How to combat high gas prices

[skives]

Recently gas prices have gone up about 40 cents around here to $4.29 a gallon. Just wondering your thoughts on how to combat them?

Does it pay off to get a hybrid vehicle like a Prius?

[bjl584]

It depends how long you keep the Prius. You have to drive something like 100,000 miles in order to offset the premium that you pay for it.

What kind of car do you drive now? What is your current fuel economy.

Also, it's amazing how much regular maintenance goes to improve fuel economy. Keep your tires properly inflated, change your oil regularly, keep your air filter clean, and keep up with other scheduled maintenance.

[skives]

I currently drive a jeep gran cherokee that gets an average of 15mpg. Though I usually only drive 8,000 to 10,000 miles a year.

[bUU]

You have lots of room to improve then, without resorting to buying a hybrid. A Ford Fiesta, for example, is very affordable, and gets 33 mpg. Need something a little larger? A Ford Focus also gets 33 mpg.

[disneysteve]

A hybrid will cost you more than it saves you.

You don't drive that much so gas prices really aren't that big a deal.

15mpg and 10,000 miles/year is 667 gallons/year so a 40-cent price increase is $267/year or about $22/month. Hardly a budget buster for most people.

What should you do? Keep your tires properly inflated, your engine well maintained, your vehicle not full of crap in the trunk weighing you down. Drive more efficiently - no quick starts or sudden stops. Stick to the speed limit. Limit AC use when traveling at low speeds (under 40mph) and open the windows instead. At higher speeds, close the windows to decrease drag and use the AC if needed. Combine trips and otherwise cut back on unnecessary travel.

[Liopleurodon]

Is your Jeep paid for? If so then you'll spend far more money paying for the new fuel efficient car than you will save in gas. As disneysteve says, just keep up with proper maintenance on your current vehicle. Switch to synthetic motor oil if you haven't already. You don't need to drive like a hypermiler, just maintain speeds, and try to keep engine RPMs down. You don't put enough miles on your car to justify the expense of a hybrid vehicle.

Since we're all recommending vehicles, a Chevy Equinox 2.4L gets 32mpg highway and it retains the usable space of your Jeep. Its an excellent value in regards to practicality, utility, efficiency, and price.

[siggy_freud]

I traded my 20mpg Subaru STi on a Volt. The gas savings for me in that deal were substantial, as well as the payment differential.

My monthly gas bill was $230 per month. With the Volt it went to $16.00 for electricity if I charged 100% at home (and not 50% of the time for free at work).

My monthly payment between vehicles dropped about $200 per month as well for an overall monthly savings of ~$430 per month.

For the commute I had it was 20mpg vs. well over 100mpg.

[phantom]

I drive a Jeep Liberty that gets 17mpg. Gas prices doubled within a year of me buying it. My solution was to just drive less. Can you car pool, do all your errands in fewer trips, or use alternatives modes of transportation more often? The other thing that made a big dent for me was taking advantage of credit cards that gave extra cash back on gas and grocery store loyalty programs that offered gas station discounts.

[maryadavies]

I admit one of my goals is to get my driver's license but..I'm familiar with the issue since I do try to help my brothers who do drive. The question is if it would be worth it for a hybrid, or should you just check Gasbuddy and find the lowest prices along your route. (IMO, cheap gas is not a deal if you have to go out of your way.)

Since you're not a big driver, I'd suggest checking Gasbuddy and finding out where the cheapest gas is along your normal routes. Again, it isn't a deal if you have to spend MORE gas to get to the station with the cheapest gas. ^^ I am the one that did it for my mom and I am doing that for my brothers, now. ^^

[MonkeyMama]

Personally, if I were in your shoes I'd get a vehicle with better gas mileage. Read Mr. Money Mustache (google it) for some motivation.

The fallacy is in thinking that you have to replace it with a brand new car. I'd just trade it for a similarly priced car with better gas mileage. OF course, doing this privately (versus at a dealership) will save you a small fortune.

The small Fords (& some of the other makes and models) will get you more like 40mpg on the freeway. I don't think you really need to invest the $$$$ in a Prius. 30mpg would be a substantial improvement in your situation.

[snafu]

skives: Is your Jeep GC one of the models the gov't identified as dangerous? Out of curiosity, did you buy that particular model as an identifier or to fulfil a need driving in difficult conditions. Would you be willing to action any of the suggestions offered to bring down operational costs?
[from last month's thread] Did you bid on house @ $ 39,900

[rennigade]

Gas really isnt that expensive here. Head to Europe and fill up a car. Talk about sticker shock.

We Americans are just spoiled. A lot of people who complain about fuel prices are the ones you see driving down the road with their smartphone in one hand and their $4 coffee in the other. Give me a break.

[bjl584]

At 15mpg and driving 10,000 miles a year you pay $2859 in fuel costs annually assuming gas is $4.29/gallon.

So, If you got a car that did twice as good and got 30mpg you are looking at $1429 in fuel costs annually.

A savings of $1430 per year.

Is it worth buying a new car to save that much? You will have to decide that.

In 10 years you will save approximately $14,000 all things being equal. How much will a replacement car cost you?

I personally would probably just hang onto the Jeep. It's going to take you a long time to recover the cost of buying a different car unless gas rockets sky high.

[feh]

Putting proper maintenance of your vehicle aside:

• drive less
• drive a fuel efficient vehicle
• drive in a manner that improves fuel efficiency

I bike to work when I can, and our family vehicles get 33/38 MPG respectively.