Vehicle regrets

[Trick]

I've been seeing this in a few threads now and was wondering how many have bought a SUV or truck the last few years that are now regreting the purchase with the ever rising fuel prices.

I bought a used Jeep GC V8 a couple years ago for hunting and towing. Knowing what I know now, I should have left the money in the bank. Wasn't a good decision with the extra insurance, horrible mileage and little hope of selling it for anything in this market.

[sschwab]

I bought a 2006 Durango and hardly use it. Thank goodness the IRS let me depreciate $25,000 the first year because I think it's worth nearly that much less than what I paid for it.

It has been nice on a few beach trips and for hauling the boat.

[veilside180sx]

I'm glad I chose my Pathfinder over the big diesel I had planned on getting to pull my race car. (especially now that I'm selling the race car)

[byebyeducky]

Bought an 07 Tundra with the 5.7 liter V8. I absolutely love the truck, and use it at least once a week to tow. I continually wonder though if I could have made a tacoma work and then borrowed a truck when I needed to.

My original intent was a tacoma but with the need to tow big dual axle dump trailers, tractors and a mini-excavator, I knew I would be dissapointed.

Now I am wondering if I should have got a nice fuel efficient car and an older 3/4 ton truck for the times I need it. It would be frustrating though because I often use the rack on my truck to haul a ladder or lumber home from the lumberyard after work. If I was driving a car I would have to make a seperate trip back into town.

[bkedman]

I bought a '92 Suburban 3/4T and a 454 . Not only did I buy the truck but put another 3-4k in repairs/upgrades in the last year. Usually the pump stops me at $100 and that doesn't usually fill it. Only got me 3/4 of a tank last time

That being said. I my truck. I couldn't get my boat to the water without it. I couldn't haul my utility trailer. When all 6 of us want to go to dinner or to a school function we take the truck.

Is it my daily driver? No. Would I trade my truck? Not a chance.

[FrogPond]

A guy could probably make a great deal on an SUV or big pick up right about now if you needed (or wanted) one...two sides to every coin.

[ryleysmom]

I regret it in the way of gas prices, as we purchased my suv exploder last summer and then our chevy truck 6 months before that. but I would not give up the truck for nothing, if I gave it up then I would not have a way to tow my quad and sons quad to the coast or sticks when we wanna ride. although riding is limited also with these gas prices.
I have been thinking of parking my exploder most of the time and getting a cheap car to run around town in.. Keep the exploder for family trips.

[Dinikin]

Got 96 Ford F250 Diesel. 19MPG freeway 15 MPG towing a boat.
No regrets. It is parked unless it need to tow.

[jfa686]

no regrets...i have two trucks..just selling my gasser and keepin the diesel that's all..the market is definately in a slump at the moment in sales but it will pull out over time. I think you will be seeing an end to the "urban cowboys" rollin around town though

[Eagleclaw]

No regrets here either. I bought a 05 ford F150 supercab 4x4 brand new and i wouldn't sell her for anything. The only thing i'm really glad about is i didn't buy the 05 F250 supercab diesel i was going to pull the trigger but didn't like the 900.00 a month truck payment. glad i didn't buy it seeing how much diesel is now.

[Danno]

Last year we upgraded the wife's car from our 96' Suburban and left the Suburban for towing duties only. I have a nice fuel efficient Intrepid (27mpg) and only used the 'Burb for towing. Now that I have sold the boat I see that the 'Burb isn't worth much so I am trying to decide whether to sell it now or sit on it for a year or so to see what may come around.

I think this market is great for people to buy a cheap hauler and park it for heavy duty use only. The value allows for minimal insurance coverage. Then use the high mileage car for every day use. It's worked well for me.

Anyone want to buy a 96' Suburban with 118K miles on it for a tow vehicle? You might be surprised how cheap they're going for these days.

[Art Vandeley]

I do have some slight regrets... I bought a Ford F150 Christmas of 05, and now realize that I could easily make due with a Ranger or Tacoma. I guess that's why it is for sale right now. Anyone want to buy a truck?

Mitch

[Thumper]

We have taken kind of a different approach.

I have an 11-year-old Expedition, 170,000 miles, that continues to give good service. Paid $10,000 at 100,000 miles. Gonna hold onto it 'til the very end.

My wife bought a 2001 Pathfinder with 50,000 miles. Her daily driver. It's up to 77,000 and seems like it will run forever.

Then we decided to buy a motor home. Ended up with a new little Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter conversion. 5-cylinder diesel. 22-26 MPG (honest!).

These days I am driving the motor home!!!!

[Spindrifter]

Originally Posted by Thumper

Tehn we decided to buy a motor home. Ended up with a little Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter conversion. 5-cylinder diesel. 22-26 MPG (honest!).

These days I am driving the motor home!!!!

I saw one of those while camping last summer and that thing is sweeeet. Does yours have the slide out fish box on the side with the drain?


I bought my 2500 Dodge 5.9 diesel last April and diesel was $2.63/gal....now $4.85/gal......$170 to fill- ouch! But I need the truck to pull my new boat, so it's bitter sweet. $500 to fill my boat up, now that hurts....

[Plong_77]

I don't regret buying my truck as i love it, but what i do regret is not being able to take advantage of the housing market right now and buying a house. Don't think i can afford a house payment and truck (or as i like to call my second apartment on wheels) payment and still maintain the kind of social life i have become accustomed too.

Good news is Diesel has dropped 0.15 in the past week here in Corvallis! Did i mention that my truck is for sale and NOW is the time to buy! 8 -)

[fishinfool]

2000 F-250 Diesel here owned it since new. Truck runs great gets decent mileage (18 mpg) and I my truck. Could I get by with a smaller one? Well since I have sold the boat most likely yeah but I never will sell my truck. It is my daily driver and while it is a little expensive to fill I still drive it. In fact it is gonna get some more upgrades to exhaust and air intake here real soon. I have tossed the idea around of a commuter car but right now haven't seen anything worth it. (haven't really looked either) Anyway I love my truck and it will stay. NO REGRETS!

[Kencreep]

I just ran the numbers my truck gets 14.1 mpg (because I'm scared to touch the gas pedal)..I live 26miles from work, so a 52mile round trip. Must use premium and it was 4.47 a gallon yesterday.

So it costs me 16.48 a day to go to work and home...not cool.

[Eagleclaw]

Originally Posted by Kencreep

I just ran the numbers my truck gets 14.1 mpg (because I'm scared to touch the gas pedal)..I live 26miles from work, so a 52mile round trip. Must use premium and it was 4.47 a gallon yesterday.

So it costs me 16.48 a day to go to work and home...not cool.

OUCH!!!


i only live 1.5 miles to work but i ride my bike trying to get into hunting shape.

[Moley Molson]

I hear ya Kencreep....
I'm commuting from Vancouver to Hillsboro, 52miles round trip.
99 S10 only gets 15mpg going over Germantown each day.

I could take I-5 and 26 but what's more valuable....one hour less in traffic, or gas money? I'm torn!

[mandinga]

i have no regrets...

AWD Element gets 24mpg
04 corolla gets 35 mpg



if you guys dont regret your big vehicle purchases now, just wait until next summer when gas prices are $10 a gallon.

[WaterDog]

No regrets either......

Wife drives a 01 Explorer we bought new. She would be better off with a rig that gets better mpg's on her 50 mile round trip cummute. However, it's paid for and has been for along time. We like the rig, it's reliable, and can't see getting nothing out of it and then buying something else that we won't like.

My F-350 CC diesel dually now sits in the driverway and I only use when it tows the boat. Half the reason I parked it was to save it from miles. It's paid for as well and at the cost of new trucks why wear it out. It runs great, is semi customized, and I like it. Although I will admit, there seems to be some good deals out there on newer rigs.

Upgraded boats 2 years ago. 8.1L powered, 94 gallon tank, big and heavy. I don't really know if I could sell it but I don't have any intentions to. The cost to fuel it is painful, but worth it to me. Didn't figure gas would be cheap forever and you only live once.

[Eagleclaw]

Originally Posted by mandinga

i have no regrets...

AWD Element gets 24mpg
04 corolla gets 35 mpg



if you guys dont regret your big vehicle purchases now, just wait until next summer when gas prices are $10 a gallon.

no big deal... my bike doesn't cost anything to fill up but thanks for thinking your smarter than all us big vechicle drivers.. so i hope i don't hear you complaining next summer when gas is $10 a gallon because you're so smart.

[Woody]

Check out Van Specialties in Lake O. They'll build you a totally custom Sprinter.

Originally Posted by Thumper

We have taken kind of a different approach.

I have an 11-year-old Expedition, 170,000 miles, that continues to give good service. Paid $10,000 at 100,000 miles. Gonna hold onto it 'til the very end.

My wife bought a 2001 Pathfinder with 50,000 miles. Her daily driver. It's up to 77,000 and seems like it will run forever.

Then we decided to buy a motor home. Ended up with a new little Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter conversion. 5-cylinder diesel. 22-26 MPG (honest!).

These days I am driving the motor home!!!!

[mandinga]

Originally Posted by Eagleclaw

no big deal... my bike doesn't cost anything to fill up but thanks for thinking your smarter than all us big vechicle drivers.. so i hope i don't hear you complaining next summer when gas is $10 a gallon because you're so smart.

you drive a big vechicle...i heard those are nice.


this isn't necessarily a battle of intelligence...MOST people have large vehicles because they need them for something, or they have plenty of disposable income...It would be stupid to buy an economy car if you had to tow a 5th wheel.


regretting something doesn't mean you aren't smart...in this case I don't think anyone had any idea where the price of gas was headed.

[Eagleclaw]

Originally Posted by mandinga

you drive a big vechicle...i heard those are nice.

Yep very nice

[jfa686]

Originally Posted by mandinga

you drive a big vechicle...i heard those are nice..

they come in handy when pulling the boat, 2 dogs, 2 dirtbikes, camping/fishing gear and beer/food...if i could just find a way to stuff it all in my subie i'd be set

[gottafish]

I have a 03 GMC 2500 4x4. (16mpg)tows the boat and I take it hunting. I also have a 99 neon (25MPG)
for rainy days and the
Honda shadow (52mpg)for sunny days

[Ken Drifter]

No regrets at all. Never have never will. I will always have a big truck.
Due to the fact I use it. Hunting, Fishing, Towing, hauling etc. Only now it sits a bit more. Car pool with the Wife. She gets better gas mileage. (not much but better)

06 GMC HD 2500 4x4
crew cab, long bed
rolling on 34" Toyo M/Ts = that's what kills the mpg.

On a good day 12-13 mpg
Towing a trailer in a heavy snow storm in 4WD a whopping 8 mpg (last years hunting trip)
But she's all mine.

[Reel_Big_Fish]

Originally Posted by mitch.callas

I do have some slight regrets... I bought a Ford F150 Christmas of 05, and now realize that I could easily make due with a Ranger or Tacoma. I guess that's why it is for sale right now. Anyone want to buy a truck?

Mitch

I have an 02 Ranger I'm thinking about selling.

[portlandstatekid]

an armada fully loaded...(wife's rig)

love my '96 manuel accord that gets up to 36 miles/gal
that i picked up for chump change, though i feel like turds
when i'm dropping nearly 60 bones for under 14 gallons

[PaPa Jon]

Bought a 95 Suburban 2x4 w/limited slip, 454ci and it came with a 44 gal tank which (2 yrs ago) would cost me over $100 to fill. I bought this so I could pull a 84 Terry travel trailer over to the coast to go camping.
After I put another $1000 into it to bring it up to snuff, I used it once to go to Beverly beach where I had to replace the water pump and A/C fan clutch in the campground so I could get back home. After arriving home it died and I then had to replace the fuel pump that just happens to be in the now full 44gal fuel tank.
Needless to say after all the love that this Chevy has brought to my life I actually found someone to buy it for what I paid for it originally.
We sold the Terry and decided on a Motor home.
My brother-in-law has kindly loaned us his 78 Dodge Arrow motor home w/318 to use for a couple years. Only catch is that it may need some work which so far we have resealed the roof and replaced a few vents, completely redone the over the cab bed area including replace some rotten wood framing, replaced all the wallboard around the sink and vacated a ant colony from the lower holding area. The only thing left to do is re-due the bathroom/shower floor, maybe replace the toilet, figure out why the frig and furnace won't work. Oh yeah I still need to tune the motor replace the fan belts replace both batteries, replace three of the six 16" tires and get it thru DEQ. Needless to say we have had this for almost a year and it has almost moved 1 inch. In about a year my brother-in-law gets it back.
Then theres my 98 Dakota I bought new that would get 18 hi way and 15 city (pre ethanol) that now gets a bit less especially since I put a new air cleaner in it(?), but I need it to pull my boat and it's paid for. I can buy allot of gas for the cost of buying something else. It has spent some time parked lately as I bought a motorcycle last fall which gets 54 mpg and I can ride it ,weather permitting, which is about one day a week around here, but the weather should start improving after Rose Festival (I hope).

Regrets......maybe a couple

[Bait O' Eggs]

I bought a used 2004 Ford Focus about a year and a half ago. I almost pulled the trigger on a Corolla instead. A matching Corolla for years and miles was about $1k more then, now the the Corolla is worth about $6K more for matching miles and year to my Focus. So as near as I can tell, I lost $5K in trade in value by saving the $1K up front. From what I hear the Corolla gets about 5 to 8 mpg better mileage also.

I would guess the Toyota will go nearly twice as far as the Ford before it completely dies.

Live and learn I guess.

[Eagleclaw]

Originally Posted by Oregon Boater

Bought a 95 Suburban 2x4 w/limited slip, 454ci and it came with a 44 gal tank which (2 yrs ago) would cost me over $100 to fill. I bought this so I could pull a 84 Terry travel trailer over to the coast to go camping.
After I put another $1000 into it to bring it up to snuff, I used it once to go to Beverly beach where I had to replace the water pump and A/C fan clutch in the campground so I could get back home. After arriving home it died and I then had to replace the fuel pump that just happens to be in the now full 44gal fuel tank.
Needless to say after all the love that this Chevy has brought to my life I actually found someone to buy it for what I paid for it originally.
We sold the Terry and decided on a Motor home.
My brother-in-law has kindly loaned us his 78 Dodge Arrow motor home w/318 to use for a couple years. Only catch is that it may need some work which so far we have resealed the roof and replaced a few vents, completely redone the over the cab bed area including replace some rotten wood framing, replaced all the wallboard around the sink and vacated a ant colony from the lower holding area. The only thing left to do is re-due the bathroom/shower floor, maybe replace the toilet, figure out why the frig and furnace won't work. Oh yeah I still need to tune the motor replace the fan belts replace both batteries, replace three of the six 16" tires and get it thru DEQ. Needless to say we have had this for almost a year and it has almost moved 1 inch. In about a year my brother-in-law gets it back.
Then theres my 98 Dakota I bought new that would get 18 hi way and 15 city (pre ethanol) that now gets a bit less especially since I put a new air cleaner in it(?), but I need it to pull my boat and it's paid for. I can buy allot of gas for the cost of buying something else. It has spent some time parked lately as I bought a motorcycle last fall which gets 54 mpg and I can ride it ,weather permitting, which is about one day a week around here, but the weather should start improving after Rose Festival (I hope).

Regrets......maybe a couple

WOW!!!! you should have bought a ford...

[soulrider]

I have a 93 jeep grand cherokee, 4.0 six....I get ok gas mileage. the regret I have about the jeep though is, I sold my triumph sprint rs so I could buy the jeep. I had to needed a way to pick up the kids from daycare after my wife got a job when she finished college.

looking back, we should have tried to figure out something else, now we live further from my job and the bike would really be nice right now.
I am actually trying to figure out how to get another, but I can't sell the jeep, still need it, BESIDES, who would buy it!! and then how would I tow my boat? also after I sold my bike, I had to stop teaching with Team Oregon, and now that extra cash would come in handy. besides I miss riding,

if I could afford payments I would go finance one, but the gas price crunch is hitting us really hard I make good money to but, with the cost of everything going up , we are not doing well.

[bcanini]

Love my truck...

[Bloom]

Oh, you must be talking about me! : ) I bought an '07 Chevy 1 ton Duramax, just about 3 months before fuel skyrocketed. I had plans on towing the 5th wheel to distant and exotic places, but alas, it does little more than tow the boat 2.4 miles to the launch ramp....sigh!!

[Keeper]

Hindsight is always 20/20.

I should have stuck to my guns and bought a F250 instead of the F150 in 2004. Then I wouldn't have bought the 22' Class A RV two years ago...I would have bought a camper. The RV gets 6-8mpg depending on which boat it is pulling.

I am very thankful that our rigs and boats are paid for. I try and think about that when I pull into the gas station for a fill up.

[byebyeducky]

Originally Posted by mandinga

i have no regrets...

AWD Element gets 24mpg
04 corolla gets 35 mpg



if you guys dont regret your big vehicle purchases now, just wait until next summer when gas prices are $10 a gallon.

If gas hits $10 per gallon next summer there will be one huge depression, unfathomable unemployment, hunger, and many other struggles.

[loper]

Originally Posted by WaterDog

No regrets either......


...you only live once.

Well said

[hawgcatcher]

Have a 2002 Expedition with 75,000 miles on it. I get 12-14 MPH when I take it easy. Wife doesn't drive so we are a 1 vehicle family. With a 18 ft. boat or a 25 ft. trailer to pull, it doesn't leave me a lot of choice, so we do with what we have. $65 to fill hurts so we make our trips count.

One other thing, every time I see a little gas saver car get hit, I am glad that MY vehicle is big and safe enough to protect us old people.

[Uncle ted]

my regret is that i got a 77 blazer that i have built up and can no longer afford to drive it. built 350 in it sm 465 tranny full kevlar clutch twin-stick np205 14ff rear dana 60 front both with Detroit lockers and 5:13 gears cross-over steering 40in irok tires warn 15,000 winch and gets a whole 6-8 miles to the gallon and 10-12 highway and now it sits as a very expensive lawn ornament

[Mr.Kitch'nPass]

Originally Posted by Bait O' Eggs

I bought a used 2004 Ford Focus about a year and a half ago. I almost pulled the trigger on a Corolla instead. A matching Corolla for years and miles was about $1k more then, now the the Corolla is worth about $6K more for matching miles and year to my Focus. So as near as I can tell, I lost $5K in trade in value by saving the $1K up front. From what I hear the Corolla gets about 5 to 8 mpg better mileage also.

I would guess the Toyota will go nearly twice as far as the Ford before it completely dies.

Live and learn I guess.

Roy,
I do not know how many miles you have on that rig now but I do not think you lost as much as you think. The Focus is about the only Ford selling right now.

[jfa686]

Originally Posted by Mr.Kitch'nPass

Roy,
I do not know how many miles you have on that rig now but I do not think you lost as much as you think. The Focus is about the only Ford selling right now.

the market is definately going that way right now.

[feisty's wife]

Originally Posted by byebyeducky

Bought an 07 Tundra with the 5.7 liter V8. I absolutely love the truck, and use it at least once a week to tow. I continually wonder though if I could have made a tacoma work and then borrowed a truck when I needed to.

My original intent was a tacoma but with the need to tow big dual axle dump trailers, tractors and a mini-excavator, I knew I would be dissapointed.

Now I am wondering if I should have got a nice fuel efficient car and an older 3/4 ton truck for the times I need it. It would be frustrating though because I often use the rack on my truck to haul a ladder or lumber home from the lumberyard after work. If I was driving a car I would have to make a seperate trip back into town.

Knowing the fuel milaege on a Tudra is rough, I am glad I bought a full cab Tacoma, v6, great engine, stronger than my body odor after sweating and working hard for a week, rather ripe

[Hellibut]

If I would have bought my Dodge 6.7 with it being me primary source of transportation I would have been hurting with fuel prices what they were 8 months ago. However it is my tow rig and going to town on week-ends rig and I LOVE it and will never regret it. Just turned over 5000 miles and counting..... ever so slowly.

[Twitchs_Tackle]

Got an '03 F250 7.3 Powerstroke. Don't regret it a bit, would buy another diesel rig if I was going to purchase another. The lifestyle I have (fishing,hunting,boats,firewood, etc) wouldn't really allow for anything else, and buying a second 'commuter' just doesn't add up!$ I live at my place of work, and it took 7 months to rack up a whopping 4,000 miles...

I get 20.6mpg hwy (with the new crap diesel!) and about 17.1 in town. FAR better than the Toyota I had. Plus, I like that I can actually go up a hill without downshifting...and puttin along...(oh, and I can do it pulling a 20' sled!)

[SouthCoastStu]

I'm just glad I decided to hang on to my '90 Chevy K2500 (145k) for a few more years. I should be able to pick up a low mile Duramax crew cab for peanuts by this fall

[tafish7]

I've got a 1993 2500 Dodge diesel with 95k that tows the trailer and boat. It gets 15 towing and 20 with out. The wife drives an 04 Accord and I just bought an 08 Honda Pilot 3 months ago. I think I'm in pretty good shape but who knows what will happen?

My saving grace is my company car that I drive most of the time. I was planning on retireing in a couple of years but I may have to rethink that idea if things get out of hand.

One thing is for sure. If gas goes to $10.00 a gallon I'll just have to stay at the Wind River during Springers Season instead of comming home on the weekends.

[EvilD]

I have a GMC 2500HD, 5" exhaust, with a tuner and I get about 17 in town and 20mpg going the speed limit with the cruise control on the highway. I need it to haul tools, lumber, posts, concrete etc. I LOVE MY TRUCK!!!! no regrets, diesel is 4.90 a gallon in Reno and I don't care.
My other car is a Subie WRX. I drive it like it's stolen and I get worse mileage than my truck, but the Mt. Rose Highway is soooo fun in a WRX. I had it when I lived in Bend and would commute to Mt. B every day of the week for two straight seasons (or somewhere on Hood when I had the chance) and for trips to the Mt I can't beat the SUBIE.

D

[jfa686]

Originally Posted by SouthCoastStu

I'm just glad I decided to hang on to my '90 Chevy K2500 (145k) for a few more years. I should be able to pick up a low mile Duramax crew cab for peanuts by this fall

do the math on cost per mile towing or cruising..a gasser loses hands down. the diesel market is slightly down but but the gasser market is in the toilet

[chrome obsession]

No regrets for me......Love my 02 Duramax....23mpg regular and 17-19 mpg towing the boat.....I am satisfied..

[byebyeducky]

Originally Posted by feisty

Knowing the fuel milaege on a Tudra is rough, I am glad I bought a full cab Tacoma, v6, great engine, stronger than my body odor after sweating and working hard for a week, rather ripe

Yeah, and the 13-17 is actually more like 12-15. I drive it like a Grandma too. I am not sure if mine is just a gas hog or if they all are. You always read somewhere somebody is getting about 5mpg better than you in the exact same vehicle. It makes you wonder if they are full of hot air, or really lucky?

I love the tacomas, I had 3 before I bought my tundra. I had the 4cyl and always worked it. I bet I pulled way more with my 4cyl toyota than most guys do with a full size truck. I started being more careful after a few scary braking situations

[jvp]

Originally Posted by byebyeducky

Yeah, and the 13-17 is actually more like 12-15. I drive it like a Grandma too. I am not sure if mine is just a gas hog or if they all are. You always read somewhere somebody is getting about 5mpg better than you in the exact same vehicle. It makes you wonder if they are full of hot air, or really lucky?

I love the tacomas, I had 3 before I bought my tundra. I had the 4cyl and always worked it. I bet I pulled way more with my 4cyl toyota than most guys do with a full size truck. I started being more careful after a few scary braking situations

i probably would get the 5 better mpg but it comes down to driving conditions where mileage is concerned. i drive to work at 60 mph all but 4 miles freeway and backroads with minimal stops going home. i always get 5-8 better than when my wife drives the same vehicle. if i have to run errands it starts to free fall.

[CATCH AND EAT]

My truck sits unless needed for pulling boat or hauling something. Dodge neon or bicycle to work.

Truck get 18.5 mpg on the freeway at 70mph.

[mandinga]

Originally Posted by Bait O' Eggs

I bought a used 2004 Ford Focus about a year and a half ago. I almost pulled the trigger on a Corolla instead. A matching Corolla for years and miles was about $1k more then, now the the Corolla is worth about $6K more for matching miles and year to my Focus. So as near as I can tell, I lost $5K in trade in value by saving the $1K up front. From what I hear the Corolla gets about 5 to 8 mpg better mileage also.

I would guess the Toyota will go nearly twice as far as the Ford before it completely dies.

Live and learn I guess.

2 of my family members have owned a Focus...lucky for me they did the livin and i did the learnin!

my sister had to replace the transmission, clutch and engine all before 30k miles...


Hopefully you got one of the good ones...they are definitely not all bad, but the resale value has alot to do with quality and longevity.

Surprisingly enough I can sell my corolla for almost exactly what I bought it for 4 years ago...i guess there's a first for everything. At the time I really didnt want to buy that car, but my wife was insistent...I wanted something bigger of course. MAN, I am so glad i listened to her...dont tell her i said that.

[mandinga]

This morning I read that demand for gas decreased by 1.5% last month and oil reserves increased more than was projected...


the price of gas should remain stable this month...


The price of gas will stabilize IF we use it less.period.

[mandinga]

This news snip is from yesterday;


"The automaker(GM) said Tuesday it would idle pickup and SUV factories in Janesville, Wis.; Oshawa, Ontario, Canada; Moraine, Ohio; and Toluca, Mexico, as it tries to deal with a shift to smaller vehicles brought on by $4 per gallon gasoline prices.
GM also took aim at the Hummer, one off the largest vehicles on U.S. highways, saying that division would either be sold off or the vehicle overhauled."






entire article

[No Fences]

2006 2600 Mega Cab diesel and love it. Way better mpg's than my '03 or '05 powerstrokes. It get's 23+/- hwy and 21/22 around town. 16 to 18 towing my 22' Intruder. Can't beet that with much out there.

Wifey has an '04 Expedition that gets around 14 mpg's, but her and the little ones are safe in it.

Wouldn't trade either.

[bladehorn]

I have a 99 Explorer... bought it in 2003 I have gotten as much as 22 mpg on the freeway with the cruise control on and as little as 14 mpg in city but I average about 18 mpg during everyday driving.
I wish gas were cheaper but I don't regret owning and driving it daily.
But when I have a few extra dollars in my pocket and can afford to have a second car for myself I'll park the Explorer and buy a hybred I really like the "Smart for Two" goofy looking cars but that's why I like 'em.
Until that time I will have no regrets.

[bullshooter]

I have a 96 ram diesel 4x4 that has been paid for for many years. It was recently run into and totalled on the side of the road. After haggling with insurance companies they cashed it out for $11,766. They offered to sell it back to me for $1,700. The damage is all cosmetic, and being a mechanic i think I can keep it on the road for many years to come. She aint pretty, but it turned into the best vehicle investment i have ever made. $10,066 still buys a lot of diesel.