Anybody thinking about selling because of gas prices??

I know there are some pretty old guys here p), so can anyone tell me this:

Do you remember when you last paid under a dollar for a gallon of gas? I'm not askin' the cheapest you've paid, just the last time it was under a dollar (if even 99-cents).

 

1998. I was driving 55 miles each way to work and I remember I paid $.76 at a station right off the NJ Turnpike exit in Bellmawr, NJ. I don't remember specifically the LAST time, though, but it would've had to have been between then and sometime in 2000, I think.

 

Back in '99 I think. Then I remember everyone getting pissed cuz the prices shot up from there to about 1.50 a year later. Seen this cycle before - drops way down only to rebound later. We're getting a free ride right now - won't last. We'll see to that for sure.

 

Your $3000 hit shows the absurdity of buying a fuel efficient car to save a few dollars per month on gas. You are always better off just buying and driving the one car or truck you want.

Of course you can count on gas prices going up again. The macro economic fundamentals have not changed, they have just been delayed for a while as the world spends it’s way out of this financial crisis. So, just as the evil speculators over-played their hand to upside on oil, they have now over-played their hand to the downside. Of course nobody ever complains about lower gas prices. However, anybody who thinks $2 gas is here to stay is dreaming.

 

All these posts and nobody has mentioned the fact that if you live in a snow area your smart car is not very smart. I cant wait untill we get hit hard and see how many smart cars are on the road.

 

i think about selling because of gas prices 375 times a day. gas is down to $1.58. for 15 mpg i would have bought a 4 door f250 with a powerstroke. it saddens me alot.

 

I disagree. I could make the same argument in reverse: prices shot up and then dropped preciptously. Prices generally will stay higher simply due to inflation but unless something major happens that affects the world oil market, I don't see prices skyrocketing anytime soon. I've been saying it for the last year: prices are following the same cycle as pre and post oil embargo which was an 8 year run up and then down.

 

I guess I'm dreaming, then. Of course, my track record on this issue has been 100% correct over the last couple years (a search of my post history easily confirms this) so we'll see.

But I do agree with your first paragraph. It definitely shows what happens when someone makes a rash, not too well though out decision.

 

I hope you are right, but I know better. We will get used to the new low prices, start buying big cars and put on the miles, and then prices will go up due to demand. We're not disciplined as a country not to consume - it's one of the things the US does best.

 

Certainly nobody would dispute your solid record. However, once the economy is back to normal in a year or two, a couple of things will probably happen. One; Americans will forget the lessons learned and go back to wasting gas. Two; China and India will go back to trying to catch up to the US in consumption. Three; Obama, in his infinite wisdom, will raise gas taxes to try to wean us off our addiction to oil. I don’t see any scenarios that keep gas price cheap.

 

ditto 4 me.always had a truck and always will.

 

back in '99 when i went to boot camp it was $.99/gal, came out of boot camp 13 weeks later it was $1.05/gal.

 

I don't think that $2 gasoline will support the economy as a whole. Yeah it makes it easier each time we fill up and each time those 18 wheelers fill but those prices affect so many other parts of the market.....$55 oil & $2 gasoline just wont sustain the economy we have all gotten used to living in.

 

Seems to me as though the choice between whether to buy (or keep) a Taco versus a SmartCar would be dictated by a number of things, not just the price of gas. Talk about apples and oranges! Just sayin'......

 

Well I posted this ad to choose between a Smart car and a Tacoma for gas mileage, but I just bought another car and now I will put both up for sale in a few days.

Look for them on EBAY on thurs night. 07 Taco has $5k in upgrades and 08 Smart has $2k in upgrades too much to list here.

I put a deposit on a 09 ZR1 so best of luck to all.

 

You must be the biggest financial knucklehead on the site. Either that or you are rich and have money to burn. But then again if you were rich you wouldn’t have bought a Smart car to save a few dollars on gas. You must therefore be a knucklehead.

 

To each his/her own. I'd say knucklehead is a bit harsh. If he'd rather have a vette and has the means, then why dump on him? I think it's a really nice car and certainly would be a bigger thrill to drive around in than any pick up truck.

 

I don’t think I’m being too harsh.

The whole premise of this thread is a financial one. Question: does it make sense to dump your Tacoma in favor of a fuel efficient Smart car.

Anytime you have to spend money to save money you need to pull out the calculator and crunch some numbers.

So now our friend gegundez is going to lose 3k in depreciation plus 2k in upgrades on the Smart car and probably 3k in depreciation plus 5k in upgrades on the Tacoma. So maybe 13k down the drain in 2 years. Like I said if you have money to burn that’s one thing but if you don’t then you are acting impulsively instead of with intelligence.

 

I didn't get my licence until 2002, and i remember one point its was 0.99 a gallon. it didn't last long only a couple of weeks. the majority of that year was around 1.25 a gallon. which i will gladly take

 

I'm not one to call anyone names, but gotta admit that I was puzzled by the OP's shifting positions relative to car ownership, what was important to him, etc. I gathered initially, as others did, that he was primarily concerned about economics and mileage. And yet even that didn't make a whole lot of sense in the context of a truck versus a small commuter-type car. There is really no solid basis for comparison, other than that they each have four wheels and will go from point A to point B.

So he can't decide which one to sell, initially as the price of gas was still fairly high was going to sell the Taco, then as the price came down was going to keep the Taco, and now is going to sell both and get a.....say what?? Yeah, I'd agree with the impulsivity assessment. By the same token, to each his own and any of us is at liberty to drive what we like and what we are willing or able to afford. But when we come into a public forum like this and ask for suggestions and then make impulsive and seemingly kind of senseless choices (in light of the concerns we put forth) we are likely to catch some shit. Just sayin'.....