Originally Posted by Tristan

I dunno about America, but where I live poorer people are being hurt by record petrol prices, because they drive older (at least 15 years olds, some exceeding 20 years in age), less fuel efficient cars.

The wealthier folks can always buy the brand new or late model more fuel efficient cars.

I am planning on purchasing a used car soon and I want something which will last a while, for the $5000 I am willing to spend all I can really get which is less than 15 years old are big V6 cars (Ford Falcons, Holden Commodores and Mitsubishi Diamante or Magna as we Aussies call it), which go on average miles per gallon on fuel or uses 16 liters per 100km in city driving and 20 miles per gallon on highway driving. Petrol is AUD1.60 where I live right now or USD5.70 a gallon.

I can't speak for Australia, but I have a friend looking for something under $4,000 and another couple of friends looking for something under $2,000. The first one is looking at mid-1990s used Hondas and recommends that the others look at early 1990s used Hondas. I own a 1998 Honda and was fussing about $2,000 worth of repairs in two months and wondering if I should trade it in for another car, and he said "You have the best used car on the market right now." (I bought it new in 1998),

So - a suggestion from someone who's put a lot of thought into it.

Originally Posted by Roadbldr '59

Heh-heh.... they still make the Ford Falcon Down Under, do they? Ford hasn't made a car with that tag here in the States in over forty years!

Well since the 1970's the Australian Ford Falcon has been a local design and they updated it like other car models. I am showing you the last model before the current one was released a few months ago.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...lcon_XT_01.jpg

This the model made from 1994-1996 which are one of the car models I am likely to get. I am buying the car through finance and I can only get finance on a car which is less than 15 years old and for $5000 or so the only cars around which are less than 15 years are cars like this.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...n_wagon_01.jpg

Originally Posted by Tristan

Well since the 1970's the Australian Ford Falcon has been a local design and they updated it like other car models. I am showing you the last model before the current one was released a few months ago.



This the model made from 1994-1996 which are one of the car models I am likely to get. I am buying the car through finance and I can only get finance on a car which is less than 15 years old and for $5000 or so the only cars around which are less than 15 years are cars like this. ...

Are there Hyundai dealers in your area. Here on Da'Range you have to purchase in Duluth (an hour's drive) but I have seen more and more Hyundai models on the road.

Here are two smaller Land of the Morning Calm models that Consumer Reports likes in the $5k(US) range with the '03 Elantra and the '04 Accent:

The paint doesn't seem to hold up as well as Japanese models but the mechanicals are much sounder than U.S. offerings.

(E)Lantra
Accent (Excel)

Good luck.

Here the car of choice is either a Toyota or a Buick with the elderly choosing the latter and the educated the former.

Other imports are an hour's drive away in Duluth. The vehicle of choice is the P/U w/ 4WD and the automobile is usually the second car to the P/U or a SUV. These are of all makes with Ford-Dodge-GMC/Chevrolet-Toyota in the majority.

The roads are winter damaged in a few years so a wheelbase of 103+" is needful for any kind comfort in a commute. Gas prices may bring about smaller cars and sorer drivers and even poorer roads.

On Saturday, I paid $3.999 per gallon. Most of the gas stations around here (South Arlington, West Alexandria, Bailey's Crossroads, etc...) are at $3.999, although a few are now over $4.00.

Originally Posted by Virgil K. Saari

Are there Hyundai dealers in your area. Here on Da'Range you have to purchase in Duluth (an hour's drive) but I have seen more and more Hyundai models on the road.

Here are two smaller Land of the Morning Calm models that Consumer Reports likes in the $5k(US) range with the '03 Elantra and the '04 Accent:

The paint doesn't seem to hold up as well as Japanese models but the mechanicals are much sounder than U.S. offerings.

(E)Lantra
Accent (Excel)

Good luck.

I've done searches of used cars for my state online, the Hyundai's in my price range are around the same age (c.1993-c.1998) as the Bigger Cars for sale.

And on a lonely corner on State Highway 530 in Arlington, Washington, diesel sells for...

$5.059 per gallon.

Down here in Vancouver it isn't much cheaper... $4.879. Myself I filled up with midgrade this evening at $4.359.

In my neighborhood, gas is now selling for over $4.00. My neighborhood Exxon is selling for $4.059

Originally Posted by Roadbldr '59

... Myself I filled up with mid-grade this evening at $4.359.

<GEARHEAD>
I've always wondered, is any car built to run on mid-grade? Mine wants 91 octane, which is high test. 89 (mid-grade) will do, but my mileage and performance are worse. I ran a few tanks both ways, and high-test is cheaper per mile in almost all cases. If the split gets to be more than 5% between them, I'll consider mid-grade. That's roughly the difference in gas mileage in my car, but the performance will still be worse. Of course, your mileage (and performance) may vary.
</GEARHEAD>

Just today the dow jones dropped 400 points and oil rose by over 10 dollars. According to the latest CBS news report it has been suggested that rising oil prices are not due to rising demand but due to speculation. Who would speculate on rising prices? ,people who have interest in destabilization. Russia, Iran, and al-qaeda are systematically sabatoging the world economy. It was russian and iranian economic bids that caused the bear stearns collapse. Russia and Iran were also the ones who initiated the food crisis by announcing bans on exports. The reason Russia and Iran think their would be destabilization is because they plan to initiate the Third World War. Both russia and Iran have smuggled agents equipped with nukes into the US and europe, al-qaeda is believed to have done so as well, russia has supplied bin laden with hundreds of nukes. The enemy is believed according to some sources have thousands of nukes planted in US cities as well as tens of thousands of terror cells, from Iran, al-qaeda and FSB. They are also believed to have several hundred nukes planted in europe. While Putin and ahmadinejad are courting OPEC, I do not believe that they seek to ally with mainstream arabs; russia seeks the extermination of all non-whites (the Russian Eurasianist Ideologists consider Iranians to be part of the "aryan race" they do not consider western europeans to be "racially pure"), the Iranians too seek the arabs extermination as well as that of the jews, the Iranians have never liked arabs. Why would al-qaeda participate? ,Beacuse they seek the annihilation of the west and the cleasing of the world of "infidel" secular trading based cultures, they seek the destuction of the west even if the arab world is decimated in the process. Recently Putin visited Ahmadinejad in tehran, the Iranian honor guard unit reportedly formed up in the shape of the swastika, I believe that Ahmadinejad and Putin were paying homage to their spiritual predeccessor, Adolf Hitler.

Originally Posted by Cynic Hero '86

Just today the dow jones dropped 400 points and oil rose by over 10 dollars. According to the latest CBS news report it has been suggested that rising oil prices are not due to rising demand but due to speculation.

Correct.

Who would speculate on rising prices?

The big money that cleaned up on the real estate bubble.

Russia, Iran, and al-qaeda are systematically sabatoging the world economy.

Russia and Iran are oil exporters. Yes, they have an interest in keeping oil prices high, but not so high that alternitive energy scorces become cost competitive, which is starting to happen. Al qaeda is not an economic power, they are a ragtag terrorist organization that can only dream of having the kind of power that you ascribe to them.

It was russian and iranian economic bids that caused the bear stearns collapse. Russia and Iran were also the ones who initiated the food crisis by announcing bans on exports.

Russia and Iran are food importers.

The reason Russia and Iran think their would be destabilization is because they plan to initiate the Third World War. Both russia and Iran have smuggled agents equipped with nukes into the US and europe, al-qaeda is believed to have done so as well, russia has supplied bin laden with hundreds of nukes. The enemy is believed according to some sources have thousands of nukes planted in US cities as well as tens of thousands of terror cells, from Iran, al-qaeda and FSB. They are also believed to have several hundred nukes planted in europe. While Putin and ahmadinejad are courting OPEC, I do not believe that they seek to ally with mainstream arabs; russia seeks the extermination of all non-whites (the Russian Eurasianist Ideologists consider Iranians to be part of the "aryan race" they do not consider western europeans to be "racially pure"), the Iranians too seek the arabs extermination as well as that of the jews, the Iranians have never liked arabs. Why would al-qaeda participate? ,Beacuse they seek the annihilation of the west and the cleasing of the world of "infidel" secular trading based cultures, they seek the destuction of the west even if the arab world is decimated in the process. Recently Putin visited Ahmadinejad in tehran, the Iranian honor guard unit reportedly formed up in the shape of the swastika, I believe that Ahmadinejad and Putin were paying homage to their spiritual predeccessor, Adolf Hitler.

You really need to stay on your medicene.

Originally Posted by Marx & Lennon

<GEARHEAD>
I've always wondered, is any car built to run on mid-grade? Mine wants 91 octane, which is high test. 89 (mid-grade) will do, but my mileage and performance are worse. I ran a few tanks both ways, and high-test is cheaper per mile in almost all cases. If the split gets to be more than 5% between them, I'll consider mid-grade. That's roughly the difference in gas mileage in my car, but the performance will still be worse. Of course, your mileage (and performance) may vary.
</GEARHEAD>

My car is supposedly built to use regular 87 octane gasoline. However in practice I get noticeable engine ping with 87, that I don't get when I fill 'er up with 89.

Originally Posted by Roadbldr '59

My car is supposedly built to use regular 87 octane gasoline. However in practice I get noticeable engine ping with 87, that I don't get when I fill 'er up with 89.

H-m-m-m. Does performance change? Typically, engine compression and spark advance are affected by octane, so your car may have a miscalibrated computer ... or an oxygen sensor out ... or possession by demons.

Originally Posted by Marx & Lennon

H-m-m-m. Does performance change? Typically, engine compression and spark advance are affected by octane, so your car may have a miscalibrated computer ... or an oxygen sensor out ... or possession by demons.

Could be. I'll have it checked out when I put the 'Stang in for its 15,000 mile service. At my current rate of driving, that ought to be sometime in July.

I'm up in Albany for the weekend. Paid $4.119 for gas in a suburban station. Ouch!

The good news is that I made it from Arlington, Virginia to Albany, NY on about 7 or 8 gallons of gas. I love my Prius!

According to a variety of websites, china has developed secret electromagnetic, nanotech, and scalar weapons. According to sites such as worldnetdaily, worldtribune, newsmax, TFP and newprophecy, these have been in development since the 1960's in russia and the 1980's in china. These sites claim that russia and china are preparing to deploy ray weapons that can vaporize entire continents with a single shot against the US and europe. These weapons are referred to as post-nuclear superweapons. According to the prophecies of veronika leuken russian and chinese secret armies will invade the US from mexico and possibly canada with objective of population extermination. According to other prophets russian armies will invade the mideast joined by iranian, turkish, southern european and caucasian nation's troops, and would be wiped out by nuclear and asteroid fire at the gates of jerusalem.

Originally Posted by Cynic Hero '86

According to a variety of websites, china has developed secret electromagnetic, nanotech, and scalar weapons. According to sites such as worldnetdaily, worldtribune, newsmax, TFP and newprophecy, these have been in development since the 1960's in russia and the 1980's in china. These sites claim that russia and china are preparing to deploy ray weapons that can vaporize entire continents with a single shot against the US and europe. These weapons are referred to as post-nuclear superweapons. According to the prophecies of veronika leuken russian and chinese secret armies will invade the US from mexico and possibly canada with objective of population extermination. According to other prophets russian armies will invade the mideast joined by iranian, turkish, southern european and caucasian nation's troops, and would be wiped out by nuclear and asteroid fire at the gates of jerusalem.

Can I borrow your tinfoil hat sometime? It might be fun to escape from my routine, run-of-the-mill existence for awhile... so long as I have the option of coming back to reality before too long.

This morning, I filled-up on $3.999 high-test, probably for the last time in a long time. Possibly, forever.

Yesterday I filled up at 3.869. I'm walking to school this morning.

Originally Posted by The Grey Badger

Yesterday I filled up at 3.869. I'm walking to school this morning.

A mileage imrovement that can't be better. Of course, the human engine needs its fuel too.

Originally Posted by Marx & Lennon

A mileage imrovement that can't be better. Of course, the human engine needs its fuel too.

Yes, well most of us have been receiving too much fuel. A little exercise can't hurt.

This morning, I went on some errands. I noticed I was getting kind of low on gas, but with my job starting next week, I tend to postpone purchases like that. I knew oil went up $11 on Friday, but had also read that oil had trickled down so far this morning, so I very narrowly decided to not get gas this morning for $3.88 (in nearby Minnesota). In retrospect, I may just have filled the tank if only my fuel door were on the opposite side, because I think I decided, after having been parked at a gas pump to pick up some cigarettes for my mom, that maneuvering around the correct way to get gas was too much of a hassle. (As an aside, gas was a slightly higher $3.94 in my town at that time). Besides, if gas were to go up, it would have done so on Friday, not today, right?

Wrong.

I went back home, and went out a few hours later to my friends house for something to do. We wound up heading to the Mall of America. On the way there (in his car, not mine at this point), I noticed that suddenly gas was $4.14. That's right, it had gone up 20 cents at once. In the Minnesota suburb gas was going for $3.89 earlier, it was now about $4.08. And as a result of heading to my friend's house, now my fuel light has come on. If my mom wants me to run any errands for her tomorrow, I'm gonna have to charge a fuel surcharge, or just say no. I'm gonna drive as minimally as possible until next Monday when I have to start commuting to my job in downtown Minneapolis. Fortunately I can take the bus for 2/3 of the commute, saving on parking and gas.

This past year in Arizona, despite having a free ASU-provided bus pass, I'd been driving most places, and only using the bus to get to class to save on the campus parking fee. Next year, I may only use my car at times when the bus doesn't run (or likely in August/September when it's still too darn hot to wait for the bus). Unfortunately, my parents' house, where I live until August, is six miles from the nearest grocery store, gas station, and post office. At least my mom's food nearly eliminates my otherwise high fast food budget.

God I wish I filled up at $3.89 today.

$4.359 for mid-grade in Vancouver, and still climbing...

Originally Posted by The Wonkette

Yes, well most of us have been receiving too much fuel. A little exercise can't hurt.

The other day I set out to run my errands at the University on foot. I failed to bring my empty water bottle (to be refilled at the drinking fountains.) After two hours, I was thirsty and stopped off at the Frontier Restaurant (famous student hangout, featured in the Tony Hillerman film "Thief of Time") for a small diet cola. Their special of the week was one of their famous breakfast burritos with fresh-squeezed orange juice, $2 off. My breakfast had been a bowl of wheat puffs.

'Niff said?

I may have saved gas and burned calories. I surely didn't save either money or calories!

Before gas prices get any higher . . .

http://www.gtweekly.com/columns/the-...an-road-trip-1