Four dollar gas

[srercrcr]

Americans already rejected the diesel idea. Diesel pumps at the local station ARE oily and smelly. American girls aren't gonna do it.
What else do we have? Less power than what she expects. Oh, and yea, the pump has a 40 cent higher price than regular unleaded!!!!
Don't believe me....the staff economists and marketers at the big three will make the decision as to what Americans will buy.
Oh, 300K miles on an engine? I know of no woman who wants to drive a car for 300K miles....get real.

 

[megaladon6]

i have no problems at the pumps, at all. and girls don't pump gas anyway, so diesel doesn't make a difference.
less power? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHa how about more torque, that's what you feel, besides the new ones have 200hp or more. the bmw 3 series td has 300+hp.
10-15% more in price, 60% or more better MPG equates to saving money. pull out the calculator and run the numbers.
have you heard of reliability or used cars? an engine that goes 300k with almost no problems sounds better to me than one that needs all kinds of maintnence and might make 150k. how about buying a used car that has an engine just as good as the day it came out of the factory?
and please ask the staff economists and marketers at the big three. they'll tell you exactly why they ARE coming out with diesels.

 

[dan2286]

Americans already rejected the diesel idea. Diesel pumps at the local station ARE oily and smelly. American girls aren't gonna do it.
What else do we have? Less power than what she expects. Oh, and yea, the pump has a 40 cent higher price than regular unleaded!!!!
Don't believe me....the staff economists and marketers at the big three will make the decision as to what Americans will buy.
Oh, 300K miles on an engine? I know of no woman who wants to drive a car for 300K miles....get real.

Just let the smart people realize how much money it can save in the long run. American girls also buy cars becuase they are cute(like a kia :shock🙂

 

[Coveted]

the real question is, when is american going to make a car that isnt ugly and dosent suck?
I know gm hasnt gotten it right sense the last gbody rolled off the line, Im not sure ford ever got it right, and Chrysler is doing it much better, but they can still improve.

 

[STLRegal]

the real question is, when is american going to make a car that isnt ugly and dosent suck?
I know gm hasnt gotten it right sense the last gbody rolled off the line, Im not sure ford ever got it right, and Chrysler is doing it much better, but they can still improve.

I like the newst generation of mustang, and dodge has the challenger. GM is the only one slacking in that department.

 

[andrewmp6]

Gas prices mean nothing to me i drive 50 miles round trip to work everyday my mustang gets 5mpg my truck gets 8mpg.Ill buy gas tell they stop selling it no matter what the price is.If you want gas cheaper go to a truck stop.300k rofl most cars are lucky to see 100k maybe 150k.300k at normal mileage for a year your looking 15 years of driving out of that.

 

[srercrcr]

Girls/females DO pump gas. They actually buy the majority of new cars now also. All your arguments about more economical, better long-term reliability are valid, but most new car purchasers don't make the most rational decisions. It's more about image, sound system, wheels, comfort, keeping up with your peers. Gee, that sounds like a g-body owner. Well how about that!!

 

[Vern]

I would like the next newer car I buy to be a smaller turbo diesel. Even if that means buying outside the big three which I have never done.

srercrcr, I agree with your last post except for the g-body owner part could not be further from the truth. I or any of the many g-body owners/enthusiasts that I have been associated with since my first g-body new in 86 bought them for any of those reasons. Well then again I don't know much about the lowrider crowd or the ghetto fabulous crowd and I know they actually are a substantial portion of the g-body owners.

andrewmp6, You have to admit though that you are an exception with regards to mileage, price, and the determination to keep buying gasoline no matter what. Longevity is without question better for the diesels but its really about maintenence or lack of it with an increasing percentage of american car owners and the use or abuse of the vehicle. I had a 91 Caravan 3.3 that my father in law bought new and serviced meticulously. I bought it from him with a 130,000 miles and years later sold it to the first person to look at it for my asking price with 250,000 miles on the clock. The transmission was rebuilt for $900 at 135,000 but had nothing else done to it other than routine maintenance. Before I sold it she would burn a quart in 3,500 miles which is when I would have the oil changed at the cheapest oil & lube place as I had been doing since I took ownership of it. I don't believe its an exception other than the fact that it actually got proper maintenance. Around here their is lots and lots of ill maintained gas domestic cars with 185,000ish miles. And they look the part but the point is even cheaper gas cars generally hold up well today and would do even better if they were maintained.

 

[joe_padavano]

Gas prices mean nothing to me...

This is exactly the problem. Gas has jumped from $2 to $4 a gallon in the last couple of years and yet consumption stays at the same level. Economics 101 says the oil companies still don't charge enough. Of course, these are the same Americans who willingly pay $4 for a $1 cup of coffee. When consumption starts to drop off (for real, not the stupid "don't buy gas on Wednesday" BS), THEN the prices will stabilize and even start to come down.

 

[jatguit]

Diesels have their past perceptions as being smelly, dirty, noisy vehicles. You know, especially when you are behind that bus or truck and it gags ya. And, in GM's case with the 350 diesel, they were very unreliable. Although the reliability image in general I believe has softened a bit with a newer generation of technology and people. If the new fuels are cleaner (especially less smelly overall) than I think it could make in roads here. We will just have to see how it is received.

Also, I have heard recently where there is (or will be soon) an add on package to the Hybrids that can get them up to 100 mpg. I can’t find a web site on it (this specific one) but it was at one of the green shows, that someone told me about.
Basically it is an added small 5th wheel that comes down underneath the car. I don’t know much else about it or how it works but it sounds promising. And this is supposed to be something that can be added to any new or used Hybrid ($$$cost???). It is similar to the PHEV technology (new Plug in hybrids) that are being talked about except the 5th wheel is now the power generator rather than plugging it in.