$ 4 a gallon gas

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Now at a national average $ 3.07 are we on target for $ 4.00 a gallon or higher ?
And, will the increased costs for transportation cause a significant amount of inflation, possibly even a recession ?

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

Where is all the talk on gas prices? A couple of years ago, when it went to $3.00 per gallon there was all kinds of outrage.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Where is all the talk on gas prices? A couple of years ago, when it went to $3.00 per gallon there was all kinds of outrage.

I have noticed that the government is falling silent on the subject of higher energy costs all of the sudden. Maybe GW's making to much money on the deal and since he's not up for re-election or having to push to go to war in another country. I guess he doesn't feel the need to have a positive popularity index at this time or care what happens to the country's economy when we can't afford to manufactor anything anymore.

As for us, I'm glad we only took out a lease/buy agreement on our vehicles. We're less than 2 years away from getting into something that gets better gas milage. Presently our vehicles are rated at 19/24 and 22/29 MPG. At $2/gallon it wasn't worth the extra cost for the higher gas milage cars that were offered. Now, the prices are down for cars with better MPG's and the cost of gas is higher. It makes economic sense to make the change.

Of course, it's all foreign built cars that seem to have the best MPG. As usual it seems the American car makers are going to be behind the power curve and go in the tank again on what appears to be the latest trend for cars in the U.S.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

Now at a national average $ 3.07 are we on target for $ 4.00 a gallon or higher ?
And, will the increased costs for transportation cause a significant amount of inflation, possibly even a recession ?

What do you mean, "are we on target for $4.00 a gallon gas?"..... It's already here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the Bay Area, premium gas is around $3.98 a gallon. In the East Bay, I saw it as high as $4.27 a gallon, with a number of stations at $4.10 a gallon.

This is so outrageous and it seems everyone is just sitting back and taking it !

[nursetanya1973 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close nursetanya1973]

What do you mean, "are we on target for $4.00 a gallon gas?"..... It's already here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the Bay Area, premium gas is around $3.98 a gallon. In the East Bay, I saw it as high as $4.27 a gallon, with a number of stations at $4.10 a gallon.

This is so outrageous and it seems everyone is just sitting back and taking it !

So what do we do?

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

So what do we do?

We buy smaller cars and walk or bike ride for short trips.

I heard this morning that NY Gov Chuck Shoemer is asking congress why there is a slow down in production.

[dawg Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dawg]

I my area along the coast of Washington State, it seem to go $.08 to $.10 every week. we hit $3.45 for reagular in my town this weekend. I hope it stop soon. I wont be able to afford to go to work!!

[nursetanya1973 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close nursetanya1973]

We buy smaller cars and walk or bike ride for short trips.

I heard this morning that NY Gov Chuck Shoemer is asking congress why there is a slow down in production.

Sounds simple, but not around here it's not. Personally have a minivan that is not paid off, trading it in on something smaller is not an option right now. Walking and riding a bike will get me to the library, and to church. Everything else it out of reach. At least until I get into a lot better shape.

I have cut down on the places I go, carpool as much as possible, and combine errands, but it doesn't seem like much.

Since our country has spread out, cars are very much a necessity for most people. Are there other things we can do as well?

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Sounds simple, but not around here it's not. Personally have a minivan that is not paid off, trading it in on something smaller is not an option right now. Walking and riding a bike will get me to the library, and to church. Everything else it out of reach. At least until I get into a lot better shape.

I have cut down on the places I go, carpool as much as possible, and combine errands, but it doesn't seem like much.

Since our country has spread out, cars are very much a necessity for most people. Are there other things we can do as well?

I guess I'm just glad I took our cars out on lease with a good purchase option rather than buy them outright. I'll have to put up with the price of gas another 21 months but, if things don't change I'll be looking at the gas sipping tiny tot cars rather than the large more comfortable SUV and minivan we're driving right now.

For now I can only do the things you've suggested. That is cut back on the driving I have to do by combining all my trips into one day spent running errands and refusing to get out and drive simply for entertainment purposes. Eating out has already become a luxury rather than something we do just because we don't like to cook at home. I guess it's saving on gas expenses and how much we spend to eat each week so maybe it's not such a bad thing.

As it is I'll be looking to see if I can find either 2 or 3 year leases initially, hoping that this trend can reverse itself or that we can find alternative fuel sources and get away from our dependence/addiction to oil. AT leas if things change I won't be stuck in cramped quarters for to many years. If it doesn't, then we'll just renew the lease with an even more fuel efficient car or take the buy out option and continue on.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

$4.00 a gallon gas....I can't wait.

I was just driving down Jericho Tnpk, on LI, and my car starting beeping 'low fuel.'

So, I stopped at the next gas station, and got $10.00 worth of gas. I figured that I would fill up, when I got back to my neighborhood, and get the gas that I usually use.

Anyway, I got back into my car, drove away, and the car was still beeping at me 'low fuel.'.....$10.00 didn't even make a difference.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I guess I'm just glad I took our cars out on lease with a good purchase option rather than buy them outright. I'll have to put up with the price of gas another 21 months but, if things don't change I'll be looking at the gas sipping tiny tot cars rather than the large more comfortable SUV and minivan we're driving right now.

We may not have to buy those tiny tot cars after all. I was at the NY car show and a few company's like Ford and Lexus , Infinity have large SUV coming out in a hybred. Ford's should be out by the end of the year. Not sure about the others. It is a very slow process.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Frank it doesn't have to be a tiny tot car. My Accord V6 averages around 23mpg and the civic gets 30. This is combined driving. Both do better on the highway of course.

Hybrids aren't for anyone that doesn't do a lot of sitting in traffic or very local driving and the cost differentials don't pay out in the short term versus the same car in a standard engine.

I paid $2.86/gal in NJ Friday. Cost $36 for 3/4 tank of gas in the Accord...but I probably won't need to fill up again for another 10 days or so.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Frank it doesn't have to be a tiny tot car. My Accord V6 averages around 23mpg and the civic gets 30. This is combined driving. Both do better on the highway of course.

Hybrids aren't for anyone that doesn't do a lot of sitting in traffic or very local driving and the cost differentials don't pay out in the short term versus the same car in a standard engine.

I paid $2.86/gal in NJ Friday. Cost $36 for 3/4 tank of gas in the Accord...but I probably won't need to fill up again for another 10 days or so.

We loved our Accord V6. Will probably look at it again in a few months, but we're also going to look at the Prius. DS15 says the back seat in the Prius is more roomy than our Volvo S60... (but man am I going to miss that Turbo engine )

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Frank it doesn't have to be a tiny tot car. My Accord V6 averages around 23mpg and the civic gets 30. This is combined driving. Both do better on the highway of course.

Hybrids aren't for anyone that doesn't do a lot of sitting in traffic or very local driving and the cost differentials don't pay out in the short term versus the same car in a standard engine.

I paid $2.86/gal in NJ Friday. Cost $36 for 3/4 tank of gas in the Accord...but I probably won't need to fill up again for another 10 days or so.

Lawren we are not compairing the same type of car. The Accord is a mid size car. I am talking large SUV. Mine BTW is now up to 10 MPG because I have done a lot of highway driving. I was getting as low as 9.1 mpg avg. It might get up to 11 or 12 MPG this weekend since I have a long trip to VA.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Lawren we are not compairing the same type of car. The Accord is a mid size car. I am talking large SUV. Mine BTW is now up to 10 MPG because I have done a lot of highway driving. I was getting as low as 9.1 mpg avg. It might get up to 11 or 12 MPG this weekend since I have a long trip to VA.

Yes Frank I have seen the tank you drive....and I have to say the I left vehicles with that poor mileage behind with my '72 Buick Riviera 455s. I sat on those gas lines on alternate days and I swore never again. I have never purchased a car that got less than 20mpg since.

There ARE plenty of good mileage SUVs out there. Here is a list for 2007 models from Edmonds.

Top 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Trucks and SUVs of 2007

Granted most are small to mid-sized SUVs but they get well over 20mpg.

The point of my original post was that the hybrids <cars or suvs> comand a HUGE premium on their price tag and they do not pay back the difference in the near term.