Lets say gas is $8 a gallon summer 2010, what car do you buy?

I'll probably be looking at a 2010 1.4L Turbo Cobalt or 2011 Euro Ford Focus (http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-to-produce-2011-focus-at-two-us-plants.html). I'd love to get a Volt, but I'm not paying $40,000 for any car. Ford Escape plug-in would be great, but now I hear they are pushed back to 2012 and I'm sure demand will be very high and supply low. I think at that price for me to get a Camaro it would need to get at least 33 mpg hwy. I assume they could easily do this with a DI 2.4L + 6 speed auto. I guess I'd still rather have the Camaro over a Focus/Cobalt even if the engine is only a 200HP 4 cyl.

24 speed Norco Bush Pilot. $450 and a bus pass.

I'm thinking we would see a lot more scooters on the road.

None my current ride is paid for and spending $25,000 on an eco car wouldn't offset the gas savings anytime soon.
Not to mention I hate driving eco****boxes.

I'm already focused on the next gen Cobalt, Civic, next gen Prius or Volt as my next vehicle with current gas prices. So at those prices I'm not sure what would change other than I might be able to more easily make a cost case for the Volt.

But that's to replace my 335i which is a lease so it's going away no matter what.

The 4runner is another story. I suspect the worse gas prices get the more likely I am to hold on to it even if I end up buying a new car to replace it... I have no intention of just giving away such a nice SUV... if prices hit 8 dollars a gallon people will probably be frantically turning in their SUVs for near scrap metal prices... I'll just keep it in the garage.:)

A volt or a Tesla Roadster (or equivalent).

I'm actually strongly thinking about a Tesla anyway or volt even if gas goes back under $4/gal.

I'm waiting for the supercharged Camaro Z28, which probably won't be out until the fall of 2010, so...

A volt or a Tesla Roadster (or equivalent).

I'm actually strongly thinking about a Tesla anyway or volt even if gas goes back under $4/gal.You can afford $110k for the Tesla Roadster? The Whitestar and Bluestar are more appealing to me, but then I'm not sure they'll be ready by 2010. (Incidentally, the Whitestar and Volt could be priced similarly.)

A volt or a Tesla Roadster (or equivalent).

I'm actually strongly thinking about a Tesla anyway or volt even if gas goes back under $4/gal.

You must be pretty wealthy to consider a Tesla since they're what... 110k or so and don't work for out of town or even extended in town driving. Those cars are pretty much a toy at this point.

Even the volt at 40k and with extended range sounds like it might end up being one of those cars that people buy more because they like the thought of it, rather than because it actually makes sense $$-wise. Then again 8 bucks might change that.

We're firstly talking 2010 here, which is two years away. While I don't expect the price of the Tesla to come down during that time - it may come down by a bit, which I would appreciate. Do I care? Not really. If the first year of cars going out does well I might pick one up.

I'm not "wealthy" by any means - I just got really lucky in the market a few years ago with money I didn't need. I've pulled bits out over the years to fund projects like my Camaro and other car stuff. I've always planned on emptying the whole thing on some stupid car before I turn 30 anyway, and the Tesla caught my eye a while back when I first heard about it.

At $8/gal, plug-in vehicles make sense. The only question is how much the $/Kwh changes over the next few years. :think:

I don't think they will sell a Tesla outside of California right now either. :(

At $8 a gallon, that will be nearing $3 per litre here. I will use my bicycle, thanks!

I'd suck it up. Having just bought my Camaro;), I don't plan on selling it right afterwards because gas got expensive. It would be cheaper to find a way to deal with it....

But I don't see how it can get that high. That's higher than minimum wage, nearly double!:eek: The country/economy will emplode before or right after we see prices that high....:death:

Probably nothing because we'll have 2 car payments by then, but I'd really like to get a Mach 1, 03 Cobra, LS2 GTO or LS1 SS if gas prices kill their resale.

At $8/gal, plug-in vehicles make sense. The only question is how much the $/Kwh changes over the next few years. :think:

I don't worry much about $/kWh for the electricity - it's cheap in comparison to the $1300/kWh that's projected for lithium-ion packs :( The Tesla's pack is 53-56 kWh; that accounts for over 60% of the car's price tag.

EDIT: I didn't answer the question! I'll probably drive whatever $4,000 car I happen to stumble upon when either the Roadmaster or the Grand Marquis give out. Buying cheap cars means that I don't have to worry as much about fuel costs.

I just picked up a new(ish) motorcycle after going for a year without one.

If gas hits $8.00/gal, I'd probably ride MUCH more often. Might even look at getting a smaller bike or large scooter for DD status and just use the truck when I need it. Gas that expensive might get me out of the "fun car" game altogether and change my focus to bikes.

We don't have a car payment currently. My wife's L200 is an '03 with about 85k on it, so in the coming years she's going to want to replace it. Fuel efficiency will be a requirement, of course, but at $8.00/gal it becomes a much more important consideration...

Next gen Cobalt would be a possibility I suppose (40+ mpg would be nice).

We're firstly talking 2010 here, which is two years away. While I don't expect the price of the Tesla to come down during that time - it may come down by a bit, which I would appreciate. Do I care? Not really. If the first year of cars going out does well I might pick one up.

I'm not "wealthy" by any means - I just got really lucky in the market a few years ago with money I didn't need. I've pulled bits out over the years to fund projects like my Camaro and other car stuff. I've always planned on emptying the whole thing on some stupid car before I turn 30 anyway, and the Tesla caught my eye a while back when I first heard about it.

At $8/gal, plug-in vehicles make sense. The only question is how much the $/Kwh changes over the next few years. :think:

Tesla prices won't be coming down anytime soon. Maybe the 2nd gen Tesla will be cheaper but not this generation. I don't even think you will be able to get a used one for under $90,000 by mid 2010. White star should be out around late 2010-2011 and priced at about $60,000.

More and more the Volt is going to be a bargain as far as electric cars go, even at $40,000.

Eric Bryant, I think I remember reading the Escape plug-in was going to get a 10kWh battery. Have you heard anymore on that?

More and more the Volt is going to be a bargain as far as electric cars go, even at $40,000.

I wish people would quit referring to the Volt as an electric car, when it really is just a different type of hybrid.

Eric Bryant, I think I remember reading the Escape plug-in was going to get a 10kWh battery. Have you heard anymore on that?

I haven't heard any sizing about the Escape or the Vue. I'm curious about both of them.

I don't worry much about $/kWh for the electricity - it's cheap in comparison to the $1300/kWh that's projected for lithium-ion packs

A123 was shooting for under $700/kwh originally. I dont know how they're doing now though as development has proceeded.

Good quick battery read:
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/print/5490
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/images/sep07/images/lith03.jpg

The Volt looks pretty menacing in that shot. I'm really curious to see how A123's cells stack up at the end of the day for performance and cost. I'd like to see the actual cost applied to the vehicle on the Tesla (and eventually) the Volt.

I wish people would quit referring to the Volt as an electric car, when it really is just a different type of hybrid.
But it's more electric than it is hybrid. The "hybrid" part stops at the electricity production stage.

I'll probably be looking at a 2010 1.4L Turbo Cobalt or 2011 Euro Ford Focus (http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-to-produce-2011-focus-at-two-us-plants.html). I'd love to get a Volt, but I'm not paying $40,000 for any car. Ford Escape plug-in would be great, but now I hear they are pushed back to 2012 and I'm sure demand will be very high and supply low. I think at that price for me to get a Camaro it would need to get at least 33 mpg hwy. I assume they could easily do this with a DI 2.4L + 6 speed auto. I guess I'd still rather have the Camaro over a Focus/Cobalt even if the engine is only a 200HP 4 cyl.

I don't envision a 200-hp 3800-lb Camaro being a whole lot of fun to drive. IMO, less so than a smaller Focus of equal power.

If gas is $8/gallon I won't be buying any car...I'll keep driving the ones I have.

My current rides are paid for except for a few K on the s-10 which I'll pay off soon, so I'll be driving what I own... I'm getting 22/26 with my S-10 and Jena's getting 26/32 in her Corolla ('99 3spd, not as good hwy as 4spd).

A used Geo Metro or Chevy Metro.

I don't envision a 200-hp 3800-lb Camaro being a whole lot of fun to drive. IMO, less so than a smaller Focus of equal power.

What is the latest rumor on Camaro weight? I thought we were looking at no more than 100lbs. more than a GTO? Add a DI 4 cyl. and you could drop down to 3500lbs.?? :shrug:

Might not be as fast as a 200HP Focus, but you will sure look a lot cooler driving it. Plus RWD > FWD IMHO.

Probably nothing because we'll have 2 car payments by then, but I'd really like to get a Mach 1, 03 Cobra, LS2 GTO or LS1 SS if gas prices kill their resale.

Save the LS1 SS (I already have a 02 Camaro ;) ) your wish list mirrors my own. Because I actually live in the congested city of San Francisco, and have to park on the streets, I don't want to get a limited production car like the Cobra, Mach 1, or GTO and park it on the streets. Parking one of only 97 4the gen CHP Camaros evr mane on the street is bad enough.


As for the question of what I'd buy if gas was $8 per gallon, my short list would include:

Solstice GXP coupe
DI V6 Camaro
Cobalt SS coupe's replacement
The upcoming Nissan Silvia (4 cylinder, RWD, possible turbo version early on)
Whatever Ford calls their turbo Euro Focus that's coming.

In 2010, I don't expect to be in the market for a new vehicle. If I am, it means that my finances have turned around a lot, in which case I'll take serious looks at the new Camaro, the Volt, the G8, and anything else that catches my interest.

I'll either still have my bike or get a newer Speed Triple...as for car I'll probably go with a used CTS-V with the LS6 or LS2. Gas won't bother me too much if I get a decent job in town. I plan on living in the city anyways with a couple buddies after school.

In 2010, I don't expect to be in the market for a new vehicle. If I am, it means that my finances have turned around a lot, in which case I'll take serious looks at the new Camaro, the Volt, the G8, and anything else that catches my interest.

Same. Well, same situation, the choices are good, but not mine exactly. :p

I won't be buying any new cars if that happens. I'd never recoop the investment quiclky or enough, that'd justify the purchase.
Probably a used scooter or 2, or a subcompact 3 or 4cyl...preferably turbo diesel.

Well, I got my 91 Caprice in 97 for $4k. I drove it until I got my 96 ImpalaSS in 2000 for $17k. I drove that until I got married in 2005, when I started driving my wife's 96 Olds LSS (that she had owned for 2 years.) That's when I got her a year-old 2004 Impala that she'll probably drive until at least 2011 but probably longer. And in 2006 I picked up an unsold 2005 Silverado for $22.5k.

The Caprice had 72k miles on it when I got it and now it has over 150k, but it doesn't get driven. The SS was bought 61k miles on it and it quit being my daily driver after 170k miles. The LSS had about 140k miles on it when we sold it. The 04 Wimpala had under 20k miles on it, but it's close to 70k now. My truck had 91 miles on it when I signed the papers (some of that was from my test drive) and now it just passed 22k.

I like to get my money's worth out of my vehicles.

By 2011 if gas DOES reach $8 a gallon (which I'm doubting) then I will probably keep my truck, and depending on where I work at that time, I may pick up a smaller lighter weight vehicle. Maybe something like a 90s Nissan 240? An S10 or Colorado? 350Z? C5/early C6 Corvette? By then a Cobalt SS might be cheap, er, inexpensive. Hell, earlier this year I was considering buying a large go-cart to drive around town :D

Same. Well, same situation, the choices are good, but not mine exactly. :p

So, what are your choices? :)

Homemade electric car

Dirt bike with a snowsuit

.... ?

Re-take over downtown!

White 89 IROC-Z28 with the L98.

Why would I let gas prices dictate what I want to buy?

http://www.aptera.com/details.php

Why would I let gas prices dictate what I want to buy?

I guess it depends on whether you consider a vehicle as a utility item or an entertainment item.

Ultimately I guess you have to deicde whether the value derived from the vehicle in terms of fun outweighs spending that money on other forms of entertainment. Or if the entertainment value outweighs the added financial stability of saving the extra gas money :shrug:

White 89 IROC-Z28 with the L98.

Actually because of the aerodynamics and realtively light weight I've been pondering either a turbo Ecotec powered or electric 3rd gen Camaro for a daily driver. :D

Actually because of the aerodynamics and realtively light weight I've been pondering either a turbo Ecotec powered or electric 3rd gen Camaro for a daily driver. :D

How about an old Opel GT with an LNF/MA5 drivetrain swap? :D

How about an old Opel GT with an LNF/MA5 drivetrain swap? :D
That would be cool... however find a cheap & clean Opel GT. 3rd gen Camaros are a dime a dozen. ;)

Actually because of the aerodynamics and realtively light weight I've been pondering either a turbo Ecotec powered or electric 3rd gen Camaro for a daily driver. :D

A 3rd gen is still a ridiculously heavy car to start with if you're going electric.

A 3rd gen is still a ridiculously heavy car to start with if you're going electric.
Not really. They make kits for cars up to 3100 lbs. A 3rd gen Camaro weighs about that much initially. Pull the ICE; gut the interior and add fiberglass seats; replace the hood, doors and front fenders with fiberglass pieces and it should lighten up quite nicely. :D

Electric T Rex (http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=1192)

Oil Shock: Analyst Predicts $7 Gas, “Mass Exodus” of U.S. Cars

http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/06/26/oil-shock-analyst-predicts-7-gas-mass-exodus-of-us-cars/