NY Times: At $100 for Tank of Gas, Some Choke on ‘Fill It’

[marmar]

At $100 for Tank of Gas, Some Choke on ‘Fill It’

By CHRISTOPHER MAAG
Published: July 6, 2008



With gasoline prices high and rising, a new financial milestone has arrived: the $100 tank of gas.

Bryan Carisone, a heating and air-conditioning contractor in Raritan, N.J., “absolutely loves” his new GMC Denali XL, an extra-large sport utility vehicle with televisions built into the leather seats. But in June, one week after he bought it, he pulled into a station on a near-empty tank and watched the total climb higher and higher — to $109.

“It just about killed me,” Mr. Carisone said.

For decades, the $100 barrel stood as a hypothetical outlier in doom-and-gloom conversations about future oil prices. And nobody could even imagine an American family paying $100 to fill the tank.

But the future is here. Oil passed $100 a barrel in January and now seems headed toward $150 a barrel. Gasoline prices surpassed $4 a gallon on June 8, stalled for a while, and have been rising again in recent days, setting a record Saturday.

By late spring, owners of pickups and sport utility vehicles with 30-gallon tanks, like the Cadillac Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Suburban, started paying $100 or more to fill a near-empty tank. As gas prices continue to rise — the national average stood at about $4.10 a gallon Saturday — membership in the triple-digit club is growing. Now, even not-so-gargantuan Toyota Land Cruisers and GMC Yukons can cost $100 to fill up.

Data on exactly how often people pay $100 for a tank of gas are scarce, given price variations from market to market and day to day. But during the first five months of 2008, about 11 percent of American drivers said they bought 24 gallons or more at their last fill-up, according to a survey of 81,000 drivers by the NPD Group, a market research firm — which at today’s prices would place many of them at or around $100.

For people who love their big vehicles, the pain is acute. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/business/06tank.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[Deja Q]

1. For people who love their big vehicles, there's nothing cute about them. Not even their

microcephalic genitalia, or so the urban legend goes. (It's not been disproved yet, has it?)

[TahitiNut]

2. "For people who love their big vehicles, the pain is acute."

Cry me a fucking river.

[MercutioATC]

7. I agree, if it's about "love"

I have a big vehicle. I love it. I pay for it. I don't complain, because I choose to own the car.

Many people of limited means have large cars and they can't afford to replace them.

[TahitiNut]

9. Our "new" car is a 1990 Chrysler LeBaron pervertible ... 24mpg.

Our "other" car is a 1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo ... 16mpg. The Monte Carlo has less than 47,000 original miles on it. The LeBaron has about 108,000 miles. That averages to less than 1,520 miles per year on the Monte Carlo and 6,000 miles per year on the LeBaron ... or about 7,500 miles per year on two cars going back two decades.

When I see single-person SUVs and gas-guzzlers wallowing down the highway - and there are a LOT of them around here - I just cheer for higher and higher and higher gasoline prices.

When we've bought an average of (95 + 315) 410 gallons of gas each year for two cars (buying even less now - about half that) I just can't get all weepy about gas prices. I've ridden my bicycle, ridden a motorcycle, taken mass transit, car-pooled, relocated, walked, and followed other mileage-reducing strategies for more than 35 years ... and have NEVER even contemplated buying a gas guzzler. (I had a 4-cyl, 2.5l. minivan for a couple of years in the 80s.) We've sucked up cheap gas for decades - profligate in consuming our own and then others' - if it cost us $8/gallon I'd just smile. Schadenfreude.

I'd happily and energetically support a $1/gal increase in gasoline taxes ... to build urban/suburban mass transit systems, preferably electric streetcars. It's fucking INSANE they're not in-place. When I was a kid, we had them in Detroit and then, like the total assholes we are, we got rid of them. We deserve to choke on our own stupidity.

[MercutioATC]

12. I've always said that the best thing that could happen to us was $6/gallon gas.

We're great innovators, but we don't innovate unless it's profitable.

$6/gallon gas will cause a lot of hardship for many, but it makes innovation profitable. We'll come out way ahead in the long run.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

3. Mad Max

was right.

[Warpy]

4. Why anybody needs that much metal surrounding him is a mystery

to me. I haven't owned anything with more than 4 cylinders since 1969. There is just no way I was going to spend a dime more on gas than I had to, not even when it was still relatively cheap.

I got where I was going in the same amount of time as the guy revving his V8 at the stop lights to show us all what a man he was.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

33. All you can really do is laugh at those idiots. There's really no hope for them.

[Blue_Tires]

5. one would hope this is their wake-up call...

the guys in New Jersey and Chicago were already paying more than most other places, so it should have dawned on them even earlier

[iamjoy]

6. Here's What I Say

If you choose to drive a vehicle getting less than 20 mpg

:nopity:

added on edit
Choose: as opposed to you're an independent trucker, etc. who must have a large vehicle to work. Even then, only buy as large as you need.

[KharmaTrain]

8. But I Still See Those Hummers On The Road

In 2000 I could fill my Saturn from between half and one-quarter tank for $10, last year the same fill-up in my Nissan was near $30 and a week ago I came close to my first $50 fill-up. I'm fortunate to work from home and only fill up once a month...but I know many others who aren't as fortunate and choking on these high prices. Yet, I still see Hummers on the road...most have tinted windows so you can't see the asshat inside, but many sure appear to belong to middle-aged white guys who feel "entitled" to drive these batleships.

[dysfunctional press]

34. if you can afford a hummer- you can afford $4 gas. or $5 gas. or $6 gas...

nt

[elocs]

10. choices/consequences n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. The problem is, that Mr. Carisone is going to raise prices to support his "love".

As will all the other capitalists out there.

The ripple effect is a hungry bitch.

[hatrack]

13. People who love their big vehicles should have looked at the big green sticker in the rear window

The one with the gas pump logo and the really big numbers showing estimated mileage.

:eyes:

[woodsprite]

14. Diesel has been that for awhile now.

But towing and camping are still a cheaper vacation for 4 than a rental or hotel/motel. It's damned hard to tow a trailer or fifthwheel with a Taurus sedan. We'd like to upgrade the Taurus, but can't afford 2 car payments. The used truck will be paid off in a year, so then the Taurus gets replaced with something more efficient :) That sucker only gets 20-22mpg.

Edited to add: Ideally, I'd like to upgrade to a 6-seater because we prefer to be the ones to drive when our kids go on trips for school, or we let them each take a friend. We also need dog-hauling room and would rather not use the diesel when we just need to make a vet run, etc. A mini-van fits the bill, but are any of those getting decent mileage? We are just starting to contemplate what type of replacement vehicle. Maybe something will come out better in the next year or so.

[hogwyld]

22. Pretty soon, all of the RV places and mfrs

will be gone as well. Camping will soon be about a tent and sleeping bag again. The prices on used, motorized RV is dropping through the floor, new ones aren't being sold, and pretty soon, nobody will be able to afford the tow vehicles either.

[workinclasszero]

15. Anyone who buys a huge SUV now is a certified idiot

The resale value is nil, they will be instantly upside down in their loan and they will cry every time they fill the beast up!

People are crazy! Or maybe its only us Americans??

[AZ Criminal JD]

16. People like you are the first ones to call me to use my truck

Because they are moving or they are buying something big at some store. What hypocrites. I could care less what the price of gas is. I work and I can afford anything they throw at me.

[workinclasszero]

20. If you need a truck for work thats one thing

The people in huge SUV's speeding by me on the freeway everyday, one person per vehicle most of the time, don't need them.

[AZ Criminal JD]

24. I don't need it for work.

I want it because it increases my standard of living. That is one of the reasons people do work.

[Squatch]

29. A point which will be lost on the hand-wringers in our midst

where every purchase or life decision must be weighed against some austere, monk-like scale of "need".

I'm with you, though...I work my ass off so that I and my family can enjoy nice things.

[taterguy]

21. So in addition to getting crappy mileage you have to help all your friends move?

Your choice is looking wiser and wiser. :)

[AZ Criminal JD]

23. As long as they feed me some beer I'm good with it.

We believe in helping each other out in this part of the country. I know those values are shared elsewhere.

[taterguy]

26. How much beer can you drink and safely get home in your SUV?

I guess one of the values we don't share is the importance of being reasonably safe and sane.

[AZ Criminal JD]

27. A lot actually. But I have a black lab to steer me through the rough spots.

[taterguy]

28. Braking is more important than steering

And people wonder why the rest of the country looks down on 'Bama.

[Squatch]

30. The only people who look down on Alabama are stuck-up assholes.

Surely, you're not a stuck-up asshole, are you?

[taterguy]

31. Dude's using a dog as a designated driver

If it makes me stuck-up for criticizing him for doing that then so be it.

[Squatch]

32. I see the government didn't issue you a sense of humor when they cloned you.

[taterguy]

35. My Husker Du thread in the Lounge is comedy gold

How dare you accuse me of not having a sense of humor?

[Fumesucker]

17. I put $50 in my Expedition business tow vehicle today..

Gave me about half a tank.

But I can get 21 mpg with a 16' flatbed trailer behind it @ 60 mph on the interstate and about 17 mpg around town.. I've trained myself with the onboard MPG readout to drive as efficiently as possible.

Today I drove 66 miles with a 3800 lb load on my flatbed and got 18 mpg for the trip.

My other vehicle is a 400 cc motorycle that will get 55 mpg @ 80 mph though. :)

[conflictgirl]

18. I am amused by how many people act like they never saw this coming

The last time I bought a new car was in 2001. At the time we were doing much better financially than we are now (though we were still just below the median income) and I still chose what car to buy based in large part on gas mileage. I bought a Saturn SL1- a model which sadly no longer exists - and at the time gas was around $1/gallon where I lived and I could fill my entire tank for about $8. Today I'm still driving it and it's now costing $30 to fill it - which is of course an astronomical increase and my wages have declined since then rather than increasing by a comparable amount - but it's far more affordable than all the people driving the big vehicles.

My heart goes out to those who have to drive the huge vehicles, but I have no sympathy for those who don't have to and who act surprised by the high cost of fuel. Even as recently as last year I've had family members buy giant SUVs. Anyone who was even remotely paying attention should've had it on their radar *at least* five years ago, and too many people that I know bought the big-ass SUVs as status cars.

[carlyhippy]

19. It's not the 100.00 tank of gas that is important

as how long does that 100.00 tank of gas last? A person can have an SUV and drive it very little and use just as much gas as someone who has a small car but commutes to and from work 20 miles a day one way, the evil SUV's and their drivers ideology is not always the case. I would hate to have to commute every day, I really feel for these commuter folks, they are in a no-win situation

[carlyhippy]

36. whatever vehicle we drive, know that our oil is not being kept here

http://www.cnbc.com/id/25518912

[NuttyFluffers]

25. i'm still trying to reconcile that Chevy Avalanche has a fan club...

there's something i don't see everyday. i know people like their cars, but a particular model turning into a national fan club, with chapters, events, and a president? fascinating...

i don't think i've ever turned one of my everyday utilitarian tools into a raison d'etre to join a fan club. haven't done it with even my computers or clothing. maybe for something involving entertainment, but it'd have to be a work of art that is difficult to replicate. but even then, no i don't think i've ever done that.