For many of us with 401K's and such it is not the price of gas itself or groceries themselves that matters, but the effect those can have on the stock markets that matters.
If the price of gas and groceries goes up $50/month that's small compared to the many thousands of $'s we can lose in a month. The market going into a real correction is my major concern on oil/gasoline prices.
That assumes any given car stays in its highest gear. If a car downshifts from 6th to 5th or 4th, say going a moderate grade at 55mph, it will probably burn more fuel at the higher engine speeds. I would think the most economical manner is to drive fast enough to maintain the highest gearing.
If I have a 300+hp car, I want to keep going fast enough to keep that car in its top gear, around 2,000rpm. In my Firebird that's about 70mph. The highest mpg I ever got, 60K miles, was on the Jersey Parkway, averaging about 75mph. It's car dependent, as I've had a Subaru and some other small cars and they did better in the 60mph area.
I think you may have stumbled on something going through the parking lot.
I wonder how much gas we waste sitting in drive thru lines or sitting waiting for someone to come out of a store. I wonder if cylendar activation can be used when we are sitting at a red light. I wonder if we try hard enough to carpool w/ co-workers or friends who work close to us.
I'll bet we waste more gas idling than we do driving inefficient cars
Ah, but you make my point so well. You and I with our 401Ks are not "Average" Americans. We are well ABOVE AVERAGE. Honestly, I can afford to buy gas for pretty much whatever vehicle I choose to drive, and the extra $50 is not going to hurt us at the grocery. But for many families, that extra $50 is a lot of money.
I was waiting on my daughter to try on some clothes the other day (yes, she's eight and already has men waiting on her :sick: ). Anyway, the store clerk who was "guarding" the changing room door told her friend that she got the boss to up her daily hours and cut her back from five days a week to four - just to save gas. Now that's a real American worker/consumer who is already feeling the pinch. Furthermore, while a "correction" in the market may cost us a few dollars, it would likely cost her her job. Now who does it hurt more?
Excuse me for spiritualizing but perhaps we should remember the words of Paul the Apostle in 1 Timothy 6:7-8 - For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
20 hp to 31 hp is a 55% increase in horsepower, which will require about that much more fuel to produce
Only the wind resistance component increases exponentially. I know for a fact that I can get 33 mpg on the highway travelling at 65 mph. The wind resistance at that speed is 34 times what it is at 20 mph. While I have no desire to try this I'm fairly confident that if I reduced my speed to 20 mph my gas mileage wouldn't go up to 1,122 mpg. Probably not even close.
since time decreases linearly with speed while energy use increases exponentially with speed.
Obviously the example I gave was extreme and I'm more concerned with real world data. As I said my Honda Accord gets 33 mpg at 65 mph and 31 mpg at 75 mph. I've cut the time I spend on the road by 13% for only a 6% reduction in fuel efficiency. I'll take that trade, but that's me. Some people feel that fuel is more valuable than time.
I don't do much fast food or Starbucks, but I find that it's always faster to park and walk in. Same with going to the grocery store. It's quicker to take the first spot you see - by the time you hike to the front door, the guys circling for the close spot are on their second circuit around the lot.
Groceries are indeed higher - freight is hammering lots of stuff.
I'm not sure that Wall Street is paying attention. The dollar is low and gas is high yet the indexes are setting records. Go figure.
By the way Kernick, I'm buried in MORE. I need to yard sale most of the crap around here - not enough time to keep up on the maintenance on lots of this stuff, much less enjoy it. Too many plants in the yard to get a goat unfortunately. :shades:
My wife and I shared one car for about 9 years out of the last 20. I'm not sure if that saves much gas since I don't drive that much anyway (it does save a lot of other expense),
My E55 is the same way. Over 75 or so the mileage begins to drop noticeably, but between 65-70 it gets excellent mileage for such a vehicle, easily touching on 25 mpg.
Speaking of gas wasted idling, maybe finally some cities will work on sequencing their traffic controls properly, which would also improve fuel efficiency. It is still hell in some areas of my fair city. This past holiday, the lights apparenly remained on weekday rush hour sequencing, even on Sunday and Monday. That meant cars sitting for several minutes with zero cross traffic.
Americans are good for *saying* they want to help but we are pretty bad at sacrificing anything substantial for "our country". We are generous to family but that's about it.
Given this national trait, Americans will either have to be forced to do what they don't want to do, or...(fair enough) be willing to bear the consequences of not doing it.
But don't not do it and then complain when/if you suffer for not doing it. That invites a lack of sympathy.
It's quicker to take the first spot you see - by the time you hike to the front door, the guys circling for the close spot are on their second circuit around the lot.
Oh, is that ever my pet peeve. I refer to them as parking lot vultures. What infuriates me even more than those who circle are the ones who just sit and wait and hold up everyone else.
But actually they are trying to conserve energy - they want to save steps getting into the store. And often once they get into the store they continue to conserve energy by leaning on the cart as they SLOWWWWLY shuffle through the store. And have you noticed how many of them are interested in electric vehicles - you know the "Mart Cart" or whatever the particular store calls them. :mad:
Like this one dude the last time. I swear he could've carried his belly around in a wheelbarrow. This guy had no business walking around shirtless!
I think we could improve fuel economy by just having people drop the immense amount of weight they're carrying around. Funny thing is, I've seen a lot of morbidly obese people driving the smallest cars. Ironically, that 400 lb woman driving the Kia Rio is probably only getting about 16 MPG. I imagine cars owned by obese people get poorer fuel economy and wear out faster. The seats and suspension probably take a beating compared to one owned by a person of average weight. That, plus the A/C must be going all the time. Not trying to be mean, just an observation.
I bought a Matrix 5-speed a few months ago - I love it! I live in Northern Virginia. It's not exactly hilly around here, but there are lots of opportunities to shift into neutral and let gravity maintain my speed. I am getting amazing gas mileage.
I drove back from Blacksburg (which is a much higher elevation) a few weeks ago and coasted a good bit of the way, and got 41 MPG. I've become very aware of red lights ahead, keeping my car free of junk, laying off the speed demon act, etc. My BF and I don't like to travel in the summer, so we're going to avoid the gouging on the road. We plan our erands, shopping, etc. to group things in an efficient manner to save distance.
On a political note, every seat in the Virginia General Assembly is up for grabs this year. I am quite involved politically at the state and local levels. I know that the Virginia GOP is terrified that high gas prices will cost them control of state government.
Oh, yeah, and the hurricane season is supposed to be quite active this year. If a big [non-permissible content removed] hurricane blows into the Gulf of Mexico, we'll see $5 gallon gas. We might see it any way. There is absolutely no force to check the upward surge - not political, not market. Mark my words.
for some reason, that name sounds familiar. We have about 10 acres of most-likely-worthless mountainside down in Holly Brook, in Bland County. We have friends/relatives down that way, and my uncle lived down there for awhile in the late 70's/early 80's, but I don't think I've been down through there since about 1990. Is Blackburg near there?
you can check out what your current car's mpg is under the new method and compare with the old one.
the prius-----oooooooouch!!!
cars/trucks ran on E85----
I consistently do better than the new #s in my 05 ody , but it still s-u-c-k-s.
when are the slew of diesel engines coming? Not the monster torquers from MB, Audi BMW... but the 1.2l, 1.5l, 2.2l that you can stick in a compact and midsize cars. Diesel has been $.20 less than 87 in my hood for many weeks.
I figure it's just another slew of data for members here to bicker discuss
Oh man, I had no idea my little rant would set off so much fun discussion. But since we opened it up....
My brother works for Kroger in the Memphis area. He said there are these two VERY large women who come to his store in Collierville. He said there is nothing funnier than watching two fat women "race" from the parking lot into the store to make sure they get the scooters. My brother has the gift for sarcasm so it kills him that he can't go off on them.
Isn't America great: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of good parking spaces and "mart carts."
We always have our fun during football season. Va Tech went from one conference where my alma mater was (Rutgers) to another where my grad school was (Florida State).
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
you: I'm not sure that Wall Street is paying attention. The dollar is low and gas is high yet the indexes are setting records. Go figure.
me: I was actually talking "on-topic" at that moment; that's rare huh? I was talking about what the stock market will do when gas hits $4/gal. or that point at which significant numbers of people do start making significant changes.
Whoever mentioned about the worker going from 5 days a week to 4 days a week schedule - great! The more people who can do that, should do that. Employers ought to review who in the workforce can do that. There's an easy 20% reduction in gas usage for their commute. And if that reduces congestion, then there's less idling in rush-hour traffic jams, and every commuter wastes less gas idling and inching along.
4 days work week - that would be a dream come true for my family. Not only do we save 20% in auto related expenses, I only have to pay 3 days of after school care.
To quote the market mavens, the price of $4 a gallon gas is already figured into the stock prices. It's the most efficient market out there right? :shades:
My wife worked 4 day weeks years ago and didn't like it. Now if you get to work 4 eight hour days, that's good, but 4 tens will leave some of us fried all day Friday (assuming you work M-T).
She did like one job where they worked ... forgot the lingo ... 2 nines?. 5 days one week, 4 the next. Repeat.
No doubt that 4 day work weeks saves gas and helps the commute. Unless you spend your extra off day cruising around trying to get all those errands done that you used to have time to do on your 5 day a week job.
Comments
If the price of gas and groceries goes up $50/month that's small compared to the many thousands of $'s we can lose in a month. The market going into a real correction is my major concern on oil/gasoline prices.
At the time I figured this out I was driving 1,000 mile round trips between VA and CT once a month.
If I have a 300+hp car, I want to keep going fast enough to keep that car in its top gear, around 2,000rpm. In my Firebird that's about 70mph. The highest mpg I ever got, 60K miles, was on the Jersey Parkway, averaging about 75mph. It's car dependent, as I've had a Subaru and some other small cars and they did better in the 60mph area.
I wonder how much gas we waste sitting in drive thru lines or sitting waiting for someone to come out of a store.
I wonder if cylendar activation can be used when we are sitting at a red light.
I wonder if we try hard enough to carpool w/ co-workers or friends who work close to us.
I'll bet we waste more gas idling than we do driving inefficient cars
I was waiting on my daughter to try on some clothes the other day (yes, she's eight and already has men waiting on her :sick: ). Anyway, the store clerk who was "guarding" the changing room door told her friend that she got the boss to up her daily hours and cut her back from five days a week to four - just to save gas. Now that's a real American worker/consumer who is already feeling the pinch. Furthermore, while a "correction" in the market may cost us a few dollars, it would likely cost her her job. Now who does it hurt more?
Excuse me for spiritualizing but perhaps we should remember the words of Paul the Apostle in 1 Timothy 6:7-8 - For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
Only the wind resistance component increases exponentially. I know for a fact that I can get 33 mpg on the highway travelling at 65 mph. The wind resistance at that speed is 34 times what it is at 20 mph. While I have no desire to try this I'm fairly confident that if I reduced my speed to 20 mph my gas mileage wouldn't go up to 1,122 mpg. Probably not even close.
since time decreases linearly with speed while energy use increases exponentially with speed.
Obviously the example I gave was extreme and I'm more concerned with real world data. As I said my Honda Accord gets 33 mpg at 65 mph and 31 mpg at 75 mph. I've cut the time I spend on the road by 13% for only a 6% reduction in fuel efficiency. I'll take that trade, but that's me. Some people feel that fuel is more valuable than time.
Groceries are indeed higher - freight is hammering lots of stuff.
I'm not sure that Wall Street is paying attention. The dollar is low and gas is high yet the indexes are setting records. Go figure.
By the way Kernick, I'm buried in MORE. I need to yard sale most of the crap around here - not enough time to keep up on the maintenance on lots of this stuff, much less enjoy it. Too many plants in the yard to get a goat unfortunately. :shades:
My wife and I shared one car for about 9 years out of the last 20. I'm not sure if that saves much gas since I don't drive that much anyway (it does save a lot of other expense),
Maybe your speedo was broken? That, or the computer was doing something goofy with the fuel mapping for emission purposes.
Speaking of gas wasted idling, maybe finally some cities will work on sequencing their traffic controls properly, which would also improve fuel efficiency. It is still hell in some areas of my fair city. This past holiday, the lights apparenly remained on weekday rush hour sequencing, even on Sunday and Monday. That meant cars sitting for several minutes with zero cross traffic.
Given this national trait, Americans will either have to be forced to do what they don't want to do, or...(fair enough) be willing to bear the consequences of not doing it.
But don't not do it and then complain when/if you suffer for not doing it. That invites a lack of sympathy.
MrShiftright
Visiting Host
Oh, is that ever my pet peeve. I refer to them as parking lot vultures. What infuriates me even more than those who circle are the ones who just sit and wait and hold up everyone else.
But actually they are trying to conserve energy - they want to save steps getting into the store. And often once they get into the store they continue to conserve energy by leaning on the cart as they SLOWWWWLY shuffle through the store. And have you noticed how many of them are interested in electric vehicles - you know the "Mart Cart" or whatever the particular store calls them. :mad:
Oh that is SO WRONG :P :P :P !!!!
They don't appear to be disabled at all as I often see them getting out of their carts. Is this the new geriatric Segway set?
Shifty
Visiting Host
Less weight in the car=betterMPG. Great idea!!! I'm gonna try it :P
I need more coffee. I'm developing a dark vision of our future....
MrShiftright
Visiting Host
Where should I send your royalty check if she gets it published?
We tend to see a lot of those at the Carlisle events.
What? And you didn't stop by to say hello? :P
I think we could improve fuel economy by just having people drop the immense amount of weight they're carrying around. Funny thing is, I've seen a lot of morbidly obese people driving the smallest cars. Ironically, that 400 lb woman driving the Kia Rio is probably only getting about 16 MPG. I imagine cars owned by obese people get poorer fuel economy and wear out faster. The seats and suspension probably take a beating compared to one owned by a person of average weight. That, plus the A/C must be going all the time. Not trying to be mean, just an observation.
I drove back from Blacksburg (which is a much higher elevation) a few weeks ago and coasted a good bit of the way, and got 41 MPG. I've become very aware of red lights ahead, keeping my car free of junk, laying off the speed demon act, etc. My BF and I don't like to travel in the summer, so we're going to avoid the gouging on the road. We plan our erands, shopping, etc. to group things in an efficient manner to save distance.
On a political note, every seat in the Virginia General Assembly is up for grabs this year. I am quite involved politically at the state and local levels. I know that the Virginia GOP is terrified that high gas prices will cost them control of state government.
Oh, yeah, and the hurricane season is supposed to be quite active this year. If a big [non-permissible content removed] hurricane blows into the Gulf of Mexico, we'll see $5 gallon gas. We might see it any way. There is absolutely no force to check the upward surge - not political, not market. Mark my words.
Dare I ask what you did for them?
"Like this one dude the last time. I swear he could've carried his belly around in a wheelbarrow. This guy had no business walking around shirtless!"
Oh, swell. THERE'S an image that will stay with me a while...
You a Hokie?
My BF's daughter is a student at Tech, and we had driven down to see her. My MA is from Tech's Northern Virginia campus.
I posted my "downhill" story on the Matrix forum.
you can check out what your current car's mpg is under the new method and compare with the old one.
the prius-----oooooooouch!!!
cars/trucks ran on E85----
I consistently do better than the new #s in my 05 ody
when are the slew of diesel engines coming? Not the monster torquers from MB, Audi BMW... but the 1.2l, 1.5l, 2.2l that you can stick in a compact and midsize cars. Diesel has been $.20 less than 87 in my hood for many weeks.
I figure it's just another slew of data for members here to
bickerdiscussIt is either Bland or Giles county that has more sheep then people in it.
I graduated from Tech in 2003.
My brother works for Kroger in the Memphis area. He said there are these two VERY large women who come to his store in Collierville. He said there is nothing funnier than watching two fat women "race" from the parking lot into the store to make sure they get the scooters. My brother has the gift for sarcasm so it kills him that he can't go off on them.
Isn't America great: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of good parking spaces and "mart carts."
We always have our fun during football season. Va Tech went from one conference where my alma mater was (Rutgers) to another where my grad school was (Florida State).
MrShiftright
Visiting Host
me: I was actually talking "on-topic" at that moment; that's rare huh? I was talking about what the stock market will do when gas hits $4/gal. or that point at which significant numbers of people do start making significant changes.
Whoever mentioned about the worker going from 5 days a week to 4 days a week schedule - great! The more people who can do that, should do that. Employers ought to review who in the workforce can do that. There's an easy 20% reduction in gas usage for their commute. And if that reduces congestion, then there's less idling in rush-hour traffic jams, and every commuter wastes less gas idling and inching along.
2000 Hyundai Accent 5MT 24/33 ---> 36
1992 Nissan Sentra SE-R 5MT 21/29 ---> 32
2000 Honda S2000 6MT 18/23 ---> something close to 30, even with the shorter rear gear
they don't have a 1966 GMC listed, but that would be something like 6/8
My wife worked 4 day weeks years ago and didn't like it. Now if you get to work 4 eight hour days, that's good, but 4 tens will leave some of us fried all day Friday (assuming you work M-T).
She did like one job where they worked ... forgot the lingo ... 2 nines?. 5 days one week, 4 the next. Repeat.
No doubt that 4 day work weeks saves gas and helps the commute. Unless you spend your extra off day cruising around trying to get all those errands done that you used to have time to do on your 5 day a week job.