What would you do if gas suddenly became $5 a gallon?

[DiRTyBuNNy]

I'm just wondering about this question. I've traveled to europe where it is the equivalent of $5 a gallon and I've noticed over there people seem to drive smaller and more fuel efficient cars. I was actually quite captivated with a car called the VW Lupo which was about 2 inches smaller than a mini, was powered by a 1.3L Diesel engine and got somewhere between 91 and 95 mpg!! The crazy thing was it sold for about as much as a Hyundai Accent does over here.

[Python14]

If gasoline prices got to that point, which I hope they do not, I'd ditch me Jeep, travel to Europe, buy a Lupo(which btw, can be made to be quite nice. Check out some of the ones on VWvortex.com) and hide it in my suitcase for the trip home. With some tuning, they can getlike 75 hp, which for a car that size, is really good.

[AutomagRT1483]

If they get that high, I'll just ride my bike more often then.

[Smoke]

If things got that bad, I'd get Mr. Fusion, from Back To The Future, that way I could run off of garbage!!:D

[DiRTyBuNNy]

Lupos are sweet..I was rather smitten with them during my trip to Germany..this sucker is 2 inches shorter than one of the new BMW Mini's. They actually drive quite nice, the interior is more than ample and I'm 6'3". I'd love for VW to carry them over here as a niche car much like BMW did to the mini (but not with the mini's price tag). Yeah...75hp for a car that I think weighs just shy of 1800lbs and you'd get great gas mileage and would never have a problem parking it..you can just whip those suckers around like an R/C car...now my second favorite small car they don't have here is the Smart Car (a joint venture between, believe this, DaimlerChrysler and Swatch watches). They look much like the Ford Th!nk electric cars, but these are combustion engines with a MPG similar to the lupo. oooohhh..or the Audi A2...those are sweet also..ahhahahahha...when I get a chance to scan them I'll put some pictures up of all the cars I saw in Germany...(neener neener..I've got a Lupo brochure with prices and all the accessories)

[Restola]

My understanding of why european gas prices are so high is pretty limited. But one thing I have been told by several sources, including 2 close european (german) friends of mine, is that their governments tax the heck out of their citizens in general, including several kinds of "environmental" taxes and other such things on gasoline.

If europeans wanted lower gas prices, their governments could deliver it. Not nessisarily to the same $1.35/g as we have in america, but definatly lower than what they have now.

[blembiggity]

europe prices are high but u should travel to japan where a gallon of gas is more like $7. it is rediculous to think that the gas guzzlers over there are filling their tanks all the time over there. they have some of the least fuel efficient cars in the world with no emisions. it must be why their money is worth so much

[shartley]

Anyone remember the US Gas Shortage? ;) Import and smaller car influx, 55 speed limit, sky high gas prices and shortages…. (Note: Nope, the 55 speed limit was not for safety reasons, but for fuel economy.)

I personally do not think it will get that bad again. I lived in Europe for quite a few years, and how I dealt with it is driving conservation and planning…. Hey, that is the same thing I did when I was in my early 20’s and had limited funds anyways! :D We would have to set budget priorities, which many of us do anyways.

I personally think all the talk now about gas is only because of continuing activities in the middle east and Iraq. Even though we would be fine even if we stopped getting ANY oil from that region.

[EsPo]

wher would you do if gas suddenly became $5 a gallon?

walk.. if i had driven before.

[Mango]

I'd trade my 1.8T Jetta for the TDI version, gets great milage.

[cphilip]

Yes...well... that is the reason that 50 or so percent of European vehicles are Diesel...

[PolishSausage]

I need to loose about 6lbs anyway, so I'd just ride my bike to reachable places

[1stdeadeye]

The biggest reason that gas is so expensive in Europe and Japan is that it is all imported! They have lttle to no production. The US has quite a bit of production. You can control costs when you control production. We don't have all that we need, but more then enough.

Plus Saudia Arabia cares what we pay for gas, not what Japan and Europe pay!

[SpongeBobSquarePants]

Yea I don't think it would ever get that bad we have the natural resources in Alaska just got to get up there and start drilling.

[yeahthatsme]

i would get a motor cycle...some of them get some goood mpg...

[Gitaroo Man]

Invest in a hydrogen fuel cell car

[gimp]

Get the hose so I can siphon out of peoples tanks

[EsPo]

find a way to make gas from natural things?

[Timmee]

Originally posted by EsPo
find a way to make gas from natural things?

Like bean burritos? :D

[Python14]

Originally posted by EsPo
find a way to make gas from natural things?

But doesn't gasoline come from oil? Which conviently, is natural.

[Gitaroo Man]

Yes it does. And that process takes millions of years to get new oil since it comes from dead plankton compressed under much pressure

[Python14]

Sadly, I have yet to see a truely effective alternative fuel. Most that can provide the power that gas does are far too expensive, or just not widely available. For the time being, gas and diesel are about the only choice.

[1stdeadeye]

Originally posted by gimp
Get the hose so I can siphon out of peoples tanks

ROFL!:D

[Jack_Dubious]

What about using alcohol? Ive always wondered why we couldnt use alcohol as an alternative fuel. Maybe perhaps gasoline would still be cheaper. Alcohol can be made from almost any organic substance.(IIRC) The farming industry probably produces a lot of organic waste that could be converted into alcohol.


JDub

[1stdeadeye]

Originally posted by Jack_Dubious
What about using alcohol? Ive always wondered why we couldnt use alcohol as an alternative fuel. Maybe perhaps gasoline would still be cheaper. Alcohol can be made from almost any organic substance.(IIRC) The farming industry probably produces a lot of organic waste that could be converted into alcohol.


JDub

It is a good idea and they are trying it, but it isn't practical. It is called Ethanol (sp). The problem is that is not feasible without massive government subsidies! It takes more energy in the creation then it makes. i.e. farm equipment, processing, refining. Unfortunatly, there is no other fuel source that gives you anywhere near the bang for the buck that you get from gasoline!:(

[Restola]

Originally posted by 1stdeadeye
Plus Saudia Arabia cares what we pay for gas
Yes they care...

They care to keep the prices JUST low enough that none of the other ideas in this thread are financially practical. There are few things I want more for the world than the US to become more independant with our energy and do more buisness with russian oil. Then the damn saudis who "care" about us can go eat sand.

[spydervenom]

they say that around here it is supposed to jump to 1.60 a gallon in march, but i just skoff at that because its at 1.55 a gallon

[TransMan]

I say we just go ahead and buy greenland so we can buy a gallon of gas for 10 cents ;) :D

[Kevmaster]

Id join the Army and provoke war with Iraq to get their oil

[cphilip]

Very clean Diesel fuel can and is made from Soy Beans....

[giblit]

id get a rice burner that actually ran off rice

[Timmee]

Phil, did that product that allows you to recycle cooking oil into a diesel substitute ever work out for you?

[FooTemps]

I'd get one of the new age diesel cars... The only problem is that the US doesn't have any clean diesel gas stations...

[joeyjoe367]

I'd take the bus.

[FooTemps]

Originally posted by joeyjoe367
I'd take the bus.

Dang, I didn't even consider that.... lol, bus and biking!

[bratch]

I'd watch my starting salary sky rocket... studying to be a petroleum engineer

[joeyjoe367]

Originally posted by bratch
I'd watch my starting salary sky rocket... studying to be a petroleum engineer

...and then come to a screeching halt as hydrogen-cell cars become mainstream :D :D

[Curly]

If gas prices went up tommorow i would have to say diesel/bio-diesel are the way to go.

[steveg]

Don't blame it on the Saudis, they are just practicing
what you Americans taught them "charge what the market will bare"
I believe it's Samuel Adams that said that.

[cphilip]

Originally posted by Timmee
Phil, did that product that allows you to recycle cooking oil into a diesel substitute ever work out for you?

I am still trying to get the processor built and here. I will update you when its in and I have some data to report. Taking a while to get the stuff built.

[cphilip]

Originally posted by FooTemps
I'd get one of the new age diesel cars... The only problem is that the US doesn't have any clean diesel gas stations...

Doesn't realy matter. Regular Diesel emmissions are still cleaner than Gasoline in almost every category but one. And that one is close after they warm up to operating temperature. So even still its cleaner and more efficent. And could be if clean diesel was phased in.

[ShooterJM]

Originally posted by steveg
Don't blame it on the Saudis, they are just practicing
what you Americans taught them "charge what the market will bare"
I believe it's Samuel Adams that said that.

Actually that's restricted to a free market situtation and goes with supply vs demand. Price fixing, cartels, monopolies, oligopolies, etc are illegal in the US (unless government sanctioned). If they're smart they can charge more then market value by price fixing all the OPEC members. However, people are greedy and drop the price to increase the volume. And, as it's well stated in the book, "Economic Consequences of Peace". When goods and services don't cross borders, armies will.

But all that's neither here nor there. If gas shot up to $5 a gallon. I'd garage my suv, drive my honda when neccessary and mostly ride my bike.

[DiRTyBuNNy]

I think it's really funny how people started trying to figure out how gas would shoot up to $5 a gallon. i never asked how it would/should happen..i merely asked what you would do if it did happen..hahahhahaha..oh well..

[ShooterJM]

Originally posted by DiRTyBuNNy
I think it's really funny how people started trying to figure out how gas would shoot up to $5 a gallon. i never asked how it would/should happen..i merely asked what you would do if it did happen..hahahhahaha..oh well..

sorry, just HAD to respond to that.....:D But I did answer the original question. And I'd think about getting a motorcycle too.

[LittMag]

Originally posted by cphilip
Very clean Diesel fuel can and is made from Soy Beans....

This is called Bio-Diesel, it actually is mixed into some diesel fuel these days. It works in the same Diesel engine and I believe runs as efficently.

-Litt