Poll: What drives you to get good mileage?

[Erdrick]

Please elaborate on your answer if you feel the need to.

Perhaps you have many reasons for pushing your FE to the limit. Maybe your reasons have changed over the years.

[Fourthbean]

Money.

To elaborate I drive a car that got 15MPG and was going to start driving over 1000 miles a month. Which equates to about 200 dollars a month. More than I wanted to spend on gas! at 24MPG I have now cut that down to 125. With a little more work I can cut it down to below 100 dollars a month. All that with little to no actual modifications (Tune up and "nut behind the wheel" tune up).

[Erdrick]

Damn... so I make a poll and then have trouble answering it myself!!! I was really torn between the environment and the numbers. After thinking about it, I have never really thought about how much pollution I am preventing by getting good FE. I DO know exactly what my fuel consumption is though! Saving the environment is just a great side-effect of striving for good FE. Really close for me, but in the end, the numbers get first place.

[SVOboy]

The environment! Blar!

[VetteOwner]

LOL but im a cheapskate. money dont grow on trees and i could give less of a crap to the environment... sure im not gonna go dumping all kinda of stuff into the ground but when a $100 emissions part breaks on my car, its either being yanked out or plugged up....(some emmisions BS hampers mpg a tad...)

[pyramid_head]

i live in East L.A. ... nuff said.

[cfg83]

Erdrick -

Environment. And what Clencher said.

CarloSW2

[96hb]

Hmm, maybe a little bit of a couple of those. I like the brag and wow factor when people ask me what mpg I get. Also, I'm all about saving a little money on gas, considering I commute 64 miles a day. Hell, if I could fill my Civic up for $10 like I could back in the '90's, I'd still be driving it like I stole it! They still get great mileage even then. ;) Not really concerned with the environment all that much and definitely not into hugging trees. It was here before us and it will be here long after we're gone.

[davidjh72]

I don't want to give any more money to this sow than I have to.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/images/1027-06.jpg


I second that emotion! Big Oil doesn't need any more of my $ than necessary.

It's all about $ to them. It's all about $ to me, too. My $ dang'it!

[kickflipjr]

where is the "all of the above" button.

It was a hard pick, but I chose the money button.

[MetroMPG]

Yeah, I can't answer this poll - I would have picked 3 of those.

[Silveredwings]

If all my reasons were there and I could vote for them in order, they would be
1. I detest big oil.
2. I'm concerned about what overconsumption is doing to national security.
3. I'm concerned about what overconsumption is doing to world stability.
4. I'm concerned about what overconsumption is doing to the US economy.
5. I'm cheap.
6. I like the challenge.
7. Environment.

Solve all of those, and I'd be happy to consume gas like it wasn't running out. Mind you I still wouldn't want an SUV.

[Daox]

I'll follow Silveredwings format.

1. I detest big oil.
2. I love learning and trying "new" things with cars and pushing limits.
3. The wife is an environmentalist. I'm along for the ride, but do care some too.
4. I would like to be number 1. :)
5. Extra cash in the pocket is a perk.

[davidjh72]

I'll add that driving for FE keeps me out of trouble and more relaxed behind the wheel, ie: speeding tickets, looking out for "the man". Clean record for 6-1/2 years. (knocks on wood)

[Matt Timion]

I would pick three of those as well.

it's about money, enviroment, and just efficiency in general. I've always been the type to want everything to be efficient.

[brucepick]

If all my reasons were there and I could vote for them in order, they would be
1. I detest big oil.
2. I'm concerned about what overconsumption is doing to national security.
3. I'm concerned about what overconsumption is doing to world stability.
4. I'm concerned about what overconsumption is doing to the US economy.
5. I'm cheap.
6. I like the challenge.
7. Environment.

Solve all of those, and I'd be happy to consume gas like it wasn't running out. Mind you I still wouldn't want an SUV.

These are my items too - maybe in a different order, that's all.

Most importantly for me, it's global economic-political.

We're sending billions of $$ to the OPEC countries. They're using the money to support their welfare states with their disfunctional economies. That situation is BAD and will only get worse. Remember what happened with depression-era Germany? People with no hope can make huge trouble for the rest of the world.

I say, choke 'em off. Quit sending them money. And the only way to do that is to kill off the demand and consumption of oil.

And I love a technical challenge.

[litesong]

On another website someone said how clean gasoline cars have become with wonderful 3-way catalytic converters & he is not worried about his grandchildrens' health. But recent studies say that the closer to freeways that children live or go to school, the more severe lung problems or deaths they have. Internal Combustion Engines or ICE (specially low fuel efficiency) must not be near people. If production to consumption fuel development technologies are all considered, Electric Vehicle(EVs) & high electrical storage densities are the one full & final solution to pollution. If electrical energy storage densities for batteries or nano ultracapacitors are raised, EVs will be the mode of transport in the world & the one fault of interruptable renewable energy sources(electrical storage) will be solved.

Now, there is light at the end of the tunnel for electrical storage densities. EEstor, ABC Batteries, MIT developments in Nano technology, etc. all point to ways that are converging to raise & solve the electric storage density problem.

Long live Electric Vehicles. Long & soon may ICE be dead.

[ma4t]

It's all about the $ for me. I hate to waste money. I like the challenge. And I like to be different.

I just graduated law school and I am preparing to take the bar. I am not working during this time, and I have to drive 70 miles round trip every day. That's a LOT of money when you're not working and the price of gas is very volatile. The speed limit is 70, but I used to find a speedy driver and follow him/her. I might have gone over the speed limit, but I can't remember.

Now I drive behind big trucks, going about 60-65mph. My mileage has gone from a consistent 19mpg to about 25mpg.

The great thing about hypermiling is that, with the exception of driving slower, a one-time change can produce long-term results. (i.e. taking out extra weight)

ma4t

[OdieTurbo]

Sad to say, but my answer was Money$$$. I drive 65 miles one way to work and I can barely afford the gas.

However, this site has taught me a few things and the more I learn, the more I feel that environment creeps in as well as enjoying watching my MPG rise. So yeah, where is the "All of the above"?

[ma4t]

I don't want to give any more money to this sow than I have to.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/images/1027-06.jpg

He looks like a caricature of a caricature. Kinda reminds me of the old Genesis video, land of confusion.
http://www.universohq.com/quadrinhos/2006/imagens/genesis_land_of_confusion.jpg

M

[TomO]

I do it to keep my cost of living low...just a fancy way of saying I'm cheap, lol. I also like the fact that I'm contributing to the reduction in the use of gasoline in general too.

[jwxr7]

I would have to say all of the above + some.

[Snax]

We sold our truck and bought the 5 for all of the reasons above, but just plain nerdiness and engineering compell me to keep futzing with it.

If I get to put disc wheel covers or rear wheel fairings on the car, I will have pulled something off with my wife. She is however already impressed that I can match the FE of the hybrid Escape we sold last year.

[darin55]

Who doesn't want to save the world while saving a few buck?

[slurp812]

money, environment, and my way of sticking it to big oil punks. I also just moved like 20 miles across town, and have to drive quite a bit more to and from work. So I am hoping to get good enough to even it out a bit, Oh and I also quit smoking may 18th. So I am helping the environment in 2 ways! LOL!

[88HF]

Big oil sucks... rich fat bastards... thats why!

[slowmomma]

ALL OF THE ABOVE!
It was hard to choose just one option. I ultimately want to lower my greenhouse emissions while saving money, but once I started I began to enjoy competing with myself and bragging to my friends.:rolleyes: It's all good.
Shannon (slowmomma)

[usedgeo]

Ranking preference might have made a better poll.
1. I like the technical challenge.
2. I like saving money.
3. I apparently like to brag about my mileage. Sometimes I tell people that don't care :D .

[Hockey4mnhs]

what got me here was the money. but it went into saving the earth and trying to get better each tank
i just wish there was a all of the above because its so true for me!!

[rh77]

#1 -- Environmental impacts, including emissions
#2 -- I love the challenge of driving and learning about the car (making my own repairs, interpreting the ECU, TCU, etc.) + I needed to slow down a be more calm behind the wheel (really helped out)
#3 -- GasSavers is a great place to hang out -- so the sense of community has a good perk
#4 -- Saving money is a fringe benifit

RH77

[bbgobie]

Am I the only one that thinks its funnie to watch an SUV accelerate from behind you, cut you off and slam on the brakes as the light has been red for 10 seconds and your only 100m away from it?

[zpiloto]

Am I the only one that thinks its funnie to watch an SUV accelerate from behind you, cut you off and slam on the brakes as the light has been red for 10 seconds and your only 100m away from it?

Not any funnier then seeing a Prius do the same thing:D

[rh77]

Not any funnier then seeing a Prius do the same thing:D

That is so very true. Doesn't make me feel so guilty with my "guzzler".

RH77

[cfg83]

theclencher -

Ever been in an airplane flying over a metro area? It seems everybody has made a point of living on the opposite end of the city from where they work, thus ensuring that twice a day, all North/South and East/West arteries are plumb full. What's up with that?

Ha ha ha. That's urban planning gone amok. When the suburbs were created, the idea was to have a home outside of the city. Therefore, city = work, suburbs = home. But, when urban (tooth) decay came along, the businesses ALSO fled the city to the suburbs. Now, we are mostly commuting from one suburb to another. It's also what we can afford. If you can afford to live near your job, then you have a great mini commute. If you can't afford it, then welcome to (and become part of) the problem of commuting.

Remember that a key component of the creation of the suburbs was an assumption of cheap affordable gas (ala 1950's). Those days are gone but we haven't changed.

CarloSW2

[cfg83]

theclencher -

Yet even with such a residential/business mix over the topography, it seems everyone has gone out and made a point of living on one end and working on the other. If everyone would trade jobs or houses, they could walk to work!

From a rational POV, you're right.

I don't think you can trade jobs because skill sets are usually unique (I don't have the strength to be a dock-worker). Housing would be doable if it was an "even-steven 50-50" trade, or if each party deemed the teeny commute benefit to be worth it.

Ooooh, here's another example of why people live where they live. For parents with kids, the quality of the school district may be the deciding factor on where they live. Sometimes this is the *only* criteria for getting a home. This is not a problem for me, but for one of my co-workers, it is the only thing on her mind.

We used to have a family that rented a house on our street *only* so that their kids could go to our school. The moment their last kid graduated from High School, they bugged out.

CarloSW2

[Brock]

I just like being efficient at what ever I do.

[88HF]

Yes, being efficient is good, I moved from a 60 mile commute to the building my boss lives in. Walking outside and being at work beats an hour and a half or more commute each way. I was commuting from what urban area to another, but I'm not average. I'm pretty poor.

[repete86]

Purely environmental reasons here. Shocking, eh?

[96hb]

Yet even with such a residential/business mix over the topography, it seems everyone has gone out and made a point of living on one end and working on the other. If everyone would trade jobs or houses, they could walk to work!

Yeah that's practical. :thumbdown: The way jobs are these days, it's here today, gone tomorrow. I am not about to move for a job where you have no security. Right now I'm a government contractor, so it just ain't worth it. I don't mind driving the 30 miles to work. That's what Honda's are for. :thumbup:

[Snax]

While it is true that travel of excess distances simply cannot be avoided in some areas and jobs, I think allot of people in the US have made some poor job and home location choices. People in the LA area strike me as the most irresponsible driving not just into the center of town, but from one outer suburb to another on the opposite side of town. It's just insanity in many cases.

When I purchased our first and current home 6 years ago, commute is one of the primary factors that I considered. There were other areas of town that I had a preference to live in, but I knew that there was no practical reason for it and I don't believe that I made any sacrifice in the monetary value of my location by going against that. So I chose a home in a location that I felt would be centralized to my employment needs - then three years later my employer moved 4 miles to another section of town. My house however is nearly dead in the middle of the old location and the new location, keeping my car commute within 2/10 of a mile longer and equal time of what it was before, and extending my bicycle commute by only a half mile and a minute or two.

Meanwhile, some of my coworkers who opted to purchase homes in the far reaches of the area continue to enjoy a commute that wastes up to an hour of their time and fuel every single day. By my wage scale, that means they are giving up the economic equivalent minimum of $25 per day to driving. At an average 19 working days per month (subtracting for vacation and sick time), that is $475 they are giving up to commuting - without even considering fuel, insurance, and maintenance.

We have the attitude that you live where you work or work where you live. Until we are both retired, there simply remains no reason to treat our residence as a permanent housing solution. If for some reason my employer moves to furthest reaches of our town, we will move to the nearby area. It just makes too much sense to us not to.

I will concede that our area has limited socio-economic disparity from one part to the other, but I also believe that if most people just did a little math on what their commute really costs them, living close to their employer makes allot of sense.

[baddog671]

I would like to choose all of them but I thought money was the best choice. Obviously most of us are creating more effiecent cars to lighten the burden of filling the tank. It sometimes amazes me to think how ineffiecent America is and how its not only impacting the individuals, but the nation and world. When you sit down and add up exactly how much money you put into your transportation, its shocking. All this money is going to the big oil monopoly and hindering our government. Who benefits from this? Not the common man just trying to get to work to provide for his family, but the multi-million dollar yupp who hasn't a care in the world. Saving money for the average person boost moral and economy.

Personally I think we should tell the Middle East to go to hell and tighten our bonds with Mexico. Mexico and Mexicans are not a "problem", but a situation looked over in the wrong way. They want jobs, we want cheaper fuel. Can't we work this out? We should develop drilling processes in that HUGE reserve found in the ocean down there. Mexico was a large oil processer until the 70's (I think it was) when the bottom dropped out of the business. Imagine that, oil? failed business?


Meh, but I also think reduced emissions and conservation is important. The number 1 way to save gas is to not drive.

I don't really brag much but if I ever get something worthy of bragging, I'll try it..

And lastly, pushing the limit. I think there's something in us as humans that make us want to do that. It's like a personal vendetta against big oil to see what I can get, and when I find my max, do better. I have plans in my head of in the future how I want to build a practical car that gets insane mpg that I cant do now becuase of money!/schooling/family/know-how/tools/other hobbies..

Just my .02

[landspeed]

My main reason is the environment, although money of course plays a factor with our stupidly high petrol prices!

[LxMike]

Since we can only choose one i picked money cause at first was my main reasong when gas priced got above $3 a gal. now it's more a combo of all of the above.

1 even though i'm not at top of any list i can still go a month before refilling. i hardly drive much except to work and maybe town once in a 2 week period.

2 i want to do my part to help.

3 it's fun!

4. nobody beleives me when i tell them the mpg i get. not earth shattering compared with some here....

[diamondlarry]

Since we can only choose one i picked money cause at first was my main reasong when gas priced got above $3 a gal. now it's more a combo of all of the above.

1 even though i'm not at top of any list i can still go a month before refilling. i hardly drive much except to work and maybe town once in a 2 week period.

2 i want to do my part to help.

3 it's fun!

4. nobody beleives me when i tell them the mpg i get. not earth shattering compared with some here....

Just keep in mind that you should only be competing against yourself since everyone's commute/traffic patterns are different.