I feel compelled to touch on a hot subject. Gas prices.
First, some background
My very first job in 1968 was pumping gas at a full service station. For $0.28 a gallon, you got someone to pump your gas, check all the tires, all the fluid levels and wash your windshield. Heck of a deal. I worked full time and cleared $35 a week. Man was I RICH.
A few years later one of my first cars was a 440 6 pack Plymouth Fury I that I bought at the New Hampshire State Police Auction. It had 61,000 miles and I got it for $600. A new dual exhaust system and 4 police pursuit radials and I was in business.
It got about 6 MPG, you know the way I drive.
Now, for a dollar of 1968 fuel, I could drive 21.42 miles. Adjusted for inflation, that 1 dollar would be $6.15 today. Is gas still a screaming bargain? YES! $6.15 in fuel today will carry me 48 miles.
BUT, the perception is that we are in some sort of crisis and the consumer is assigning a very high pain value to fuel. Regular gas in Richmond, VA is about $3.65 with diesel over $4. On the west coast, regular is at $3.99.
The real cost of driving
A dirty air filter is worth 10%. An under inflated tire is worth another 3%. What are bad alignment and a clogged fuel filter costing them?
Simple pro-active services will net you appreciable differences in MPG and satisfaction with the car.
I'll give you an example. In the last 12 months, I bought $6,248.48 worth of fuel. That is JUST my car. I cringe at what I spent on the Mercedes ML430 V8 SUV. You think I was smart to dump the Lincoln and buy a Toyota Camry that gets 10+ MPG more. YOU THINK?
Now, if my dealer offers an MPG special and checks my air filter, fuel filter, alignment and tire pressure, and I save 10%, do you think I would GLADLY pay $64.95? It would save me a minimum of $624.00 a year in fuel.
That is why that MPG special we talk about is so powerful. If someone drives only half as much as I do, they still save over $300 a year. Would they pay $64.95? You bet.
Peter Marshall
Interested in saving gas?
Call Ken Shields at 336-667-1185 to discuss maintenance that will improve your car's performance and save you big money at the pump!
Or consider trading for one Toyota's fuel effiecient vehicles!
2008 Toyota Yaris - 39 MPG!
2008 Toyota Corolla - 35 MPG!
2009 Toyota Matrix - 32 MPG!
