# Who here will buy GTO when gas prices get to $3 gallon



## h777 (Apr 24, 2005)

*Who here will buy or sell GTO when gas prices get to $3 gallon*

Been reading some stuff in the news that gas prices might get to $3 gallon. For those of you on this forum wanting to get a GTO, who is going to wait till they get so high in gas prices that people will sell them low? And, how drastic would it be for GTO prices if gas prices got that high? Also, for any present of future GTO owner, is the future gas prices going to affect whether you keep your car or not? Appreciate any input.


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## Grey-Goat (Jun 7, 2005)

Well for me the Goat gets better gas mileage than my daily driver. My Sierra gets 14 - 15 mpg, so for me doesn't change much at all. Just means fewer joy rides I guess. I won't be getting rid of either one. Maybe I'll start commuting on my 4 wheeler!!!


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## Braman'sGTO (Mar 14, 2005)

The GTO is in alot better shape than the Mustang and the Charger, even with DOD the Charger only gets around 24mpg and that is with the 5.7. My question is who the hell buy's a muscle car for the gas milage?


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## Xman (Oct 31, 2004)

Braman'sGTO said:


> My question is who the hell buy's a muscle car for the gas milage?


I think that's the key. With Pontiac learning their lesson with the 04, they are not going to put themselves in the position to have excess inventory. Thus, don't count on bigger incentives. 

Plus Gray-Goat is right. The GTO gets good gas mileage relative to other vehicles on the road. If you keep your foot out of it and stop playing tunes on the great sounding exhaust, it gets very good gas mileage. I have two Volvos and a Yukon XL. The Yukon gets 19 on the highway, the Volvos 24, and the GTO 26+!


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## mumrah (Apr 3, 2005)

If gas prices get too high I will just put a lawnmower engine in and get 50mpg. :rofl: 
Be serious this is high performance not economy. Who buys a car with a 6liter engine thinking that it will be economical? This has to be the worst thread ever started.


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## GTODEALER (Jan 7, 2005)

mumrah said:


> Be serious this is high performance not economy. Who buys a car with a 6liter engine thinking that it will be economical? This has to be the worst thread ever started.


 :agree


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## diverdan (Apr 27, 2005)

I just got 25 mpg average in a 400 mile trip in my Z06. The GTO gets about 24+/- mpg for the same trip. You'll never see me in a Prius!


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## mumrah (Apr 3, 2005)

:agree


diverdan said:


> I just got 25 mpg average in a 400 mile trip in my Z06. The GTO gets about 24+/- mpg for the same trip. You'll never see me in a Prius!


 :agree 
This car rocks on the highway great milage and fun. arty:


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

I must admit that gas pricies are starting to be an issue with me. When I bought the GTO, I was working 70 high-speed miles from home, and averaged ~22mpg. This new job, which is 115 miles from home, has a higher climb both in and out of work and some traffic issues in the last 25 miles or so... thus knocking my average mileage to 19.5mpg. 

Dropping $31 per day on gas alone (at todays prices) has started to annoy me. 

I've analyzed the situation using what fuel costs now......getting only 7-8 more mpg would save me ~$10/day. That's nearly $2400/year-- a not insubstantial chunk of change! My short term "solution" is to break up the commute a bit...later this year I plan on buying a used motorcycle, probably a Triumph Trophy / Sprint ST or possibly a BMW R1100RT. This will _help_, but let's face it...it's mainly for maintaining sanity and having a bit of fun rather than for reasons of frugality. In the winter it's not even an option.

I have a strong feeling that late next year, (at which time the GTO will have ~120k on the odo) I'll be (sadly) swapping the Holden in for a more frugal bit of freeway fun, like a VW GTI, Honda Civic Si, Acura RSX-S, or MINI Cooper S.


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## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

Filled up last night for 41 bucks. Was thinking what a drag that was -- remembering that when premium was 99 cents the tab would have been 16 -- until realizing that gas over in Australia goes for around a buck and a half a liter -- which is roughly $6 a gallon. In the UK, the price is closer to $2 liter.

That said, gas will be $3 a gallon in California within a month or two. As long as crude's a $60 a barrel. I'm getting around 20 mpg city/hwy combo driving -- and that is mind-blowing for a car of this potential. My friends with their puny 6-banger BMWs and Benzes aren't even getting that.

About the only thing we can do is be smart about consumption. Combine trips. Drive smoothly. And hope the Chinese don't buy Unocal so they can suck Alaska dry.

In reality, though, prices will come back down. Might take a year or two, but the Canadians are able to extract a barrel of oil from the Athabasca sands for around $18 now -- and they have more reserves than the Saudis. There are PLENTY of hydrocarbons around -- the problem is the Wall Street geeks are speculating on everything -- just like Nelson Bunker Hunt was able to drive silver from $5 an ounce to $50 an ounce back in the '70s.

In the meantime, maybe Bush will decide to invade Alberta because Condi Rice has evidence that evil Canadians are working on WMDs based on a combination of empty Molson cans, bacon fat, maple syrup, duct tape, and beavers.


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## PWR_SHIFT (Feb 10, 2005)

Groucho said:


> I must admit that gas pricies are starting to be an issue with me. When I bought the GTO, I was working 70 high-speed miles from home, and averaged ~22mpg. This new job, which is 115 miles from home, has a higher climb both in and out of work and some traffic issues in the last 25 miles or so... thus knocking my average mileage to 19.5mpg.
> 
> Dropping $31 per day on gas alone (at todays prices) has started to annoy me.
> 
> ...


I hear front-drive hell calling your name already . . .


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

PWR_SHIFT said:


> I hear front-drive hell calling your name already . . .


I'm not happy about it. _At all._ 

However, the only frugal RWD cars out there are the Honda S2000 (two seats only, and not all that fuel efficient), Miata (once again, only two seats) and upcoming BMW 1-Series (too '$pensive)...the Audi A4 Quattro is an option but I have no idea what real-world mileage is...

Oh well...this is off in the future. In the mean time I'm gonna enjoy my Holden!


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## GTODEALER (Jan 7, 2005)

Groucho said:


> I must admit that gas pricies are starting to be an issue with me. When I bought the GTO, I was working 70 high-speed miles from home, and averaged ~22mpg. This new job, which is 115 miles from home, has a higher climb both in and out of work and some traffic issues in the last 25 miles or so... thus knocking my average mileage to 19.5mpg.
> 
> Dropping $31 per day on gas alone (at todays prices) has started to annoy me.
> 
> ...


If mileage is an issue, what about that turbo diesel that VW is putting out? :cheers


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

GTODEALER said:


> If mileage is an issue, what about that turbo diesel that VW is putting out? :cheers


That remains to be seen. Some of the modern Euro turbodiesels are impressive (torquey mofos!)-- but it depends on how the importers will package the latest tech oilburners. If they stick them in strippie models with mooshy suspensions (a'la the latest VW TDIs) thatsa no good. I must have my fun. :cool


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## GTODEALER (Jan 7, 2005)

Groucho said:


> That remains to be seen. Some of the modern Euro turbodiesels are impressive (torquey mofos!)-- but it depends on how the importers will package the latest tech oilburners. If they stick them in strippie models with mooshy suspensions (a'la the latest VW TDIs) thatsa no good. I must have my fun. :cool


I know this is an evil question but, have you ever looked at a SRT-4? Mine got great mileage and ran 12.5's.......if you can get past the "grocery cart wing" and the fact it started life as a neon then it's a hell of a car. Mine was fully loaded with sunroof (didn't have the Kicker sound system  ) and the seats were very comfortable and supported me quite well. :cheers


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

GTODEALER said:


> I know this is an evil question but, have you ever looked at a SRT-4? Mine got great mileage and ran 12.5's.......if you can get past the "grocery cart wing" and the fact it started life as a neon then it's a hell of a car. Mine was fully loaded with sunroof (didn't have the Kicker sound system  ) and the seats were very comfortable and supported me quite well. :cheers



Never really thought about it...but I've heard good things performance-wise as well....though yours is the first that has said its also comfortable. Hey, I spend at least four hours a day in the saddle...it needs to meet creature comforts to a certain extent.

I'm worried about build quality on these, however...I've heard it's spotty at best. This _is_ an issue as I'm putting ~60k miles/year on my rides now...

Oh well...as the time approaches I may have to revisit that.


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## RamAir69 (Jun 8, 2005)

*Gas Prices*

This is going to sound mean and lofty, but I have to say it.
I wish people would realize that we, in the US are the most 
fortunate people on the planet when it comes to this subject.

Gas prices will ebb and flow, as sure as little green apples.
You just have to think about the huge cool factor you get 
for giving up some MPG. If you can't overlook that, perhaps 
a hybrid vehicle for a commutor would be a solution.


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

RamAir69 said:


> This is going to sound mean and lofty, but I have to say it.
> I wish people would realize that we, in the US are the most
> fortunate people on the planet when it comes to this subject.
> 
> ...


You don't sound mean _or_ lofty...a bit uninformed and perhaps even a skosh patronizing, possibly, but not either of those things.

Gas prices _do_ ebb and flow...but we are in for a _loooooong_ flow. The world is changing, and we are now in direct competition with the Chinese and the Indians for oil. Also, no new refineries have been built in the U.S. at least 20 years...and none are on the books...even if we got more oil, refineries are at capacity. We will never see sub-$2.00/gal for gas again-- at least in California. Little green apples are great, but their specific BTU density pales in comparison to 91 octane gasoline.

Cool factor? Power? Damned right, the GTO _rocks_. If I lived closer to work, I would continue to suck it up. If I could justify a car payment for a weekend-only cruiser, sure. However, reality is what it is. Besides, I'm not panicing, screaming "OMFG I gotta ditch this fuel-sucking beast." The timeframe in which I'm going to replace the GTO is not unreasonable considering the miles I'm piling on the Holden.

Moving closer to work is not an option in the immediate future due to real estate and certain standard of living considerations for my family, so this is my cross to bear. Oh well.

As far as a hybrid goes, gas-electric hybrids make very little sense for my drive. I need/want power to climb the 4100' mountian between home and work, and hybrids actually net very little advantage for long cruises anyway. Where hybrids truly shine is stop-n-go city driving, not long-distance cruising.


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## RamAir69 (Jun 8, 2005)

*Gas Prices*

I commend you for putting your families quality of life first. That is why we moved from seattle several years ago. The commute/quality of life was killing us. Make less money now, but a hell of alot happier. I have a 1984 toyota , 210,000, that I use three or four times a week as a beater. It gets about the same gas mileage as my gto in town, but it helps keep the miles off my 04. 

As for "a bit uninformed and perhaps even a skosh patronizing", I have heard that before along with others, not a problem. I just consider it communication.


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## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

Groucho said:


> Also, no new refineries have been built in the U.S. at least 20 years...and none are on the books...even if we got more oil, refineries are at capacity.


That may affect gasoline prices -- but has nothing to do with the price of raw crude. In fact, the inability to process raw material should help keep its cost down. But with all the Wall Street speculators piling into the futures market -- prices just don't make sense right now. Refinery capacity was never an issue in the past -- now all of a sudden it's responsible for a 60% rise in crude stocks?

Prices will get back to normal within a year. There are scores of hydrocarbons out there. The Russians are loaded with it. Canada's loaded with it. The markets are just pumping out baloney to keep the prices up -- just like they did with internet stocks. Sooner or later, gravity will take over -- and I will pop a cork when these speculators' hands finally get pulled into the wood chipper.

After all, some people have been saying the sky has been falling regarding oil for 30 years. In fact, the CEO of BP is saying he's expecting to see reserves increase, at a minimum, for the next 10 years. And when prices go up, more people drill -- and more oil will be found.

That said, there's still no reason to waste energy...


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## 79TA&04GTO (Jul 29, 2004)

I was always told to wish in one hand and $h*t in the other...see what comes first. I would love to believe the US and Russia and Canada would eventually start pumping out some oil, but I'm skeptical on seeing when they would really do it.

Myself, I bought a 92 Nissan P/U for getting rid of and transporting stuff, I'm starting to use that as a work vehicle as well...leaving the fun vehicle for another time. It doesn't get much better mileage than my goat (it's got alot of miles), but filling it up costs less (regular compared to premium). It's a shame how the government is screwing us.


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

RamAir69 said:


> As for "a bit uninformed and perhaps even a skosh patronizing", I have heard that before along with others, not a problem. I just consider it communication.


No problem...and thanks! :cheers 



b_a_betterperson said:


> Prices will get back to normal within a year. There are scores of hydrocarbons out there. The Russians are loaded with it. Canada's loaded with it. The markets are just pumping out baloney to keep the prices up -- just like they did with internet stocks. Sooner or later, gravity will take over -- and I will pop a cork when these speculators' hands finally get pulled into the wood chipper.
> 
> After all, some people have been saying the sky has been falling regarding oil for 30 years. In fact, the CEO of BP is saying he's expecting to see reserves increase, at a minimum, for the next 10 years. And when prices go up, more people drill -- and more oil will be found.


I hope you're right, but I don't see it happening. I'm not a doomsayer or predicting a Mad Max movie scenario by any means-- I just have doubts that we'll see $1.50/gal premium any time soon. 

Canada may be lousy with the stuff, but their EcoNazis won't let 'em punch holes in the ground. Russia routinely hacks their own feet off through pure corruption and greed...who wants to invest when at a whim some MP in Moscow might suddenly get a wild hair and "privatize" (really just grab) the whole shebang?

All of which sort of misses my point and the question posited by this thread. Given the long commute I _now_ have and the present cost of gasoline, no, I would not have bought a GTO. Resale values on these cars unfortunately _suck_, but that's OK...I didn't buy it as an investment, and this is one car I'm _incredibly_ happy to be "stuck" with. :cool


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## derf (Aug 3, 2004)

Let's see. I live less than 5 miles from work. Even getting 15 MPG in town, $3 a gallon will push the gas cost of my commute to a whopping.... $21 a month or about $250 a year.

A guy I know at work has a Prius. His daily commute burns about 1 gallon of gas since he lives so far away. My daily commute is so much shorter, I burn 1/3 of the gas he does every day. Who's more "environmentally responsible"?


And don't expect gas prices to go down any time, whether it be in the short term or long.

Adjusting gas prices to inflation, you'd see that gas prices were at historical lows just a few years ago. They just recently adjusted back to "normal". Back in the 1978 gas crunch, prices spiked to an inflation adjusted $3.50 a gallon or so.


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## fergyflyer (Apr 18, 2005)

Back when I was a teenager and working in a quick-mart, people would come in and go man $1 for a pack of smokes, it's times to quit. Most of those people came in a few years later and said $2 a pack it's time to quit. Now it's what $4-$5 in some states. I understand the addiction part. I'm sure that if the Government did a study on HP they would find it is as addictive as tobacco. 

I think the real answer is people will always want a more powerfull car or truck. As a regular driver they may settle for a hybrid, but they want the status and enjoyment power brings. Think what's selling Dodge trucks right now, not hauling capacity, not mileage, not anything but a stupid HEMI badge on the front fender. I look for it and so does the majority of the truck buying population. As far as diesels are concerned, the EPA regs for 2007 just about eliminate diesels for passenger cars. 

At this point, the GTO costs $40 a week in gas, a Honda v6 Accord is $30. For the extra $500 per year I really like the power. Now I might get a 5 yr old Cavalier or Focus to beat to work and back. As far as the rest of the public what we might start seeing is people moving to vehicles other than large SUV's and Pickups. I think if Dodge would promote the Magnum a little more they could be in the same position they were when they started the minivan craze. The Magnum is RWD so it can tow. It has decent interior room. Add a hybrid to the lineup and Viola.


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## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

Groucho said:


> Canada may be lousy with the stuff, but their EcoNazis won't let 'em punch holes in the ground.


With all due respect, baloney. Their Alberta tar sands are already under development and they're ramping up production. There's no debate on it whatsoever as they don't need to do any more exploration. In fact, they're building two gigantic pipelines over the Rockies right now -- and the largest pipeline in the world is being built through the mountains of Eastern Europe so Russia and its former Republics can start exports. And the Siberian reserves aren't even being fiddled with yet.

Yeah, the Russians decided to nationalize Yukos. They're not stupid. And right now they're holding back on exports because they know it'll keep prices up. But sooner or later, that debt ridden pig's going to have to pump. They're broke -- and everybody knows it.

The money people are all painting doom and gloom scenarios over oil. China, India, no refineries, no heating oil this winter, Nigeria's about to blow up, Venezuela's leader smokes crack, blah, blah, blah. They're hyping it because of the billions they've got tied up in options. It's all bull -- yet the press and general public all buy it because they've been taught to think that the sky has been falling for 30 years.

The oil people, the ones who really know what's going on, think this is all a crock. Yeah, they're happy to be making great money right now -- but they're also hoping that this whole thing doesn't crash and we're back to $18 a barrel again. It's why OPEC is STILL contemplating production cuts -- because the numbers just aren't adding up.

That's also one of the reasons why refineries aren't being built. Not because there won't be anything to run through it -- but because they keep it as a bottleneck to keep the prices for the finished product up. I wish an independent investor group would make a go at building one -- but between the US environmentalists, the NIMBYs -- nobody's going to tie up a several hundred million for 15-20 years for a low margin production plant that may never be permitted to operate.


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## asteng88 (Aug 26, 2004)

I will because it is still 1/3 of the price of Gas in the UK.

Yippeeeee :willy:


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Welp, here's my 2 cents......... I look at it like this..... I don't smoke, If I did I'd be spendin 4-5 bucks a pack.. maybe 2 to 3 packs a day... Carton of cigs go for what? 38-40 bucks a carton..... I know guys that inhale a carton a week.... So I ask myself... Am I better off puttin some $$ in the gas tank to enjoy something I am workin for ...or pumpin my guts full of sh$t at 40+ bucks a week? Now, if I went to Mahogany ridge every night and swilled beer after beer and bought them for the guys there with me (like some guys I know), well that cost escalates. My point.... if ya got the bucks to buy, and sustain habit forming addictions... well, my addiction has 400hp and it don't make my clothes stink. My goat gets better MPG than my dodge ram 4x4 gets..... Not to stir up a hornets nest..... but............... in my opinion, the ********* are squeezing are economy because of our presence in Iraq. And until we leave, expect gas prices to soar. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.


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## RiceEater (Jun 21, 2005)

I'd just like to throw something in here... for any of you with an auto GTO

What kind of mileage are you guys getting on the A4 in both city and highway conditions? I haven't really heard anyone say anything conclusive from the automatic standpoint of the goat.


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## muohio (Sep 22, 2004)

fergyflyer said:


> As far as diesels are concerned, the EPA regs for 2007 just about eliminate diesels for passenger cars.


I was shocked to hear that as well. The president of something or other for DMC was on tv and asked that very question. Even with the extensive experience of Mercedes diesels in Europe, he stated that they don't know how to produce an engine that can meet the standards and that's only a couple years away. Just a few weeks ago, they proposed a solution to the EPA, but would require the vehicle owner to add a catalyst to their car manually to lower emissions.


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## Braman'sGTO (Mar 14, 2005)

I think they need to look at the broader picture on diesal cars, they produce fewer emissions per mile than a gas engine. Granted the exhaust does not have the greatest smell to it but when you look at the numbers its hard to argue, my brother has a diesal Jetta and that sombish gets 45mpg and that is as good if not better than some hybrids and still has more balls than most. We also have to bare in mind that diesel is a byproduct of making gas so we are using a higher percentage of the crude that we suck out of the ground.


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## 6QTS11OZ (Mar 27, 2005)

In all honesty it doesn't matter what vehicle you drive or what gas mileage you get. The rising price of gas is pissing everyone off. I hear folks complaining who drive Saturn Ions, Honda Civics and Toyota Insights. Yeah you save money in the long, long run by driving these eco-boxes, if you already own one, but I'm not going to go out and spend $12,000 to $18,000 or even more for a gas saver just to compensate for an extra $36 (18 gallon tank) a tank (based on a $2 increase per gallon). I fill up twice a week. If I spent $16,000 (not including tax, fees, maintenance, insurance, and GAS) for a gas saver that will equate to over 4 years of spending $72 a week for gas (I'm sure it's gonna fluctuate a lot within 4 years). Even at $3 a gallon (extra $96 a week) it will take over 3 years to equal the price of a new gas saver. I bought my goat for the performance. In most cases HIGH PERFORMANCE = BAD GAS MILEAGE. And for 21 to 26 mpg the goat isn't a bad bargain with 400 hp/400 lb. ft. of torque. Compared to the gas mileage of other high performance cars, the GTO is an eco-box. I just put 300+ miles on my car from partying this weekend and I didn't think twice about the price of gas. But I did think about the fun I would have driving my goat  .


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

I keep hearing about this 24 mpg.

Flatlanders.


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## 6QTS11OZ (Mar 27, 2005)

Groucho said:



> I keep hearing about this 24 mpg.
> 
> Flatlanders.


Yeah normally after filling the tank and having the cruise control on in sixth gear, I average as much as 27 mpg. But by the time I fill up I'm at 14 to 17 mpg. DAMN, it's hard not to floor this car.


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## mumrah (Apr 3, 2005)

:agree


6QTS11OZ said:


> In all honesty it doesn't matter what vehicle you drive or what gas mileage you get. The rising price of gas is pissing everyone off. I hear folks complaining who drive Saturn Ions, Honda Civics and Toyota Insights. Yeah you save money in the long, long run by driving these eco-boxes, if you already own one, but I'm not going to go out and spend $12,000 to $18,000 or even more for a gas saver just to compensate for an extra $36 (18 gallon tank) a tank (based on a $2 increase per gallon). I fill up twice a week. If I spent $16,000 (not including tax, fees, maintenance, insurance, and GAS) for a gas saver that will equate to over 4 years of spending $72 a week for gas (I'm sure it's gonna fluctuate a lot within 4 years). Even at $3 a gallon (extra $96 a week) it will take over 3 years to equal the price of a new gas saver. I bought my goat for the performance. In most cases HIGH PERFORMANCE = BAD GAS MILEAGE. And for 21 to 26 mpg the goat isn't a bad bargain with 400 hp/400 lb. ft. of torque. Compared to the gas mileage of other high performance cars, the GTO look is an eco-box. I just put 300+ miles on my car from partying this weekend and I didn't think twice about the price of gas. But I did think about the fun I would have driving my goat  .


 :agree the expense of a second more economical car defeats the savings


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## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

On the news last night was a story about some guy who commutes from Redlands to Malibu, CA. His commute approaches three hours each way. Drives a Monte Carlo. Actually sleeps in his office on a cot a couple of nights a week now to save money on gas -- but I think it helps him from going crazy, too. Since he works at Pepperdine University, he has access to showers and stuff -- so it isn't that bad, I suppose.

Up here in the Bay Area, some folks are driving their campers to work on Monday morning, hanging out in it all week, then driving back Friday afternoon. One guy, who's a VP, gets people knocking on his door at 10 o'clock at night from floor workers with questions. One benefit is that if you get canned, you can empty the "Dave Matthews" tank before taking off.

Groucho, if you end up riding a motorcycle from Baskersfield to Pasadena -- you must have balls the size of cantalopes. I can barely drive through the Grapevine -- let alone think of taking a bike through it! Have you tried throwing it in neutral around Gorman and coasting for 15 - 20 miles?


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## DaveGesp (Oct 8, 2004)

I understand gas in Iraq is selling at an all time high of $.05 per gallon. No wonder they can afford to blow up vehicles with all the money they save on gas.

We still live in the greatest country on earth! :cheers


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

If I work a late night or feel too tired to drive home safely, I get a hotel room locally...but I find it's often counterproductive. I just don't sleep as well if it ain't my own bed...so usually I'll just rush it, even if it means getting home at 10:00 pm, drink a Bitburger, and get up at 4:00 am the next morning...



b_a_betterperson said:


> Groucho, if you end up riding a motorcycle from Baskersfield to Pasadena -- you must have balls the size of cantalopes. I can barely drive through the Grapevine -- let alone think of taking a bike through it!


Ah...I'm used to it. Back when I worked in Mojave, I'd take the 58 through Tehachapi every day...which is _much_ steeper / hairier (if substantially shorter). That ride isn't something I'd want to do every day on a bike...but one a week or so would be cool. Obviously, the wintertime is a no-go.



b_a_betterperson said:


> Have you tried throwing it in neutral around Gorman and coasting for 15 - 20 miles?


I did, but that would be wasting our most precious rescource of all- _gravity_. Pretty soon, we'll all have to walk around in velcro-soled shoes.

But seriously...no matterwaht I do, by the time I get to the bottom of the hill (either in Santa Clarita or Grapevine) I have an avg of 21 mpg. Traffic in town then annihilates that number, so 19 mpg is the albatros I must wear around my neck...~12 gallons of Premium every single fecking day.


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## rushhour (Aug 3, 2004)

Not an issue on my side - it is only a weekend driver. I have the pleasure of riding the train every day to work! 5 hours a day round trip door to door - I need a new job. Tell the guy in Malibu to stop whining - 3 hours - I could do that standing on my head.I have been doing this commute for 23 years.


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## westell (Oct 4, 2004)

I own my own company, so gas is unlimited and "free" to me.

Might come off my "bottom line", but I really never "feel" the impact. Got two trucks running around, comp 2 key employees with gas, so the cost just goes into the "pot".

About 2.5 tanks a week unless the weekend includes drive time somewhere in the GTO.


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## GTODEALER (Jan 7, 2005)

With all of the stuff mine has done to it I got 28.3 mpg when I went on vacation to Hot Springs..... of course in the wonderful fecking rush hour, to and from work, my car averages 15.8 mpg.... :cheers
BTW, man I feel sorry for Groucho!!


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## fergyflyer (Apr 18, 2005)

When I got mine I was disapointed that I only got 15 on my weekly commute (mostly city) and 21 on the highway. it must have really needed to break-in, now it's 17.5 on the commute and 24 on the higway. My F-body did better, 20 on the commute and 29 on the highway. I guess that's part of the penalty of a heavier, quieter and more solid car.


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## JTYLER1604 (Jun 3, 2005)

Don't take this the wrong way, because I seriously don't understand how a person can afford to pay 30/day in gas and drive a 30,000 dollar car but can't afford to live within 115 miles of work? It doesn't make sense to me so if you wouldn't mind...


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## Zoomin (Mar 26, 2005)

My goat _is_ my economy car. I drive it to give the Tahoe a break. It's an 04 A4 and I get just over 18 mixed driving.


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

JTYLER1604 said:


> Don't take this the wrong way, because I seriously don't understand how a person can afford to pay 30/day in gas and drive a 30,000 dollar car but can't afford to live within 115 miles of work? It doesn't make sense to me so if you wouldn't mind...


You've ever been to California, have you?

I have four kids. I therefore have a fairly large home, in the interest of sanity. A house of similar size in a good school district in the next closest decent-sized town (I've lived in the sticks before-- I hate it) closer to LA would run ~$850,000...that's why.


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## 75coug (Apr 8, 2005)

I will confess that I have been driving the Goat to work a lot less over the past two or three weeks, and gone back to driving my 2000 Mustang GT. Better gas mileage and cheaper gas = good thing.


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## GTODEALER (Jan 7, 2005)

Groucho said:


> You've ever been to California, have you?
> 
> I have four kids. I therefore have a fairly large home, in the interest of sanity. A house of similar size in a good school district in the next closest decent-sized town (I've lived in the sticks before-- I hate it) closer to LA would run ~$850,000...that's why.


OMFG!!!!! Yep, I love Texas for that reason alone..... cheap housing ( not quality but pricing), what the hell is the sq. ft. on that house, if you don't mind me asking?


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

GTODEALER said:


> OMFG!!!!! Yep, I love Texas for that reason alone..... cheap housing ( not quality but pricing), what the hell is the sq. ft. on that house, if you don't mind me asking?


2900 ft^2


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## GTODEALER (Jan 7, 2005)

Groucho said:


> 2900 ft^2


1600 sq ft is around 87500 here, 2900 sq ft on an oversized lot (little over half acre) is around $250K-275K.... man I'm never moving to Cali.....


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## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

Had a friend from Pittsburgh call me about real estate prices in the San Francisco Bay Area. Was contemplating a move out. Told him to take a Pittsburgh property and add a zero to the end of it -- and that's what the equivalent would cost out here.

He kept saying I could not be serious -- then actually compared real estate listings. Needless to say, he passed on the job.

Right now, with wacky stuff like zero down, interest only loans with variable interest rates -- supermarket bag boys are shelling out $360K for 1100 square foot condos. 

Single family home? $325 a square foot -- in neighborhoods where 10 people share a 3 bedroom house, cars line the streets and park on the lawns, etc. In neighborhoods folks consider "nice," you're looking at $500 - 600 a square foot for a 3000 square foot house on a 6000 square foot lot -- and even then you might get stuck with some idiot who moves in and immediately paints his house nuclear waste green or Pepto Bismol pink (one of the pleasures of living in a culturally diverse area).


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## PWR_SHIFT (Feb 10, 2005)

GTODEALER said:


> .... BTW, man I feel sorry for Groucho!!


That's the price of planting yourself in the land of fruits and nuts . . .


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

What b.a. sez. Bakersfield has one of the two or three hottest real estate markets in the country right now, with homes being bought by long-distance commuters like me-- some commute (once a week, usually) to Silicon Valley / Bay Area because the prices are so insane... that's a 6-8 hour drive!

This is OK news for us, as the appreciation on our home (purchased new in December) has been nothing short of ballistic...a situation that I'm sure cannot sustain itself, but I'll enjoy the ride while it lasts.

I tried to make an escape from the deep red gravity well of the Soviet Socialist Republic of California a few years back...problem is, I'm a niche guy (technical sourcing / engineering liason / purchasing management) in a niche industry (research & development / rapid prototyping)...

In the mean time, drive I must...


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## RiceEater (Jun 21, 2005)

Orlando is starting to become the next California, the signs are already showing up.

Personally my house is about 2500 sq. ft. and the lot it sits on is about 5000 sq. ft.. We bought this house roughly 10 years ago for $99,000. Now though, within the last 3 years prices have shot up so high that we could easily get $550,000 for it. It's happening all over Central Florida, prices are just shooting up. A lot of people from NY and Cali are moving here


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## GTODEALER (Jan 7, 2005)

You guys are hilarious :lol: 
Groucho, with the money you must be making (not trying to get too personal), you could live in Texas and fly in to work and rent a damn car for what you pay now.......


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## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

Groucho said:


> What b.a. sez. Bakersfield has one of the two or three hottest real estate markets in the country right now, with homes being bought by long-distance commuters like me


Yeah, Bakersfield is totally going nuts. Unfortunately, Mesa Marin raceway got sold because of the price of the land it sat on. 

A nice little oval making way for SUVs and minivans bump drafting and pushing the cushion on the way to soccer practice.

Which reminds me -- one of the damndest things I ever saw was a stressed out Mom with a van full of kids. A couple of the boys were taking their play money and throwing it out the window. Mom's driving and swatting at the kids -- the money's flying -- as scrounges slam on the brakes from all sides to see if the bills were real or not. Hint: Fred Flintstone does not appear on the 20.


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## JMVorbeck (Jun 1, 2005)

RiceEater said:


> Orlando is starting to become the next California, the signs are already showing up.
> 
> Personally my house is about 2500 sq. ft. and the lot it sits on is about 5000 sq. ft.. We bought this house roughly 10 years ago for $99,000. Now though, within the last 3 years prices have shot up so high that we could easily get $550,000 for it. It's happening all over Central Florida, prices are just shooting up. A lot of people from NY and Cali are moving here


I wouldnt mind seeing another year of hurricanes so they will go back. Currently the stats show 11 people move to Florida every hour. Nice, maybe I'll move to India.


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

JMVorbeck said:


> I wouldnt mind seeing another year of hurricanes so they will go back. Currently the stats show 11 people move to Florida every hour. Nice, maybe I'll move to India.


Why not wait until next Wednesday-- at that rate, India will move to _you_...


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## JMVorbeck (Jun 1, 2005)

Groucho said:


> Why not wait until next Wednesday-- at that rate, India will move to _you_...


Yeah, well I was looking for somewhere less crowded, maybe Hong Kong.


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

b_a_betterperson said:


> Hint: Fred Flintstone does not appear on the 20.


 :lol: 

Everybody knows that he's on the $75 bill.

_Duh._


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## Buffalo (Jul 22, 2004)

Reading some of the previous posts, it's nice to live in the "sticks". I've got 200' by 131' and have about $67,000 in it with two houses on two of the lots. Granted, one of the houses is a "turd" and is just used for storage. The city just added another nine holes to the golf course and lots are going for around $60,000 for about 3/4 of an acre. The houses that have been built so far are in the $300,000 range for 3,000+ sq. ft. Taxes are about $1700 to $2000 for just the bare lot. :willy:


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## B/STOCK (Aug 3, 2004)

I look at my cars as a hobby. Every time I fill them up I think of how much more I spend on ammo and it seems like gas is cheap. 
Just got back from the range and blew off about $200. in ammo today, and I was alone. You should see it when I take my sons. 
If I had gone for a ride today I would have saved a lot of money.


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

B/STOCK said:


> I look at my cars as a hobby. Every time I fill them up I think of how much more I spend on ammo and it seems like gas is cheap.
> Just got back from the range and blew off about $200. in ammo today, and I was alone. You should see it when I take my sons.
> If I had gone for a ride today I would have saved a lot of money.


Since I have to drive in LA traffic and must therefore return freeway sniper fire, some days I have to burn gas _and_ blow off ammo... 

...sheesh, have you seen what .45 ACP 230 Grain costs now days?


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## JMVorbeck (Jun 1, 2005)

:agree


B/STOCK said:


> I look at my cars as a hobby. Every time I fill them up I think of how much more I spend on ammo and it seems like gas is cheap.
> Just got back from the range and blew off about $200. in ammo today, and I was alone. You should see it when I take my sons.
> If I had gone for a ride today I would have saved a lot of money.


Nice color  Congrats and enjoy!


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## goatsandstrats (Jul 2, 2005)

I bought it for the 400 horses and the 6 speed... not for gas mileage, which is a lot of difference from the 02 camaro v6, or the old 94 tbird 4.6v8, or the 4 cylinder ranger or even the 00 grand am 4 cylinder (in town. daughter's car). I think the GTO gas mileage is okay (it's the operator that makes it worse).

It's my fun car (afternoon and weekends).. the Ranger to work, the old tbird is parked for now... and like other wrote, I don't smoke or drink.. so my vice is burning a little fuel and that's still cheaper for me. and a whole lot more fun... 

it's not the commute to work that cost me money on gas ( it's only about 3 or 4miles, if that far).. it's the fun driving.. but.. that's my vice.. having fun driving


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