Just curious to know if you guys have altered your driving habits due to the sharp increase in fuel costs?

i.e. accelerating slower, maintaining lower speeds on highways, driving less, etc

I'm driving harder

yeah im usually punchin the gas. and weavin. and speedin.

As for myself, I notice I am accelerating a little slower most of the time but I seem to be maintaining the same relatively high cruising speeds on the highway. It's so effortless to drive 130 km/h in my new car. It required more effort in my old car. Surprisingly, the VR6 Jetta is getting about the same mileage as my old Prelude SR which had only a 2.1 litre engine.

Since my finances are in order and I earn a decent salary, the cost of gas is not really affecting me too much. I guess I should be thankful.

If gas prices were to rise to ridiculously high levels, it would be a real pain in the ass for me to take public transit to work due to my wacky hours and relatively inaccessible work location so I hope that gas prices start to level off soon. Public transportation is not an option for me right now.

I've always driven with fuel economy in mind...ever few miles I'm looking at my fuel gauge and my trip meter and calculating my mileage up to that point. I accelerate slowly, shift at low revs, never use A/C unless I REALLY need it (and trust me, I'll bake at 100° in my car before I turn it on) and don't cruise at excessively high speeds, sticking to the right lanes when traffic is flowing faster than ~75 MPH or so. I avoid cruise control on anything but the flattest ground, as well.

Of course, sometimes I let myself go and have fun...but about 98% of the time I'm driving to maximize my fuel economy. That hasn't changed for years now.

i have heard recently that modern A/C systems are alot better to use that rolling down a window at highway speeds becuz of the wind drag

obviosly at lower speed the windows are a better option

Yeah, as is my understanding the cutoff is about 40 MPH...below that, it's better to open your windows, above that, it's better to use A/C.

But I just follow that rule without the A/C. 40 MPH, windows down, anything more, windows up and bake. I'm used to the tropics so it's not so bad.

C'mon bro.... why suffer... spend the extra few bucks for the extra fuel.

You have a decent job, no? You can afford it.

I just don't care.

I buy gas on the way to the track, drive hard at the track, and buy gas on the way home.

So what? Money is money, there's always gonna be more with work.

I was already rather conservative except for when the mood hits and I need to hear my engine growl. For the most part I accelerate rather slow, I blame the exhaust being so loud. It makes it sound like it's going harder than it is. In the Volvo I go crazy spooling up the turbo and winding the motor out because it's so efficient as it is.

I am jobless

And I like getting the best mileage I possibly can...it's like a game. And as I said, I'm used to the tropics so baking isn't too bad.

Also, the A/C makes the engine respond differently and cuts into power, making smooth shifting more difficult...it messes up my rhythm. I'd rather not bother with that.

How did you afford the car in the first place?

PARENTS.

Man, where have you been? I'm 19 for fuck's sake.

My stock truck I drive a little easier in the city. TAke my time to get to the speed limits.

In my bagged truck I still drive it hard.

The camry I still beat on cause it is pretty good on gas anyways.

Oh yeah. I forgot you were that young. I thought you were at least 23-24.

No, but I'll take that as a compliment

Thought you were older too...

but wtf, 19 and jobless? how can you even affoard to put fuel in it, pay for plates and insurance?

Registration and insurance is parents...gas comes from my personal stash of money which comes from working odd jobs (mostly for my dad).

Seriously, I don't even look how much gas costs. I just drive up and fill no matter what. I don't drive any differently, because I work to own/drive my car. Thats pretty much it.

wow you're spoiled

Do you know what I got from my parents? Jack shit. I did jobs around the house all the time, and got nothing. Got kicked out when I was 20. Lived with a buddy, drove a shitty Honda Accord for 5 years, and also had to pay for university on my own. Some people have things so easy.

I can understand if you get babied if your a girl, but damn man... your a Guy. You should really go out their and get a Par-time Job if anything.

I expected that.

And yeah, I've got it pretty sweet, but my parents do it for practical reasons...they want me to have a car so I can be mobile but they don't want me to try to juggle work and school at the same time 'cuz my dad tried that and it basically caused him to drop out of college. Of course, other people can do it but he just tried to work too much.

From the age of 18 to 20, I drove an '81 Ford which I bought myself for $50 and fixed up on my own in high school auto shop.

Yeah - it was a steaming pile but it taught me a couple of valuable lessons.

I seriously think our generations and all of the new generations are babied way to much these days. Kid gets in trouble in school, the parents get mad at the teacher, not their kids. When I was in school, if I caused shit, my dad would give me a woopin' no matter what.

racing gas is seven dollars a gallon, and i still drive fast. i'm not paying for it though : D

I'm staying in 5th gear a lot more on my way to work...I take a nice curvy road to work so I usually row the gears and have fun but now I cruise at the speed limit. Plus, sunroof & windows are open instead of using the A/C.

you know they could've bought you a 1991 Golf instead?

You're lucky (in some way) but atleast you seem to appreciate it..

if it was me I'd never feel like the car was "mine" since I didn't pay/deserve it

or a 1991 Honda Prelude SR

i am conscious(sp?) of the increase in gas, but i dont think i drive enough that it would really impact what i do .. yeh i'm a kid and i drive fast and like to have fun but even with 99cent/gal gas, i dont think i would be redlining every gear. maybe bring it up to 4-5grand every once in a while but nothing more than that.

i've been upshifting at 2250, roling the windows down if it's below 95 out instead of using the A/C, and getting into fifth in places i don't usually.

just driving conservatively.

i thought the general concencis (spelling) here was that using the air conditioning used less gas than having the windows down?

Only at higher speeds...it's different depending on the car, but as I said the break-even point is somewhere in the vicinity of 40 MPH.

I definitely appreciate it, and do my best to not take it for granted...

I was thinking about how I sorta earn it by not fucking up...I mean, I'm in school and I get good grades and I don't do anything stupid. If I wasn't getting at least Bs in college my parents would very likely rip out my toenails one by one and toss my ass out on the street sans car. But I realized that's only how THEY justify it.

The fact of the matter is that both of my parents grew up in situations where money was tight...they both came from relatively large families with small, single incomes. They didn't get what they wanted as kids because every penny was precious. Hell, even within my lifetime my parents were struggling a bit...but as the years have gone on they've done better and better for themselves, having nicer things and appreciating some nice things in their lives. And I happen to think that after growing up the way they did that they're extremely happy to give their kids nice things, like their parents never could afford to. They worked hard to claw their way up from the lower middle class and not only are they enjoying the fruits of their labors, they're being generous with their cash to us young'ns. Is it perhaps a mistake on their part? Ya know, it very well may be, but I'm doing my best to not let it fuck me up. I appreciate where they've been and where they're coming from.

Of course, this is just my opinion, probably spurred on by one too many psychology lectures, but it makes the puzzle pieces fit like nothing else can.

I'm like fuck it .
I'm not gonna change my driving style . I'll just work more .

Okay, I respect that. But I said this in another forum, money is overrated. At least for me... people/friends can make me a lot more happier then money ever can.... well I'd probably be the happiest guy on earth if I won the lottery - but who wouldn't

The best way to appreciate money is to earn them yourself .
I remember back when I had to share an old Dacia with my father and putting 5 $ worth of gas in in .
For the last 3 years , I've been working hard (70-80 hours/week) and now I drive a new truck , i have a 400$ cell phone , I wear 150$ shoes and I eat out at the best restaurants at least once a week .
And I'm gonna keep working hard just to maintain that .
If I'll ever have kids , I'm not gonna spoil them . They'll have to learn the value of money . If they get used to money , they'll never learn to appreciate it .

I admire your work ethic but you are working waaaaay too many hours, bro.
You'll burn yourself out in no time.

You do what you have to do .

Just what kind of work do you do, McKhaos?

I work for the family company . We do business consultancy , specialised in agriculture and food processing .
I'm the manager , but it's a small company for the moment (5 people) , so I basically am involved in everything . I'm manager , driver , tech guy , translator , photographer , etc.....

I drive the same way as I always do, fast and hard... My car that could get close to 30mpg... only does around 25mpg cause I have a lead foot.

I ain't slowin' down!!!

good job!

My car has the engine of a lawnmower and I work from home. Screw the gas...

I always drive conservative. I really see no point for me to redline the car in every gear on the way to work and to home. I rarely ever hit boost on my daily commute to work. I normally shift at 2500k-3000rpms and I average 29mpg. I even keep a spreadsheet of my gas mileage.

Yeah, I started keeping a spreadsheet of my fuel economy and fuel prices and whatever other data I considered important. I just wish I had started to do it earlier.

And I never believed people just needlessly revved their engines until I drove with branden's dad in his S4...man, he's revving that car to 4500 RPMs on every shift for reasons I cannot really comprehend.

I wish I would have started with the fuel data logging earlier but I maintain fuel, other fluid changes, modifications and dates they were put on, shop visits, replaced parts, etc.

My buddies are the same way about shifting at 5k or more.

They provided you with a roof over your head, clothes on your back and food in your stomach, you ungrateful bahstid!.