Gasoline Prices

[Westernskies]

I have a Honday Odyssey, at 4700 pounds, I think it fits the mold of "Merkin Iron". Funny, when DW drives it, she struggles to get 18 overall. When I drive it, I get 21 average. Of course she is a leadfoot. I went to SC in that beast and got 25.8 average for the trip, not complaining. yeah, my little Asian riceburner is spoiling me, though..........

...a minivan does not a truck make... (well, maybe if you wear snakeskin Tony Lama boots and a big ole Resistol cowboy hat while driving it... BTW, this thread is USELESS without pics...)

 

[W2R]

OK, since you asked....

This is what I purchased last week. It's a 2500HD diesel (397 hp, 765 ft lbs of torque) crew cab and gets 19+ mpg on the road. It will pull a 13,000 lb ball-hitch trailer or a 16,700 lb 5th wheel. I've been a Ford truck guy to this point (sold my 13 year old F150 to buy the Silverado) but went with the Chevy due to several factors, including more power, better discounts (I had $2K in GM card credits) and greater mpg.

As always, YMMV.

Nice truck! Great mileage, too. Now we need photos of the 5th wheel. And what kind of mileage does it get towing it?

 

[REWahoo]

Now we need photos of the 5th wheel.

OK...but they all kinda look the same.

Now we need photos of the 5th wheel. And what kind of mileage does it get towing it?

TBD. The RV is still at the dealer. I'm having a second A/C unit installed 'cause it gets might hot in TX - but ya'll already knew that...

I'm hoping for 12 but expecting 10. Either way it will be an improvement over the 7.5 - 8 I got in the bus.

 

[W2R]

OK...but they all kinda look the same.

Oh.... Some of us (me, namely) didn't know that. So OK, that's what it looks like. Looks roomy and nice. Does it have all the plush upgrades like granite countertops and so on, like I have been hearing about?

TBD. The RV is still at the dealer. I'm having a second A/C unit installed 'cause it gets might hot in TX - but ya'll already knew that...

Now THAT is something I knew. I've never been hotter than in College Station in the summer, without a drop of rain. That heat bearing down can be just withering.

I'm hoping for 12 but expecting 10. Either way it will be an improvement over the 7.5 - 8 I got in the bus.

Great! Good move, given the consensus in our poll above that we think gas prices will be around $5/gallon for the next few years.

You know, when you get a new RV it is virtually required that you go on a long trip to test it out.

 

[rescueme]

While the two cars I drive get poor mileage (12-15 mpg) and have small V-8's (both 4.6; one Ford, one GM) the increase in fuel expense dosen't impact me at all.

I filled my Mustang two weeks ago, the first time it's been filled since October (used less than 1K last year).

I fill the Cadillac (SRX) on average, just once a month or so (driven just over 4K last year).

We never use the cars for road trips; all usage is short city trips, so I could not even tell what kind of mileage I would get on the highway.

Just a different way to limit fuel costs ...

 

[RetirementColdHardTruth]

I just dont get it. A VW polo tdi in UK and Australia gets 73/79 miles per gallon. The festiva there also has a tdi option that gets over 80 mile per gallon. Best we can do here is 42 mpg.

why would anybody want a hybrid? Just give us the tdi's.


I want to know why we can't get it here.

 

[Westernskies]

I want to know why we can't get it here.

Governmental/Industrial conspiracy. The import licensing is locked up in a vault with the 200mpg carburetor, the perpetual motion machine, Bigfoot, and the magic pumpkin that turns lead into gold.

 

[samclem]

I want to know why we can't get it here.

Probably because these manufacturers can make more selling all they manufacture in Europe (tiny cars fetch a lot more money there than here). Also, I don't know if they can pass US crash tests. VW was reportedly getting one of their TDI models crash tested in the US in 2008, maybe things didn't go well.

 

[REWahoo]

Does it have all the plush upgrades like granite countertops and so on, like I have been hearing about?

This one is more middle of the road (speaking figuratively, of course.) Fewer "plushes" than the fancy rigs - no granite, central vac system or heated marble floors - but real wood cabinets and a decent insulation package.

There really isn't much counter space in the kitchen as you can see. DW asked the RV sales guy if he had one with no kitchen at all...

 

[RetirementColdHardTruth]

Governmental/Industrial conspiracy. The import licensing is locked up in a vault with the 200mpg carburetor, the perpetual motion machine, Bigfoot, and the magic pumpkin that turns lead into gold.

Serious. Check the link 3.7l per 100km. Thats 73+ mpg. Long term tests they were doing 3.0l per 100km.

This is real my sister drives one in Australia.

2011 Ford Fiesta Hatch And Sedan Pricing And Specifications | Reviews | Prices | Australian specifications

 

[samclem]

Serious. Check the link 3.7l per 100km. Thats 73+ mpg.

3.7l = .977 US gal
100 KM = 62 US (statute) miles.

Doing the "maths": = 63.46 mpg

And, that's diesel, which is pricier in the US than regular gasoline

Still a lot, but not 73+. Maybe they are using Imperial Gallons, or special "Ford Gallons".

 

[W2R]

This one is more middle of the road (speaking figuratively, of course.) Fewer "plushes" than the fancy rigs - no granite, central vac system or heated marble floors - but real wood cabinets and a decent insulation package.

There really isn't much counter space in the kitchen as you can see. DW asked the RV sales guy if he had one with no kitchen at all...

Still, it's pretty! Might do in a pinch if you just had to cook. I like your DW's way of thinking, though. I also like the real wood cabinets.

 

[RetirementColdHardTruth]

Probably because these manufacturers can make more selling all they manufacture in Europe (tiny cars fetch a lot more money there than here). Also, I don't know if they can pass US crash tests. VW was reportedly getting one of their TDI models crash tested in the US in 2008, maybe things didn't go well.

Crash tests get the same score for the Polo and the Fiesta no matter the engine type. Make sence seeing it is the same car really.

It just gets on my nerves we limit our economy based on views that the power isnt there in desel. I will take 73-80mpg any day over 42 we get here. Also on top gear UK version they did a road race and one of the guys had the Polo tdi and he was driving really softly and pulling 90+ mpg out of it.

If you guys dont believe me check it out on netflix.

 

[RetirementColdHardTruth]

Sorry guys my conversion online calculator was converting incorrectly. Here is on that produces the right results when converting litres per 100km to mpg.

CalculateMe.com - Convert Liters Per 100 Kilometers to Miles Per Gallon (US)

 

[devans0]

I picked up a used F-350 diesel crew cab long box last year. I had to buy steps so DW could climb into it. It was my first experience with a truck, much less a 4x4 'big foot' and after driving through the blizzards, see why they are so popular.

I do have to plan ahead for city parking though.

 

[RetiredGypsy]

VW was reportedly getting one of their TDI models crash tested in the US in 2008, maybe things didn't go well.

VW had brought several TDIs here. I had one for a while, and got about 45 MPG, close to what my motorcycle gets now. They brought over another TDI just a year or two ago; they were heavily advertising it on that Mythbuster's show.

If they can bring those stupid Smart Cars over here, it astounds me we're not seeing the diesels. Or at least the cool new Alfa Romeos.

 

[Moemg]

.

There really isn't much counter space in the kitchen as you can see. DW asked the RV sales guy if he had one with no kitchen at all...

She would probably change her mind after a few weeks with nothing but restaurant food . I know when we travel I just get tired of eating out so a kitchen that size would be perfect .

 

[W2R]

I picked up a used F-350 diesel crew cab long box last year. I had to buy steps so DW could climb into it. It was my first experience with a truck, much less a 4x4 'big foot' and after driving through the blizzards, see why they are so popular.

I do have to plan ahead for city parking though.

I can't even imagine parking a truck that big.

 

[Moemg]

Since we are talking gas prices I have to put in a plug for my Honda CRV . Absolutely great gas mileage ! Love this car !

 

[RetiredGypsy]

And, that's diesel, which is pricier in the US than regular gasoline

Even when diesel was about $0.20 more than regular gas, I was still paying half to two thirds per mile driven than most other cars. And that was at 99,000+ miles on the odometer. That was only getting about 45 MPG too, not the 50-80 that's been reported in some European diesels.

 

[samclem]

If they can bring those stupid Smart Cars over here, it astounds me we're not seeing the diesels. Or at least the cool new Alfa Romeos.

So, what's the theory? Ford and VW don't want to make money? Americans are too stupid to know that they ought to want a turbodiesel, (and Ford and VW don't have marketing departments)? This isn't Europe but it ought to be (as the high-speed train boosters keep saying)?

 

[Leonidas]

In most of Europe, diesel is typically about 30c/USgal cheaper than gasoline. (The only country I can think of immediately where it's a little more expensive (10c/gal) is the UK.)

Which is the exact opposite of what we have here, where diesel is $0.30 a gallon more or so. Looking at the prices you guys are paying ($5.40 a gallon or so for diesel) vs our price of $3.39, it makes sense that US refiners are still electing to ship as much diesel as they can get away with to Europeland.

 

[RetiredGypsy]

So, what's the theory? Ford and VW don't want to make money? Americans are too stupid to know that they ought to want a turbodiesel, (and Ford and VW don't have marketing departments)? This isn't Europe but it ought to be (as the high-speed train boosters keep saying)?

I don't know what the story is. And I certainly don't want to tell other people what to buy. But my comment was about the possible crash test failings; Euro NCAP tests seem to favor a number of small cars from various manufacturers with good crash test results.

At least one of the Smart cars sold here only gets an average rating, and just looking at a Ford Galaxy diesel minivan, it got an excellent rating.

 

[RetiredGypsy]

Which is the exact opposite of what we have here, where diesel is $0.30 a gallon more or so. Looking at the prices you guys are paying ($5.40 a gallon or so for diesel) vs our price of $3.39, it makes sense that US refiners are still electing to ship as much diesel as they can get away with to Europeland.

If at $3.39 and 50 MPG for a diesel, and at $3.09 for 35 MPG for a car, you're still paying $0.02 cents a mile less with the diesel. You'd have to drop to below 40 MPG for the diesel to make it even.

 

[brewer12345]

OK...but they all kinda look the same.



TBD. The RV is still at the dealer. I'm having a second A/C unit installed 'cause it gets might hot in TX - but ya'll already knew that...

I'm hoping for 12 but expecting 10. Either way it will be an improvement over the 7.5 - 8 I got in the bus.

So why are you swapping the bus for a 5th wheel?