Gas

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,656
8,266
Teegate, I don't know if you need a 4x4 for the pines, unless you want to do serious offroading. I have a locker rear in my truck and good all terrain tires. I never had to put it in four wheel drive for a normal drive through the woods. Take in consideration that I benefit from ground clearance and gearing too, but it isn't extreme. You had a Landcruiser, reflect off your experience with driving it. I am actually getting away from a 4x4 and getting a TDI Volkswagon shortly because of my truck being a "pig" on gas. I can get to all of the places I already do with a front wheel drive car and get better gas milage doing it.


I really have no plans to buy a 4x4. I have done quite well with my cars for the past decade or so. Except for a few annoying places in the pines I can get close enough that I can walk there and back with very little problem.

Guy
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,251
4,363
Pines; Bamber area
Energy Secretary Chu and his boss want the price of gas to be high to try to force people into using mass transit and buying cars like the 21st century version of the Edsel, the Chevy Volt. It's a little easier for statists to control the dumb masses when they can't move about so freely.

Old Crazy, seriously. C'mon. Force people to buy certain cars to keep them from moving about freely? Please tell me their end goal in forcing people to do that.

We need a president who is committed to developing America's vast energy resources to make the USA energy independent.

Do you mean like this one?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/26/us-obama-energy-natgas-idUSTRE80P0NB20120126
 

Boyd

Administrator
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Site Administrator
Jul 31, 2004
9,551
2,809
Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
I am actually getting away from a 4x4 and getting a TDI Volkswagon shortly because of my truck being a "pig" on gas.

I've had several VW Golf's over a period of more than 10 years and haven't had much problem getting around the pines. Last Spring I was ready to replace it with a new Golf but the dealer didn't have one in stock so I test drove a Jetta TDI Wagon and a Tiguan 4wd 2.0. I liked the Tiguan so much, I bought it right on the spot. The TDI wagon was the same price, but just didn't handle as nicely.

Almost a year later, I still love the Tiguan, I'd say it's the nicest car I've ever owned. It definitely handles sugar sand and big puddles much better than the 2wd Golf and the interior space is great - I can fit 8 foot boards completely inside. But it gets worse mileage than the Golf since it's heavier with a bigger engine. Not as big a deal as it would have been a year ago when I was commuting 36,000 miles per year, but I still get a bit of sticker shock at the pump...
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,143
Coastal NJ
The new Ford Escape's mileage is expected to be in the 30-35mpg range for highway, so good Ford has scrapped the Escape Hybrid as the new one beats it. Will be available this spring. We currently have a 2004 that gets reasonable mpg in the mid to high 20's on a highway trip, and it is the last year for the selectable 4WD. It has 115K miles. My favorite though is my wifes VW GTI. 1.8L turbo, goes like stink and gets an avg 30 mpg. Only bad things are expensive parts, flaky OBD-II and very difficult to work on; it has 114K miles. I would like to get something new before the big brother OBD-III systems are out.
 

Boyd

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Jul 31, 2004
9,551
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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
Old Crazy, seriously. C'mon.

Hey, cut him some slack Bob. People like Old Crazy with "unabashed Conservative/Constitutionalist Christian world views" have done such a good job of fracturing the Republican party that it looks like Obama's re-election is a sure thing at this point.

And it's a real shame, because I would love to have a viable alternative to vote for. But it sure ain't Santorum or Gingrich...
 

Old Crazy

Explorer
Oct 13, 2007
481
94
Stinking Creek, NJ
Old Crazy, seriously. C'mon. Force people to buy certain cars to keep them from moving about freely? Please tell me their end goal in forcing people to do that.



Do you mean like this one?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/26/us-obama-energy-natgas-idUSTRE80P0NB20120126[/quote]

High gas prices will have the effect of keeping people from moving about freely. The "end goal" with liberals is always the same thing; control.

I see you linked to a Reuters article. Reuters, Pravda, AP, Izvestia...it's hard to tell them apart anymore. ;) What they don't tell you in that article is that Obama has closed the Gulf of Mexico to oil drilling, rescinded lease offers for oil shale production, blocked deep ocean drilling on America's continental shelf, proposed a five year ban on offshore production, delayed leasing and drilling with new bureaucratic hurdles, cancelled the Keystone pipeline and said that under his cap and trade energy tax, "electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket."

And here is the kind of president this country needs: http://www.science.co.il/People/Ronald-Reagan/
 

Old Crazy

Explorer
Oct 13, 2007
481
94
Stinking Creek, NJ
Hey, cut him some slack Bob. People like Old Crazy with "unabashed Conservative/Constitutionalist Christian world views" have done such a good job of fracturing the Republican party that it looks like Obama's re-election is a sure thing at this point.

And it's a real shame, because I would love to have a viable alternative to vote for. But it sure ain't Santorum or Gingrich...

I think the republican nominee will be Romney, so you won't have to worry about Santorum or Gingrich, although they are both more qualified and competent to lead this country than Obama.

I don't agree with your premise that Conservatives and Christians are fracturing the republican party. Christians and Conservatives not only make up the majority of the republican party, but the majority of Americans (ABC News poll - 83% of Americans identify themselves as Christian, Gallup poll - 40% of Americans identify themselves as politically Conservative) When Conservatism is matched up against liberalism in a national election, Conservatism wins every time. Republican presidential candidates fight over whom is the most Conservative and carries the mantle of Ronald Reagan. You never hear democrats fighting over which of them is the biggest liberal and the most like Jimmy Carter. In the 2010 mid-term election, Obama's liberalism was matched against the Tea Party's Conservatism and the democrats suffered the largest loss of seats in the congress in 70 years.

What kills the republican party is when it runs moderate/liberal candidates like Dole & McCain.
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,251
4,363
Pines; Bamber area
Christians and Conservatives not only make up the majority of the republican party, but the majority of Americans (ABC News poll - 83% of Americans identify themselves as Christian, Gallup poll - 40% of Americans identify themselves as politically Conservative)....What kills the republican party is when it runs moderate/liberal candidates like Dole & McCain.

Gee Old Crazy, that is a handy way to shrug off a Replublican election loss, blame it on your too liberal Republican candidate.

Why do you bring up religious bearing when discussing politics? What is your aim here?
 

imkms

Explorer
Feb 18, 2008
587
224
SJ and SW FL
I believe Old Crazy was responding to Boyds comment below;
Hey, cut him some slack Bob. People like Old Crazy with "unabashed Conservative/Constitutionalist Christian world views"

The election is still up for grabs, depending on the polls you choose to believe, but another 4 years of this administration scares the hell out of me!
 

Takoda

New Member
Feb 12, 2012
17
4
Southern NJ
For those that do not know and more so if you see it occuring - Gas Stations are not allowed to raise (or lower) their prices within a 24 hr time period in NJ (some other States also have similar or applicable laws). If you see this being done by certain stations, what they are doing is illegal and can be reported to the NJ Office of Weights & Measures. If that Dept. finds the Station is tampering with or changing their costs illegally - the Station can be fined and in certain instances, even shut down.

http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/owm.htm



With the rising costs of fuel, when you fuel up - always be aware of:

The proper price being charged on your receipt against the posted price of X-octane fuel you purchased

If you ask for X-amount of gallons (instead of filling up), be sure you ARE getting the correct amount of gallons

If you are using a Debit or Credit card, be sure the Attendant is NOT double swiping your card...

Most Stations will have current NJ Dept. Office of Weights & Measures certificate decals affixed to their pumps (every station HAS to have the decal, it's the law). If you have any doubt about the station, it's fueling ethics or other shady stuff - see if those decals are current, outdated and/or possibly missing from the pumps. If missing or outdated, report to Weights & Measures.

Be sure that you KNOW the difference between a CASH price and CREDIT pricing... Many Stations today will post the lower price and in very small print you will notice is says "Cash Only" - and the next price, usually nearly .08-.10+ higher will have fine print that says "Credit". Many folks pull into a station and think they are getting a deal on the fuel due to the lower price, only to be duped into the "Credit" price when paying via credit/debit cards... Always check the signage AND your receipts.

If paying cash, be sure the attendant pumps the complete $X.xx or $XX.xx amount into your vehicle and does not cut you short.

If your vehicle owner's manual states the car will run perfectly fine on regular fuel (usually 87 octane) - use regular and save yourself some $$$... (more so if you drive daily 5-7 days a week and accrue more miles than average drivers). Most folks think they *need* to fill their vehicles w/ "high octane" fuel, when the fact of the matter is - many of today's vehicles, even some sports or performace vehicles can and will drive perfectly fine on "regular" fuel as they were designed to do (so check your owner's manual). Don't get me wrong, not ALL vehicles are supposed to use regular fuel, but as I said, open up your owner's manual and read... also, do yourself some research about fuel octanes, etc. and you will be surprised at what you can find out.

~~~~

Always maintain proper tire inflation psi for your vehicle. The tire inflation label is usually found within the glovebox, or secured to the B-pillar on either driver or passenger door entry. Tire pressures can change, even if there is no leakage.

Maintain vehicle through regular maintenance intervals (oil changes, changing air filters, etc). Cleaner running vehicles will be more efficient than those that are neglected.
 

Old Crazy

Explorer
Oct 13, 2007
481
94
Stinking Creek, NJ
Gee Old Crazy, that is a handy way to shrug off a Replublican election loss, blame it on your too liberal Republican candidate.

Why do you bring up religious bearing when discussing politics? What is your aim here?

I want a theocratic government that forbids women with more than 15% body fat to wear spandex! Easy, I'm kidding. ;) But seriously, something should be done about that. :D

imkms is correct. I was responding to Boyd's comment and made reference to the statistic that 83% of Americans identify themselves as Christian to illustrate that it is not a negative for a politician to identify himself with a Christian world view.
 

imkms

Explorer
Feb 18, 2008
587
224
SJ and SW FL
Just a few of the reasons I fear and dislike this administration;
  • Excessive government spending and growth and the promise to do more of the same
  • More government control and laws, erosion of personal freedoms
  • Class warfare
  • Obamas vision of America as a socialist country
  • 30 some czars and counting
  • Obamacare! I am in the healthcare industry and read most of the bill, page by page and it is troubling. I also see how it is already negatively affecting the quality of healthcare!
    I could go on and on but this is a site for discussions on the pinelands, let's just leave it at that.
 
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