileage is getting a job done so I can't cut back much at all:( .

[dboat]

It is interesting to see the comments vs the vote.. we seem to be a pretty polarized group, either we have already made changes or we have no plans to make that change even at $3 per gallon. :cool:

Dana

as for me, I dont drive that far to work and back, plus 3-4 months out of the year its in the garage, so its not a huge impact to me if the price goes up much more or not.

[Silver_2000]

I really screwed up by not filling the 55 gallon tank in the boat before my vacation...

I was talking to a cousin who wanted a hybrid to save money - I asked him if he could by a hybrid version of the same car for the same $$ - he said no - I asked how much more he said - $6k or more - I asked how much better MPG it got - he said 10-15 so

do the math at 15mpg improvement you would have to drive that car a REALLY long time to just pay off the price premium

Here is a quote
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2004-09-23-accord-hybrid_x.htm


Accord hybrid is rated 30 mpg in town, 37 on the highway. The V-6 gas Accord is 21/30. A four-cylinder gas-power Civic is rated 31/38.

The trip computer in the hybrid test car, driven with no thought of maximizing fuel economy, showed a best of 33 mpg. That was a 25-mile stretch on back roads near here. Slow, winding two-lane roads registered 31.9 mpg. Hilly interstate, with the cruise control at 70 mph, registered 26 mpg.

A V-6 gas Accord, tested under typical but different circumstances, preventing apples-apples comparison, registered 18.2 mpg in suburban driving, 30 mpg during a short highway run at 65 mph.

The best you can say from all that is that the hybrid uses less fuel, but — typical of hybrids — not enough less to financially justify the purchase. In fact, it would take you more than a decade to save enough on fuel to repay that $3,400 price premium vs. a gas Accord, assuming today's gas prices, 12,000 miles a year and fuel economy as good as the ratings.

[03LightningRocks]

I didn't realize the hybrids cost so much more than other vehicles. I suppose if everyone did the math before buying them, there would not be many sold. It is possible that the market for hybrid cars comes more from tree huggers than people trying to save money.

As fuel costs rise, the hybrid cars will begin to appeal to the masses. The prices of hybrids will probably go higher with fuel prices. I can just hear the a$$wipe car salesmen refusing to bargain, claiming they don't have to.


By the way Doug....talking about the boat. You could always buy additional oars and give them to each passenger.

Rocks



I really screwed up by not filling the 55 gallon tank in the boat before my vacation...

I was talking to a cousin who wanted a hybrid to save money - I asked him if he could by a hybrid version of the same car for the same $$ - he said no - I asked how much more he said - $6k or more - I asked how much better MPG it got - he said 10-15 so

do the math at 15mpg improvement you would have to drive that car a REALLY long time to just pay off the price premium

Here is a quote
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2004-09-23-accord-hybrid_x.htm

[DamonH]

Well, that is only somewhat true. Yes, you pay a premium for the hybrid, but you also get tax breaks, and they supposedly hold their value better (Toyota Prius for example are selling OVER invoice!).

http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/irep13e_20050813.htm

In the end, I don't care much. I'll keep driving the Lightning, and once it's time for my wife to get a new car they'll have all the hybrid bugs worked out and maybe the price diff won't be as bad. ;)

-Damon


I really screwed up by not filling the 55 gallon tank in the boat before my vacation...

I was talking to a cousin who wanted a hybrid to save money - I asked him if he could by a hybrid version of the same car for the same $$ - he said no - I asked how much more he said - $6k or more - I asked how much better MPG it got - he said 10-15 so

do the math at 15mpg improvement you would have to drive that car a REALLY long time to just pay off the price premium

Here is a quote
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2004-09-23-accord-hybrid_x.htm

[gbgary]

it's my daily driver but i don't put many miles on it (only 3500 since march and several hundred of that was the drive back from cincy where i bought it) so i'll be ok for sometime.

[dboat]

Welcome!!

[TP Derrick D]

yeah welcome GB Gary.....
I guess some of you guys must be filling up @ 1/2 tank because when I fill the L up (let's say when the gas light come on) 25 gallons @ $2.75 is more than $40-$50. I have almost always used a daily driver other than the L because I drive almost 35 miles one way to work so a daily was to keep the L from getting beat to death before it was paid for.The daily had to save gas and take a lot of miles. I just bought a '99 Explorer Sport about 2 months ago,traded in '96 Sable for it. Anyway it saves a little more gas and keeps 300-400 miles a week off the L which is sitting in the driveway chillin' :cool:
the Explorer doesn't get as good MPG as the Tauras/Sables I had, but hey its not an old man car as wifey called them.

[Avalanche]

I filled up today to a tuen of 50.00 :eek2: After I filled up I figured out my gas mileage and I got 17.5 miles to the gallon. I think I will have to find a beater since I drive her 100 round a day to a from work.

[Lyfisin]

I have the same commute as you Derrick and I'm glad I don't have to drive the L also. I'm getting ready to lose my pool vehicle so I am needing to replace it with something economical. Both Trish and I want to keep the Jeep so we're looking for something for her, but I get to drive it until we move out closer to Southlake.

I get to keep the Jeep and the L. I'm so spoiled. :cool:

[Tex Arcana]

when I got the L in May 2004, gas was around $1.50. By the end of May it had jumped 25% to around $1.85. If you had asked me then, I would have said that $3.00 would be the killer. After driving the L for 15-months, my answer is; Probably when I run out of cash. :d To me the mod bug costs more than the fuel. :eek2: If I wanted to save bucks, I would be looking for maods that improve economy, instead I,m trying to improve performance at the expense of fuel efficiency. knana

Imagine how I feel: got my L in 2001 with prices in the $1.00-$1.20 range; now it's damn near $3. :mad:

The fokkers are gouging the hell out of us, and ExxonMobil NETTING $25 billion tells me they ain't hurting a bit. :throw:

[my2002lightning]

Welcome GBGary. I see you bought your L in OH, too. I bought mine in Akron/Medina in Feb/03.

I caught 7 kinds of hell down here for OH plates. Those plates are designated as target-practice. :tongue:

93 is $2.84 down the street at the Shell this evening.:cool:



it's my daily driver but i don't put many miles on it (only 3500 since march and several hundred of that was the drive back from cincy where i bought it) so i'll be ok for sometime.

[03LightningRocks]

I think we are in for far more misery than we have seen to this point. Just wait untill your electric company decides to catch up to the gas company. I am also thinking that natural gas is going to give us all a jolt this comming winter.

For me it is good news/bad news. Good news is that if energy costs start rising quick...our company does more replacement business when people want more effecient heating/cooling equipment. Bad news is that my costs to get service and install personal around town is increased by 30-40% this year already...and that is in comparison to a full year. We still have 5 months to go.

I wonder how many products we can come up with that are actually made by using oil in some way.


Rocks:flaming:

[L8 APEX]

I think the fuel cartel is just prepping everyone for one last big weekend of profits for Labor Day holiday weekend in three weeks. For some reason they love raping travel weekends. I have seen it go up a nickel on Friday and back down Monday many times.

[Lincolnlightning]

Maybe there will be less traffic on the road.Its pretty crowded on interstate.Maybe higher gas prices will be good for the people who will pay what ever price they have to to drive.

[Lyfisin]

Normally, I don't re-spam internet spew, but I thought this was kind of interesting...


You Think A Gallon Of Gas Is Expensive?
Makes one think, and puts things into perspective.

Diet Snapple 16 oz $1.29 ....... $10.32 per gallon
Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz $1.19 ...... $ 9.52 per gallon
Gatorade 20 oz $1.59 ............. $10.17 per gallon
Ocean Spray 16 oz $1.25 ........ $10.00 per gallon
Brake Fluid 12 oz $3.15 ........... $33.60 per gallon
Vick's Nyquil 6 oz $8.35 ......... $178.13 per gallon
Pepto Bismol 4 oz $3.85 .........$123.20 per gallon
Whiteout 7 oz $1.39 ............... $25.42 per gallon
Scope 1.5 oz $0.99 ................. $84.48 per gallon


And yes, I still think gas is expensive. :mad:

[gbgary]

You Think A Gallon Of Gas Is Expensive?
Makes one think, and puts things into perspective.

Diet Snapple 16 oz $1.29 ....... $10.32 per gallon
Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz $1.19 ...... $ 9.52 per gallon
Gatorade 20 oz $1.59 ............. $10.17 per gallon
Ocean Spray 16 oz $1.25 ........ $10.00 per gallon
Brake Fluid 12 oz $3.15 ........... $33.60 per gallon
Vick's Nyquil 6 oz $8.35 ......... $178.13 per gallon
Pepto Bismol 4 oz $3.85 .........$123.20 per gallon
Whiteout 7 oz $1.39 ............... $25.42 per gallon
Scope 1.5 oz $0.99 ................. $84.48 per gallon




now THAT'S funny!

[Ivanhoe_Farms]

Normally, I don't re-spam internet spew, but I thought this was kind of interesting...


You Think A Gallon Of Gas Is Expensive?
Makes one think, and puts things into perspective.

Diet Snapple 16 oz $1.29 ....... $10.32 per gallon
Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz $1.19 ...... $ 9.52 per gallon
Gatorade 20 oz $1.59 ............. $10.17 per gallon
Ocean Spray 16 oz $1.25 ........ $10.00 per gallon
Brake Fluid 12 oz $3.15 ........... $33.60 per gallon
Vick's Nyquil 6 oz $8.35 ......... $178.13 per gallon
Pepto Bismol 4 oz $3.85 .........$123.20 per gallon
Whiteout 7 oz $1.39 ............... $25.42 per gallon
Scope 1.5 oz $0.99 ................. $84.48 per gallon


And yes, I still think gas is expensive. :mad:

I didn't see anything about BEER --- or how about a good single malt scotch at $86.00 for 750 ml -- let me see , that would be about $340 a gallon --- but priceless:beer:

[Silver_2000]

Normally, I don't re-spam internet spew, but I thought this was kind of interesting...


You Think A Gallon Of Gas Is Expensive?
Makes one think, and puts things into perspective.

Diet Snapple 16 oz $1.29 ....... $10.32 per gallon
Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz $1.19 ...... $ 9.52 per gallon
Gatorade 20 oz $1.59 ............. $10.17 per gallon
Ocean Spray 16 oz $1.25 ........ $10.00 per gallon
Brake Fluid 12 oz $3.15 ........... $33.60 per gallon
Vick's Nyquil 6 oz $8.35 ......... $178.13 per gallon
Pepto Bismol 4 oz $3.85 .........$123.20 per gallon
Whiteout 7 oz $1.39 ............... $25.42 per gallon
Scope 1.5 oz $0.99 ................. $84.48 per gallon


And yes, I still think gas is expensive. :mad:

Interesting comparison BUT you dont need a couple gallons of those a day to get to work ...

Doug

[dboat]

Interesting comparison BUT you dont need a couple gallons of those a day to get to work ...

Doug

I dunno, some days I might be up for the Pepto and some days there are a few I run into that could have used the Scope... :evil
Dana

[98Cobra]

According to this guy, by next summer we might be fondly remembering the good ol' days of $3/gal gas...:eek2:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-gas17.html

[Mark #2]

According to this guy, by next summer we might be fondly remembering the good ol' days of $3/gal gas...:eek2:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-gas17.html

I was in France 10 years ago and it was around $1 a Litre, so ~$4.00 a gallon at that time. I agree with the link above.

[my2002lightning]

I noticed that 93 hit $2.89/gal. at the nearby Shell this morning.

Elaine topped-off the Liberty for $45 this morning on the 87 grade.

This used to be one of MY fill-up totals. :rolleyes:

[TP Derrick D]

This is causing a lot of gas & dash around the country. I saw on the news where a Texaco clerk in Ft Payne,Alabama (my home state) tried to stop a $52.00 gas & dash and got run over and killed. Locally @ Race-Trac in a FW location, the gas & dash has been topping $300 wk. They are watching the pumps with binos .What I can't understand is why any gas station still allow any gas to be pumped before paying . :confused: AIN'T NO WAY IN HELL I WOULD ALLOW THAT !!!!!.......

[Tex Arcana]

This is causing a lot of gas & dash around the country. I saw on the news where a Texaco clerk in Ft Payne,Alabama (my home state) tried to stop a $52.00 gas & dash and got run over and killed. Locally @ Race-Trac in a FW location, the gas & dash has been topping $300 wk. They are watching the pumps with binos .What I can't understand is why any gas station still allow any gas to be pumped before paying . :confused: AIN'T NO WAY IN HELL I WOULD ALLOW THAT !!!!!.......
This has me thinking it's time for a locking gascap... I remember a roommate of mine back in the dark ages, who had a Fiat 850 Spyder with an externally-mounted electric fuel pump, that he would use to steal fuel from cars all the time. I can just see some dingus kid in an Accord doing that, pulling up to my parked L, popping the door open, sliding a hose into the tank, and pumping out 5-10 gallons. :nono:

[TP Derrick D]

This has me thinking it's time for a locking gascap... I remember a roommate of mine back in the dark ages, who had a Fiat 850 Spyder with an externally-mounted electric fuel pump, that he would use to steal fuel from cars all the time. I can just see some dingus kid in an Accord doing that, pulling up to my parked L, popping the door open, sliding a hose into the tank, and pumping out 5-10 gallons. :nono:

YEAH, i remember 30 years ago before the end of the Arab gas embargo and the US gas shortage how locking gas caps was a must because of all the gas sphioning (sp?) going on. And to keep some low life from putting sugar in the tank.

[PUMP]

With the price of gasoline above $2.50 a gallon, when will you change your driving habits? One of the latest polls that I saw showed that the American public will start to really change their habits at $3.00 per gallon.
Dana
SVT-Lightning and Fuel Economy is an oximoron.
See the editorial cartoon in todays Dallas Morning News. A hummer owner raging about gas prices. The lightnings not as bad as the hummer but it is not that far off. The only thing efficient about a lightning is the way it handles a 1/4 mile. But lets face it, thats why we purchased 'em :burnout:

[Lyfisin]

SVT-Lightning and Fuel Economy is an oximoron.

That's true, but when people make these kind of purchases there's an expected normal inflation in mind. This increase in fuel is very unexpected. At 15mpg and 12,000 mi/year, that's 800 gallons of gas. Add an additional dollar for every gallon and somone who wasn't worried about how much gas cost them now can't buy a mod or two they want because of it.

I don't drive my L any different than before the price of gas, but I'm fortunate mine is not a daily driver. When I do take the L, I try and get more done while I'm out.

I can easily afford the gas, but this is :Bullshit .

[BC Lightning]

SVT-Lightning and Fuel Economy is an oximoron.

It reminds me of when they do a write up in magazines about Ferrari, Lambo's, etc. and they have gas mileage listed with "if you can afford the car, you can afford the gas"

My Lightning is my Daily Driver, (mainly by choice) I drive alot of highway miles and usually fill up every 3-4 days, and will always drive the same. :rolleyes:

[Avalanche]

SVT-Lightning and Fuel Economy is an oximoron.



Well I guess I am in the ellite then becuase I feel you can have power and fuel economy. I have done some mods that not only give me power at the track but they also benefit me on the HWY.

Take today for example. I filled up on the way home and it took 15 gallons, I had driven 266.7 miles. Lets do the math 266.7 / 15 = 17.78 MPG not bad at I can still play with the boys on that tune.

Brent

[WA 2 FST]

Well I guess I am in the ellite then becuase I feel you can have power and fuel economy. I have done some mods that not only give me power at the track but they also benefit me on the HWY.

Take today for example. I filled up on the way home and it took 15 gallons, I had driven 266.7 miles. Lets do the math 266.7 / 15 = 17.78 MPG not bad at I can still play with the boys on that tune.

Brent

Brent,

In another thread didn't you explain that you drive mostly highway miles and usually keep the speed ~60mph? That may have been someone else, I don't recall for sure.

I do think your gas mileage is good, but I think your driving habits attribute more to that than your tune/mods. I hardly ever get out on the highway for any extended time, and when I am on it I am typically doing 75-80mph.

I'm like Michael (BC Lightning). I'm going to drive mine with my typical driving habits. If I cannot afford the gas for it, then I will sell the truck. I have a lead foot, and if I can't enjoy the L the way I want, then I won't keep it.

Changing my driving habits would be akin to neutering the truck (removing mods and going back to stock). I wouldn't own it at that point. :)

[Avalanche]

Brent,

In another thread didn't you explain that you drive mostly highway miles and usually keep the speed ~60mph? That may have been someone else, I don't recall for sure.

I do think your gas mileage is good, but I think your driving habits attribute more to that than your tune/mods. I hardly ever get out on the highway for any extended time, and when I am on it I am typically doing 75-80mph.

I'm like Michael (BC Lightning). I'm going to drive mine with my typical driving habits. If I cannot afford the gas for it, then I will sell the truck. I have a lead foot, and if I can't enjoy the L the way I want, then I won't keep it.

Changing my driving habits would be akin to neutering the truck (removing mods and going back to stock). I wouldn't own it at that point. :)

Wes,

You are correct I do mostly hwy driving and the reason that I keep my speed at 60/65 that is two fold one is the gas mileage if I get above 2500 RPM then it drops way down and two is the police I can not afford a ticket. I can afford the gas I just do not like give the big three more cash to put in their pockets so if I can save it during the week the that is just that much more that I can play with during the weekend.

I agree with you on the statement if you can not enjoy the L then sell it but I still enjoy it besides what else can you do to someone when they come up on you a 60-65 and then you leave them standing and they can not keep up now that is fun.

I also have a lead foot that is why I use the cruise control ALOT!!!

Brent.

[WA 2 FST]

Brent,

I applaud your restraint to set the cruise on 60-65mph. I just cannot seem to do that. I set mine when I can, but its at 75+.

Your habits are just better than mine. I can't afford the tickets, either. I'm in the process of taking Defensive Driving right now to get rid of one (got it on a family trip in the Expedition :tongue: ).

I am not the guy who barrels down on people and swerves in and out of traffic, but when I get an opening, I'm just doing 75-80. You're right... that swings the tach up past 2500 and the mileage drops considerably.

[BC Lightning]

two is the police I can not afford a ticket.

V1 has saved me many times from the 5-0


Brent,
I'm like Michael (BC Lightning). I'm going to drive mine with my typical driving habits. If I cannot afford the gas for it, then I will sell the truck. I have a lead foot, and if I can't enjoy the L the way I want, then I won't keep it.

Changing my driving habits would be akin to neutering the truck (removing mods and going back to stock). I wouldn't own it at that point. :)

I figure I'm saving gas by getting to where I'm going faster:rolleyes:

[Tex Arcana]

Brent,

I applaud your restraint to set the cruise on 60-65mph. I just cannot seem to do that. I set mine when I can, but its at 75+.

Your habits are just better than mine. I can't afford the tickets, either. I'm in the process of taking Defensive Driving right now to get rid of one (got it on a family trip in the Expedition :tongue: ).

I am not the guy who barrels down on people and swerves in and out of traffic, but when I get an opening, I'm just doing 75-80. You're right... that swings the tach up past 2500 and the mileage drops considerably.

NOw here's a good example of how different each vehicle can be... I don't get better mialge 'til I hit 80-85mph. Under that, I don't do so well. Right now, in combined driving, I'm getting about 13 mpg, keeping my foot out of it, and I can't get above that to save my neck. I can't get anywhere to hit a sustained 80+, so I haven't been able to verify that claim, but it's right in the power band, so it makes sense to me.

I'm gonna talk to my wife's uncle about getting his '90 Miata, for a DD and commute car, so I can mod the L and make it even stronger. :d

[L8 APEX]

Open the poll again Doug!:D . I have changed my habits, I only blow smoke on those who really deserve it. I have slowed down about 5-10mph to 65-70 instead of 80+ like the ol' days. I don't let it idle with the A/C on like I use to. I try to accelerate a little slower from lights and on ramps that I did before. I have brought my average from 14.5 to 16.5 which is nice.:tu:

[DamonH]

I can't get anywhere to hit a sustained 80+, so I haven't been able to verify that claim, but it's right in the power band, so it makes sense to me.


My old Jeep was like that. 99 w/ an Inline 6 and 33's. I got way better gas mileage by leaving it in 4th gear on the freeway then going ahead and putting it in 5th.

[BLACKSUNSHINE]

I'v been driving my moms SATURN to work and back to save gas!! GOD what a P.O.S!! I could barely afford the lightning before and now its just killing me. SO I truely am not enjoying my L like I want to and my habits have changed to just trying not to drive it as much. Sux. Im may be forced to sell it. I dunno.

[QDRHRSE]

I know I'm late but this is an interesting post. Gas here in California is really expensive. I can't wait for it to drop below $3.00 a gallon. I drive at least 75k a year. 120 miles a day no matter what and we have a vacation home 200 miles away that we go to a lot. Even though I already live in the desert I can easily go a couple hundred miles on a riding trip on any given Saturday or Sunday too. Before gas started going crazy I bought a Honda Civic. It hurt to buy a ricer but it drove better than a comparable Focus. I get 37 MPG. I looked into getting a Hybrid but the cost didn't support the minimal increase in mileage. It would take me a long, long, long time to make up the difference plus nobody really knows what the cost of owning a Hybrid is....new batteries, parts....etc. The US needs to produce its own oil. At $40 a barrel it is feasable and right about now $40 a barrel would be cheap.

[Lyfisin]

I was in Anaheim last week and I saw gas less than $3.00 even at Chevrons, Mobils etc... Is gas in the Lancaster/Palmdale area usually more expensive?

Brook
(no e no s)

[QDRHRSE]

Well, ya 87 octane is between $2.90 and $3.00. I can only use that in my Honda. Remember, CA gas is $hit! Gas is insignificantly more expensive where I live. Really 89, and 91 are well over $3.00 a gallon. Other parts of California are far worse. Up north 87 is $.25 more. California sucks but its a great place to live.

[QDRHRSE]

....oh yeah, you were here last week. Pump prices move like lightning. The week before $3.05. Don't even get me started. I fill up every 2 days. I bet, tonight, gas will be over $3.00 again because of this latest storm...oil was up $4.00 bpd yesterday. I don't know if its the same in Texas but gas prices go up based on speculation and not events- then stay up....

[Moonshine]

To put the higher gas prices in perspective - In 2004 my wife and I spent $3000 on fuel for both vehicles (her LS1 Firebird and my L.). During the first 3 quarters of '05 we spent $4100 on fuel, so we'll be well over $5K for the year. :eek: Even though we've both switched vehicles this year, the only true difference is the cost of fuel. Her C5 gets the exact same mileage as her FB did, and my SD gets the same mileage as the L. did. And this includes the 2 months that I was driving the loaner Ford 500 and getting 20+ MPG.

[AFSVT01]

ive changed mine already. i only drive about 10 miles a day to and from work so if i stay out of the gas im ok. if i have to go anywhere else i take the wifes jeep.

[QDRHRSE]

Regular unleaded is around $2.95 a gallan here today. If anything I've been driving more. Over the summer I bough a new Honda Civic to commute in and it is paying for itself. I haven't driven my Mustang in a month or more. I will probably only drive my L evenings, weekends, and on trips. I sold the L idea on my wife because we needed a truck. I have the fastest utility truck around!

[Lincolnlightning]

Right now I am afraid to drive my lightning very much.There are to many people on our roads and lots are real aggressive right now.I also got 1 or 2 tickets a year driving my lightning.Its not cool being in assigned risk when you are almost 60 years old.If gas would go up to about $350.00 I could drive it lots more.I have started cutting back on going out to eat as much.I am not as quick to volunteer to pick up the bill when I go out with friends.I was going to buy another lightning for daily transport but bought a pickup with out a supercharger that ran on regular gas.When the girlfriends car goes out we will get something that gets lots better gas milage and use it more and the truck less.

[BC Lightning]

I have started cutting back on going out to eat as much.I am not as quick to volunteer to pick up the bill when I go out with friends.

I have cut back on eating out as much. Usually when I would go out to eat it would cost around $25+ to eat (food and maybe a couple beers, desert) and I usually would pick up the whole tab sometimes. Now, not so much. Buying in bulk at the grocery store has kept miles off the L and more $$ in the pocket. I will continue to complain about gas prices, but as far as change my driving habits that will never change. I fill up roughly every 3-5 days and is $70.00 a fill up. I will cut back on other things before I stop putting pedal to the metal. If you can't have fun in it, why have it?