Gas prices?

[Haltickling]

Just out of curiosity: What are the current gas prices in the US?

Here in Germany, it's about $ 5.20 per gallon (high octane), and about $ 4.30 per gallon (Diesel).

The average car here goes about 35 miles per gallon, but there are a lot of compact and subcompact cars with lower sonsumption, too (about 45-50 miles per gallon).

How much fuel does a SUV consume?

 

[milagros317]

As of today (April 25), the nationwide average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is $1.85.

The lowest average price for a city or town is $1.51 in Clifton, New Jersey and the highest is $2.49 in San Francisco, California.

(Source: GasPriceWatch.com)

SUV's vary in size and fuel efficiency. Some get as little as 12 to 15mpg. Subcompacts are widely available here but not very popular. Toyota sells hybrid electric/gasoline cars that get 60mpg in the U.S., but they are not very popular either.

 

[MrMacphisto]

Worst gas mileage on a vehicle that's not a bus, big rig, or construction vehicle: Ford Excursion - 10 mpg. Sadly, in this country, you're likely to find more people driving Excursions than Hybrids. Of course, this might change as gas prices go up. One state in particular looks like it might eventually reach Europe's cost for gas: California. While on the one hand, higher gas prices make life a lot more expensive, the benefit of this is that people will be more likely to support public transportation (or at least drive less) as the price goes up. Down in my NC town, gas is about 1.69 for 87 octane, 1.79 for 89 octane, and 1.89 for 93 octane. Needless to say, travel is relatively cheap here, even with low wages.

As people continue to live beyond their means, gas remains cheap, and people try to compensate for their dull lives (or small genitalia), Americans will probably continue to drive cars as big as possible until the combination of car emissions and power plant-related air pollution causes an epidemic of chronic bronchitis. Simply put, cars are a status symbol here, which is fitting for our culture, considering how quickly they depreciate in value. Personally, I drive a compact, and even if I had the money, I wouldn't drive anything bigger than a Camry, because I don't need a car to give me status and I give a shit about the air pollution issue.

 

[TKpervert]

87 octane is $2.18 a gallon here in O.C. Calif.
Our Air Resources Board demands special blends of gas, with oxidizers in it, which raises refining costs and creates artificial 'shortages'.
Cost of living is high here anyway, so we're not fazed yet. We might start worrying if it hits $3.
If it hits $4, we won't reduce driving much, we'll just cut the entertainment budget which will hurt restaurants, movie theaters, theme parks, etc.

 

[Limeoutsider]

If most all of us would start using alternate means of transportation, theoretically gas prices would have to fall, however, the US, as a nation, is lazy, and is affected by rampant me me me attitudes, so I think that most of the people in the US would rather drive and use more gas than take a bus or cab or subway or whatnot and wait a few minutes.

 

[tommytikl]

However, the US transit system SUCKS UNLESS you live in a major city...
It is darned near impossible to find a taxi outside of the big cities just driving around..sure you could call for a taxi but they don't just hang out.
And I don't know about buses elsewhere in the US but
in DE our buses don't go anywhere useful and I literally cannot get to my work, an hour away, using bus or taxi...well none go that far or connect me at the right points...train doesn't go that way either...

Yes it sucks that gas goes so high, but we are stuck in our cars because STATES don't properly put enough resources to "alternative transportation"...

 

[tklgal226]

5 bucks a gallon? I give it a year till the US gas prices go up that high....if things keep going the way they are now...

~clair

 

[Haltickling]

Thanks for all the input, folks, greatly appreciated!

 

[The Sean Man]

Lololol...somewhere, Ed Begley Jr. is in his electric car, laughing at all of us poor wretched souls.....

The Sean Man

 

[MrMacphisto]

LOL... good one, Sean... It reminds me of a lyric from MC Hawking. "I'm like Ed Begley Jr. at a motherf*cking oil spill."

 

[The Sean Man]

LMFAO!

The Sean Man