Gas Prices and Driving Habits

We’ve come across a number of stories  recently reporting that as the price of gas and diesel reaches for the sky across the country, people are changing their driving habits.

That’s certainly true of many of us here. Yes, Toyota has a reputation for building efficient, economical vehicles, but that doesn’t mean that even the Prius pilots here on the Toyota Motor Sales are eager to spend any more on fuel than they absolutely have to.

So with regular-grade gas hovering today at $3.54 per gallon in the area where I live, and with other grades stretching to $4 per gallon in other areas around Southern California – diesel is actually more than $4 per gallon - many of us are cutting back on driving, and when we do drive, we drive with a lighter throttle foot.

And that’s got us wondering, how are high fuel costs impacting you, and what are you doing about it? A Corolla? A bicycle? Public transit? Walking? You’ve got a large trust fund and you think global warming is a crock, so you’re driving as usual?

We’d really like to know. So if you have just a moment, please write a quick comment about how today’s fuel prices are impacting your driving habits, what you’re doing to ease the pain, and what you think the solution to this problem might be.

Your responses should make interesting reading.

-Jon F. Thompson, Corporate Communications

Comments

[Nick]

My wife and I both own Echos so we're it ok shape on gas prices, but with the pumps around here being about $3.20 a gallon for the mid-grade, we're certainly trying to carpool to work more. We are pretty close to each other so that's more feasible than ever. We're also pledging that if we replace our cars, we're only going to drive hybrids from this point forward. We're currently planning on a hybrid highlander next year (unless a hybrid RAV4 comes out, then we'd buy that), and then upgrading the other Echo to a 2009 Prius, or whenever they redesign it next.

[Pat]

Still driving the Celica just as much as before, but cutting down the commuting speed by 5 or so mph. Not ready to move closer to work just yet.

I use to believe that I will purchase a faster, more powerful car next, but now that decision will be based almost entirely on fuel economy and to a lesser extent safety.

Build me a car as fun to drive as the Celica that gets 50mpg, and you'll have my money again.

[Corrie Ann]

Hmmm, driving habits - I'm not a big driver to begin with, but I find the rising gas prices encouraging me to explore my local community more so than normal. I have found wonderful little hideaways for locally produced food, terrific eateries operated by my neighbors, and family owned stores that meet all my shopping needs.

I've also learned that I really do have the stamina to walk up a steep hill empty handed and return with four bags of groceries. This exercise thing just might work! :)

I saw the broken glaciers this morning on the news and, well, it made me stop and think about my habits. I shared a ride to work with a friend, we will run all our errands on the way home, and this weekend will be spent exploring the local area for organic food. Isn't it great to know we can all make a small, but significant impact on the world?

[Don Barletta]

My car, a Geo Metro has been getting 40+ mpg for the last ten years. My Honda Helix maxiscooter has been getting 75 mpg for as long. My wife and I combined only drive about 17,000 miles per year. So whether or not global warming exists, we still choose to be responsible users of natural resources. To that end, my wife needed a new car last year, so she purchased a Yaris hatchback. Other than that we continue to drive about 17,000 miles per year.

[long27]

GLOBAL WARMING IS A BUNCH OF CROCK!but im driving a corolla to save on gas.till our goverment finally says enough to the arab world and take fuel matters into our own hands.... please to all you doom@gloomers out thier please keep your global warming preaching to yourself,,,i love my corolla despite your claims.cheers.

[Tom Roberts]

I've always kept my Highlander (or any car) configured for maximum mileage so I'm doing nothing different there but I'm concentrating on "hypermile" techniques now and never drive over 65mph.

We're combining trips and staying home more, traveling through the internet! Next car is a Prius.

[Roy]

I ride my used 00' Triumph and 98' Honda Valkyrie motorcycles in the warm months regardless of weather (rain) and the Triumph gets up to 70 mpg depending on driving habits. My 04' GMC Sierra gets 16 mpg average and I just parked it for the spring. It has 30,000 miles on it and I want to keep those miles low as I can so I can keep it for as long as possible (I bought it used too).
So during warm months fuel cost is not a problem. But in the winter I carpool as much as possible. Doing that and riding my motorcycles in the warm months (April-Oct) helps me to save on fuel costs.
My wife and I are looking at the Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid. She has the S-2000 and we love the Honda although the mileage is crummy. But it is what it is(Sports car). A hybrid will be the next car. She likes the Honda and I like the Toyota because it has been on the road for a while longer.

[Sean]

How are fuel prices impacting our driving? Well, we're "shopping" for gas much more than we used to, I try to keep any unnecessary cargo out of the car, I've pumped up my tires to just below maxmimum pressure and I drive more gently and use cruise on the highway. Our next car will be a hybrid, or ideally, an extended-range electric. Probably a Volt (if they actually build it), or a Tesla WhiteStar.

[Rick]

I went from having a minivan 2 years ago and driving about 15,000 km per year to a Corolla driving about 10,000km per year. Mostly cut back on pleasure trips.

[Dann Bohn]

I have been driving a lot less, and i'm actually looking to trade my 1996 nissan sentra in for a newer car (because it's at the end of its life about) however, i can't find a car that gets better mileage than the sentra does! I'd really like to know what happened to the 1.5 litre cars of the late 90s? Toyota, do you hear me? there is a market for smaller cars, even the scions are getting bigger engines now? without an option of smaller, more fuel efficient models. why? is it really that much to ask for?

[Sean]

I own a Prius and a ZAP Worldcar (all-electric.) I use the Worldcar as much as possible and my wife uses the Prius to get to & from work (it's a shorter trip than the driving I do, so the person who has to go further gets the electric car which is usually me .) When we do go further than the 50-mile range of the Worldcar (maybe twice a month,) I'm driving and using hypermiling techniques. (My goal is to keep the average above 53MPG on the dash readout.)

[gerlando]

High gas prices (and dismal FE) finally tipped my family to ditch our BMWs for hybrids (1 Insight & 1 Prius). The savings in FE and being able to use regular unleaded practically pay for the Prius.

[S10]

I just traded my FJ cruiser in for a Hybrid.. I was thinking of a Prius, but went for the Lexus RX instead, I wish there was a Lexus IS wagon hybrid!

For all those who say global warming is nonsense... maybe you are right, maybe you're not.. we don't know yet for sure.. what we do know is that saving oil and embracing new technologies is not harming anyone.

Personally I think the dangers of global warming are alarming enough to do EVERYTHING we can to prevent it from happening or worsening... for the love of our children and everybody else on this planet.

I rather be wrong and seen as a fool in 50 years from now than be right and knowing that I didn't do anything about it.

And you?

[Roger Swearingen]

Last year I bought a Ford Ranger EV. So mostly my everyday driving is exactly the same, because I pay for Kilowatts, not gallons. When I do need to go farther than the batteries are good for, I still use the old Murano, but the added advantage of the EV is that when I do use the ICE vehicle, I get better mileage because it tends to be highway driving. So I am saving gas two ways with the EV: first my local trips use no gas at all, second m distance trips get better overall MPG. It's too bad Toyota killed the RAV4 EV, because they would be selling thousands and thousands of these by now if they were available today.

[Andrew]

Sold the Lexus GS430 and bought an electric car http://www.zenncars.com/

So glad I did, I drive about $500 / month for only $15 of electricity / month.

If it wasn't for the high gas prices my eyes would have never seen what better options there are out already.

[Andrew]

ooops... my prev post i ment to say 500 miles

[Travis Rassat]

I've been biking to work 4 days a week. Once the class I'm taking is done, I'll be able to bike 5 days a week, as long as there isn't too much snow on the ground.

Considering it's about 28 miles round trip and I drive an Acura Integra that gets around 28 mpg, I'm saving a gallon of gas a day. With gas at about $3.25 a gallon here in Indiana, I can save about $60-70 a month in gas and get some exercise.

My wife gets our Camry Hybrid, and she's getting a lot better about combining trips.

I don't think global warming is a crock, but I do think it's a misnomer. I don't think we truly have a grasp on how our activities affect the balance of nature.

[Brian Hague]

I'm currently in a 2007 Honda Fit and a 1999 VW Golf TDI. We normally use the Golf more on road trips since it's more comfortable and has superior gas mileage, however recently we've been using the Diesel in town more; leaving the fit behind. We've also started reducing our speed on the highway and in town.
If the VW were more reliable, we'd probably sell the fit and get another golf.

[Jason]

I drive as much as I usually do, although I find myself with a lighter foot than before. One thing that Toyota and other manufacturers should consider doing with gas prices this high is to decouple the engine choice from the trim line. Most manufacturer's selling in the USA make their top trim line available only with the top (and usually less fuel-efficient) engine. People still want the high-end accessories, but maybe they don't want the gas-sucking engine to go with them. Just a thought.

[NiraliSherni]

One real and very viable solution to rising fuel prices is that of Electric Vehicles. Producing zero air pollution, helping you save gas, money and time and helping the nation's economy by reducing dependence of imported oil.

[Derek]

I bought an electric bicycle for my 10-mile commute and I'm riding it every day now. It added only 10 minutes to my normally 20 minute commute and costs only 2-3 cents in electricity each way, plus I get some much-needed exercise.

[Doug]

I drive a Mercedes S63 - not the most fuel efficient car about 12 mpg with a tailwind downhill. I am planning on switching to a Prius in the next few weeks to do my part to be green....

[Brian]

I just ordered an Aptera all electric vehicle as the cost to fill the tank in my V40 Volvo has reached astronomical levels in my mind. Why I can't buy a Rav4-E is beyond me. You folks at Toyota had a good solution years ago and walked away from it. Unbelievable!

[Thomas J.]

Driving my S2000 more, my Land Cruiser less, and waiting for my Tesla Roadster to be delivered, probably around the end of the year. Then, I'll sell the S2000 and install solar panels. From that point on, I'll be driving on sunshine! No pollution, no CO2, and no big cash for gasoline! Bye, bye OPEC! So long, Exxon!

Well, except for the times when I need to either carry more than one passenger, or lots of cargo, or drive in bad weather, then of course I'll be taking the Land Cruiser. Winter ski trips tend to involve all three, but I expect to only put about 3 to 4 thousand miles a year on the big guy. The rest of the time, including my regular daily commute, will be in the Tesla. I expect to total about 10 to 12 thousand miles a year, including 2 or 3 summer trips to the beach. For those, I'll have to recharge once I get there, so that will be interesting, but I think I'll manage.

[Houston Bob]

Just bought a Prius! I commute about 10 miles each way to work, my wife is only 2 miles away! Comes out to only 12,000 mi a year. The other car is a 99 Corolla. All along I've been combining as many trips as I can and I try not using a lead foot (but that's sometimes hard to avoid doing here in Houston). Gas will have to get to around $6 a gallon before it equals my car insurance bill!

[Scott R.]

For two year's worth of gasoline at current prices (2 X 15,000m X $4 / 20mpg, you can purchase all you need to convert your car to electric and have some change. I drive freeway speeds for over 40 miles a day but can go further. My batteries will last well over 5 years, but I'll be replacing them with batteries that will give the car well over twice the range sooner than that. The cost of electricity is negligible... of course, you could go the next step and put some solar panels on your roof and not care at all. Or just follow the crowd and let someone else thing for you.

[Aviv Screwvala]

My driving habits have changed DRASTICALLY. I now drive 70% less than I used to and work remote as much as possible. When I do drive, I stick to 55 mph on the freeway, and drive with a very light foot.

In my opinion, the only solution to this problem is a Plug-In Hybrid that will allow consumers to save their gasoline use for highway commutes primarily. The Prius is a great start and alot of hopes rest in the next generation. Personally, I believe that, once the West is educated, Plug-ins will relieve the perception of gasoline pressure far more than any other type of vehicle.

Addtional integrations like Solar PV roofing and efficient design will only further this vehicle's cause.

Bold, risky decisions are the only way to make global impact in the fuel efficiency game. Good luck making them Toyota!

[stevejust]

I have a hybrid civic which I bought new in March 2004, after Toyota closed the wait-list on the Prius. Gas prices don't affect my immediate life at all. I can bike to work, which I do frequently. But higher gas prices mean higher prices for everything we purchase... everything from bananas to ipods to t-shirts to flat screen teevees. So eventually it's going to matter to everyone, even people who don't drive regularly and have hybrids.

I have a Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid on order. It will be quite a change going from the Civic to the Karma, but in my opinion, in the last 4 years no car company has stepped up to improve the fuel economy of the 2nd-gen Prius (and the 1st-gen manual civic hybrid I have). Toyota, where's the FT-HS? Where's the Lexus dedicated hybrid? Where's the hybrid Corolla?

[Noz]

I think it's insulting to automakers that individuals out there without formal education or degrees are retrofitting cars to be EV's with 60-80 miles of range while HUGH, WEALTHY corporations such as Toyota can't come out with a car that can fit 85-90% of people's daily driving needs and be fully electric....embarrassing.

As a mechanical engineer myself, I see nothing but purposeful sabotage on behalf of the automakers to not quickly develop such vehicles. All the corporate hoopla about we are doing this, doing that, etc means nothing without results and real products.

Truly embarrassing...speaks volumes on the greed and power these corps want and have. No other way to put it.

[Colby]

Have been driving small cars (hatchbacks) my whole life. Love 'em. Recently downsized from a Civic Si (30mpg) to CRX HF (40+mpg) for better mileage. Have my eye keenly set on the second gen Fit when it's released later this year. HOWEVER, I AM IN LOVE WITH THE iQ!! Sell it in the US!! (Just make the announcement before the '09 Fit is released.)

kthnxbye

[Ronald Quintero]

I am definitively saving my gas. I stop taking the freeeway since my car for some reason consumes more gases on the freeway than on the street. I do try to take all the green lights on the street aa much as possible. I think if my car was a little bit more aerodinamic i could myabe then drive in the freeway. I am waiting on a plug in for my next car.

[Nathan]

My wife and I are both college students. We live, and have lived on for years, a shoe string budget. It has never been designed to account for huge increases in gas prices. Not only that, but the cost of EVERYTHING has gone up, so the budget we set up in September 2007 that should have lasted us until June 2008 is completely depleted. Surges in electricity prices, gas, food, it's all related and it's all killing the working class of this country. I consider myself blessed as I was able to score a second job just before this recession, but I have to wonder what people who can't get extra work / pay are doing?

How has it affected my driving? I can't afford to do any unnecessary driving at all, I plan all my errands to get accomplished in one day each week. Long gone are the days I used to go on a drive to take my mind off things, now it's an exercise in accounting; figuring out just how much this jaunt to the post office is costing me.

[John Pesackis]

I commute 28 miles a day. I have a 2004 Camry 4 cyl. that gets about 30 mpg. If I drive at 45 mph and coast during deceleration, I find that I can get 33 mpg.

My wife has a 2005 Prius and we get about 46 mpg in typical small city driving.

I am very interested in the A-BAT and would definitely buy one. I would love to see it sold with plug-in capability.

While I know other make vehicles are starting to consider hybrids, I am partial to Toyota because of the reliability and the local dealers excellent service (Toyota of Wilmington, NC)

John Pesackis
Wilmington, NC

[Alan]

I have a 2008 Tacoma 4X4, standard cab, 5 speed. I LOVE the truck, but my 24+ MPG average is less pleasing as gas moves closer to $4.00 per gallon. What's the future? Can I keep driving this truck? I spend the summers in Colorado climbing and hiking the high country, so this truck is perfect. But the steadily rising gas prices in definitely cramping my plans.

[Matt]

A year and a half ago, when gas prices hit about $2.50, I invested in a 250cc scooter and the appropriate gear so that I can ride the bike to work about 10 months out of the year here in northern Ohio. With a 54 mile round trip to work, this saved a lot of money on gas, and I figured I could survive with my Acura CL the remaining two months and for the trips to the grocery store. Now that I have seen gas as high as $3.45, I am even looking to replace my car, this time I think I will go with a Smart ForTwo, although I am hoping that the Toyota IQ, the Th!nk Ox, or other comprable cars make it to release soon. The Aptera Type-1 is a little out of my price range.

[Brandon Rouse]

i ride my motorcycles as much as possible. considering a more efficient vehicle.
the USA needs better, smaller, more cost effective vehicles now.

[Dan Crowley]

We were just in the market ro relpace an aging Grand Cherokee V8. Of course, just about anything yield better MPG, but we decided to rule out anything that didn't at least double the 14 MPG from the Jeep.

Our short list included the Prius based solely on MPG, and the Scion xD based on its unusual styling on low purchase price.

We disliked the Prius quite a bit. It seemed overpriced for its appliance-like driving dynamics and low-rent interior. At the same time, if the high MPG made it cost effective, we could still deal with it.

We calculated the impact of $5 per gallon gas against the $10K price premium over the xD, and from a money saving perspective, the Prius just made no sense.

We bought the xD.

So, to answer your question...fuel cost was a primary consideration in this purchase, though we looked at it in context of the total cost of ownership.

[jules auspitz]

I drive a 2000 Chevy S10 V6. I now combine 4-5 errands into one trip, take off from stops very slowly and I never drive over 60 mph on freeways. This has increased my mileage by 5 mpg. My next car will electric!!

[Rich Cournoyer]

We are making our own....since our income is clearly not going to rise at the rate of petro. Tired of the rising prices, we decided to buy an older Mercedes diesel, invest some of our time to learn how to produce our own biodiesel. While it would be great to go down the street to buy it at the pump we clearly know that with an "oil man" in the White House, that just isn't going to happen. Production costs are around $1.00/gal not including our labor, and it sure beats walking. We hope that Toyota introduces a diesel SUV this fall, because we want and need the modern safety features (ABS, Air bags, ESP) associated with a new vehicle.

[Daniel Lunsford]

I'd be stupid to say that they don't affect me (due to the trickle-down effect of increased manufacturing and transportation costs), but I truely haven't felt a direct impact of the price increases since I have been biking to work (every day!) for the past 6 months. I feel bad for the line of people I see each day at the gas station; these people are enslaved by a simple liquid, incapable of performing normal human functions like going to work or getting groceries without their almighty petrol. The one ray of sunshine is that the higher prices and warmer weather have brought out an incredible number of other cyclists that weren't around in the colder months. Maybe a cultural change is being forced on us?

[Rich]

I've changed my driving habits. Driving less. Batching trips together and driving slower. My fuel mileage has increased from an average of 23 mpg to 25 mpg.
We are looking for a new car but there is nothing on the market in the US that interests us. We are looking for a 4 or 5 passenger 4 door family sedan that gets well over 40 mpg. I see many cars in the European market that would meet our needs but nothing in the US. Come on Toyota make that RAV EV again! Our entire house is green. Heated and powered by the sun. Now we want to get rid of the fossil fueled car or at least drive one that doubles our current gas mileage. Thanks for asking.

[Sean Tyler]

I've been driving my 07 Subaru Impreza for ~ a year now. I picked up the car because it was on sale as a year end deal and ended up getting $2000 off the base price. The car gets about 22-28 MPG. At the time that I bought the car I was really hoping to buy a prius but the base model was $5000 more expensive than the Impreza and could not afford it at the time. Now I can afford the prius but.... I just bought a new car 10 months ago...I drive ~ 15000 miles a year.. and my spouse drives her Jeep Liberty guzzler appoximately the same. We used to drive much more frequently but now that gas priceses have been going up we eat at home more often, shop on the way home, but drive less ... We've been both looking at more fuel efficient cars such as the Prius, Mini, Highlander Hybrid as our next cars in the future but at the same time we're considering doing eworking for our jobs to cut out the need for a vehicle so we'd only need one car between the two of us... Our main interest is to get a new car within the next 5 years that hits that 60MPG mark or get an all electric vehicle for short distance travel that is affordable. ...I love driving but I might start biking and walking to get things done.

[DirtKahuna]

I drive a mini-van to work. I carry my bicycle in my van and use it for all trips during the day (Local I.T. support). For trips out of the area, I drive a Ford Focus (30+ MPG). I love to ski, so when possible I carpool. During the summer, I've cut back on mountain biking because it requires a 80 mile round-trip to the nearest trail. Instead, I ride my road bike directly from my home. The next vehicle I drive will be a hybrid of some sort.

[AES]

How have I responded to rising gas prices?

Well unlike many other people in SoCal, I've resisted the unwise impulse to buy a Toyota hybrid car!

The single mode system only helps out when you're stuck in traffic. I consider getting stuck in traffic to be an indicator of a poorly-planned commute. Instead, I ride my bike in the city, or I observe the cyclic traffic ebb and flow so that when I do drive, I'm never stuck. That way I still drive places both for business and leisure, thus keeping the economy going. I've done this for years, even before the current gas crisis.

I've also invested my money in domestic-OWNED business that will not only produce alternative energy or related products in the United States, but also keep the money AT HOME, instead of siphoning it into either Japanese or Saudi Arabian bank accounts.

Seriously, the current recession goes way beyond gas prices and the car industry, and contributing to the net exodus of wealth and wealth ownership out of the country isn't going to help.

[Dennis Burges]

We have always been careful about the mpg of our two vehicles (currently a Scion-B and a Tacoma). Now that gas is over $3.50 in our area, we are limiting shopping and keeping it closer to home. I've removed toolboxes from the Tacoma and increased air pressure in both cars. We promise that we will not buy another car until we can get a PHEV or EV with at least 30 miles of electric-only capacity. I am seriously considering converting an older small car or pickup to an EV if the automakers don't step up soon. We needen't wait for L-ion. You have good servicable battery technology now for the next step and could be producing the PHEV we want very soon. Our chief motivation is not economy, but ecology and the political implications of oil.

[Jesse]

Toyota, please offer some of your wonderful diesels in the U.S. Not only for the increased economy but for the mind-blowing torque they produce.

[Alan]

I ride a scooter rain or shine except on ice. The Prius is for the wife and other travel so, prices aren't such a big deal.

[ryan]

First off, I have two of the most fuel-efficient cars on the road in my garage. My 2005 Prius is for getting around town. My 1998 VW Jetta TDi is for highway driving. Any trips that can be accomplished by bicycle or walking are done in this manner. Before jumping in the car, I look at whether it would be more cost efficient and ecologically-correct to order the item online. When I do get into my car, I hypermile it. This makes driving more challenging, enjoyable, and safe... and saves money to boot!

[tk]

I ride my bicycle and walk to most daily errands when possible. I have also started taking the Park-n-ride to work. Some of the motivation is from the cost savings, but some out of freeing up time to work and catch up on reading. For recreation (skiing/whitewater kayaking) I have a Tacoma with a small diesel engine which gets close to 40mpg. It won't do 100mph, but it has plenty of torque and 4wd to get me everywhere.

Why does Toyota not bring back smaller trucks that they sell every else in the world? When I look at the size of the new Tacoma's and Tundras, well it just makes me sad. I think back to the old Toyota trucks of the 70's and 80's that were small, light, supper tuff and got the job done simply and efficiently. Everything just gets bigger and heavier with bigger engines. I want a small, light, 4wd vehicle that gets over 30mpg. It does not have to go 100 mph on the highway, just have decent torque for driving off road and in the mountains.

[Amanda]

We drive a Prius, which we love, so we are doing ok, filling up about 3 times per month at $32 per fill-up. We are a 1-car household. My husband drops me off at work in the morning on his way into his office. I walk home, which is about a mile. On nice mornings or if he has an early meeting, I walk to work. The fresh air and exercise in the morning is wonderful. My "commute" home is stress free and good for my health.