Ok, so oil futures played around at over the magic $100 per barrel range today. A couple of threads have talked about this and reflected the price of gasoline. This is the time of year where we would normally be around the absolute minimum for gas price and it normally increases to a max around the end of the summer. Here in NoCal, premium in silicon valley is about 3.50 a gallon, give or take, at the best. It is not unusual historically to have a 50% increase lately from the minimum to the maximum. Therefore, there is some basis to say that it would not be out of the realm of possibility for us NoCaleefornians to be paying slightly over $5/gallon this summer. Of course, it may not happen due to the factors affecting oil prices but with even a 50/50 chance, $5/gallon is a possibility in six months.

So the poll is to get a feeling for where gasoline has to get to affect you. I am not defining the impact but let's just say that when it crosses this level, you will do something such as adding a vehicle or changing a vehicle. I think we will try a follow up to get a handle on what the change is likely to be but for now, where is that range that gets you to make some changes.

 

I already switched it up. Sold the GS430 & the I30 (winter beater) for the new GTI. Gas was just one of several reasons. I am really enjoying the 30+ mpg's on the highway though.

 

You forgot the option, "I'm a college student, and am not made of money, so I can't just go switching cars to accommodate myself with the changing gas prices"

 

you can say it affected us already as well. traded the sc430 and gs400 for ls460l and gs350. not that much of a dramatic change but we did consider gas mileage to certain extend when we shopped

 

Well, considering that gas is the only source of money that I put into my car (my GS is paid in full), it's rather difficult to see me getting out of the GS for another car payment. I think gas would have to break $4 and get really close to $5 before it would have that much of a dramatic effect. But, I will say this... I have kept an eye out on the market for a more fuel efficient car. Luckily, I NORMALLY only drive to and from school. That's 20 miles each way. I'm averaging 21 MPG per tank, so it's holding pretty well right now...

 

We have been paying $3.30+ a gallon for premium for the last year or two, and that is down from the Katrina time when gas prices hit a high of about $4 a gallon in certain areas in my state. Currently we are around the $3.50-$3.59 range. Fluctuates slightly each week. Because of that, I wont really think about it until gas prices hit $4 a gallon again. At that point I'll actually start crunching numbers and checking out options. If/When it gets to $5 a gallon, that is when I'll actually make a move to a much more efficient car, or a hybrid, or something like that. Currently, because we live so close to work (Both my wife and I) and I have a 5CC moped that frequently use for work, my gas bill is actually lower each month than when gas was cheaper and we lived 25 miles from work. But $5 a gallon will really start to make a difference even if we fill up gas every two week in both our main cars. I actually have 3 cars so one car can go as much as a 3/4 weeks with one tank of gas.

 

Toss out that old line of reasoning, RON. That is the old, conventional market for oil prices.....up during the summer vacation season, lower in the colder months. But that no longer applies anymore.........the market today is far more complex and unpredictable than that. Different gasoline blends now have to be used summer and winter for emission purposes. Part of the crude oil supply is used in the winter for heating oil. CA now has special, regional gas formulas. Every event that happens in the Middle East now causes panic. Runaway bids by oil speculators, the up-and-down powers of OPEC countries and their oil ministers. The tanker trucks themselves, that deliver the gas, cost more to run when gas and diesel fuel is high. ALL of this, and MUCH more, affects pump pricing today.

 

You will be like a sheep in a herd. The problem is, when gas gets that high, everybody ELSE will be doing that too, and dealerships will be price-gouging on those cars. They will be in extremely short supply and high demand. The time to shop, if you are considering that, is BEFORE high-mileage vehicles start going like beer during Happy Hour. Wait until those dealerships are flooded with customers, and the chances are that you will be just one more price-gouging statistic..........so instead of putting the money in your gas tank, you will be handing it over to Smiling Sam at the stealership.

 

I'm a little on the lucky side, my parents have a few different cars to swap from. I'm driving a 95 ES300 right now. Gas prices have made me baby the throttle and not enjoy driving much.

 

well...before i go tmy current LS in feb of 07, i was driving my jeep grand cherokee witha 4.7 v8, lifted with mud tires, 13.5 mpg. couldn't afford it anymore with a 50+ mile round trip to work and back. i wanted another LS anyway, so with the idea of getting about 20 mpg, i bought the LS which is what i currently drive daily. now, not even 20 mpg is good enough, so i bought another eagle talon to drive which will get close to 30mpg while making an easy 250 hp to the wheels. so i'll have a fun cheap reliable car to drive that gets good mileage. that should offset the currrent hike. if it keeps up though, i guess i'll have to move downtown so i'm not so far from work!

imo, it's better to drive an old paid for car that gets good mpg than make payments on a new car that gets excellent mpg.

 

If gas prices went up, I wouldn't change cars, no matter what.

I would just get a job closer to home. And a scooter...

 

Gas is crazy I had to sell my SUV and bought a 97 accord to beat. Now I might have to sell the GS cause its not big enough. Grrrrrrrrrrr

 

I live .4 miles from my work !! I'll never get another car!! NEVER!!!

 

I was just thinking this yesterday. I got the Subaru credit card with the intention of racking up points toward a new one. Now Im not so sure if I want a WRX anymore. Perhaps a Prius would be a better idea.

 

traded out of my Audi S4 for the IS for this reason and im loving it already. if gas prices are out of hand i would be considering a motorcycle. i sure do miss having a bike and after seeing PhilipMSPT's bike with his new mod im thinking it just might be time to make room in the garage for a bike again.