Use your lunch break to fill your gas tank.

PolkThug

Last night I was whippin' some donuts in the parking lot, good times...

MattN03

PolkThug wrote:

Last night I was whippin' some donuts in the parking lot, good times...

I've been known to do a few burnouts in the Mach 1 I don't want to talk MPG when running it hard...

bobman1235

Kris Siegel wrote:

Ford Explorer isn't a large and some of really bad gas guzzlers. While it uses more gas per gallon than your average 4-cylinder (and probably v6s), it's not as bad as some of the other SUVs that get about 5-10MPG.. . .

Vehicles from the 70s and 80s used more gas per gallon than most cars (many SUVs of today get less gas milage than some of the larger vehicles from the 70s and 80s. Some of our SUVs get well under 10MPG)

Not to nitpick here, but I don't know what you think SUVs do exactly, but there aren't more than a small handful that get less than 10 MPG. Probalby just the Hummers and maybe Escalades. Even the Ford Excursion had a 10/14 MPG rating, and it's one of the largest production cars ever made. There are probably some pickups that dip below 10MPG as well, like the F350 SuperDuty's of the world, but those serve a purpose in most cases. Obviously the fuel economy on SUVs isn't great, but it's nowhere near what you seem to think it is. These aren't fire trucks, you know.

Kris Siegel

bobman1235 wrote:

Not to nitpick here, but I don't know what you think SUVs do exactly, but there aren't more than a small handful that get less than 10 MPG. Probalby just the Hummers and maybe Escalades. Even the Ford Excursion had a 10/14 MPG rating, and it's one of the largest production cars ever made. There are probably some pickups that dip below 10MPG as well, like the F350 SuperDuty's of the world, but those serve a purpose in most cases. Obviously the fuel economy on SUVs isn't great, but it's nowhere near what you seem to think it is. These aren't fire trucks, you know.

The EPA ratings are not real world results. The methods of determining those ratings are over 30 years old. Since the ratings are so inaccurate, more accurate ratings will be used starting in 2008 on your cars, trucks and SUVs.

Having said that, I agree that large trucks usually have a purpose and I also understand SUVs have a purpose. They're both great for hauling heavy/large objects and/or lots of passengers.

The thing is, though, many SUVs (Hummer and Escalade sized ones) get under 10 MPG (realistically (usually at 10 or a little over on the EPA Rating)). SUVs on the smaller scale (Honda CRV sized) usually are not too bad on gas milage (we used to own one and my grandparents have a similar sized SUV for hauling stuff) but it's still hard to find one that will get over 20 MPG and isn't a hybred.

Fireman32

Im glad that i have my Toyota Yaris that gets 40 to the gallon

venomclan

Kris Siegel wrote:

The thing is, though, many SUVs (Hummer and Escalade sized ones) get under 10 MPG (realistically (usually at 10 or a little over on the EPA Rating)). SUVs on the smaller scale (Honda CRV sized) usually are not too bad on gas milage (we used to own one and my grandparents have a similar sized SUV for hauling stuff) but it's still hard to find one that will get over 20 MPG and isn't a hybred.

I have a Honda Element 4wd and consistantly get real world 24mpg average. I commute 30 miles to work each way 1/2 hwy 1/2 street. Both with heavy traffic in S. FL. I love the little trucklet and have almost as much interior room as a full size suv. I would love if it had a turbo clean diesel.
Venom

jcaut

We have (wife drives) a 2005 GMC Envoy, with the 4.2L-6 that gets a real-world average of about 17 MPG or a little better. It's not the greatest, but considering how little we actually drive (we've had it 2 years this October and it's got 7K on it) it's not that big of a deal. My wife's parents have a 2005 GMC Yukon XL - the big "Suburban" one- with the 5.3 V8. It's real-world average is about 16.5 MPG.

What I find slightly irritating is that these newer vehicles, with all the technology, don't really get much better mileage than the older cars did. Yeah, people talk about '70's big-block 6 MPG gas hogs, but there were plenty of cars (and trucks) in the 70's and 80's - small V-8's - that would get 15 MPG. It seems we're not really improving in that area. I got something in the mail from GMC the other day advertising some of their new vehicles. They mentioned in there some of the things they're doing to improve fuel mileage. They claim that the 2006 Yukon is as aerodynamic as a C4 Corvette (I'd have to see some proof of that) and so forth. Yet the EPA ratings (which are not necessarily very realistic, as has already been pointed out) are still 15 city / 22 hwy. Where's the improvement?

Also in my garage I have a 2000 Z28. It's a six-speed and it will get an honest 29 MPG on the highway. Before I got that, I had a 1997 Z28 with an automatic and 2.73 gears that got better than 30 MPG on several occasions (highway trips). These are 300+ horsepower cars, and not featherweights either. My 1988 Corvette into which I've transplanted an injected ZZ4 small block doesn't have any trouble returning 22 MPG on the highway, although it sucks on stop and go and probably doesn't average more than 15. I'm doing my own tuning and burning chips, so economy could probably be improved through tuning, if some effort was made. All these electronic gadgets, automatic climate control, wide wheels and tires, do take a toll on fuel mileage.

It just doesn't seem to me that improving fuel economy is really a priority, or it would improve. Of course, as long as they're still selling...

mhardy6647

We had a 93 Explorer with a V-6 which averaged 19-20 mpg in... average... deep-fringe surburban driving (mix of backroads, tedious townships, and highway). Having owned a 1974 Bronco with a 302 V-8 that got 10 mpg, I thought the Explorer's mileage, size, and comfort were pretty remarkable. No, the Explorer didn't have the on- or off-road performance of the Bronco, but it was a nice package. I'd have it still if it hadn't gotten to that stage where expensive stuff kept needing repair.

Mrs. H is now driving a 2005 Escape Hybrid 4WD. This is returning 31 to 33 mpg (depending upon driving) in warm weather. Mileage drops considerably in the winter. It's a cute and fun little vehicle.

faster100

venomclan wrote:

I have a Honda Element
I love the little trucklet and have almost as much interior room as a full size suv. Venom

I disagree here, My sister in-law has an element and we have had several Suv's and its no where near as much room as one, and can only have 4 people in the truck.. Nice little truck though and great on gas


Kris,

I quoted trey specifically.. so don't know how you thought i was reffering to you i kinda figured you had bills.. Trey however is only 17? or 18


alot of people like myself have kids,2 or more, need to tow stuff and generally need more space that a toyota corrolla sized car just wouldnt offer.. An suv is just in order for some.. we also have a dodge neon beater for my work and beating around town to save gas

Burnzy

I think our Yukon might be on its way out...

Just cost me $100 to fill the tank up yesterday...OUCH!!!

faster100

but your in CA, isnt gas like 4 or 5 bucks a gallon there?

brettw22

Doesn't that make it all the more emphatic that the thing go away?

Demiurge

Kris Siegel wrote:

Ford Explorer isn't a large and some of really bad gas guzzlers. While it uses more gas per gallon than your average 4-cylinder (and probably v6s), it's not as bad as some of the other SUVs that get about 5-10MPG.
The SUVs still contribute to the problem because they use so much gas compared to other vehicles. Every year companies sell more and more cars, trucks and SUVs because our population continues to grow. We have millions more SUVs on the road today than in the 90s so it's impossible to compare the two time periods. Vehicles from the 70s and 80s used more gas per gallon than most cars (many SUVs of today get less gas milage than some of the larger vehicles from the 70s and 80s. Some of our SUVs get well under 10MPG) but talking about the 70s and 80s regarding gas prices doesn't event matter because...

• Since the 70s and 80s, American (and just about all other countries) are using more oil. While most vehicles are more efficient than many of the older cars, we're still using a lot of it and supply and demand are dictating the price of oil.
• Since the 70s and 80s, several million more Americans have reached the age to drive than those who have died or stopped driving. This increases the amount of vehicles on the road thousands of times. That adds up to an increased usage of gas.
• You can't forget about inflation as well. Inflation has added a some money to each gallon of gas you buy.

Unfortunately the movement to ban SUVs doesn't stop at the Chevy Suburban. What they want is all of us cramped up in a Prius.

My point about the 70s and 80s is very valid. The Suburban, for example, has been around since the 70s, and was a really popular vehicle. As popular as now? No, but still popular. Aside from that there were a lot of pick-up trucks on the road, and large cars made of steel (not like the new alloys of today), all of which had poor fuel economy as opposed to today's cars, trucks, and SUVs.

The mass appeal of the SUV started with the idea of being able to carry more and tow more. With Americans making more and more money they could afford a larger vehicle.

I am a hunter and a fisherman. I'm also 6' 6" tall, and I prefer a comfortable vehicle. I'm sacrificing right now and driving around in a car, but only because I have an F-350 at my disposal whenever I want that's always at my office.

Placing blame on someone just because there's one person in a large vehicle at any given time is a non-starter. If you own a boat, jet skis, have a lot of kids, whatever -- you're going to spend the money on the vehicle that's the most economical for your lifestyle. You have no idea what their motivations are, and being that this is America -- they shouldn't have to justify it to anyone.

My big argument with your comment is the notion that people driving SUVs are costing the rest of us money. That's simply not true. In fact they're giving more to the economy than those of us who don't drive them by spending more money.

While I would agree there is a supply issue in theory, it's not at the level that would warrant increases in prices $2+ over the norm. SUVs have been very popular for the past 16 years. I remember a time when I could get a gallon of gas for under $1.00 -- that was 10 years ago, and the cost of gas didn't spike overnight.

Trying to say that the SUV is to blame for a $2.00 increase doesn't wash.

Kris Siegel wrote:

Building more refineries would help a lot as I don't believe a new one has been built in over 10 years. Some refineries today that are supposed to not work 24/7/365 have been doing so for a long time to keep up with demand. I'm just waiting for the day when some of them need to be shut down and it hurts gas prices but who knows if that'll happen.

It's actually been 30 years.

A huge reason for the cost of gasoline is this lack of competition, and more importantly a lack of supply of gas. This is a hard point to understand because it's not like we have empty gas stations. This isn't the most simplistic version of S & D. The gas stations are all full, but there would be more of an abundance of gas which would reduce the strain on the refineries, and reduce the price to a more acceptable level.

There isn't a shortage at all of crude oil, but the price is still at record highs. We're too busy blaming the oil companies like Exxon-Mobil, BP, and the like for making a profit despite the fact that they aren't the source of the rawest form of the commodity. The price of a barrel of oil is not set by any of the aforementioned companies.

Kris Siegel wrote:

I would also like to state for the record that I am not an "environut" (I know you weren't calling me one). Screw the environment

Hey, I consider myself a conservationist just through my fishing and hunting practices. My comment is about the lot out there who want to incite undo panic on society as if they have the ways and means of controlling the weather patterns if we drive a Hummer as opposed to a Prius. It's a ridiculous notion. We've got more regulations than ever before, and all it's doing is making things more expensive for us.

If you want to have a real jaw dropper find out how much of that gallon of gas is tax, and then ask who is gouging who.

read-alot

"If you want to have a real jaw dropper find out how much of that gallon of gas is tax, and then ask who is gouging who".

And while we are at it find out who takes the tax money. They for damn sure not spending it on the roads in NC.

Kris Siegel

I think I've learned something today

Note to self: ban Demiurge

Demiurge

Kris Siegel wrote:

I think I've learned something today

Note to self: ban Demiurge

...but but but who would post the pictures of all the pretty women then?

Go ahead and fire back. It's fun. Just giving my take, you could be right.

VR3

Why would I buy a car when I can buy a short bed, full size, four door truck for a lil more money?

I can think of 100 more uses I can get out of that truck than I can get out of a car...

But thats just me...

Demiurge

I got 99 problems but a truck ain't one.

cheddar

Yep, don't blame the SUVs. It's counter intuitive but

high gas price=
less SUVs sold
increased conservation
more incentive for things like ethanol

low gas price=
more SUVs sold
more gas used
ethanol less competitive

SUVs are just a market response just like anything else and high gas prices will actually lower demand for them pretty much automatically so complaining about them is kind of moot.

I think taxes etc. are somewhere around $.60 a gallon. So if you really want sub $2.50 a gallon prices, your time would be better spent trying to repeal the gas taxes.

But it's just too easy to point fingers at a guy in a hummer 'cause so few people can afford them anyways...:rolleyes:

bobman1235

I gotta say, it's great to see a Polk "employee" actually getting involved in big debates on the board

Kris Siegel

bobman1235 wrote:

I gotta say, it's great to see a Polk "employee" actually getting involved in big debates on the board

I'm not a Polk employee anymore (which reminds me I need to change my title).

It was a 3 month internship

Demiurge

Kris Siegel wrote:

I'm not a Polk employee anymore (which reminds me I need to change my title).

It was a 3 month internship

Speaking of which, did that stain ever come out of Justin's dress?

reeltrouble1

My boat gets 2 mi to the gallon when I dont floor her!!! Yea Baby.

I drive what I want, float what I want, I am proud to be a card carrying member of the gas guzzlers, audio gear hoarder, fat boy waddle club. Its called freedom, oh yea, I still drink water from the tap too. I dont give a crap about what some foreigner who does not like me or the USA thinks. Eff em, we are Americans, we get in our cars and drive where we want, we travel, see the sights our families, live in outskirts, its our way of life. I am an American, I pollute because I use things up and throw them away, dont like it, tough. It the advantage of living in a great nation and being a success, its the best and greatest place as far as I am concerned. I am glad to have lived in a time of plenty with milk and honey, others have not been so fortunate, some died defending my right others are dieing right now, so I can be a glutton of the world. I do regret BP did not have enough dough to maintain there pipeline. The CEO did say he was "sorry", though, waaaaaa, he is sorry about the dough BP is missing out on and maybe being the fall guy. We need to use all the fossil fuel up as quickly as possible so the big boys will finally let the cow **** methane turbo's become our reality.

I am sorry and feel for the guys who have to spend their audio dough on gas now just to get to work and so on. If I had to do that I would get one of those little knee knockers to crunch up into and be effin miserable the whole time, but I would put the best audio system in it.

RT1

McLoki

My charger only gets about 18mpg (city) and 22-26 highway (depending on the speed I am currently driving) But, just like PolkThugs mustang, the smiles per mile are sky high.

No matter what vehicle you drive - hybrid, truck, suv, sports car or econo-box filling up the gas tank once per week (or so) is going to suck. The real question is, how happy are you with it between your fill-ups?

On fill-up day I would like my car to have a smaller tank and better gas mileage, Anytime I am not at a gas pump though - I love everything about my car, especially the motor. It would be foolish for me to purchase a car that makes me less upset for the 5 min I am filling the gas tank and not happy at all for the rest of the time I am driving it. Mileage is just an ongoing cost of the car. (as opposed to initial purchase price) If it is the car you want and you can afford it (including mileage) get it.

If someone frowns at you from their hybrid at a stoplight - remember this: if you drove their car, you may be unhappy to.

Thats my story and I'm sticking to it,

Michael

bobman1235

I can't tell if RT1 is an **** or hilarious.

mhardy6647

Out of curiosity... how many of y'all were even alive (not to mention driving!) in 1974 or 1978? Folks' car-buying preferences and driving habits changed extremely abruptly when there was gasoline rationing and/or shortages.

Folks ditched their lead sleds for econoboxes as fast as they could at the time. I remember wishing I had the available cash to pick up a 74 or 75 Eldorado or Continental to stash away for the future!

Remember the Dodge Omni or the Chevette, anybody? :-O

faster100

my mom had a chevette.. LOL years ago. 1980 chevette i think, actually it looked newer then the picture above and was 4 door

McLoki

Omni was my second car. (Ford Pinto was my first)

that being said - I have paid my dues. I think I'll keep the charger.

Michael

Mike682

Out of curiosity... how many of y'all were even alive (not to mention driving!) in 1974 or 1978? Folks' car-buying preferences and driving habits changed extremely abruptly when there was gasoline rationing and/or shortages.

Folks ditched their lead sleds for econoboxes as fast as they could at the time.

Remember the Dodge Omni or the Chevette, anybody? :-O

Jumping around a little bit:
Although I was young when this happened, here is my opinion on car buying preferences back then:

While American auto makers made some damn fine muscle cars in the 60's and early 70's, the quick demand for more economical cars was tough for American manufacturers. A lot of mistakes (Chrysler's lean burn system comes to mind) led to more problems with American cars during those times, people got frustrated, and started looking elsewhere. This was the turning point for foriegn cars and they have had strong sales ever since. Although American cars are made much better today, the reputation and family buying habits from those times had trickled down from generation to generation..

Of course this just an opinion
Anyone agree or disagree?

Demiurge

My older brother had a red 1980 Chevette. He bought it from a family friend for $1.