How are you dealing with gas prices?

[drew03cmc]

I cry everytime I fill up my three cylinder daily commuter. $27 for a GEO METRO to run back and forth to work.

We drive less normally. She works at home, that saves $100+ per month, but I still burn that running to ponds and things fishing. No AC in cars, etc...slow down, accelerate slower, do all of the smart things.

[timsfly]

I'm still driving a lot, 100 miles a day back and forth to work, 5 or 6 days a week. I did buy a Subaru last week, gets twice the mileage my truck gets, and I still have a lot of room for fishing stuff. The gas prices suck, but I still have to get back and forth to work and I still have a need to fish, I fish untill the voices in my head stop yelling at me, and then I go back to work

[gonefishin]

I cry everytime I fill up my three cylinder daily commuter. $27 for a GEO METRO to run back and forth to work.

I know what yo mean drew. My main driver is a colt. Got a HUGE 1.5L 4 banger in it. City driving it gets about 38 mpg. On the highway I normally get about 44 or 45. Makes me about cry when I have to put $35 worth of gas in it. I thought about selling it and buying something a little nicer a time or two but with gas prices like they are I am glad I haven't.

[Chief Grey Bear]

No AC in cars, etc...slow down, accelerate slower, do all of the smart things.

I heard on a respectable radio program a couple of years that they did a test on the rumor of running the AC vs. having the windows down and which had the least gas consumption.

On this test they used the same car at a local NASCAR track. What they did was put the same amout of fuel in tank for each test. Then with the windows down they ran the car at the same speed around the track until the car ran out of gas. Then they filled her up witht he same amount of gas and ran it around the track with the AC on until it ran out of gas.

I was surprised at the results. I would have bet that the test with the windows down would have got a lot better milage than the AC test. But in the end there was only 1.5 or 2 laps difference. IIRC.

[Terry Beeson]

CGB,

1.5 to 2 laps out of how many? 5? 500? There would be quite a difference depending on the total number of laps.

[SilverMallard]

Yes, Chief. The wind drag created by driving at highway speeds with the windows down is about the same as the drag on the engine to run the ac compressor. However, at LOW speeds in town, windows down makes a pretty big difference.

We're trying to consolidate trips as often as practical. And I'm keeping frivolous driving to a minimum. But my wife has to drive...no way around it. For her, the difference in gas prices basically works out to about a 1-2% reduction in profitability. So that's not a big deal in a business sense. It's the recreational stuff that's hard for us to justify.

[Chief Grey Bear]

CGB,

1.5 to 2 laps out of how many? 5? 500? There would be quite a difference depending on the total number of laps.

The test with the windows down went about an additional 2 miles on a tank of gas. Not 2 miles per gallon, just 2 miles.

However, at LOW speeds in town, windows down makes a pretty big difference.

Well of course. In town driving equates to stop and go driving. It has an effect on brakes more than hiway driving too. Its not so much the lower speed.

Actually, if it wasn't for all of the stopping and taking off again, city driving would use less gas. Lower speeds = less RPM's = less fuel consumtion.

[The Caddis]

Cheif,

How many miles did they go, 7 instead of 5 is much greater concern than 202 vs. 204.

[MrDucky]

The last 2 days the gas has dropped 14 cents here in springfield , It looks like its gonna go up though

Democrats robbed the bank , republicans are driving there getaway car

[SilverMallard]

Chief, it's not the stopping and starting part. It's the sitting still part that impacts gas mileage in town. Idling equals low rpm gas consumption while going NOWHERE. So miles per gallon drops. And accelerating from a dead stop requires more fuel than cruising speed does, yes.

And, yes, if they went 20 laps vs. 22 laps...that's a big deal. If they went 200 laps vs. 202 laps...not a big deal.