wow, gas is heading for $5+/gal.. this cant be good
#26
I hope more people think like you, I will be able to pick up some real nice cars for cheap!
#27
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 383
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles, California
07 CLS63 | 06 SLK350
Don't fret yet... a friend of mine in europe has an slk350, he converted the cost to fill up his gas tank, and i compared it with filling up the wife's slk350...
Fill up ~19 gal SLK Tank
________________
US | London
------------------
$69 | $140
Fill up ~19 gal SLK Tank
________________
US | London
------------------
$69 | $140
#28
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 10,574
Likes: 2
From: Silicon Valley, CA
1999 C280 Previous / 2008 E350
#29
#30
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,642
Likes: 11
From: Caribbean/Florida/Colorado
E-ZGO 53hp., 1999 E 430 sport, 2004 E 55, 2008 Tahoe LTZ on 24"s
Diesel in Miami $5.009 a gallon. 5/27/08
I can see gas at $6 by next winter or sooner if we have a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.
#31
#32
#33
#34
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,318
Likes: 0
From: OC, SoCal
08 S65, 06 M3 CS(stick), 02 BMW X5 4.6iS, 07 R1 Raven, 08 F-450 4x4, 08 CooperS JCW
premium is already $4.50/gal around here, i bet higher in some places. at this rate, plus one terrorist attack or one bigass hurricane and BOOM it could be $5.50 - $6.00+/gal in less than a year.
of course this means that the entire economy will go to sh#t, but considering just gas prices & resale value on gas guzzling, highend cars, how much ***-rape will e55 resale value have to suffer on top of what's been really terrible track record.
i've got associates, mind you these are pretty well-off individuals, who are getting pretty pissed about the gas prices and are buying smaller hybrids/fuel sippers. once gas hits $5+/gal i'm doin the same...
of course this means that the entire economy will go to sh#t, but considering just gas prices & resale value on gas guzzling, highend cars, how much ***-rape will e55 resale value have to suffer on top of what's been really terrible track record.
i've got associates, mind you these are pretty well-off individuals, who are getting pretty pissed about the gas prices and are buying smaller hybrids/fuel sippers. once gas hits $5+/gal i'm doin the same...
#35
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,318
Likes: 0
From: OC, SoCal
08 S65, 06 M3 CS(stick), 02 BMW X5 4.6iS, 07 R1 Raven, 08 F-450 4x4, 08 CooperS JCW
#36
The real problem is China. Right now they have only 20 million cars on the road. By 2020 China is expected to have 140 million automobiles and eventually reach around 250 million(which is what the US has right now). If they don't get on the nuclear generated electric car bandwagon it won't make any difference what we do. Oil prices will continue to be high, and the cost of petroleum based products and packaging materials for all other consumer products will be exorbinate!
I say we've got to nuke 'em
I say we've got to nuke 'em
#37
Bush has:
1. Hurt the Republican Party by supporting social initiatives such as amnesty for illegals.
2. He comes off horrible on TV. He is no orator, except when he gets pissed off.
3. Could do more to firm the dollar.
4. Bought into the global warming insanity.
Congress has:
1. Prevented drilling of our natural resources
2. Hurt the economy through ethanol initiative (higher gas and food prices)
3. Spends money on crap we don't need.
4. Literally threatened the oil CEOs with socializing the gas industry in the US!
McCain will (and I will vote for him with one hand and hold my nose with the other):
1. Not create disaster in Iraq. You want freedom? Look at how many people die per year so you can freely drive.. about 44K.
2. Socialized gov't programs (arrrgh.. people want something for nothing, but that is not true).
3. Serve only one term.
OB might:
1. Literally make it illegal for us to drive the cars we own.
2. Gov't control of your thrmometer in your house.
3. Gov't control of what you eat
4. Try to remove freedoms offered in the constitution
5. Not be who he claims to be at all since he has claimed alliances with so many and then distanced himself such as: his grandmother, his pastor.
6. Won't tell us what he considers to be a "typical white person" other than his grandmother is one.
7. Destroy the country
1. Hurt the Republican Party by supporting social initiatives such as amnesty for illegals.
2. He comes off horrible on TV. He is no orator, except when he gets pissed off.
3. Could do more to firm the dollar.
4. Bought into the global warming insanity.
Congress has:
1. Prevented drilling of our natural resources
2. Hurt the economy through ethanol initiative (higher gas and food prices)
3. Spends money on crap we don't need.
4. Literally threatened the oil CEOs with socializing the gas industry in the US!
McCain will (and I will vote for him with one hand and hold my nose with the other):
1. Not create disaster in Iraq. You want freedom? Look at how many people die per year so you can freely drive.. about 44K.
2. Socialized gov't programs (arrrgh.. people want something for nothing, but that is not true).
3. Serve only one term.
OB might:
1. Literally make it illegal for us to drive the cars we own.
2. Gov't control of your thrmometer in your house.
3. Gov't control of what you eat
4. Try to remove freedoms offered in the constitution
5. Not be who he claims to be at all since he has claimed alliances with so many and then distanced himself such as: his grandmother, his pastor.
6. Won't tell us what he considers to be a "typical white person" other than his grandmother is one.
7. Destroy the country
#38
gentleman...welcome to supply and demand 101. last time I checked, US is a capitalist nation and as someone mentioned earlier, oil companies annual profit earnings looked good becasue most fortune 500 companies are doing poor. no reports of crazy gas prices from socialist governments
#39
I am actually seeing the up side of high fuel prices, covering same number of miles and using less fuel.
At first I thought it was just me, but about a week ago the local news station confirmed my experience. The amount of traffic in South Florida has been significantly reduced for the first time ever. What I noticed was, during rush hour the stop and go 45 minutes to go 12 miles is now GO 18 minutes to go 12 miles. Many drivers are already finding other means. (TRIRAIL ridership up 70% last month) I can't wait till all the school kids are off for summer and all the SUV driving mommies are off the road too. If the fuel price went to $7 and we had half the cars on the road as we do now, I would love it.
I hate to pay as much as the next guy, and I realize that fuel prices effect the the cost of living. Ask for a raise before you give up on your V8 Mercedes.
At first I thought it was just me, but about a week ago the local news station confirmed my experience. The amount of traffic in South Florida has been significantly reduced for the first time ever. What I noticed was, during rush hour the stop and go 45 minutes to go 12 miles is now GO 18 minutes to go 12 miles. Many drivers are already finding other means. (TRIRAIL ridership up 70% last month) I can't wait till all the school kids are off for summer and all the SUV driving mommies are off the road too. If the fuel price went to $7 and we had half the cars on the road as we do now, I would love it.
I hate to pay as much as the next guy, and I realize that fuel prices effect the the cost of living. Ask for a raise before you give up on your V8 Mercedes.
Up here in Jacksonville, I too have seen a moderate but still noticeable reduction in traffic at rush hour. The other thing I have noticed is, for the first time, the buses I pass on the street actually have people in them. Used to be, I would look into the bus windows and there would just be the driver and 2 or 3 crackheads inside. Now they're full.
So ya, I am kind of liking it. Gas would have to go a lot higher still before it really started impacting my budget, so in the meantime I am most definitely loving the reduction in traffic.
#40
'Cause China isn't that far behind, and is still growing rapidly. The US's fuel consumption has plateau'd...but China and India are still growing exponentially. The markets could supply the US etc. with no problems, but once you add India and China to the mix, you have increased demand by 30% - 40% while supplies have been slowly decreasing for years...
#41
Some reading for you:
http://zfacts.com/p/361.html
#42
Here's the oil consumption figures, broken down by country...
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/en...il-consumption
So as of this year, China is consuming 6mil+ bbl/day...when they weren't even a blip on the radar 10 years ago. Well guess what? That's an extra 5mil bbl/day that used to go straight onto the world market, and no longer does.
And in the next 10 or 15 years, that consumption figure will double, then double again, and then be well on its way to doubling again... China will outpace the US in 20 years or so. You can bank on it, looking at their growth rates. Ditto with India.
Meanwhile, this comes around the same time as Hugo Chavez is acting up and nationalizing everything, Bush decided to invade Iraq for what turned out to be no reason at all and ruined its oil production for 5 years, etc. etc. etc.
Plus, now OPEC has opened their eyes, and realizes that the sky is the limit price-wise. They used to try to keep prices stable, but now if you listen to their members' press interviews and such you tend to hear comments like "We still feel the price is undervalued" etc. They have gotten awfully greedy, but unlike back in the '70s when the US still had enough domestic production to yield some negotiating leverage, that isn't the case anymore. It was historically so cheap to buy oil from abroad that nobody invested anything in domestic drilling for the last 20 years. Basically, the chickens have all come home to roost at once...
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/en...il-consumption
So as of this year, China is consuming 6mil+ bbl/day...when they weren't even a blip on the radar 10 years ago. Well guess what? That's an extra 5mil bbl/day that used to go straight onto the world market, and no longer does.
And in the next 10 or 15 years, that consumption figure will double, then double again, and then be well on its way to doubling again... China will outpace the US in 20 years or so. You can bank on it, looking at their growth rates. Ditto with India.
Meanwhile, this comes around the same time as Hugo Chavez is acting up and nationalizing everything, Bush decided to invade Iraq for what turned out to be no reason at all and ruined its oil production for 5 years, etc. etc. etc.
Plus, now OPEC has opened their eyes, and realizes that the sky is the limit price-wise. They used to try to keep prices stable, but now if you listen to their members' press interviews and such you tend to hear comments like "We still feel the price is undervalued" etc. They have gotten awfully greedy, but unlike back in the '70s when the US still had enough domestic production to yield some negotiating leverage, that isn't the case anymore. It was historically so cheap to buy oil from abroad that nobody invested anything in domestic drilling for the last 20 years. Basically, the chickens have all come home to roost at once...
#43
US market strategist and analyst have been monitoring growth from China and India forever now. Many US companies use those two countries very extensively, which only adds to their growth. Although growth may be too rapid to do anything it about, I had no faith that this administration would attempt to do anything about it. After all, Bush is an "oil man." Imagine if Bush sought out alternatives for fuel, spent the time and resources to deal with the high prices with the same passion and aggressiveness that he went after Hussein.
In the end, some of us will continue to pay for this commodity.
#44
...OPEC can literally raise the prices so high, that it brings us to a breaking point that chaos erupts. Reports of people siphoning gas now.
#45
Morons. It's only a matter of time until one of them blows themself up...boy will that ever be darwinism at its finest. But ya, people stealing gas from each other is really starting to become a problem. All the stations around here quit allowing you to pay after you pump like a year or two ago.
#46
I just found that story online...figured I'd post it because it sounds too stupid to possibly be true...but it is LOL
http://www.news4jax.com/automotive/16405192/detail.html
http://www.news4jax.com/automotive/16405192/detail.html
#48
Yes, Blame everything on Bush!
If you think we have it bad, Europe has been paying alot higher prices for as long as I can remember. If gas is too expensive, then buy a PRIUS!
Oh BTW, your 2000 vote(AL GORE), has a home in Nashville that burns enough electricity in ONE MONTH to power 33 Single family homes for three months. While doing so, he flies around in his private JET making speeches about the Mythical global warming!
If you think we have it bad, Europe has been paying alot higher prices for as long as I can remember. If gas is too expensive, then buy a PRIUS!
Oh BTW, your 2000 vote(AL GORE), has a home in Nashville that burns enough electricity in ONE MONTH to power 33 Single family homes for three months. While doing so, he flies around in his private JET making speeches about the Mythical global warming!
Last edited by von32897; 06-21-2008 at 11:28 PM.
#49
I once heard a quote
that went something like this...
"The pessimist complains about the storm and winds, the optimist ignores the storm and looks forward to tomorrows calmness, the LEADER adjusts his sail for the task at hand."
Like I mentioned in the Stock Market thread, I am in the oil business. Started right out of college as a Petroleum Engineer in the Gulf of Mexico.
Just so happens that luck turned my way about 5 years ago, and I quit my job, and started my own drilling and operating company.
Please don't take it as boastful, because it's not.. it's just my cards..
Anyway, I now own (majority interest) and operate over 22 oil wells in Texas, and am currently drilling 2 more wells (1 oil and 1 gas) down near Houston.
To me, instead of complaining about Bush, or Bernakes devaluation of the dollar, or the exploding economy in China, I have just adjusted my sail for the current environment.
But, as a side note, any president should get kicked out of office if he tries to do anything with oil prices (or RE prices, or Prices of any kind).. to the upside or downside.. the role of government is seriously at stake if the leader of the executive branch tries to mess with the free market. So, the role of government is to protect peoples god given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.. anything other than that is an abuse of governmental power.
We gave the government "the power" with the constitution... But we (the people) can take it back, just like we did with the declaration of independence.
So, start adjusting your own sails...
"The pessimist complains about the storm and winds, the optimist ignores the storm and looks forward to tomorrows calmness, the LEADER adjusts his sail for the task at hand."
Like I mentioned in the Stock Market thread, I am in the oil business. Started right out of college as a Petroleum Engineer in the Gulf of Mexico.
Just so happens that luck turned my way about 5 years ago, and I quit my job, and started my own drilling and operating company.
Please don't take it as boastful, because it's not.. it's just my cards..
Anyway, I now own (majority interest) and operate over 22 oil wells in Texas, and am currently drilling 2 more wells (1 oil and 1 gas) down near Houston.
To me, instead of complaining about Bush, or Bernakes devaluation of the dollar, or the exploding economy in China, I have just adjusted my sail for the current environment.
But, as a side note, any president should get kicked out of office if he tries to do anything with oil prices (or RE prices, or Prices of any kind).. to the upside or downside.. the role of government is seriously at stake if the leader of the executive branch tries to mess with the free market. So, the role of government is to protect peoples god given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.. anything other than that is an abuse of governmental power.
We gave the government "the power" with the constitution... But we (the people) can take it back, just like we did with the declaration of independence.
So, start adjusting your own sails...
#50
This has been well discussed and documented as a bad idea. Putting less than 91 in a car designed for it (and note it says Premium required, not recommended) simply forces the engine computer to compensate for the lower quality gas and you lose MPG. I realize gas is getting increasingly expensive, but premium is usually about 20cents higher per gallon which means you are going to save around $5 a tank at the most. This $5 will easily be lost (and probably more) because you are getting lower MPG not to mention lower performance from your car.
Last edited by pmb600; 06-22-2008 at 12:43 AM.