after having an suv-pickup could you go back 2 a car

[Backwoods_VT]

Just wondering if with the high gas prices anyone has sold their suv or pickup for a car thats good on gas. I did just that last year when gas was 3.25/gal , i got bored with a car and since have sold it and have gone to a pick up which only gets 14mpg. But its so much more fun to drive, and i can throw everything in the back. Anyone sorry they made the move to a car? A few friends did the same move and now are sorry they bought a 4 cyl car and are going to an suv again. All thoughts are welcome.

 

[victory]

i think you'll miss the car when gas hits 3.25/gal again.

 

[Backwoods_VT]

ouch dont even joke like that. I thought it was gona go back down .

 

[rosconey2]

leave my full size van in the driveway most of the time and drive my new corolla-

and dont think for a minute gas will stay this low-they know we will pay 3$ plus and will find another way to get it back up

 

[victory]

I'm betting the prices we're seeing this winter are just to lure us back in before they spank us again in the summer. If you need a truck or SUV, you should really be looking closely at those MPG figures and if Detroit continues to refuse to make anything competitive, go foreign.

Personally, i went from a V8, to a supercharged V6, picked up 5-8mpg and a second and a half in the 0-60. There's ways to get power without dumping gas all the time.

 

[ttmaniac]

Nevermind that a 350 chevy v8 has been developed to get 150mpg with a carburetor...or the 8 horse briggs and stratton that develops 120 brake horsepower via planetary gears in the transmission...

 

[lizardman_u]

i have a 2000 Tahoe (great for throwing stuff in for a trip) and 17 mpg, a 1997 GMC 4x4 pickup extended cab short box (great for getting building supplies for home improvement projects @ 12-14 mpg, and a 1976 stingray that on short around town drives gets 12-15 mpg but on long drives gets 25 mpg. I could pick up a small commuter car to go to work, but I really prefer to just pay the extra in gas and drive the Tahoe, I like sitting a tad higher and not having highway and weather conditions effect me while driving (yes I slow down in hard rain, snow, ice and fog) and being able to get from point A to point B in a reasonable amount of time.

Dave

 

[Bob W]

Nope, I need the truck for work. But I keep a car and motorcycle for any driving that doesn't specifically require a truckbed.

-Bob

 

[victory]

Nevermind that a 350 chevy v8 has been developed to get 150mpg with a carburetor...or the 8 horse briggs and stratton that develops 120 brake horsepower via planetary gears in the transmission...

yeah, tell me where i can pick one up :jerkit:

in theory, Detroit could be competitive if they cared to be, but evidently they don't. I'm not a hater either, I own a Buick, had a Ford, but despite making great engines, GM is 5 years behind their closest European or Japaneses competitor. Ford is starting to look like they want to try and compete, but it will take them years to reclaim any of their market. 10+ years ago the Taurus was the #1 car in America, tell me how many years it will be before the 500 even puts a dent in the Camry and Accord?

 

[huugh]

But its so much more fun to drive

 

[AJ]

Simple answer... nope!

AJ

 

[yablanowitz]

Shucks, I kept the old gas guzzling '82 GMC 3500 for when I NEED a truck. Burned 50 gallons of gas with it in the last year (I don't drive it unless I really NEED a truck). Every time I drive the old rattletrap, I remember why I haven't gotten rid of it. Mostly I stick with my cars that get two to three times the gas milage.

 

[ttmaniac]

yeah, tell me where i can pick one up :jerkit:

Actually many products have been developed to cut fuel consumptiom...follow the money trail and you'll know why we aren't using it...Victory, you obviously can't stop jerking it and do the research to find out they used the heat from the exhaust manifold to pre-heat the fuel before it went to the carb...this preheating causes the fuel to expand allowing the car to consume far less fuel....so you can keep on jerkin it ya dunce!

 

[B Finnigan]

I drive a 4Runner so it's technically a SUV but it gets around 28-30 MPG. With the seats folded down I can haul alot of stuff. I have a F250 but it's just for heavy hauling (8 MPG).

I would never consider selling it despite $3 gas prices.

 

[Shann]

I've got a Ranger at 17mpg. I'd get a small car like a Toyota, but I'd have to put a lot of miles on the car to justify buying a second vehicle, just for gas mileage. I'm not getting rid of the truck. Eventually, when it gets up over 100,000 miles and I don't trust if for everyday driving, I will get a new car and keep the truck for weekend duty.

 

[cockroachfarm]

I NEED both, so I HAVE both.

 

[4W4K3]

I couldn't imagine driving a truck or SUV for daily use. In my line of work, with my lifestyle....absolutely no reason for a truck or SUV. I could get by with a Miata if I wanted to. I like 25-35MPG, anything lower than 20MPG will probably never be in my garage.

If gas goes to $3.00+ again, I will most likely get a motorcycle. I'm not paying that much for gas, and I bring absolutely nothing to work so it wouldn't be a problem. I might jsut leave my car at the GF's place (2-3 miles from work) and drive my bike from work to home when necessary (~30 miles). I looked into getting a bike about a year ago, taking the MSF course, etc. But it never happened, and at the time I didn't haev a steady job. This year is much better...so maybe it will happen?

 

[ttmaniac]

Hey all...in FL you can ride with no insurance if you own your own motorcycle.....that's a cheap ride...they have more regulations for bicycles here than motorbikes

 

[4W4K3]

Motorcycle insurance is dirt cheap, at least here it is. I think I'd rather be covered in case of an accident for a small price than ride around uninsured hoping nobody hits me bad enough to go to the hospital. I believe my quote for motorcycle insurance was about 1/3 what I pay for car insurance, and I only pay $116/month for car insurance (all medical coverages). Of course this was on an older 500cc bike, nothing insane.

 

[MVF]

Just to keep a little perspective, most people would be hard pressed to save even $1000/year by going to a better gas mileage vehicle. "(number of miles driven/year divided by gas mileage of new vehicle) minus (number of miles driven/year divided by gas mileage of existing vehicle) times price of a gallon of gas = your savings. Then factor in utility, comfort, enjoyment, etc. It usually costs more than the money you save to have a second vehicle.