Have your driving habits changed?
#21
It's really not that much more expensive. All you have to do is skip eating out once a week and you will more than offset the prices of gas.
Now if you own a diesel truck than thats a different story.
Now if you own a diesel truck than thats a different story.
#25
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Feb 2007
Location: New Smyrna Beach Florida
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I drive my daily driver a lot less because I want to reduce demannd. I drive my C5 around 3500 miles a year so that will remain the same. I drive 18000 miles a year in my truck (50 miles per day commute), at 18 miles per gallon that translates into $1000 per year for every $1.00 per gal increase in the price of gas. That is $20 per week or one less steak dinner out per week. Really doesn't affect me but I feel a decrease in demand is a good thing.
#26
Safety Car
Member Since: Nov 2003
Location: San Jose CA
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I sold my DD, 03 Yukon Denali, cause gas mileage was around 13.5 avg and the value was about to take a huge dump! I was lucky to sell it when I did, right before GM announced they were gonna close 4 truck/suv plants! It's gonna make it that much harder to sella suv in this f'd up market. I have been driving the Z06 easier, and daily, to see what mg I can get out of it. So far since my last fill up, which was at $4.49 a gal for 91, I'm averaging about 19 mpg with mixed city/hwy driving. This is with shifting at no more than 3k rpm, not punching it much, and trying to cruise around 1800 rpm. Pretty good for a 400+ hp car
#28
Melting Slicks
I work for an oil company so my gas is free
Actually, even though I don't pay for my gas I have always tried to run my errands in a manor that uses the least amount of fuel just because I think that is the right thing to do.
For some good news gas dropped about 3.8 cents a gallon on the NYMEX today, oil companies do not set gas, diesel or crude prices... commodity traders do, so we might start seeing some relief at the pumps if the inventory reports are bearish tomorrow when the Dept of Energy releases them.
Actually, even though I don't pay for my gas I have always tried to run my errands in a manor that uses the least amount of fuel just because I think that is the right thing to do.
For some good news gas dropped about 3.8 cents a gallon on the NYMEX today, oil companies do not set gas, diesel or crude prices... commodity traders do, so we might start seeing some relief at the pumps if the inventory reports are bearish tomorrow when the Dept of Energy releases them.
#29
Melting Slicks
Get 'em!
Alright take it easy on him.
Alright take it easy on him.
#30
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Oct 2007
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St. Jude Donor '09, '13, '15
No, haven't really made much effort to save fuel. I commute 24 miles round trip a day. I could take mass transit but that would add an extra 3 hours to my day. That isn't worth it just yet.
Since buying the "Vette my driving strategies have changed but not my habits.
Since buying the "Vette my driving strategies have changed but not my habits.
#31
Burning Brakes
The vette is still my daily driver but i find myself not accelerating to the speed limit as fast when coming from a stop light, just cant help myself sometimes though
#33
Intermediate
Member Since: Mar 2006
Location: Ottawa Ontario
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Not much of a change
One, I've waited a long time to get this little life's reward, plus when you consider how much money you've got invested in our cars, and for a lot if us not fortunate enough to have 12 months of the year to drive them in, plus the excellent gas mileage that you actually get with this car.... not to mention the fun.
I drive it just as much as when I first got it. It hurts a little more every time you fill up, but, then you remember how little you actually get to drive it and how much fun it is to drive. I find the the trick is to get in the car after filling up, mash the gas pedal, fell the rush and your gas price issues seem to fade a lilttle.. until the next fill up.
People are removing perfectly good exhaust systems to install something else that sounds better or is a mild improvement, same with brakes, rims, tires etc. PLUS I've seen a lot of beautiful non original cars in here where money doesn't appear to be an object, so what's a few hundred bucks a year more!
I drive it just as much as when I first got it. It hurts a little more every time you fill up, but, then you remember how little you actually get to drive it and how much fun it is to drive. I find the the trick is to get in the car after filling up, mash the gas pedal, fell the rush and your gas price issues seem to fade a lilttle.. until the next fill up.
People are removing perfectly good exhaust systems to install something else that sounds better or is a mild improvement, same with brakes, rims, tires etc. PLUS I've seen a lot of beautiful non original cars in here where money doesn't appear to be an object, so what's a few hundred bucks a year more!
#34
A gasoline parable...
I've told this story before, but here's a good time to do it again. When I was 19, I bought myself a 1969 Shelby GT500. It's in my avatar - the red car. It got about the same mileage as my Mom's 1965 Ford station wagon with the big engine; 11-12 was typical. On my bus driver's pay ($4.60 per hour), I could cover about 100 miles for an hour of pay.
For fun, I checked with a friend who still works at the same college as a bus driver. He tells me the new guys get about $20 per hour. About five gallons of gas at my average of 23 MPG in the Corvette, so on that same bus driver's pay, I could now cover about 115 miles. 15% less expensive than in 1975. My view is that we don't buy gasoline. We buy transportation. It ain't fit to drink, and no matter what Dad did in 1966, it makes a d@#ned poor charcoal lighter.
I've changed careers, so I can actually cover about 300 miles on an hour's pay, if I drive carefully. My driving habits have changed since I'm closing on being a geezer, but that's all. The speed limit is, in general, fast enough.
For daily transportation, I have a company-supplied and fed car. I do find we drive that less, mostly to take it easy on the company, but partly because my kids are growing up, and there just isn't the need for constant short trips.
But to put it into perspective, I'd sort of like to retire to the city where I grew up. In the 1950s and 1960s, Redondo Beach, CA, was home to the aircraft plant workers, of which my Dad was one. He sold our house in 1969 to retire, and got an astonishing $27k for it. It's worth about $1.1m, even in today's depressed housing market. We were paying about 26.9 cents per gallon for premium for the Family Truckster back then. If it went up the same amount as Dad's house, we'd be paying $11.00 even for a gallon of gasoline. That's 40.74 times the 1969 price.
So I go fill up the Vette for $60 or so, drive it 200 miles in the mountains, and come put another $35 or so in to top it back up. We took one of those trips last weekend. This weekend we're taking it easy and only taking a 500 mile round trip. But I'm putting new AC Iridium plugs and MSD wires in the car to try to up the performance - er - mileage
BTW, my wife just told me she's averaging 22 MPG around town in her big 'ol 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix. She gets a bit over 30 on the highway. But she drives like an old lady. Still, why make payments on a Prius when we'd probably save $50 a month or less on gasoline. And the Pontiac is huge and safe, and she loves it. GM, baby! Yeah, I still have the old Ford, but
For fun, I checked with a friend who still works at the same college as a bus driver. He tells me the new guys get about $20 per hour. About five gallons of gas at my average of 23 MPG in the Corvette, so on that same bus driver's pay, I could now cover about 115 miles. 15% less expensive than in 1975. My view is that we don't buy gasoline. We buy transportation. It ain't fit to drink, and no matter what Dad did in 1966, it makes a d@#ned poor charcoal lighter.
I've changed careers, so I can actually cover about 300 miles on an hour's pay, if I drive carefully. My driving habits have changed since I'm closing on being a geezer, but that's all. The speed limit is, in general, fast enough.
For daily transportation, I have a company-supplied and fed car. I do find we drive that less, mostly to take it easy on the company, but partly because my kids are growing up, and there just isn't the need for constant short trips.
But to put it into perspective, I'd sort of like to retire to the city where I grew up. In the 1950s and 1960s, Redondo Beach, CA, was home to the aircraft plant workers, of which my Dad was one. He sold our house in 1969 to retire, and got an astonishing $27k for it. It's worth about $1.1m, even in today's depressed housing market. We were paying about 26.9 cents per gallon for premium for the Family Truckster back then. If it went up the same amount as Dad's house, we'd be paying $11.00 even for a gallon of gasoline. That's 40.74 times the 1969 price.
So I go fill up the Vette for $60 or so, drive it 200 miles in the mountains, and come put another $35 or so in to top it back up. We took one of those trips last weekend. This weekend we're taking it easy and only taking a 500 mile round trip. But I'm putting new AC Iridium plugs and MSD wires in the car to try to up the performance - er - mileage
BTW, my wife just told me she's averaging 22 MPG around town in her big 'ol 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix. She gets a bit over 30 on the highway. But she drives like an old lady. Still, why make payments on a Prius when we'd probably save $50 a month or less on gasoline. And the Pontiac is huge and safe, and she loves it. GM, baby! Yeah, I still have the old Ford, but
#35
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lol, my daily driver is a GMC 3500...6.6 turbo diesel tugging welding machine and tool boxes+ $4.74 for a gallon of fuel= left nut for transportation... but no my habits haven't changed i still &$%# about it.
#36
Yes..going to Boca this week end to visit my son..Round trip is about 600 miles..with the current cost of SUPER here it will cost me about $125 + tolls..visits are going to be much fewer at that rate. Used to cost me $35-40 bucks.
Last edited by grayfox2424; 06-03-2008 at 11:54 PM. Reason: spelling error
#37
Racer
Between me and my wife, we used to drive (when gas was below $4) the vette about thrice a week, totalling about 70 miles. Wifey feels guilty driving the vette and has stopped, I continue my old driving habits We also have an SUV and a 2-door hatchback. We are using the hatchback on (lesser than normal) long road trips instead of the SUV (SUV=15mpg, hatchback=25mpg).
#38
Le Mans Master
Hi INTRUBL -
I admit that I am blessed and have not had to alter my habits....but it still is no fun to put $60 in the vette when it used to take $25 to fill it up....
However, I do find myself using the instant-mpg readouts on cars that have this feature, and I have been trying to condense my travels when possible.
I have noticed that traffic is much reduced during non-rush hour times at least here in central Illinois.
best regards-
mqqn
I admit that I am blessed and have not had to alter my habits....but it still is no fun to put $60 in the vette when it used to take $25 to fill it up....
However, I do find myself using the instant-mpg readouts on cars that have this feature, and I have been trying to condense my travels when possible.
I have noticed that traffic is much reduced during non-rush hour times at least here in central Illinois.
best regards-
mqqn
#40
Tech Contributor
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2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I can't change my habits too much. I live in the Countryside and my daily commute is 25 miles each way. It's 5 miles to the nearest town. We need to run 3 cars if the Vette is to stay dry and clean.
With gas at $10.37 at the last count I have to ration my Vette time. I should get over it and just work in £ but I still find myself comparing prices to what I paid in Vegas. £55 sounds so much better than $110 for a tank of gas. My DD gets 40 mpg so it gets hammered during the week
Mind you, with the amount of rain we get here it's self rationing if I want to keep it clean
With gas at $10.37 at the last count I have to ration my Vette time. I should get over it and just work in £ but I still find myself comparing prices to what I paid in Vegas. £55 sounds so much better than $110 for a tank of gas. My DD gets 40 mpg so it gets hammered during the week
Mind you, with the amount of rain we get here it's self rationing if I want to keep it clean
Last edited by DeeGee; 06-04-2008 at 12:37 AM.