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With the daily rise in gas prices, what's the effect on you? What changes. if any, have you you made in your daily routine? Any good tips for others?

For me, other than the daily heartburn, we're plugging along. Current gas prices in central Virginia are currently averaging $3.70 per gallon for unleaded regular. I'm fortunate, I have a ten mile interstate commute to work. My wife is not working and only ventures out several days a week. We're homebodies and and spend a lot of time at home. We're doing more errands planning, combining trips, etc. I come in contact with many people at work that are truly struggling. The main benefit from the higher prices will be conservation. Hopefully prices will stabilize and decline. I had planned to sell our 2006 NewBeetle diesel. Diesel fuel prices average around $4.30, but it averages forty plus miles per gallon. Currently it's a keeper. With five vehicles, one V8, one V6, and three four cylinders. Although the prices are high, the supply is adequate for now. Could be worse.

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THE MON55TER ON THE BLOCK

Twisted

Yea, unfortunately times are changing, but if you're a good driver and its in your budget (because high fuel prices have to be nowadays) and you can easily get by, then it should be fine.

I'll be stepping into a 350 shortly and while it may not have the fuel consumption of a smartcar for instance, it's a good vehicle and i think nowadays with technology, i've found that even bigger sized engines have a lot better fuel consumption than it used to.

For me currently, i plan ahead when going to work, it all depends on what time i leave, weather etc... Also i'm not going out as much and sensible driving and not driving like some people out there drive. Its good to stretch the legs of your car over long distances but its senseless revving and trying to get one car ahead in bumper to bumper traffic.

DesignoSLK

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There isn't much I can do about my 90 mile commute . . . yet, but I have dropped my speed to 90 mph. And you know what? I only lose about 5 minutes . . . amazing. It IS tough to have people fly past me though.

I don't know what my mileage was at 100-110, but I'm now getting 24 mpg.

I suppose I could drop my speed even further, but honestly, on the A6, if you're not driving at least 90 you risk the chance of literally getting run down in some places!!

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Kevin
An American in Germany...
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'00 SLK230 Designo copper, '06 Saturn Vue, Cessna 172 (pilot)

dltslk

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We were thinking about swapping the Passat wagon for an Audi S4 wagon but gas prices have made us rethink, the Passat averages 26-28 MPG w/ 32 on the highway, so it stays for now (and probably longer). I've been told by the household "authority" that two 4-wheel toys (55 and GTO) are enough!

surowy

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I'm personally not worried about that. Last three years I've been paying between 4,3-5zl (1,95-2,25$) per litre of unleaded 98 octane gas at the pump. So I got used to it . My daily commute is about 30km's in the city. My average fuel economy on 9000km distance is 13L/100km. However, many people use diesel cars here, so they may have to get used to new prices of diesel which now is being sold at 4,65 zl for 1L !!!! (it was sold for 3,85 before) That's sick! Food prices in Poland grew about 7% in the begining of the year compared to previous january (because of overall economic situation) and now it seems that it won't stop as prices of transportation will soar. For my family, even worse is that food distributors will have their margins squeezed to the limits as costs will become considerably higher (along with fuel prices there is a really fast growth of remunerations in Poland). So, anyone to hire me in the US for summer holidays so I'll be able to maintain my weight?


PS. It's not so bad in my case

surowy

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dtslk: How was your visit to Poland?

Ikarus

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There are people who successfully argue that gas prices in the US are still in bargain territory. I tend to agree. In the mid to long term, prices can only go up.

The SLK is definitely the last 6 cylinder car I have bought. The next one will be a four-banger with forced injection and >35mpg. Let's hope the car industry will provide enough zippy alternatives. With the way Daimler has been going in the recent past (think AMG 6.3), I'm not holding much hope that it will be a Mercedes.

Tummy

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For the last three years, I fly to Cleveland every week and drive my gas guzzler SUV 60 miles per day to the client site and hotel. My airfare has gone up from around $150 to a little over $300 / week, and I spend about $300 / month on gas, up about $100/mo. My expenses are included in my rate, but I'm not going to renegotiate any time soon. I would rather eat the extra cost, than risk losing the client.

My Infiniti SUV gets around 17 MPG, mostly highway. For a while, I was thinking about replacing it with something more efficient, but it would cost too much to switch due to depreciation of whatever I would get. Depreciation on a new vehicle would be more than the cost of running my old one with higher fuel prices.

I have concern that if prices continue to bubble, many people in the US will have trouble buying the necessities. I think many people in the US are on the edge as it is already. The US is not like Europe where people are use to high gas prices and have a much larger use of public transportation. Where I work in Cleveland, people rely on the car so much that they don't even bother building sidewalks!

DansSlk

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But to be fair its not really a case of being used to something is it.

If you can afford to fuel it cheaper than replacing it then its no problem really is it, when it gets to the point that you can't afford to run it for the same price you can use it less or sell it, it's not the fault of anybody else what car you pick.

It's like servicing cost's it should all be thought about when purchasing the vehicle.

I don't mean to sound like I'm picking on you here because nothing could be further from the truth i just get a little annoyed when people complain about such insignificant things, in Europe we are certainly not used to prices as high as these but we seem to cope, in my house for example i spend over $200 a month on fuel for the SLK but my wife and i set a fuel budget each month and base our car usage on that, with her car being in daily use it gets priority so if we have money spare i can use the SLK more and if it cost a lot to keep her car running for the month the SLK gets used less.

If prices in the US rise to the point that people cannot afford to run cars that are only economical compared when to Concorde or an SR-71 well just sell them and buy something more economical, simple as.

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N4PWJ

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haha...you americans should try living in the UK, prices for petrol and diesel are just completely ridiculous...you can actually watch the price going up from one day to the next.

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Although this is the largest increase in oil prices with no end in sight, we've seen several large spikes in the past several years. Most people continue to buy fuel inefficient vehicles. No shortage of newer large SUVs and full size trucks on the roads here in the USA. I'm guilty, I have one car that's considered a "guzzler". Not a daily driver, but I'll continue to drive when I wish. It's one of my life's pleasures. I am conscious, not only of cost, but concerned about resources, and try to conserve daily.

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mtiede

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I think one of the things that hurts over here is while everyone is hurting because of the prices, especially truckers that have their diesel prices soaring and have little control of their driving and low income people who can't afford to absorb additional expenses, the oil companies are making HUGE profits. Although I have nothing against profits, the profits really do seem obscene in the light of EVERYONE's plight.

Tummy

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I found that the median US income is $25,149 where in the UK it's £22,800.

Though you can't directly compare it since taxes are so different, $25,149 is currently equal to £12,734. Could you live with £12,734 / year gross?

I found that the median tax in the UK is around £4,000, but couldn't find the amount for the US.

From my limited understanding, the UK has several advantages compared to the US. Socialized healthcare allow everyone access and basic preventive care. 16% of the people in the US are without health insurance and if anything major happens to them, they will be financially wiped out. VAT taxes the wealthy, who buy more, than the lower incomes because it is based on consumption / spending.

Last week I paid $3.80 / gallon, this week the same station is $4.07.

ir-ops

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may 22nd: u.s. light sweet crude for july delivery reached $135.09, taking its gain for this year so far above 40 percent.

opec has blamed price rises on speculators, as there is no shortage of oil, but:

aa) falling u.s. stocks because of fall in imports, and
bb) a pick-up in demand from refineries, combined with
cc) a continuing weakness of the u.s. dollar, while
dd) worldwide investors are moving money into oil from other areas.

addressing a capital leaders forum in athens, greece, via satcom yesterday, alan greenspan talked of this oil race showing signs of a bubble, however the international crisis and domino effects are already severe.

one thing is for sure though: some people make tons of $ because of this crisis, while other sink deeper into the deepest of poverties...

just my 2c
ir-ops

Ikarus

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This is what should give is comfort and confidence that eventually market forces will take over and prices will drop back to where they were a few years ago and this is certainly what OPEC and big oil want us to believe. I very much doubt it, though. There may be some element of a short-term bubble right now, but in the mid to long term, prices will head only one way, and that's up. Discovery of new oil resources has been steadily falling behind world-wide demand for quite while now and with emerging markets like China and India pushing demand to new heights, I don't see reasons why this should change. It is high time the world finds tools and means to rid itself of its oil addiction.

dltslk

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We had a very nice time. Scenery around Zakopane was beautiful. Also very nice people and good food. Sorry, OT.

HwoALanG

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planning to get 2nd car ~ RSX or civic nature....cause i need the performance while good MPG~ i drive about 20mile or little more everyday...

DansSlk

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On 12k a year, no probably not but thats a choice i made when doing things like building my house and so on, if i knew i only had 12k a year then i would economize to run on it.

Yeah we have the VAT system that taxes you on what you buy and the NHS does mean that everybody has access to healthcare so thats a good thing, i understand that health insurance in the US is very expensive so it's not really very fair.

On the other hand thing's can be purchased much cheaper in the US in the first place and while the general cost of living increase is unavoidable and it will be hard for many many people the amount spent on fuel is not an unavoidable cost, you pay for what you use and if you have a huge car that burns a lot of fuel that's not really anybody else's fault is it.

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KTownAMG

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Oh I know your pain. I was there in the UK a couple of weeks ago and filled up a MB A-160. It was nearly $120...

KTownAMG