Talking about budget buster! Gasoline...

[ilovemk76]

When my wife get’s called in at 3AM (surgical nurse) during one of the worst snow storms, you can bet that the patient and their family were glad we have a Tahoe and not a civic. Yes I need a real 4wd if only for a couple times a year.
BTW we also picked up the scrub nurse on the way.
4WD/AWD is not just for snow but also for ice/slippery conditions. Combined with the anti-sway technology makes driving a safer experience.

Your wife is more of an exception. The poster you quoted I'd right. I have lived in the far north of the US and never owned an SUV. If the snow was so bad that I needed an SUV to get through 4 feet of snow they would issue a snow emergency and I was not allowed on the roads.

NOBODY needs an excursion to drive around three kids. They got it for a statu symbol and now that status symbol is hlbittimgthem I'm the butt.

 

[loveysbydesign]

This is a major misconception in our thinking. I am also in PA and know the winters we have. Not sure what part of PA you are, but I am western up near I-80, which is pretty rough on snow. I have driven real 4 wheel drives (not the useless AWD garbage like my wife's current Ford Escape) for the past 20 years, but then ended up in a little tiny Honda Civic. I acquired the Civic with 4 snow tires and that thing went through everything winter could toss at me just as well as my 4x4's with various top rated all-terrain tires on them.

People bark about needing 4WD for winter all the time, and I was in the same mindset as well, but in reality, tires are 100% the way to deal with harsh winter driving, not how many wheels are moving the car or what end the wheels are driving from.

Unless you are driving through 4 feet of unplowed snow, 4WD is not needed.

My dh has had to use his 4wd several times this past winter and in the past to go up and down all the back roads that he travels to work as he leave at 4a.m. and many of the roads haven't been plowed yet! He has driven past many others who were backing down hills and in ditches!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

This is a major misconception in our thinking. I am also in PA and know the winters we have. Not sure what part of PA you are, but I am western up near I-80, which is pretty rough on snow. I have driven real 4 wheel drives (not the useless AWD garbage like my wife's current Ford Escape) for the past 20 years, but then ended up in a little tiny Honda Civic. I acquired the Civic with 4 snow tires and that thing went through everything winter could toss at me just as well as my 4x4's with various top rated all-terrain tires on them.

People bark about needing 4WD for winter all the time, and I was in the same mindset as well, but in reality, tires are 100% the way to deal with harsh winter driving, not how many wheels are moving the car or what end the wheels are driving from.

Unless you are driving through 4 feet of unplowed snow, 4WD is not needed.

In Central Mass 4WD it is a must b/c of the hills. Trust me, even during the smaller storms the bottom of my parent's neighborhood looks like a parking lot of front-wheel drive cars. People just give up and walk up the hill or get a ride from someone w/4WD. I used to have an Accord and it did amazing in the snow on the highways, but as soon as I hit the hills there was a lot of paryers being said!

 

[capegirl]

I may as well dive into the pool of gasoline misery. Hubby has a long commute, and drives a Dodge truck to the tune of $200.00 a week. We are losing our sanity over this. What a budget busting nightmare!!

 

[cbeehler3]

Your wife is more of an exception. The poster you quoted I'd right. I have lived in the far north of the US and never owned an SUV. If the snow was so bad that I needed an SUV to get through 4 feet of snow they would issue a snow emergency and I was not allowed on the roads.

NOBODY needs an excursion to drive around three kids. They got it for a statu symbol and now that status symbol is hlbittimgthem I'm the butt.

Once again, quoting when you haven't read.

Expedition. (smaller)
4 of my OWN kids and 3 others. I can't even fit them all at the same time.
I still haven't heard any other options.
AND it is not a status symbol. Now an Escalade...I could see. Not a beat up 6 year old Ford. LMBO.
funny you won't respond to any of my posts....you just like to bash.

 

[Swan4Me]

My DH uses his personal vehicle to drive about 35k miles a year for work-because of these hard times his company cut the amount they pay per mile to less than the government alloutment-thus every month some of the vehicle expeses come out of our pocket.

If gas stays at $3.75 a gallon he comes out almost even

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Time to get serious and get rid of gas guzzling vehicles. The amt you are spending monthly to burn gas could be used toward the monthly payment of a more fuel effiecent vehicle. In the next 2 months car dealerships will be pushing to get rid of 2011 models to make room for 2012 which come out in Aug.

Which would you rather do throw $200 a week into your gas tank and watch it burn or put it toward a newer more economical car. Think in 12 months you will have put $9600 dollars in your gas tank!

 

[Charade]

Time to get serious and get rid of gas guzzling vehicles. The amt you are spending monthly to burn gas could be used toward the monthly payment of a more fuel effiecent vehicle. In the next 2 months car dealerships will be pushing to get rid of 2011 models to make room for 2012 which come out in Aug.

Which would you rather do throw $200 a week into your gas tank and watch it burn or put it toward a newer more economical car. Think in 12 months you will have put $9600 dollars in your gas tank!

Did you factor in the cost of the new vehicle?

Suppose you now own your car and spend $800/month on gas on a car that gets 20 miles/gallon. Now you replace that with a new car that costs you $400/month in a car payment and it gets 30 miles/gallon. You now spend $928 a month on a new car and gas for it. Of course other factors (such as vehicle cost and mpg) will change the end numbers.

(hopefully my math is correct!)

 

[JENOS]

Time to get serious and get rid of gas guzzling vehicles. The amt you are spending monthly to burn gas could be used toward the monthly payment of a more fuel effiecent vehicle. In the next 2 months car dealerships will be pushing to get rid of 2011 models to make room for 2012 which come out in Aug.

Which would you rather do throw $200 a week into your gas tank and watch it burn or put it toward a newer more economical car. Think in 12 months you will have put $9600 dollars in your gas tank!

Apparently you haven’t read the whole thread

 

[Colleen27]

Time to get serious and get rid of gas guzzling vehicles. The amt you are spending monthly to burn gas could be used toward the monthly payment of a more fuel effiecent vehicle. In the next 2 months car dealerships will be pushing to get rid of 2011 models to make room for 2012 which come out in Aug.

The math seldom supports that sort of move unless you're already planning on replacing the vehicle. For most people functionality of a vehicle matters, so you're much more likely to find people trading in the 15mpg Suburban for a 20mpg Flex or minivan than trading in the SUV for a 40mpg sub-compact. And taking on a $400 car payment to save $150-200/mo in gas just doesn't make sense, particularly in light of the current economic climate and the potential for job instability.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Did you factor in the cost of the new vehicle?

Suppose you now own your car and spend $800/month on gas on a car that gets 20 miles/gallon. Now you replace that with a new car that costs you $400/month in a car payment and it gets 30 miles/gallon. You now spend $928 a month on a new car and gas for it. Of course other factors (such as vehicle cost and mpg) will change the end numbers.

(hopefully my math is correct!)

And the person who said her DH spends $200 a week on gas in a Dodge truck lives in MA. Add 6.25% sales tax to that new car and a month later she will be getting an excise tax bill from her town ($25 per $1000 value). It takes several years of owning a new car to see that excise bill go down.

When gas spiked in 2008 we tried to trade in our 2006 Honda Pilot which are very popular in MA. Couldn't get enough in trade to justify it and held off until the lease ran out. In the past we had no trouble trading in a Honda lease early. Nobody is going to get a good deal trading in a car with low MPG right now.

 

[Tinkerdreams]

If you trade a van that gets 20mpg for a hybrid that gets 40 mpg, it will take an average of 3.5 years to make up the difference in gas cost versus the increased cost of the vehicle over a non-hybrid version. Spending $30,000 (prius) or $40,000 (Volt)to save $2,400-$3,000 a year in gas doesn't compute. That's what they don't understand in Washington.

Base price for a Prius is $22,000. The $30,000 version is with all the bells and whistles. I know - I own 2 of them.

You could also buy a used Prius - if you can find them.

 

[Charade]

And the person who said her DH spends $200 a week on gas in a Dodge truck lives in MA. Add 6.25% sales tax to that new car and a month later she will be getting an excise tax bill from her town ($25 per $1000 value). It takes several years of owning a new car to see that excise bill go down.

When gas spiked in 2008 we tried to trade in our 2006 Honda Pilot which are very popular in MA. Couldn't get enough in trade to justify it and held off until the lease ran out. In the past we had no trouble trading in a Honda lease early. Nobody is going to get a good deal trading in a car with low MPG right now.

Excise tax?

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Excise tax?

One of the reasons we got the nickname Taxachusetts-lol. Every March I get a tax bill for each car we own. You also get an excise bill when you buy a new car. Once the car is a few years old it deperciates fast, but those first few years are a killer! In addition to sales tax, gas tax, and excise tax we pay registration every 2 years ($50, more for vanity and specialty plates) and inspection is $29 a year. And yes, you have to get a brand new car inspected. The last car I bought was a private sale and it was inspected a few weeks before I bought it, doesn't matter- I had to pay $29 to get inspected again when I registered it.

 

[scrapquitler]

Excise tax?

In CT, we pay personal property taxes (to our town) on our vehicles (and boats) based on their blue book value. I think that is the same thing as the MA poster is referring to. As a reference, a 2007 Subaru Outback registered in my town last year carried a personal property tax bill of approx. $400.

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

I've been keeping up with this thread because I too am concerned about gas prices. Also, going to admit I drive a Chevy Tahoe and wouldn't trade it in. But, there is getting to be some downright nasty people posting on here. Why are there 2 or 3 posters acting like inmature children and not just having a civil conversation. You can state your opinion, but you don't need to be so petty and childish about it. I'm out of here!

 

[Charade]

One of the reasons we got the nickname Taxachusetts-lol. Every March I get a tax bill for each car we own. You also get an excise bill when you buy a new car. Once the car is a few years old it deperciates fast, but those first few years are a killer! In addition to sales tax, gas tax, and excise tax we pay registration every 2 years ($50, more for vanity and specialty plates) and inspection is $29 a year. And yes, you have to get a brand new car inspected. The last car I bought was a private sale and it was inspected a few weeks before I bought it, doesn't matter- I had to pay $29 to get inspected again when I registered it.

In CT, we pay personal property taxes (to our town) on our vehicles (and boats) based on their blue book value. I think that is the same thing as the MA poster is referring to. As a reference, a 2007 Subaru Outback registered in my town last year carried a personal property tax bill of approx. $400.

That's insane. Here in PA we only pay property tax on homes. We pay registration $36 each year for each car. New cars here have to be inspected too.

 

[si-am]

Back when they made the choice to have a lot of kids they probably weren't anticipating gas at these prices or other things at these prices; how could they have? It's not like they can give the kids back because things have changed with the economy. And as there is no such thing yet as a hybrid van sold in the US, that solution isn't available to them.

Gas was always going to go up. Oil reserves are being depleted; it's not a renewable energy.

Inevitable.

 

[Took]

But they made that choice based on a different set of facts than we're currently dealing with. All of us made some choice that we probably wouldn't have in light of the current gas prices, whether it be taking a job further from home or buying a house based on a reasonable commute that doesn't seem so reasonable at $4/gal or going into a line of work that requires a lot of miles and/or a larger vehicle.

That whole "it was your choice" mindset is very dismissive of legitimate problems, and ignores the fact that we as a society depend upon an awful lot of people whose professions demand driving big, gas guzzling vehicles but don't value those people enough to be sympathetic to the terrible position they are in when gas prices spike.

Then they were short-sighted. Gas has been fairly high (with the threat that it could go higher) for many, many years. Oil will run out, eventually. Period. Especially now that China and India want more of a share of it.

 

[diamondpixienc]

I'm scared to even add the total monthly amount It's now 3.86/gal here. or about 40 bucks to top off at a half of tank. 40 used to get me a full tank a year ago. SMDH