Usatoday: "former Oil Exec: $5-a-gallon Gas On The Way"

[Chaz]

On another note, last week I read an article where some Saudi Prince stated oil will settle in the $50 a barrel range and stay there. You betcha! The Middle East controls the worlds oil prices and the planet is at their mercy. When we aren't using as much oil, the market goes down, so we start to use more and then the price goes back up. People in the U.S. seem to have short memories, hence the increase in purchases of gas guzzling SUVs, trucks and big engine sedans. Had we learned our lesson in the 70s, with gas shortages or more recent $5.00+ a gallon gas, we would be a nation of small, fuel saving vehicles. We're not! Not yet anyway. Let's go Elio! In the mean time, the money I'm saving at the pump now, goes into savings. So........when the price goes back up, it won't hurt my wallet as bad and hopefully there will be Elios in my driveway and I'll still be saving at the pump!

OPEC no longer has a strangle hold on oil prices. The U.S. Has more oil reserves than anyone else at this point in time. Places like Venezuela are going under becuase they spent huge amounts of cash becuase they thought oil prices would remain over $100 a barrel. If the U.S. would allow exporting crude prices would stay low.

 

[ross]

I own a hundred acre center pivot irrigated farm and have never had a four wheel drive anything. My pickup is a '95 Chevrolet 3/4 ton 2 wheel drive that I bought at a farm auction for $700.00 with over 100,00 miles on it. I have a '85 Chevrolet one ton flat bed with grain racks and a dump bed that I bought for $1,000.00, both run great and will probably serve me the rest of my life. I live 2 miles off the pavement, down a gravel road and 200 yards down a dirt driveway. I get a real kick out of my city slicker co-workers who pay literally $70,000.00 for a four wheel drive pickup that will never go off pavement as long as they own it.
I will not waste my time on any of the negative threads on this website. Yes it will happen. Paul has proven the concept works. $2.00 gas is very temporary, $5.00 gas will be back before you know it. I can wait.

 

[Norahsbed]

I own a hundred acre center pivot irrigated farm and have never had a four wheel drive anything. My pickup is a '95 Chevrolet 3/4 ton 2 wheel drive that I bought at a farm auction for $700.00 with over 100,00 miles on it. I have a '85 Chevrolet one ton flat bed with grain racks and a dump bed that I bought for $1,000.00, both run great and will probably serve me the rest of my life. I live 2 miles off the pavement, down a gravel road and 200 yards down a dirt driveway. I get a real kick out of my city slicker co-workers who pay literally $70,000.00 for a four wheel drive pickup that will never go off pavement as long as they own it.
I will not waste my time on any of the negative threads on this website. Yes it will happen. Paul has proven the concept works. $2.00 gas is very temporary, $5.00 gas will be back before you know it. I can wait.

I owned a 4WD once, little Toyota truck, went off road a few times through fields and dry river bed but didn't need to use 4WD. In the 5 years I owned it, used 4WD twice, both times in MN, ND in the winter. 2 trucks later, I Now Drive a 2008 Nissan Frontier, crew cab, long bed, 2WD that I've never taken off road and never will but I didnt pay $70,000 for it either!

 

[Hotscoots]

4WD is not exclusively for off roading . Here in NY , we get 2-3 substantial snow falls in the winter . Impossible to traverse without 4WD .
If one must get to work , no front wheel drive sub-compact will do .

 

[Chris F]

Oil prices are determined by the market's perception of future supply. OPEC is seen as being willing to let prices go lower to keep market share. In other words, it doesn't cost the Saudi's much to pump oil; they are still making a profit, so they don't care. The US and Canada are seen as increasing production of domestic oil and gas to lower imports from producers outside of North America. As long as there is a perceived increased supply and stagnant demand, oil prices will go lower.

 

[Norahsbed]

I owned a 4WD once, little Toyota truck, went off road a few times through fields and dry river bed but didn't need to use 4WD. In the 5 years I owned it, used 4WD twice, both times in MN, ND in the winter. 2 trucks later, I Now Drive a 2008 Nissan Frontier, crew cab, long bed, 2WD that I've never taken off road and never will but I didnt pay $70,000 for it either!

4WD is not exclusively for off roading . Here in NY , we get 2-3 substantial snow falls in the winter . Impossible to traverse without 4WD .
If one must get to work , no front wheel drive sub-compact will do .

We have the same weather here in Colorado but in 35 years my wife has only missed 2 days of work due to snow storms. One time the Company called all employees and told them not to come in because of the blizzard (only time in 35 years) and the other time she would not have been able to get to work, even with 4WD, 32" in less than 24 hours. The snow plows could not keep up and they pretty much shut down the entire Metro area.

 

[Joshua Caldwell]

To be selfish, I hope that gas prices are still low in August. When gas prices are low the dealerships have trouble selling efficient cars and thus their prices drop

 

[eddie66]

We have the same weather here in Colorado but in 35 years my wife has only missed 2 days of work due to snow storms. One time the Company called all employees and told them not to come in because of the blizzard (only time in 35 years) and the other time she would not have been able to get to work, even with 4WD, 32" in less than 24 hours. The snow plows could not keep up and they pretty much shut down the entire Metro area.

That would depend on what you did for a living. When I lived in Denver and N.Y. before that, I worked for the Telephone company. There was no such thing as I can't make it into work. When the weather was the worst, is when we were needed the most to repair downed cables, and restore service. Always had a four wheel drive to get into work. Biggest problem was getting around people who figured because they cleared there driveway they could navigate around town. Needed four wheel drive to get around them.

 

[Norahsbed]

Getting around people, who think they can get around with 4WD, with no problems, Had that problem this morning on my way to the gym. 2 4WD SUVs who managed to hit each other in 1/2 inch of snow. Blocked both lanes with parts every where. I had to wait for Police and Fire Dept. to open a lane. Yes it was slippery but I had no problems with 2WD truck, proper space between me and other vehicles and traveling at a speed that warranted the road conditions.

 

[Jeff Porter]

To be selfish, I hope that gas prices are still low in August. When gas prices are low the dealerships have trouble selling efficient cars and thus their prices drop

You make an interesting point... do you suppose sales of small vehicles that get relatively great mpg, are down quite a bit from a year ago?