# Fuel Conservation



## bandit109 (Nov 1, 2005)

I was wondering,

based on everything going on in the world,

would you prefer to save money by buying new technology that uses less gas, or saving money by buying a cheaper used car regardless of gas mileage.

The reason I ask is that I am considering buying another truck v.s. the honda I currently drive. The reason I have the Honda is mileage (30 k mls since feb 06) and reliability. Prior to the Honda I have owned a fleet of GMC pkps, n like the new Avalanches. When I bought the Honda gas had gone through the roof, and I though it sensible to purchase a reliable vehicle with as few expenses as possible. Being the red blooded American I am, the sting has worn off & I wanna buy a freakin' truck again.

In this pursuit it pisses me off that fuel prices continue to rise (based on speculation), and the best that we can do is add units that only add a few mpg by shutting off cylinders. 

I think I would rather see an immediate relief in fuel, projected over say -- 20 yrs, by drilling whatever we have to. In the mean time, offering incentives to American automakers to provide better mileage and an ultimate goal of releiving ourselves of fuel dependancy.

Any thoughts??


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## Rashiki (Sep 29, 2005)

I think it would be best to just keep what you have and make it more efficient by removing excess weight, improving driving habits, keeping tires at correct pressure, buying gas in the early morning or evening when it's most dense etc etc than buying a new vehicle. The price offset of purchasing a new vehicle just for the sake of getting better mileage is in my opinion too great. In the 1,500 dollars give or take that you'll save in gas most likely won't make up the difference in price of vehicles if you trade one in.


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## Zazula (Apr 27, 2006)

Plus, bring the maintenance cost in the "equation" and take also that into account. Many models tend to exhibit a point in their lives, after which maintaining them becomes costlier (or not so cost-effective as the alternative options). Make an overall calculation that will include fuel consumption, maintenance cost and value loss (I'm oversimplistic here, but you get my point) and use that as a means to determine better when it's really the time for you to think about changing your car.


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## crazijoe (Oct 19, 2004)

If a truck is what you desire, get a more economical truck. Such as a Nissan or Toyota. Or better yet, get a truck with a diesel. Diesels tend to get better gas milage than a gasser. Plus it will have more torque to pull whatever you need. 
A buddy of mine drives to the Lake of the Ozarks about every three months. He has a '99 F250 with a Powerstroke diesel. He gets about 19mpg pulling his 26' Cobalt boat.


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## Spacemonkey6401 (Jul 27, 2006)

I'm in the same situation your in. I know exactly where your coming from, and here's my two cents. 
I've always had my pick-up, and then a lil beat around car(85 Mazda 626) that will get around 30 mpg. The car has had it's problems, and little repairs are starting to eat me up. You have to remember that that 250 dollar head you put on, or 20 dollar timing belt, or 150 dollar heating core, tires and everything like that could be going towards gas on the pickup. Newer pickups are more fuel eff. like you say, and the little repairs would prolly pay for the gas difference between 16-18 mpg with the truck and 28 car. Another thing you have to remember is the insurance, with my car it's actually higher than my truck because of the fact it can carry more people that would have to be insured.
My suggestion is you seriously look at a GMC with the duramax diesel and allison transmission. I've been looking at them, asking about fuel mileage and everything. Fully loaded pulling a camper and boat a friend gets 17-16. He can get 22 unloaded, but he's got a 2500 Ext Cab. I've got another friend that's got a 2006 GMC 1 ton short cab with a flatbed on it with the duramax and allison, and he can get 28 mpg on the highway, 22 in town. Hauling cattle 20.
The other thing, a newer car that could be considered truely reliable could cost you more than a new standard pickup. I know in my area a new Cobalt was 16000, while a standard cab 1500 gas truck was 14000. A diesel will cost you a lil more, but it's life will way outlive the car or gas pickup.


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## randomguy321 (Mar 25, 2006)

The consideration missed in the discussion of new versus old vehicles is that of maintenence cost. True a newer vehicle would have fewer issues for repair than an older used one, but the problem is that those repairs are astronomically more costly than ones for an old used car. Today there are simply to many things that can go wrong, or to many improvements that are rediculously overpriced to repair. For example I was a my mechanic recently, I drive a 1980 Volvo wagon, and the mechanic himself was complaining about the cost of repairing the on cylinder coils, $140 for each spark plug on each cylinder. 
Also expanding oil production currently allowing for a drop in consumer prices will destroy the market pressure that could finally allow the auto industry to truely innovate for fuel economy. I understand that it hurts, I understand that oil companies are making record profits while everything from milk and eggs, to bottled water and frappachinos, gets more expensive with the rise in transport costs. The issue is not one of global warming, but of overall environmental damage, and economic security. Would you rather leave, to your spawn, a world with an oil driven economy; the reality of which is that it will never get cheaper to produce oil, with the shift in deposit content from sweet light crude ( the stuff that is easy to make into consumer grade fuels) to heavy sour crude ( which takes more time effort capital etc. to make useable); or leave them with a thriving world economy based on a secure renuable energy source? The choice is not just ours but everyones, we must choose between ease and comfort in the short term, with devestating effects in the long run; and discomfort and challenge with a promising future outlook. 

Just my dolla fitty.


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

if you have to get a new truck, how about a Mazda B2200? or a Nissan truck? or an older model toyota pickup. if you really want fuel efficiency, i heard that a first-generation geo/chevrolet metro can get better mileage than some modern hybrids (up to 50mpg!).


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