Just wondering. Are high gas prices limiting your exploration of the pines? It is for me. Living in Haddonfield, it's not as easy as it once was to trek out to places like Batsto and other areas in the pines. :meatwad:
Gas prices.
- Thread starter Trailhead00
- Start date
Trailhead00 said:
You need to get car...seriously. That is if you don't already have one. A 4x4 must be a killer.
I filled up on Sunday early afternoon and drove all over the pines for 4 hours, and I went as far as 72 and 539. I drove home and drove to work all week except Tuesday where I drove for two hours. I still have almost a half tank of gas and it only holds 12 gallons.
All of that cost me about $20.
Guy
This will be the first time that I give my 2 cents about gas prices. I understand the whole gas price situation completely. I know it is about oil, politics, war, and supply and demand. However... I noticed that with the recent raised prices it now costs me about $10 more per fill up. I fill up once a week and it used to cost about $20. To clarify, I have a Cavalier, which is considered an economy car and I do a fair amount of driving to work and school every day. I really don't see how $10 per week extra is really worth complaining about. I mean, it makes me more conscious and I do try to car pool as often as possible. But, $10 more per week really isn't a big deal to me. Just means I can't get lunch at a restaurant 1 day a week, so instead I make a sandwich at home, about $10 savings.
If you really have a problem with the gas prices, maybe consider buying a more fuel effecient vehicle OR apply some simple preventative maintenance techniques to your current vehicle to improve mileage. Or even better yet, slightly modify your driving habits. I think we can all use LITTLE steps to make a change. If everyone properlly inflated their tires, drove a car that has even 10 year old technology such as a 1996 Civic HX, and maybe took 1 car to the movie theatre instead of 2 cars with 4 people (we have all done this). These little steps might just make a difference if everyone tries doing it. Really not a lot to ask, almost anyone can do this stuff.
I also want to offer solutions to families who "need" SUV's. Growing up in South Jersey, all my friend's parents had 2 vehicles. Most had trucks or SUV's for their families or towing the boat and whatnot. If you really need a "capable" vehicle, consider buying an SUV that gets somewhat decent mileage, a new Equinox, Pilot, Highlander, etc. The other parent could then get a very fuel effecient minivan or sedan and use that to commute to work every day instead of driving 2 SUV's every day so you can sometimes take the family up to the poconos.
1 last thing. Do people even know that deisel engines and manual transmissions exist? These 2 car components could potentially fix our gas situation. I know my next vehicle will be a deisel.
Ok, I'm done now. Thanks for reading this rant.
If you really have a problem with the gas prices, maybe consider buying a more fuel effecient vehicle OR apply some simple preventative maintenance techniques to your current vehicle to improve mileage. Or even better yet, slightly modify your driving habits. I think we can all use LITTLE steps to make a change. If everyone properlly inflated their tires, drove a car that has even 10 year old technology such as a 1996 Civic HX, and maybe took 1 car to the movie theatre instead of 2 cars with 4 people (we have all done this). These little steps might just make a difference if everyone tries doing it. Really not a lot to ask, almost anyone can do this stuff.
I also want to offer solutions to families who "need" SUV's. Growing up in South Jersey, all my friend's parents had 2 vehicles. Most had trucks or SUV's for their families or towing the boat and whatnot. If you really need a "capable" vehicle, consider buying an SUV that gets somewhat decent mileage, a new Equinox, Pilot, Highlander, etc. The other parent could then get a very fuel effecient minivan or sedan and use that to commute to work every day instead of driving 2 SUV's every day so you can sometimes take the family up to the poconos.
1 last thing. Do people even know that deisel engines and manual transmissions exist? These 2 car components could potentially fix our gas situation. I know my next vehicle will be a deisel.
Ok, I'm done now. Thanks for reading this rant.
I am annoyed that I have to pay more, but it hasn't changed driving habits or lifestyle. I quit smoking so I have another $5 in my pocket each day, probably makes up the difference. I drive a 4cyl car for work, but have a big bronco for the weekends/woods. The only paved road near my house is route 70 so I consider the bronco or 4x4 very important. You can get around in the woods on the main roads in a car, but it is limited. For a brief while I was without a 4x4 and I couldn't get to most of my favorite fishing holes. I felt confined.
Jeff
Jeff
I wouldn't want to drive an Equinox, Highlander, or Pilot through the woods.
I take mass transit every day, so I get to fill my Jeep up about once a month. Still, the gas prices make me pause. I can easily go through $20 worth of gas in a good day in the Pines.
I take mass transit every day, so I get to fill my Jeep up about once a month. Still, the gas prices make me pause. I can easily go through $20 worth of gas in a good day in the Pines.
just about $90.00 dollars a week to fill my truck, a 1987 tercel is looking mighty good to get me back and forth to work every day. ben, what does it cost to take mass transit for a week? kind of feal bad for the people that have to travel that far to go to work, but what i have been told that is where the money is at. I like not having to leave ocean county to go to work.
I don't drive my Blazer unless I absolutely have to. I originally bought it to help me move, but that's been pushed back til next year. I'm taking it to go on my camping trip this weekend. Other than Pines driving and moving stuff, I drive my Cavalier. Last time I filled my truck up, gas was still $1.95.
I'm hoping to buy a Yaris somewhat soon; only about 11k and get about 40 MPG.
I'm hoping to buy a Yaris somewhat soon; only about 11k and get about 40 MPG.
yaris looks good. check out the best gas prices by zip codes. its updated every night. http://autos.msn.com/everyday/GasStations.aspx?m=1&l=1&zip=07734&x=11&y=8
i have a crv, which is probably the wussiest possible suv. still, the 4 cylinder engine means it gets gas milage comparable to a car, and i use it for all my pine barrens driving. surprisingly, i've never had any trouble with it getting stuck. so far the 4x4 has been totally adequate for driving through puddles and sugar sand. i do avoid bigger puddles and i try not to drive on narrow roads to avoid getting more of a piney paint finish, but for the most part i don't feel limited by it at all. there was one huge puddle once that i almost got stuck in, but i floored it and managed to fight my way out.
also nobody mentioned rotary engines, which in my opinion are a marvel of engineering. the way they work is just so much more elegant. they're more efficient than conventional and i think diesel engines, plus they have less moving parts and there are even some that can run on both gasoline and other fuels such as natural gas. unfortunately they never really caught on so i believe the only current production car to sport a rotary engine is the mazda rx-8. damn i want one of those...
also nobody mentioned rotary engines, which in my opinion are a marvel of engineering. the way they work is just so much more elegant. they're more efficient than conventional and i think diesel engines, plus they have less moving parts and there are even some that can run on both gasoline and other fuels such as natural gas. unfortunately they never really caught on so i believe the only current production car to sport a rotary engine is the mazda rx-8. damn i want one of those...
Got my Yaris today...last on the lot. Probably won't be driving too deep in the Pines anytime soon.
My sister has a CRV and I love the little sport utility. It does everything she needs it to do and more. The dog fits right in the back. If you don't get too crazy it can go down most roads in the Pine Barrens. I was surprised at some of the stuff it went through. As for rotary engines, I also think they are very cool but they suffer from 2 problems, high emissions and poor gas mileage. Those are some of the reasons why the RX-7 was cancelled. The RX-8 is cool but from what I have seen not entirely too fast, Mazda actually got in a little trouble for posting higher than actual horsepower figures for it. They also used to blow out apex seals a lot but I'm sure that has been cleared up. I also love diesel but they give off a lot of pollutants. Oh well, we're all screwed, j/k. I'm still trying to find a way to get my truck to run off of water, so far no luck. I don't think too much will change until we get off of oil and go with an alternative fuel source.
It is not encouraging to have any kind of heavy duty or 4x4 w/ these prices. My Jimmy is costing me about $85.00 a week right now & I'm ready to reduce the amount of time I use it. My S-10 pickup is a 5-speed and it gets 20-21 commuting and 23-25 highway. The Jimmy w/ a fresh tune-up and using cruse alot along w/ careful acceleration has improved to 17 -18 commuting and 19-21 highway & I was getting spoiled by having an automatic & A/C as my daily commute covers 12 miles of usually stop & go on the Parkway...
Unfortunately the availability of a standard shift transmission is becomming a problem. Too many people don't want to shift and the different transmission means (2) emissions certifications for each vehicle model so I expect to find fewer and fewer standards available in the future. Does anyone remember when an automatic was a $700.00 to $1000.00 OPTION?
The diesel reputation in the US is even worse. 2007 is the deadline for cleaner diesels for big rigs introducing EGR [exhaust gas recirculation] to lower the pollutants in the exhaust [just like your auto has used since the mid 80's] along with a 'partuculate' trapping device on the exhaust & the trade magazines are now showing demo's of the new products. These require an occasional injection of raw fuel to burn off the contaminants in the trap media, as well as periodic changeouts. Hopefully this technology will filter down to the automotive side as diesel/hybred may be part of the answer.
I'd like to dig up the back issues of 'Mother Earth News' where in the early 80's they had a guy do a homemade hybred in an Opel GT using a Govmt. surplus electric starter motor from a jet aircraft coupled to the clutch of the opel w/ a bank of 12V batteries and a briggs & stratton engine driving an alternator to provide current thru the batteries. It was quite a story as it would drive off w/ out the gas engine being started & he was averaging over 80 MPG...With today's Optima deep cycle batteries such a converted gas electric would be feasable. Also electric motors have 100% of torque at start-up instead of having to build uip RPM's to get torque.
The Opel was easier than a normal stick shift as he could sit at a stoplight, in gear, with the clutch out and simply step on the throttle to pull away when it turned green, only had to clutch to make a gear change...good way to overcome a rookie's rollback problem when learning to use a clutch.
Unfortunately the availability of a standard shift transmission is becomming a problem. Too many people don't want to shift and the different transmission means (2) emissions certifications for each vehicle model so I expect to find fewer and fewer standards available in the future. Does anyone remember when an automatic was a $700.00 to $1000.00 OPTION?
The diesel reputation in the US is even worse. 2007 is the deadline for cleaner diesels for big rigs introducing EGR [exhaust gas recirculation] to lower the pollutants in the exhaust [just like your auto has used since the mid 80's] along with a 'partuculate' trapping device on the exhaust & the trade magazines are now showing demo's of the new products. These require an occasional injection of raw fuel to burn off the contaminants in the trap media, as well as periodic changeouts. Hopefully this technology will filter down to the automotive side as diesel/hybred may be part of the answer.
I'd like to dig up the back issues of 'Mother Earth News' where in the early 80's they had a guy do a homemade hybred in an Opel GT using a Govmt. surplus electric starter motor from a jet aircraft coupled to the clutch of the opel w/ a bank of 12V batteries and a briggs & stratton engine driving an alternator to provide current thru the batteries. It was quite a story as it would drive off w/ out the gas engine being started & he was averaging over 80 MPG...With today's Optima deep cycle batteries such a converted gas electric would be feasable. Also electric motors have 100% of torque at start-up instead of having to build uip RPM's to get torque.
The Opel was easier than a normal stick shift as he could sit at a stoplight, in gear, with the clutch out and simply step on the throttle to pull away when it turned green, only had to clutch to make a gear change...good way to overcome a rookie's rollback problem when learning to use a clutch.
I'd love to drive manual again but Annie doesn't know how to drive it; she almost killed my Bronco when I tried teaching her.
Over the years I've taught my wife, my oldest daughter drives a 5 speed every day and my youngest knows how and would be OK w/ some practice. I think everyone should know how in order to get his/her license. I'm sure that will never hapen.Stu said: