Our Trailblazer gets about 18 mpg by using the cruise control at freeway speed. Figure 1200 miles per month, so 67 gallons. Even at $5 per gallon, that's $333 per month. A Toyota Prius might get 45 mpg. That's about 27 gallons. At $5 per gallon, that's $133 per month. Okay, $200 per month difference in gasoline is pretty substantial--but it won't make the payments on the Prius, and for us, there are at least two months of the year (and sometimes three months of the year) where we have to have a four wheel drive to get in and out. Even a high mileage AWD or 4WD (like a Subaru or Suzuki SX4) doesn't get good enough gas mileage to pay for the capital costs. Even people that don't need a 4WD can't justify replacing an existing car unless gas gets a lot higher than $5 per gallon, or unless they drive 2000 miles a month. There is one and only strategy that works -- drive less.Clayton Cramer. More here
Question: Are you considering buying a car with better gas mileage, as a result of the current gas prices?
D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.
at $5 per gallon, that's $333 per month. A Toyota Prius might get 45 mpg. That's about 27 gallons. At $5 per gallon, that's $133 per month. Okay, $200 per month difference in gasoline is pretty substantial--but it won't make the payments on the Prius, and for us, there are at least two months of the year (and sometimes three months of the year) where we have to have a four wheel drive to get in and out. Even a high mileage AWD or 4WD (like a Subaru or Suzuki SX4) doesn't get good enough gas mileage to pay for the capital costs. Even people that don't need a 4WD can't justify replacing an existing car unless gas gets a lot higher than $5 per gallon, or unless they drive 2000 miles a month. There is one and only strategy that works -- drive less.Clayton Cramer. More here
